Author: RumseyYost

Robert J. ‘Bob’ Anderson

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Robert J. ‘Bob’ Anderson, age 76 of Lawrence, died Saturday, January 4th at Olathe Hospice House. He was born December 31, 1943 in Springfield, Ohio the son of Joseph and Mary (Little) Anderson. Bob, who spent his childhood in Medway, Ohio, grew up to serve as a firefighter for the Crystal Lakes, Medway-Bethel Township Fire Department. In 1967 he was drafted into the Army and served overseas in Vietnam. He returned from service in 1969 and moved to Lawrence, Kansas where he lived the remainder of his adult life.

Bob was a jack of all trades and held numerous jobs as a Lawrence firefighter, as a school bus driver, a high school sports referee or umpire and also worked at Stanion Electric, and most recently with Advance Homecare. He is survived by his former wife and mother of his children Patsy (Yeager) Anderson, daughter Teresa and son Troy (Andrea). He is also survived by five grandchildren, Tyson, Amber, Jessica, Mason and Taylor. No additional services are planned at this time.

Gary D. Hale

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Gary Hale passed away on January 3, 2020, at LMH Health in Lawrence Kansas. He was 83 years old.

Gary was born April 14, 1936, in Concordia, KS, to Fred Hale and June (Shively) Hale. He grew up in western Kansas and graduated from Atwood Rural High School, where he played football and was an honor student. In 1958, he earned a baccalaureate degree in Journalism from the University of Kansas. He followed his family’s passion for publishing weekly newspapers and became the editor and publisher of the Hugoton Hermes in Hugoton, KS.

However, Gary decided to break the family mold in order to become an attorney. He earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Kansas in 1970, and he pursued a career as a trust officer in three different banks located in Kansas. The final chapter in Gary’s career was to practice as a financial planner.

Gary married Kay Roberts in 1959 and they had two children, David and Gregory. Gary was a family man and he supported the development of his sons both as scholars and athletes. He also shared his passion for golf with anyone who was interested.

Gary always supported his community through involvement in service organizations and his church. He served on the Advisory Committee as well as the Board of Directors of the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging for more than 10 years.

Gary was preceded in death by his parents and his son, David.

Gary is survived by his wife, Kay; his son, Greg and wife Alex; and their daughters, Grace and Mackenzie; and Madeleine Hale, a daughter of David; as well as a sister, Valerie Bearley and husband Craig. In addition Gary is survived by a special family friend, Michelle Meyer and husband, Tim, and their two children, Noah and Melanie.

Memorial contributions may be made in his name to either the First United Methodist Church, the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging, or the Parkinson’s Disease Support Group of Lawrence. Contributions should be sent to Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, P.O. Box 1260, Lawrence, KS, 66044.

A Celebration of Life for Gary will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Friday, January 10th in the Smith Center at Brandon Woods, 4730 Brandon Woods Terr., Lawrence, KS 66047

Esther Talley Tucker

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Esther Talley Tucker, age 83, passed away January 3, 2020. She was born July 6, 1936, in Overbrook, Kansas, to Herschel and Pearle Talley. She married the love of her life, Charles (Lewie) Tucker, on June 5, 1954, who proceeded her in death in 2009.

Esther was also preceded in death by her son, Steven Brent Tucker, and her sister, Opal Mae Bryson. She is survived by her daughter, Cynthia Tucker Eubank and son-in-law, Gary Eubank, Lawrence,KS.. She also leaves behind Morris and Pat Tucker, Rutland, VT; Bruce and Caroll Tucker, Hurricane, UT; and Gary and Sharon Tucker, Cabot, AR, along with many nieces and nephews.

Esther had many talents and passions. She was a self-taught majorette in high school and later sang with the Sweet Adelines. Her hobbies included travel, shopping, bowling, gardening and taking care of animals, especially her sweet dog, Cocoa. Esther worked for the Douglas County Treasurer’s Office for 28 years. She will be dearly missed by her daughter and best friend, Cindy.

At her request, a private family interment will take place at a later date. The family suggests contributions to the Lawrence Humane Society in her memory.

Charles William “Charlie” Gray

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Charles William “Charlie” Gray, 82, Lawrence, passed away December 25, 2019, at Pioneer Ridge Rapid Recovery.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, 1/8/20 from 5-7pm at Pioneer Ridge Independent Living, 1000 Wakarusa, Lawrence.

Mr. Gray was born May 2, 1937, in Girard, Illinois, the son of Albert and Chassia Cleo (England) Gray.

“Charlie” served in the United States Army from 1955 to 1985 attaining the rank of Master 1st Sergeant. Through his career in the Army, he traveled to many countries including Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Korea and Vietnam.

After discharging from the Army, he worked for the Lawrence Water Treatment Plant for 9 years and had been a licensed locksmith at one time.

“Charlie” was a member of the VFW, enjoyed playing the dulcimer, growing roses, and had quite an array of animals over the years including a monkey.

He married Sandra H. Kraus on May 18, 1961, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She died in March of 2011.

Survivors include a daughter, Amber Gray-Wolf of Lawrence; grandchildren, Miller, Dakota, and Taylor.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Miles Gray; daughter, Tammy Sue Page; brother, Francis “Bud” Gray; and sister, Mary Clevenger.

The family suggests memorial contributions to Visiting Nurses and Healthcare Access, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, PO Box 1260, Lawrence, KS 66044.

Perry Allen Reynolds

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No Services are planned for Perry Allen Reynolds, Lawrence.

