Obituary of Virginia McKenna
Virginia Marie Gillen McKenna died Wednesday, August 8, 2018, at Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott, Kansas at the age of 80.
Virginia was born July 14, 1938, in Harper County, Kansas, to Arnold P. and Margaret A. (Goetz) Gillen. She grew up on a farm near Willowdale where she and her eight siblings played hide-n-seek and red rover outside on the wide prairie. Because the family could not attend daily mass, they added the phrase, “All for the honor and glory of God today” to the end of their daily meal prayer. This is a tradition that continues to this day in the Gillen and McKenna families.
Virginia graduated from Kingman High School in 1956 and married Michael J. McKenna at the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Kingman, Kansas on December 29, 1959. They lived in Mishawaka, Indiana and in Kansas City, Kansas while Mike attended Notre Dame and then the University of Kansas Medical School. They had three children: Jennifer Ann, Edward Christopher, and Michael Joseph, before settling in Fort Scott where Dr. McKenna worked with Dr. James Basham at the Basham McKenna clinic before starting his own practice. When her husband was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, she became his sole caregiver. Virginia and Mike were married for 41 years before he died in 2000.
The simple things in life gave Virginia the most joy. Each day, she looked forward to her daughter Jennifer and grand-dogs coming to say hello. She doted on her granddaughter Maude. In past years, she loved spending time at the McKenna cabin in Kingman with family members. She was an avid reader who also enjoyed birdwatching, sketching, and playing bridge with friends. A lifelong gardener, she could often be found puttering in the yard. She loved spending time on her front porch visiting with family, neighbors, and friends. Virginia was a member of P.E.O. and the St. Anne Altar Society. For years, she participated in the 24-hour adoration at Mary Queen of Angels. Most recently, she particularly enjoyed her daily drives with her son Ed (Chris) to Lake Fort Scott and Gunn Park.
Virginia is survived by her children Jennifer McKenna of Fort Scott, Ed McKenna of Fort Scott, Mike McKenna and wife Steph, and her granddaughter Maude of Boise, ID; her sisters Rosella Thissen and husband Bob of Augusta, KS, Lorraine Yalong of Fresno, CA, and her brother Fred Gillen and wife Margaret of Kingman, KS. She was preceded in death by her husband Michael, her parents Arnold and Margaret Gillen, sisters Esther Ross, Louise Steffen, Catherine Lauener, and Mary Odell, and her brothers James Gillen and Robert Gillen.
Following cremation, Father Robert Wachter will celebrate the Funeral Mass 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 14, 2018, at Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church with Rosary at 9:30 a.m., under the direction of the Konantz-Cheney Funeral Home. Burial will take place on Thursday at the Walnut Hill Cemetery in Kingman, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation at msfocus.org, the National Breast Cancer Foundation at nationalbreastcancer.org, or the St. Mary’s school in Fort Scott. Memorial contributions 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.
What’s Happening In Fort Scott By The Chamber of Commerce
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Trailblazers: Discovery and Exploration

The Fort Scott National Historic Site’s Trailblazer Program ends August 10.
During this workshop, children were introduced to the National Park Service mission of caring for the nation’s natural and cultural heritage, according to the Fort Scott National Historic Site website: https://www.nps.gov/fosc/learn/news/trailblazercamp.htm
They searched for treasure in a mock archaeological dig, explored the prairie, and discovered methods used to preserve the buildings and artifacts of the fort. The students engaged in living history, learned flag protocol and worked on a play that they will present at the end of the week. Also, there were green activities that taught children how to use resources wisely.

Ridding of Propane
Passersby on Hwy. 69 might have noticed a flame near the intersection of the highway with Calvary Road, south of Fort Scott.
Not to worry.
“They are flaring off what is left in a propane tank, in order to repair the tank,” said Linda of Specialized Piping and Equipment, Leon, KS.
SPE works for other companies and was hired to empty the tank completely for repair, she said.
New FSCC Ag Teacher and Meats Judging Coach: Sara Sutton

This is one of a series of profiles on new teachers in Fort Scott.
Sara Sutton is the new Fort Scott Community College Agriculture Instructor and Meats Judging Coach.
Education: Sutton came to FSCC on a rodeo scholarship with Coach Chad Cross after graduation from Shawnee Mission North in the Kansas City area. She then attended K-State on a rodeo scholarship, graduating with an agriculture degree in 2007. She earned a teaching degree and Masters in Educational Leadership from Pittsburg State University.
