Barbara Irene Davis George was welcomed into the arms of Jesus on November 29, 2018.
She was born on April 20, 1944 in Ft. Scott, Kansas. Barbara graduated high school from Uniontown, KS.
She married the love of her life, Leslie “David” George on June 3, 1962.
She loved caring for her family and friends. Her favorite thing was being a grandma.
Barbara and her family lived in Bartlesville for 28 years. She was a homemaker as her girls were growing up which allowed her to care for a few children in her home. Once they moved back to Fort Scott, she loved her job as a housekeeper for Mercy Hospital.
She is survived by her husband, David of Uniontown, KS; daughter Debra Thomas and husband Chad of Bartlesville, Ok; daughter Susan Dunkleberger and husband Scott of Edmond, OK; 3 granddaughters, Emily, Megan and Sydney and 3 grandsons, Davis, Tyler and Noah; sister Wanda Harlan of Bonesteel, SD, brother Ralph Davis and wife Peggy of Fort Scott, Kansas; sister Lula Mae Allison and husband Clarence of Belle Plaine, KS; many in-laws, nieces and nephews that she loved dearly.
She is preceded in death by her parents Wilbur and Mabel Davis of Fort Scott, Kansas; infant brother Ronnie; and brother Robert “Bob“ Davis of Enid, Oklahoma.
Rev. Ed Sneed will conduct funeral services 11:00 a.m. Monday, December 3, 2018, at the First Church of God in Fort Scott under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home.
The visitation is 6:00-8:00 p.m. Sunday, December 2, 2018, at the funeral home.
Following cremation, burial will take place at the Fort Scott National Cemetery at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to First Church of God and may be left in the care of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home, 15 W. Wall Street, PO Box 309, Fort Scott, KS 66701. Condolences may be submitted to the online guestbook at konantz-cheney.com.
The Airport Advisory Board will meet on Monday, December 10th, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. at the City Commission meeting room at City Hall, 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting is open to the public.
Your American Legion Santa Claus will once again be at the Fort Scott Wal-Mart for “Photos With Santa” this weekend.
There is no cost for a “Photo With Santa,” however, a donation for American Legion children and youth programs are appreciated.
His hours are:
Friday. 4 – 8 pm.
Saturday. 10 am – 2 pm.
Sunday. 1 – 5 pm.
The American Legion Santa Claus is for children of all ages. Last weekend, he was photographed with a two week old baby and a Viet Nam Vet stopped by as well for a photo op.
Please let family and friends know about “Photos With Santa”
A photo of the Mercy Home Health and Hospice which is transitioning to Integrity Home Care and Hospice. Back Row: Kathy Stienbarger: RN, Rebecca Davied: Home Health and Hospice Director, LaShawn Noel: MSW, Dr Maxwell Self: Medical Director, Kyli Gates: RN Manager, Kerry Wunderly: RN, Joanna Gauthier: Accounts Coordinator. Middle Row: Albert Sacbibit: PT, Ashley Shelton: RN, Kelli Jones: RN, Chris Comstock: Admin Assistant, Trista Smith: Aide, David Goodyear: RN, Dreia Judson: Aide, Hugo Dahlstrom: OT. Front Row: Darcy Bukowski: RN, Tabitha Stults: Community Relations, Cindy Remlinger: Aide. Absent From Picture: Melissa George: Chaplin, Sandy Smith: Admin Assistant, Alice Helton: RN, Bob Meredith: PT, Brenda Baily: RN, Holly Schnichels: RN, Tori Stewart: COTA, Deanna Warner: RN, Shannon Nash: RN, Bill Rice: PT.
Mercy Home Health and Hospice hosted the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee on Nov. 29.
Tabitha Stults, community relations with MHHH, spoke to the attendees at the coffee.
Stults said the Memorial Patio in Riverside Park, which was begun October 2017 was finished this month.
The area is in memory of those people served by hospice since 2012, when Mercy began its hospice service to the community.
Becky Davied, director of Mercy’s home health said that the home health department was started in 1974.
Mercy Home Health and Hospice will have a name change to Integrity Home Care + Hospice following the closure of Mercy Hospital on Dec. 31, 2018. Integrity is based in Springfield, MO.
Integrity’s Machelle Gillhous will assume the title of director of community engagement, following the merger.
“She won’t be in Fort Scott,” Stults said. “She is the director of community engagement for all of Integrity, she will be my direct supervisor.”
