Graveside memorial services for Patricia Ruth “Patty” Coffelt, 84, Lawrence, will be held at a later date.
Patty died Sunday, November 18, 2018, at the Pioneer Ridge Nursing Facility.
She was born December 22, 1933, in Stull, Oklahoma, the daughter of Richard and Alta Marie Williams Hollon. She spent her childhood in Milfay, Oklahoma and moved to Lawrence as a teenager and graduated from Liberty Memorial High School in 1951.
Patty worked as a waitress at Drake’s for many years. She enjoyed going to McDonald’s to meet friends, shopping, listening to country music, collecting recipes, following KU basketball and playing pitch.
She married Gerald Owens on her 18th birthday. Patty later married Charlie “Chuck” Coffelt who preceded her in death.
Survivors include, a daughter, Gera Owens Elliott (Kirby) of Lawrence; three grandchildren (Kristin Vickers, Lynzee Backus and Brett Elliott) and five great-grandchildren (Jordan and Cooper Avery, Ellie Vickers, and Alexis and Lucy Backus).
The family suggests memorial contributions to the Pioneer Ridge Activity Fund, sent in care of the funeral home.
Author: RumseyYost
Lloyd Harold Northrop
Services for Lloyd Northrop, 77, Lawrence, will be at 11 a.m., Monday, November 26, at First United Methodist Church.
Lloyd died Saturday, November 17, 2018.
He was born March 21, 1941 near Pratt, KS, the son of Harold and Margaret Northrop. He graduated from West High in Wichita in 1959, earned a degree from Southwestern College in 1964, and a master’s from Oklahoma State University in 1965.
He married Connie Burnell on August 16, 1964 and together they moved to Iowa then Wichita and Lawrence in 1970 where he managed VA offices as a vocational counseling psychologist and helped guide veteran’s training for their new future.
Lloyd logged 31,000 miles on bicycles with Connie on a tandem across Kansas, Iowa, numerous other states, Ireland & Holland. His family camped in numerous national parks and other destinations. He and Connie were avid square dancers and founding members of the Happy Time Square Dance club going to many national conventions. Other pastimes included fishing, hunting and riding his motorcycle.
Survivors include his wife, Connie; two sons: David and wife Kayla, Shawnee, and three daughters: Addie, Bria & Caymen; Larry and wife Amy, Lawrence, and four children: Max, Griffin, Carter and Piper; his brother Dan, Wichita; sister in law Joyce, Wichita; brother in law Jerry and wife Johnna Burnell. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Leon, and sister Donna.
The family suggest memorials to Southwestern College Endowment or LMH Oncology Center sent in care of the funeral home.
Terry Douglas Waggoner
Terry D. Waggoner left this earth to meet his lord and savior on November 15, 2018 surrounded by family and friends at his home. Terry was born on October 10, 1959. He was nearly a life-long resident of Lawrence Kansas where he attended Lawrence public schools and was a 1977 graduate of Lawrence High School. He often spoke of the many good times he had playing in the LHS Marching Band.He also attended Emporia State University and The University of Kansas.
Terry was a model employee for Westar Energy for 39 years. He held many positions with the company including most recently in management until his retirement.
Terry enjoyed music and playing his guitars as well as watching spectator sports where he was an avid fan of the Jayhawks, Royals & Chiefs.
Terry loved the water and could often be found at the lake with family and friends on his boat named “Jus Deck’n Around.”
He married Jacqueline (Jackie) Mileski on June 9, 1979. They had one son Christopher William Waggoner who survives.
Terry is also survived by one sister Judy Holland and her husband Jerry of Springfield MO. He is also survived by many relatives in Kansas, North Carolina, and Washington State.
He was preceded in death by his father William (Billy) Waggoner and his mother Imogene Waggoner both long time Lawrence residents.
Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on December 8, 2018 at Lawrence Heights Christian Church, 2321 Peterson Road. A Celebration for Life will follow the service (1:00-4:00) at Maceli’s, 1031 New Hampshire, Lawrence, KS 66044.
In lieu of flowers or donations, the family of Terry Waggoner has requested all funds be directed to the Tammy Harris Fund at https://www.gofundme.com/tammy-harris-fund for the care of her son who suffered a traumatic injury in a car accident.
Martha Mae Clark
A memorial service for Martha Mae Clark, 75, Lawrence, will be 3:30 p.m. Saturday, November 24, at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home.
Mrs. Clark died November 13, 2018, at her home.
Burial will take place in Watson, Oklahoma at a later date.
Alice Elizabeth Wells Lassman
Alice Elizabeth Wells Lassman died on November 14, 2018 in her home near Wells Overlook Park, on the same land where she was born along with her twin Opal on August 9, 1923. Services will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, November 17th at the First United Methodist Church, 946 Vermont St., with the Rev. Dr. Tom Brady officiating.