Experience: She taught biology at Cherokee then Uniontown high schools.
Family: Husband, Scott and twin daughters, Marley and McKinley, and son, Tucker. Her husband teaches vo-ag at Uniontown High School. Lynne Wheeler is her mother-in-law, and John and Irene Doll are her parents. “Scott and I could not do what we do without family support.”
Age: 37
Why a career in education?
“My high school biology teacher, Mr. Fluty, was my inspiration to go into teaching. I love science and agriculture and communicating things I’m knowledgeable about with people.
What is the priority in the new job?
“Teaching, I love teaching. I will teach ag calculations, animal science, intro to feeds and ag tech management.”
“I’m looking forward to building the program. Jennalee Martin and Ryan Edgecomb were great and I want to continue on that.”
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports August 10
Corrie Ten Boom:Attitudes Are Contagious by Patty LaRoche
We all have met Christians whose circumstances determine their moods and ultimately, their faith. Happy or cranky, both attitudes are contagious, and both are indicators of a person’s relationship with God. If ever someone refused to let her situation control her faith, it was Corrie ten Boom, author of The Hiding Place.
Imprisoned in a concentration camp during Hitler’s reign, Corrie sought to find blessings in her horrific conditions. “Happiness isn’t something that depends on our surroundings,” she later wrote. “It’s something we make inside ourselves.” Along with her sister, Betsie, she was forced to sleep on straw-covered platforms in a filthy barracks where the plumbing had backed up. The stench was unbearable, and then fleas infested the area.
Corrie asked Betsie: “How can we live in this place?”
Betsie prayed aloud that God would show them how. This is what Corrie wrote about their conversation that followed:
“ ‘Corrie, …in the Bible this morning. Where was it? Read that part again!’
“I glanced down the long dim aisle to make sure no guard was in sight, then drew the Bible from its pouch. ‘It was First Thessalonians,’ I said…
“‘Oh yes: …Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances…’
“‘That’s it, Corrie! That’s His answer. Give thanks in all circumstances! That’s what we can do.’”
At that point, the two sisters began to make a mental gratitude list: they had been assigned together; they were able to sneak their Bible past the inspectors; and because the room was crammed, when they spoke of Jesus, many heard of him.
Corrie’s writing continued. “Thus began the closest, most joyous weeks of all the time in Ravensbruck…In the sanctuary of God’s fleas, Betsie and I ministered the Word of God to all in the room. We sat by deathbeds that became doorways of heaven. We watched women who had lost everything grow rich in hope…We prayed beyond the concrete walls for the healing of Germany, of Europe, of the world.”
Betsie died in that prison, but Corrie went on to write dozens of books about her experience. Many of her quotes depict her incredible faith in tough times. Here are a few of my personal favorites:
“Jesus did not promise to change the circumstances around us. He promised great peace and pure joy to those who would learn to believe that God actually controls all things.”
“In order to realize the worth of the anchor we need to feel the stress of the storm.”
“The school of life offers some difficult courses, but it is in the difficult class that one learns the most.”
“If God sends us on stony paths, he provides strong shoes.”
“You can never learn that Christ is all you need until Christ is all you have.”
Few of us have encountered trials comparable to those Corrie and Betsie suffered. Their decision to find blessings in filth and fleas modeled Romans 5:3-5 (ESV):…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
The lesson is life-changing. When we accept the tough times and move beyond our own selfish desires, motives, and pleasures, when instead we seek to love God and bless others, we produce our own happiness. And like I said, happiness, like crankiness, is contagious.
The choice is ours: If we are to be a carrier, which do we choose to spread?
Kansas Water Photo Contest Launched
Photos Featured at the Governor’s Water Conference in November
Kansas is blessed with great natural resources and Kansans are encouraged to capture the most vital of these, water. The Kansas Water Office (KWO) is accepting water photos to be featured at the 2018 Governor’s Water Conference in November. The photos need to pertain to water or water use in Kansas. Examples include all bodies of water, irrigation, and agriculture, recreation and fun, or other water infrastructure.
Worthy entries will be selected for display at the 2018 Governor’s Water Conference, scheduled for Nov. 13-14, 2018 in Manhattan, KS. Attendees at the conference will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite photo. The winning photo will earn feature photo at the 2019 Governor’s Water Conference. It will also, along with second and third place, be displayed in Kansas State Capitol and the Kansas Water Office during the year.
