Johnnie Lyle Harrison, age 60, a resident of Arcadia, Kansas, passed away on Wednesday, August 21st, 2019, after succumbing to cancer at the Via Christi Village in Pittsburg, Kansas.
Johnnie was born June 18, 1959, to George and Bernice (Endicott) Harrison in Fort Scott, Kansas. Johnnie worked for the City of Arcadia for several years. Johnnie’s life began like so many of the men of his time. He dropped out of school at an early age to work so that he could help provide for himself as well as is parents. He was a hard worker and especially loved working on his own home, whether that be tearing down walls or building new ones.
Johnnie was liked and loved by many and truly lived life to the fullest through simple pleasures; he enjoyed spending time with his family and friends, country cruising, fishing, mushroom hunting, playing cards, watching westerns, and adding to his smurf collection.
Johnnie is survived by his seven children: John, Danielle, Jessica, James, Christina, Joseph, and Jason; his grandchildren: Hunter, Lilly, Kylee, Keaton, Kody, Elizabeth, Samantha, Jordan, Kage, Katie, Blake, Jacob, and Ryan; his sisters: Ruth and Debra; his brothers: Roger, Jerry, and Christopher; and his cousins, nieces, and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Christopher Harrison; a brother, Raymond Harrison; and a sister, Nancy (Harrison) Horn.
There was cremation.
Private burial will take place at a later date at the Hepler Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial contribution to the Johnnie Harrison Memorial fund which may be left in the care of Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
Or, if you would like to donate to the family, please visit the Funeral Expenses for Johnnie Fundraiser at https://www.facebook.com/donate/1387626031400563/?fundraiser_source=external_url.
Emily Elliott, 37, is the new Fort Scott Middle and High School Vocal Music Director.
Fort Scott Middle School.
She is passionate about sharing music with people of all ages and has 18 years of experience equipping individuals, choirs and ensembles with the skills needed for music excellence, she said.
Elliott received her BME from Baker University in 2019, specializing in vocal music with percussion as her secondary instrument.
Elliott and her blended family are originally from Lawrence but are “excited to be a part of the Fort Scott community”, she said.
Her partner in life is Brad Kirk, who works as a master welder and maintenance technician. Her son, Oliver, will attend Eugene Ware Elementary as a 5th-Grader and her daughter, Madeline, will be an 8th-grader at the middle school.
In her spare time, Elliott enjoys reading, hanging out with family and friends, kayaking, watching movies, adding stamps to her passport, and attending live music and comedy shows.
As a music educator, Elliott looks forward to sharing with her students the world of music and giving them the tools for deeper understanding and discovery, and will work to create a positive inclusive classroom environment and rely on differentiated instruction that nurtures and enriches all students in their music-making.
Upcoming grazing school to be held in Bourbon County – Stay tuned for more details
Southeast Kansas is rich with grasslands. These grasslands are ideal for grazing cattle. To learn more about cattle grazing, specifically in southeast Kansas, plan to attend a one-day grazing school held in Bourbon County, Kansas on Saturday, September 28, 2019.
This program is hosted by the Southwind Extension District, the Wildcat Extension District and Cherokee County Extension, and will feature classroom instruction and ranch tours. More details are forthcoming, but tentatively scheduled activities include classroom sessions on pasture fertility, extending the grazing season with alternative forage crops, and the economics of grazing.
Tentatively scheduled tours include a progressive operation near Fort Scott, Kansas which specializes in advanced breeding techniques, and an operation near Redfield, Kansas utilizing rotational grazing and improved livestock watering systems.
This program will run from approximately 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Specific details including location, meal, and registration fees will be available at your local extension offices within the next couple weeks.
For questions contact K-State Research and Extension -Southwind District Extension Agent for Livestock Production and Forage Management, Christopher Petty at 620-223-3720 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Rhonda Elaine Heathman Pottorff, age 63, a resident of Nevada, MO., died Thursday, August 22, 2019, at the Landmark Hospital in Joplin, MO.
She was born July 5, 1956, in Fort Scott, KS. the daughter of Bert A. Heathman and Ida P. Hogan Heathman. She graduated from Lansing High School with the class of 1974.
She worked as a claim’s adjuster for Lincoln National Insurance Company and later for Peerless products as a window framer. She enjoyed finger painting, ceramics, playing games on her tablet, and most of all spending time with her grandchildren. In her younger years Rhonda loved to fish and play pinball.
She is survived by her four children, Angie Witt, Sheboygan, WI., Nick Cagle, Nevada, MO., Tyler Cagle, Girard, KS., and Britany Bailey, Nevada, MO.; ten grandchildren; a brother, Allen Heathman, Nevada, MO.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Greg Heathman; and a sister, Ruby Heathman.
Funeral services will be held 10:00 AM Saturday, August 31, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Burial will follow in the Deerfield Cemetery.
Family will receive friends from 9:00 AM until service time at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Memorial are suggested to the Rhonda Heathman Memorial Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main, Ft. Scott, KS. 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
The Design Review Board will meet on Thursday, August 29th, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. at the City Hall Commission Meeting room at 123 S. Main Street, Fort Scott, Kansas. This meeting will be held to discuss a Certificate of Appropriateness for a sign at 120 E. Wall Street. This meeting is open to the public.