The daughter of Forrest Elizabeth and William H. Wells, Alice may have only weighed three pounds at birth, but she lived a full and rewarding life. She attended Fairview School, a one-room schoolhouse a few miles away from the farm (uphill both ways, they said). When Alice and Opal were 15, their mother and sisters moved to town so the twins could attend University High School at the University of Kansas, where classes were taught by KU professors. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business from KU, and she served as the deputy clerk of the Douglas Count District Court from 1940-1952.
As Alice wrote in a recent Christmas letter, “I didn’t know that signing up for driving lessons would change my life as I was blessed to meet the best driving teacher in the world, Mr. Lassman. My innocent Christmas card sparked our first date.” A driver’s license was followed by a marriage license when Alice married William “Gene” Lassman June 3, 1951. Returning from their honeymoon, they were the last car to get back into Lawrence before the 1951 flood closed all roads. They went on to have four children within four years; Alice often remarked that her children and grandchildren brought her the happiest days of her life. Bill was a beloved printing teacher at Lawrence High School for many years.
Alice was baptized at the First United Methodist Church, where she was member all her life. She was a girl scout leader, cub scout leader, and very active with the Lawrence Hidden Valley Girl Scout Camp. She supported her children in the Konza and Meadowlark 4-H clubs, taught Sunday school at the First United Methodist Church, and volunteered for many Red Cross blood drives and with the Cordley School and Kaw Valley PTAs. She was also a precinct judge for Wakarusa Township for many years. Alice was active in the Rock Springs Recreation group, neighborhood craft clubs, the First United Methodist Church women’s circle group, and in later years, in the Fork and Knife Club and Travelogue group.
Alice loved to travel, and her children remember many adventurous camping trips in Colorado. After Bill retired, Alice and Bill traveled the world, including visits to help build Habitat for Humanity Houses in Kenya with her daughter Karen, and stops throughout Asia, Africa, Europe and the United States. She was an avid artist, working mainly in oil painting, and she also enjoyed crafts of many kinds. She also was a lifelong student of earth sciences, and until the end of her life delighted in having her son Ken read her Science News articles. She loved the Kansas City Royals and KU Jayhawks (pity the referee who made an unjust call against her beloved ‘hawks). She also was passionate about her family and her home, watching birds, and gardening. One of her proudest days was when her father, William H. Wells, donated part of the family land to Douglas County as Wells Overlook Park. Alice was thrilled to watch her eight grandchildren grow up, and in recent years, meet her great-grandchildren.
Alice is survived by her sisters Wilma Johnson of Seattle, WA, Eleanor Curtis of Oklahoma City, and Annette Wells-Gaston of Roeland Park; four children: Linda Lassman, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sandy Brungardt (Brian) of Topeka, Ken Lassman (Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg) of Lawrence, and Karen Lassman-Eul, Springfield, MO; her grandchildren Karen Davis (Scott) of Prairie Village, B.J. Brungardt (Emily) of St. Louis, Nisha Jewsbury (Evan) of Joplin, MO, Dolly Lassman-Eul of Springfield, MO, Daniel Lassman of Madison, WI, Ujala Campbell (Raymond) of Fayetteville, N.C., Natalie Lassman of Minneapolis, MN, and Forest Lassman of Lawrence, plus five great-grandchildren and many beloved nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband, William Lassman, her sister Opal Hesselbarth, her nieces Judy Lassman, Janet Lassman, and Joyce Johnson, and her nephew Forrest “Woody” Hesselbarth.
Our family extends heartfelt gratitude to Apple Home Healthcare Services for almost three years of loving attention to Alice.
Donations may be made to the Lawrence Girls Scout Camp: Friends of Hidden Valley at www.dccfoundation.org through this link or through Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS 66044
Marvin Joseph Schaal
Funeral services for Marvin Joseph Schaal, 46, Lawrence, will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home & Crematory. A tow truck procession to Maple Grove Cemetery in Lecompton will follow the service.
Mr. Schaal died Friday, November 9, 2018, at his home.
He was born September 29, 1972, in Des Moines, Iowa, the son of Joseph Alva and Anita Jean Becker Schaal.
Mr. Schaal was the owner of Quality Tow & Recovery, serving Lawrence since 2003. He loved spending time with his children and affectionately known as Papa by his grandchildren. He enjoyed hotrods, the Kansas City Chiefs, camping, the 4th of July, and family vacations.
He married Mindy Michella Cassin on October 20, 2012 in Lawrence. She survives of the home.