Between Jan.1 and March when Integrity takes over, the staff will remain as Mercy employees as they go through the merger, Stults, said.
“We will have the same staff and continue to provide the same services,” Davied said.
” We will continue to provide all of our traditional services that we do now,” Stults said.
Mercy Home Health and Hospice is located at 902 S. Horton in the Mercy Medical Plaza. The phone number is 620-223-8090.
The services provided are:
For Home Health:
Skilled Nursing: Wound Care, IV Therapy, Disease Management, Palliative Care, Medication Management, Blood Draws, Infant and Pediatric Care, Patient and Family Education, 24 Hour on-call services.
Physical Therapy: Assessment, Evaluate, and Treatment
Occupational Therapy: Assessment, Evaluate, and treatment.
Home Health Aide Services: Bathing, hair care, skin care.
Social Work Services: short-term counseling and community resource education.
Chaplain Services: Spiritual support and resource education.
For Hospice:
Skilled Nursing: 24/7 on-call skilled nursing services, comfort care, pain management, patient and family education, durable medical equipment coordination, medication management Services are available where ever the patient lives: a home or apartment, nursing home, assisted living facility, Independent care facility or hospital
Social Work Services: short-term counseling and community resource education.
Volunteer Services: Volunteers to read and visit with patients or allow caregivers a break.
Chaplain Services: Spiritual support and resource education
Bereavement Services: Family and caregiver support for 1 year following the loss of a loved one.
Home Health Aid Services: Bathing, hair care, skin care, light housekeeping, patient and family support.
Mercy Hospital Fort Scott announced Oct. 1 that it would close on Dec. 31, 2018.
The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Pittsburg, will then assume operations for the main clinic and convenient care at the former Mercy Hospital site.
Krista Postai, CEO of Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas answered the following questions from fortscott.biz
What is in concrete at this point?
“Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas will assume operations of the Mercy clinics in Pleasanton and Arma on January 1.
We will also transition the Mound City Clinic, now under the management of Olathe Health System, on January 1.
CHC/SEK will assume operations for Mercy’s Convenient Care and their main clinic in the hospital on February 1.
Hours of operation for all these sites will remain the same.”
Who will be the administration team that will be on site on Jan. 1 at Mercy Fort Scott?
“Administrative offices for CHC/SEK are based in Pittsburg where we originally started.
All of our clinics – and we currently have 11 through southeast Kansas serving 50,000 patients – have a local practice manager on site that oversees daily operations. We have hired one for the Bourbon County Clinics and one for the Linn County clinics.
So “administration” for us is defined as these six people – CEO Krista Postai, Senior Vice President Jason Wesco, CFO Douglas Stuckey, Chief Clinical Officer Linda Bean, VP/Human Resources Megan Fry and General Counsel Daniel Creitz – and they work out of a System Office at 3015 N. Michigan.
We also have management staff including a Director of School Health, Director of Operations, Pharmacy Director, Dental Director, Director of Behavioral Health, IT Director, Billing Director, etc. who provide support for all of our clinics and staff…they are located at various sites throughout the area and travel from clinic to clinic to oversee programs.”
“Amy Budy will be our Practice Manager.”
Which doctors have signed on to stay at this point?
“I’ve attached the picture we took yesterday of the staff at the main clinic in Ft. Scott who we will employ beginning Feb. 1.
This includes the physicians we have hired – Dr. Burke, Dr. Seals, Dr. Self and Dr. Gugnani. We have also hired Dr. Allen from Mound City who will cover both Mound City and Pleasanton clinics. We do not anticipate hiring any additional physicians.”
Dr. Burke, Dr. Seals, APRN Amanda Stice, Dr. Self, APRN Kristine O’Dell, APRN Pam Moyers, Dr. Gugnani and APRN Mary Beth Newkirk. Kristine O’Dell is working in Convenient Care; the others at the main clinic in Fort Scott. Not pictured are APRN Bobbi Jo Thornton, and APRN Emily Bolinger who will be working at Convenient Care.
What services will you provide?
“We will continue to provide the services that have been offered by the clinics in the past.
Convenient Care will change its name to Walk-In Care – the hours and services will be the same.
At the main clinic, the same services will also be offered – primary medical care including obstetrics, lab, x-ray, immunizations, etc.
For most people, the only change they will notice will be the name on the building.
We also plan to continue to offer mammograms and provide space for specialists including the Cancer Center of Kansas.
