Lorna L’Deana (DeVilbiss) Slater, 80, of rural Fort Scott, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at Mercy Hospital in Joplin, Missouri. She was born Tuesday, May 29, 1945, in Waynoka, Oklahoma, to Loren V. and Jesse M. (Buckland) DeVilbiss.
Lorna grew up on the family farm near Waynoka, helping raise Hereford cattle. She graduated from Waynoka High School in 1963 and later from the Oklahoma School of Banking and Business in Oklahoma City.
On October 22, 1964, she married Larry “John” Slater. They began their married life in Cashion, Oklahoma, followed by three years in Waynoka before making a big move in 1974 to a farm near Chetopa in southeast Kansas, where they lived for 30 years. They later moved to rural Fort Scott.
Over the years, Lorna worked for several school districts, including Cashion and Waynoka, Oklahoma, and later Chetopa, Kansas. Her most fulfilling work, however, was raising dogs on the farm. She raised Dachshunds, Corgis, and her favorite breed, the West Highland White Terrier. She especially enjoyed meeting the many people who came into her life through selling her puppies.
In addition to her love of farm life, Lorna and her family raised show lambs, an endeavor that connected her to 4-H and FFA kids and families. For many years, she clerked the annual show project sale, where she enjoyed visiting with families and encouraging young people. These show kids and their parents became an extension of her own family, and she took great pride in watching them succeed with their projects they purchased.
Lorna was an active member and Sunday School teacher at First Baptist Church in Edna, Kansas, and later the Hiattville Methodist Church in rural Fort Scott.
She treasured time spent with family, which often included a competitive game of dominoes. She enjoyed bus trips with local friends and never passed up a good garage sale, especially when accompanied by her friend Phyllis. Lorna proudly embraced her role as “Aunt Lorna,” always front and center at family gatherings to inspect the new prospective members.
She is survived by her husband, Larry “John” Slater, of the home; her daughter, Diane (Mark) Brillhart of Fort Scott, Kansas; her son, Daren (Tiffany) Slater of Dacoma, Oklahoma; grandsons Clay Brillhart of Fort Scott, Kaden Slater of Dacoma, and Kolby (Kaytin) Slater of American Fork, Utah; and great-grandson Emmett Slater. She is also survived by four step-granddaughters and their families: Jenny Brillhart (Joseph and Peyton) of Santa Rosa, Florida; Megan Brillhart (Vander and Jagger) of Fort Scott; Brianne Brillhart (Cooper) and Cameron Brillhart (Riley, Trevor, and Moe), all of Nevada, Missouri. She is further survived by her brother, Mac DeVilbiss of Yukon, Oklahoma, and numerous extended family members.
She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Adrian and Glenn DeVilbiss.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 A.M. Friday, January 23rd at the Grace Baptist Tabernacle, 502 S. Margrave St., in Ft. Scott, Kansas. On Saturday, January 24th family and friends will gather at 12:00 P.M. at the Waynoka Methodist Church, 110 Flynn St. Waynoka, Oklahoma. A graveside service will follow at 1:30 P.M. at the Memorial Hill Cemetery in Waynoka, Oklahoma. Memorials are suggested to the Hiattville United Methodist Church or the Memorial Hill Cemetery Association and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.