Saturday, August 31 through Monday, September 2, 2019, Fort Scott National Historic Site will take you on an exploration of the Labors leading to the creation of the “Crack Post on the Frontier”. Labor Day weekend activities include Native American dancing, artillery demonstrations, small arms drills, living history demonstrations and a variety of interpretive programs. All programs are free.
Saturday, September 1
10:00 am – Artillery Demonstration
11:00 am – Guided Tour of the Fort
12:00 pm – American Indian Dancing
1:00 pm – Artillery Demonstration
2:00 pm – Artillery Demonstration
3:00 pm – American Indian Dancing
4:00 pm – Flag Retreat
Sunday, September 2
11:00 am – Guided Tour
12:00 pm – Building the Crack Post of the Frontier-Interpretive Program
1:00 pm – Artillery Demonstration
2:00 pm – Small Arms Weapons Drill
3:00 pm – Artillery Demonstration
4:00 pm – Flag Retreat
Monday, September 3
11:00 am – Guided Tour of the Fort
12:00 pm – Building the Crack Post of the Frontier-Interpretive Program
1:00 pm – Soapsuds Row-Laundress Program
2:00 pm – Securing the Perimeter –Guardhouse Program
3:00 pm – Construction Tour of Fort Scott
4:00 pm – Flag Retreat
All programs are free and open to the public. The site exhibit areas and visitor center are open daily from 8 am -5 pm daily. The park grounds are open daily from ½ hour before sunrise until ½ hour after sunset. To find out more or become involved in activities at the Fort, please contact the park at 620-223-0310.
Karole Graham, Stephen Perry and S. Pearl Sharp, cast members in “The Learning Tree” film by Gordon Parks, will receive “Gordon Parks Choice of Weapons Award” at the 2019 Gordon Parks Celebration
Karole Graham, Stephen Perry and S. Pearl Sharp who were cast members in the film The Learning Tree will be the recipients of the “Gordon Parks Choice of Weapons Award” at the annual celebration this October 3-5, 2019 in Fort Scott, Kansas. The celebration is in honor Fort Scott native Gordon Parks, noted photographer, writer, musician, and filmmaker. This year’s celebration is a special one as we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Gordon Parks-directed film The Learning Tree that was filmed in Fort Scott, Kansas.
The Choice of Weapons Award was established in Parks’ honor to be given annually at the Celebration. Named after his autobiography of the same name, the award seeks to honor a recipient who exemplifies the career and character of Gordon Parks. Previous recipients include actor and musician Avery Brooks, photographer Howard L. Bingham, Elizabeth Eckford and Ernest Green, two of the “Little Rock Nine,” Richard Roundtree, star of the Parks-directed film, “Shaft,” Nichelle Nichols of “Star Trek” fame, acclaimed actress Ruby Dee, photographer John Shearer, LIFE magazine photo editor Bobbi Burrows, Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum, musicians Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr., editor Genevieve Young, filmmaker Kevin Willmott, educator Bernadette Gray-Little and Roger E. Mosley.
Karole Graham
Karole Graham, who played Big Mabel in The Learning Tree, has had supporting roles in other movies such as Cheech and Chong Hollywood, Gaily, Gaily, Black Girl, and Heavy Traffic (Animation). She has co-starred in many different television shows including ER, The Parkers, and Ryan Caulfield: Year One. She has also had guest starring roles in Ancient Prophecies IV, Hill Street Blues, St. Elsewhere, and The Red Foxx Show. Karole’s theatre credits include Nature of the Beast, The Curious Savage, Death Trap, For Colored Girls…, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Funny Girl, The Amen Corner, A Raisin in the Sun, and Zoo Man and the Sign. Karole attended the University of Southern California and majored in Theatre and Communications. She studied film technique with Nina Foch and has had training in the Classics and Shakespeare with Rudy Plaskoff, and training in Stage Theory and Acting with Frank Silvera. She resides in Studio City, CA. In addition to acting, Karole has been with the No Child Left Behind Federal tutoring program for more than 10 years, which services the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Stephen Perry
Stephen Perry, is a former actor who played Jappy in the The Learning Tree. He also had roles in A Raisin in the Sun (1961), The Sound and the Fury (1959) and numerous TV series including Twilight Zone (1960). Stephen has owned and operated three successful restaurants since 1986. His newest restaurant is Stevie’s Creole Cafe in Los Angeles which has received outstanding reviews and is celebrating its third anniversary (October 2019).
S. Pearl Sharp
S. Pearl Sharp, played Prissy in the The Learning Tree. S. Pearl starred in the TV movies Hollow Image and Minstrel Man. She creates cultural art for the eye, ear and heart, including two poetry w/jazz CDs (Higher Ground, On The Sharp Side), short stories (Uncertain Rituals), and the popular Black Women For Beginners. Her work broadcast on NPR and Pacifica Radio is collected in The Evening News – Essays And Commentaries From NPR And Other Clouds. Influenced by Parks, S. Pearl’s award-winning documentary films include The Healing Passage/Voices From The Water which aired on The Documentary Channel. She offers creativity coaching through The Gate Is Open.
Graham, Perry and Sharp will be honored at a dinner at the River Room in Fort Scott, KS on Saturday, October 5th. Ticket information and the full schedule will be posted on the website gordonparkscenter.org. For more information email: [email protected] or by phone call 223-2700, ext. 5850.