We will also assume operations of the retail pharmacy next to the hospital clinic.
Once we make the transition, we’ll start looking at the addition of other services including behavioral health, addiction treatment and, eventually, dental care as we offer at many of our other clinics.
In the meantime, anyone needing these services will be referred to the closest clinic and, if needed, transportation provided.”
You said services fees will be income-based?
“All of our services are provided regardless of an individual’s ability to pay. We accept Medicare, Medicaid and all private insurances.
For those with incomes at 200% or below the federal poverty level, services are discounted. For example, a family of four with an annual income of $25,100 or below would pay $15 for a medical visit including lab and x-ray.
Special financial assistance paperwork must be completed annually and documentation of income provided and those with/or without insurance may apply.
For those with insurance, the discount is applied to the amount they owe after insurance pays. Also, for those on Medicare, the deductible is waived per federal requirements. For the financial assistance forms, go to our web page…www.chcsek.org
The stuffing recipe was new, a five-star dish, loaded with sausage, bacon and mushrooms. The photo-shopped picture—with precisely placed red peppers and browned bread chunks– was my Thanksgiving experiment for this year, the year when I needed to impress.
I knew what had gone wrong. I had become distracted when the recipe called for 4 cups of water, and since I was halving-again the ingredients, six were necessary. But had I already poured in four…or six? How was I to know? The bread had soaked up all of the water, so there was no way to dump it out and remeasure. I stood by my Dutch oven, staring, waiting for the brain cells to engage. Four cups or six cups, that was the question. Unfortunately, that was also the answer. I added two more cups, rationalizing that moist stuffing is better than dry. It isn’t.
That wasn’t the only mistake. Dave and I were half-way to our son’s family’s house for dinner when I realized I had left my salad’s apple/parsley garnish at home. My lovely apple-lemon-cranberry jello dish would be naked, and since my stuffing had required additional baking time, there was no time to turn around and retrieve it, especially since I needed to run by the grocery store to pick up one of those cheater brown gravy mixes because I had only enough turkey drippings to make gravy for two small children. I would supplement and hope no one noticed. In the end, my lack of jello garnish didn’t matter anyway because I got distracted (are you seeing a pattern here?) and forgot to add my lovely apple-lemon-cranberry dish to the buffet spread until after everyone had eaten.
I had wanted my contribution to be perfect. Our son’s lifelong friend, Will, and his wife, Christina, were visiting from New York. Will owns the #1 restaurant in the WORLD, and Christina owns 15 pastry shops scattered across the country. If you watch the television show Master Chef, you will recognize her as one of the judges. But here I was, straining my gourmet turkey stuffing (aka, mush) while Christina noticed my faux gravy mixes and offered to whisk away. It was she who sweetly suggested the stuffing could serve as a fancy gravy for the potatoes that I surprisingly had not ruined, probably thanks to two sticks of butter, one of cream cheese and overkill on half-and-half, facts I would not share, considering Will and Christina eat only healthy food.
In the end, the young couple raved about the meal, finding nothing but positives in my negatives. Here they were, two perfectionists in the food industry, and they were determined to make me feel unembarrassed. Christina even commented on how many mistakes are made in preparing pastries and that it’s how you correct the problems that makes the difference. I have no doubt their upbeat attitude contributes to their restaurant success.
Ephesians 4:29 addresses the way we talk to others: “No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.” Let’s face it. We are either an encourager or a discourager. I have been both. As a wife, a parent, a teacher, a committee member. And I can honestly tell you, looking for ways to build someone up is far more effective than tearing them down. Christina modeled that for me on Thanksgiving Day. She saw nothing but good in my efforts.
I expect that any day I should get her invitation to appear on Master Chef.
Harold Eugene Roosa, Jr., age 86, a resident of Paola, Kansas, passed away Thursday, November 22, 2018, at the North Point Skilled Nursing Center in Paola.
He was born August 14, 1932, in Dublin, Indiana, the son of Harold E. Roosa and Edna J. Mochel Roosa.
Harold served with the United States Army from 1952 to 1955 where he was stationed in Germany.
Following his military service, he married Juanita May Piper on June 24, 1961, at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Harold had worked for many years as a truck driver for various trucking companies throughout the Mid-West.
He had made his home in Hemet, California for several years prior to moving to Paola after the death of his wife.
Harold enjoyed flying and golfing as well as playing billiards. He and his wife, also enjoyed traveling and had taken a number of trips including, Alaska, Panama, Europe and the Holy Land.