Perry Allen Reynolds, 85, died on Sunday, December 29, 2019, at Brandon Woods at Alvamar in Lawrence, KS. The youngest of 13 children, he is predeceased by all of his siblings. Perry and his family were residents of Bonner Springs, KS from 1961 to 1990, then moved to and lived in Basehor until 2003. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Carol, of their home in Lawrence, KS; three children, Scott Reynolds (Donna), Cindy Sewell, and Linda Reynolds (Keith); three grandchildren, Jerimiah, Colby, and Amanda; and four great-grandchildren.

Romana Boniecka

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Roma Boniecka died on December 27, 2019 at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, after struggling with serious ailments for the past several years. She was 88.

Roma was born on May 6,1931, in Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland, the daughter of Wladyslaw Boniecki and Janina (Rybak) Boniecka, a working class family. She had a younger brother who passed away in his early forties.

Roma’s father joined the Polish Army in September 1939, after Germany invaded Poland. He was presumably killed in action and never returned home. Soon after the war ended, Roma completed her high school education and subsequently graduated from an Institute of Pedagogy. She worked as a teacher and actively participated in Polish youth organizations, including Girls Scouts. She was appointed a diplomat and worked at the Polish Embassy in Moscow, representing the interests of Polish students seeking a higher education in the Former Soviet Union (1964-1967). She lost her post due to her liberal views and open criticism of restrictions imposed on the freedoms of Polish people by their government.

Roma came to the US in 1973, on an invitation submitted to the Polish authorities by the late Professor Anna Cienciala of the University of Kansas. In 1975, Roma acquired a position at KU as a lecturer and taught Polish language and culture for four years. She also attended KU herself and obtained a Masters Degree in Teaching English as a Second Language.

Roma worked in different capacities throughout her life. She retired from the State of Kansas in 1987 after twelve years of service at Topeka State Hospital, where she worked as a psychiatric aide. Her personal qualities of friendliness, empathy, commitment, humor, creativity, spontaneity, and a genuine love for others, especially those in need, were recognized and appreciated by her colleagues and scores of admiring friends in Lawrence and around the US.

Roma was also a gifted and prolific storyteller, frequently delighting dinner guests with vividly recalled episodes from an eventful life. After years of encouragement from friends, she started to pen her memoirs. The first volume, Wyluskane z Pamieci (Shelled Out of Memory), about her childhood experience of World War II, was published in 2019 in Poland. Roma recently completed a second volume, describing her post-war adolescent years (1945-1950). Efforts will be made to publish her second book in Poland in the near future. An English translation is also in progress. Roma’s best friend and life companion, Anna Cienciala, who passed away on December 24, 2014, would describe her as a woman of virtue and hard work. This view is shared by all of those who knew Roma on both continents. She will be greatly missed and long, vividly, and gratefully remembered.

Memorial Services for Roma will take place at a later date. Notification will be posted in the local newspaper by the Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home.

Contributions may be made in Roma’s name to the Lawrence Humane Society.

John M. Schlicher

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Graveside inurnment for John M. Schlicher, 62, Lawrence, will be 2:30 pm, Friday, January 3, 2020, at Memorial Park Cemetery.

He passed away December 27, 2019, at the University of Kansas Medical Center after a lengthy illness.

John was born in Waukegan, Illinois on January 15, 1957. He was employed at Smuckers Pet Foods in Lawrence, Kansas.

He is survived by his wife Tammy of 36 years of Lawrence, Kansas, Mother Miriam Madrid, sisters Rebecca Crissey and Michelle Madrid all of Arlington, Texas. In Laws Harold Torneden, Monte (Sarah) Torneden all of Lawrence and many nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be 5-7 pm, Thursday, January 2, 2020, at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Jude Children’s Hospital, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.

Claire Alma (Strang) Hughes

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Claire Alma (STRANG) Hughes, age 93, died on Dec. 26, 2019, in Lawrence, Kansas. Born in Duluth, Minnesota, the second of four children, Claire had a love of music at an early age, playing the violin and piano.

A graduate of Duluth Central High, Claire was fascinated by stories of microbe hunters and she focused her college studies on bacteriology and microbiology. After obtaining her degree from Antioch College in Ohio, a fellowship with Purdue University led a masters’ degree in microbiology in 1950. While at Purdue, Claire met her husband, Charles A. Hughes, a World War II Air Force veteran and aerospace engineering student from Evansville, Indiana. They married in September 1950 and resided in Brownsburg, Indiana until 1958, relocating to Overland Park, Kansas. Claire later attended the University of Kansas to obtain a degree in Medical Technology and worked many years in Kansas City and Wichita.

Claire and Charles enjoyed outdoor activities and many retirement years together at a home they built on Truman Lake.

Claire was preceded in death by Charles, her loving husband of 48 years. In 2006 Claire relocated to Lake of the Ozarks, finding great happiness and making many dear friends.

A major illness led to a move to an assisted living facility located in Lawrence, Kansas. Claire is survived by two sons, Charles and his wife Moira (deceased) (Thousand Oaks, CA), and Paul and his wife Pam (Shell Nob, MO); four daughters, Alma Heckler and her husband Robert (Lecompton, KS), Emelia Kelley and her husband Joe (Lees Summit, MO), Cynthia Hughes-Coons and her husband Dean Coons (Camdenton, MO), and Valerie Lawless and her husband Patrick (Raytown, MO); thirteen grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Visitation will be from 2-4 pm, Thursday, January 2, 2020 at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana Street, Lawrence, Kansas and with services and burial at the historic Saint Patrick’s Cemetery, also known as the Little Cathedral of the Ozarks in Laurie, Missouri.

Funeral services for Claire will be 11 am, Saturday January 11, 2020, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Laurie, MO. Burial will follow at Old St. Patrick Cemetery.