Entries can be submitted through our online portal on the KWO Website: www.kwo.ks.gov or should be sent to [email protected] with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. The following formats are accepted: .jpg, .png and .gif. Participants have until October 12, 2018, to enter a maximum of five photos that follow contest guidelines. For more information for photo, categories visit the KWO website.
By submitting photos, participants grant KWO permission to freely use and share photos at the Governor’s Water Conference, on social media, web, publications, and displays.
Updates on the contest will be distributed through the KWO social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. For more information visit the KWO website.
The Governor’s Conference on the Future of Water in Kansas is hosted by the KWO, K-State /Kansas Water Resource Institute. Major sponsors for the event include Black & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock.
Obituary for Jennifer Lyn Houston
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Jennifer Lyn Houston, age 30, a resident of rural Arcadia, Kansas, passed away Sunday, August 5th at the Cox South Medical Center in Springfield, Missouri, following injuries received in an automobile accident in Cedar County, Missouri.
She was born September 28, 1987, in Fort Scott, Kansas, the daughter of Richard Allen Barnard and Connie Patricia Price Barnard.
Jennifer graduated from the Fort Scott High School and had been an FSHS cheerleader. She had worked in various restaurants in both Fort Scott and Nevada and was currently being trained as a manager for Wendy’s in Ft. Scott. She enjoyed spending time with children, being outside and fishing as well as listening to music.
Survivors include a son, Aidyn Allen Barnard and a daughter, Lyza Renee Houston. Also surviving are her parents, Richard and Connie Barnard, of Arcadia; three brothers, Michael Allen Barnard and Chester Ray Barnard, both of Ft. Scott and Randall Eugene Barnard, of Las Vegas, Nevada; and a sister, Rebecca Dawn Barnard, of Arkansas City, Kansas as well as her grandparents, Don and Barbara Barnard of Pharr, Texas and several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Pastor Larry Stevicks will conduct funeral services at 10:30 A.M. Monday, August 13th at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in the Sheffield Cemetery near Arcadia. The family will receive friends from 3 to 5 P.M. Sunday at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Jennifer Houston Memorial Fund and may be left in the 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.
Obituary Of Angela Delaney
Angela Kay Delaney, age 52, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Wednesday, August 8, 2018, at her home.
She was born on June 14, 1966, in Ft. Scott, the daughter of James and Linda Dunlap Marshall. Angela lived in Germany for two years and enjoyed her time there.
She enjoyed collecting movies, skulls, and jewelry. Her favorite drink was a suicide. Her favorite things to eat were mac and cheese, Peeps and Twizzlers. She worked as a clerk for Pump-N-Pete’s Convenience store where she was in management training. Angela was willing to help anyone in need and will be greatly missed.
Survivors include a son, James Delaney, of the home; a brother, Brian McDaniel, Ft. Scott; a sister, Melissa McDaniel and husband Michael, Bella Vista, AR; her father since she was 1 year old, Darrell McDaniel, Bentonville, AR; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was preceded in death by her mother, Linda McDaniel; and a sister, Tammy Baglin.
There was cremation, with memorial services at 10:30 AM Friday, August 17th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel.
Private family interment will take place at a later date in the Centerville Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 9:30 AM until service time Friday morning.
Memorials are suggested to the Angela Delaney Memorial Fund and may be left in the 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.
WBE New Fourth Grade Teacher: Jackie Shadden

Following 13 years as a fifth-grade teacher in Nevada, Mo., Jackie Shadden is the new fourth-grade teacher at West Bourbon Elementary School, Uniontown. Her hometown is Fort Scott.
“My mom, Ruby Gerant, inspired me to become a teacher,” Shadden said. “She taught for quite a few years as a high school English teacher in Uniontown.”
“I love learning and sharing knowledge with others,” she said. “And it’s always been a joy to be around kids.”
Shadden attended Fort Scott Community College, then Pittsburg State University where she earned a bachelors and masters degree in education.
She married David Shadden and had two kids, Seth, age 10-years-old and Hailey, 8.
“My husband and I care for my family’s farm, where we raise cattle,” she said.
“I am hoping to become more involved with my community since I will be teaching closer to home,” Shadden said.