He was a member of the Grace Missionary Baptist Church in Hemet, California.
Survivors include his daughter, Hayley Evans and husband, Norman, of Paola, Kansas and his, son, Hans Roosa of Hemet, California and his granddaughter, Lisa Evans-Malone and husband, John, also of Paola. Also surviving is a sister, Charlotte Hofmann and husband, Bob, of Richmond, Indiana. He was preceded in death by his wife, Juanita, a son, Harold E. “Hal” Roosa, III, a brother, Arnie Roosa and a sister, Hazel Pugh.
Rev. Chuck Russell will conduct graveside services at 12:30 P.M. Wednesday, December 5th at the U. S. National Cemetery.
Military honors will be provided at the cemetery.
Family and friends may meet at the Cheney Witt Chapel prior to leaving for the cemetery at 12:15 P.M. Arrangements are under the direction of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, Kansas. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Robert Eugene Schweikert, age 86, a resident of rural Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Thursday, November 29, 2018, at Country Place Senior Living in Ft. Scott.
He was born May 9, 1932, in Ft. Scott, the son of Dorace Benjamin Schweikert and Lorene Hays Schweikert.
Bob graduated from the Ft. Scott High School. He later served with the United States Army from 1953 to 1954. Following his military service, he married Jeanette Gray on July 13, 1958, at Ft. Scott.
In earlier years, Bob had worked for Central Gun Shop in Ft. Scott. In 1976, he started his own business, Bob’s Gun & Lock, which was located on East Wall Street. Bob enjoyed hunting and fishing and spending time outdoors. He also enjoyed riding his motorcycles. He had served for several years on the Evergreen Cemetery Board and had served as their President. He was a member of the Ft. Scott Masonic Lodge and the First Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Jeanette, of the home.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Dorace Benjamin Schweikert and Lorene Hays Schweikert Feemster.
Rev. Chuck Russell will conduct graveside services at 10:00 A.M. Monday, December 3rd at the Evergreen Cemetery.
Military honors will be conducted at the cemetery. Family and friends may meet at the Cheney Witt Chapel prior to leaving for the cemetery at 9:45 A.M. on Monday.
Memorials are suggested to the Alzheimer’s Association or to Mercy Hospice 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.
Pete Contla, age 79, a resident of Ft. Scott, KS, formerly of Harbor City, CA, passed away Monday, November 26, 2018. There was cremation. Rev. Chuck Russell will conduct memorial services at 3:00 PM Saturday, December 1st, at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Pete Contla Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, P.O. Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
A sample of items that will be sold at Christmas At The Empress.
A group of local craftsmen/women will be downtown during Fort Scott’s Christmas Parade on Dec. 4 to sell their wares.
“We were told by multiple people that the Stocking Stuffer had been canceled and that they relied on it for last minute shopping,” Julie Norris, a vendor, said. “Vendors really enjoyed it as well. We had the idea of running something while the parade was downtown so we would have traffic already there for the vendors.”
Christmas candies will be for sale at the event.
The vendors will set up shop at The Empress Event Center, 7 N Main, across the street from Papa Don’s Restaurant.
The parade is at 6 p.m. on December 4. The vendors will be open from 5-8 p.m.
“We have several local vendors that will be present. The list that we currently have confirmed: Nikki Carpenter with Chalk Couture, Hannah Gander with Mama’s Mugs , Dee Regina with Paparazzi Jewelry , Elise Herman with Usborne Books, Julie Norris & Chris Ames with ColorStreet, Amber Kelly with Tupperware, Angela Carpenter with Homemade Holiday Crafts, Alison Milburn with Bows by Ali Rose, Micki Craft with Home Sewn Crafts, Kelly Gander with Kelly’s Creations ,our children-Kallie and Bryton will be selling treats and hot apple cider, Jackie Harvey with Jackie’s Leather Earrings. And Jeff Tinsley will have his homemade pecan and peanut brittles,” she said.
Jewelry will be offered for sale at the event.
“We are hoping to provide a nice variety of shopping for the community with our local vendors in one stop,” Norris said.
“Some items will include handmade Christmas decor, wreaths, reusable chalk decor, tumblers, personalized vinyl, kitchen towels, aprons, security blankets, cosmetic bags, Christmas candies, hair accessories, jewelry, children’s books, affordable manicures, cosmetics, acrylic keychains, and more,” she said.