Other survivors include children, Tori Schaal (Austin Brouhard) of Lawrence, Britney Smith (Benjamin Marckmann) of Lawrence, Amber Clark (Kaleb O’Donnell) of Lawrence, Hunter Martin of Lawrence, Chance Clark of Garnett, Emily Schaal of Gardner, Hana Schaal of Lawrence, Carly Jean Schaal of Lawrence, Levi Wilks (Dawn Hale) of McLouth, Lacey Wilks of Eudora; mother, Anita Schaal of Lawrence; siblings, Theresa Schaal (Mark Wilson) of Independence, Missouri, Tammy Clark (Tim Clark) of Garnett, Michelle Moon (Andy Moon) of Lawrence, Angelica Schaal (Julie Farineau) of Lawrence, Jacqueline Stone of Lawrence, Tommy Taylor (Wendy Taylor) of Lawrence; grandchildren, Bradly, Justin, and Ryder Brouhard, Raelynne and Easten Marckmann, Sophia and Brynlynn O’Donnell, and Tanner Wilks.
His father Joseph Schaal and son Justin Little preceded him in death.
Friends may call from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, where the family will receive them from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Friday.
The family suggests memorial contributions to the Marvin Schaal Children’s Education Fund, sent in care of the funeral home.
Charles Edward ‘Eddie’ Boyer
Charles Edward (Eddie) Boyer, 91, of Lawrence KS, formerly of Ottawa and Garnett, KS passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of Monday, November 12, 2018.
He leaves behind his wife, Roberta Hermreck Boyer of 70 years, 2 sons, Keith Boyer and his wife, Geralyn of Wamego, KS and Steve Boyer and wife, Karen of Eudora, KS. He also leaves behind 2 grandchildren, Alecia Boyer who resides in Manhattan, KS, and, Kelson Boyer and his wife, Allie, who reside in Valencia, CA, respectively.
He is preceded in death by his parents, James & Rita Boyer of Perris, CA, also originally from Garnett, KS.
Eddie had a full life beloved by family and friends. A quiet man with a great heart who shared his love of family and fishing with his sons and his kindness to his grandchildren. He will be sorely missed.
Janice ‘Jan’ Kozma
JANICE KOZMA passed away peacefully at her home on November 9, 2018.
Jan was born on December 20, 1945 in Wyandotte, Michigan to parents William and Mary Pedica Kozma. She grew up in Trenton, Michigan and attended the University of Michigan where she obtained her B.A., M.A. and in 1973 her Ph.D. in Italian. During this period of study, she spent one year in Rome where she taught English as a foreign language.
Jan accepted the first job of her professional career in 1973, teaching Italian at the University of Kentucky. She next taught at Florida International University before accepting an assistant professorship at the University of Kansas in 1977.
For thirty-seven years Jan devoted herself to teaching at all levels of Italian language and literature in the Department of French and Italian at KU. Early in her career, she published two textbooks on Italian language. In 1978, she instituted the KU Study Abroad Program in Florence and Rome and directed it herself many times. For her excellence in teaching, she received a Kemper Award and a Mortar Board Award, and she was a five-time winner of the Cramer Award. From 1987-1992, she served as Department Chairperson. She attained the rank of full professor in 1992. Throughout the years, she served on and at times chaired numerous committees for the University and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Aside from teaching and service, Jan’s interests at KU were the novel and poetry of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Italy, in particular the work of Alberto Moravia, Vasco Pratolini, Francesca Duranti, and Nobel Laureate Grazia Deledda. She was the author of two books of literary criticism, The Architecture of Imagery in Alberto Moravia’s Fiction and Grazia Deledda’s Eternal-Adolescents: The Pathology of Arrested Maturation. She also translated three novels by Deledda and wrote numerous articles and book reviews. For her academic contributions to the field of Italian language and literature, Italy honored Jan by naming her Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
Retirement in 2014 marked a new phase in Jan’s teaching life as she shared her expertise in Italian culture and cuisine in classes she taught to senior adults at the KU Osher Institute and in a lecture at the Lawrence Public Library.
In 1981 Jan married Tom Southall, Historian of Photography and Curator of the Photography Collection at KU’s Spencer Museum of Art. They divorced in 1989. She is survived by her brother, Norman, of Trenton, Michigan, and by numerous cousins in the U.S. and in Rome. She will be missed by her many friends from KU, the Lawrence community and beyond.
A memorial service will be held at the St. Lawrence Catholic Center this week; the date and time will be announced as soon as possible. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Jan may be made to Just Food.
Judith Ann Holloway
Judith Ann Holloway died at Lawrence Memorial Hospital on 11/10/2018 after fighting a long illness.
She was born on December 13th. She moved to the Lawrence area which has been her home since 1970. She completed her Master’s in Speech Pathology and worked as a Speech Therapist for many years. She later retired after working several years at the University of Kansas as an Administrative Assistant for the head of Computer Science.
She has joined her two sons who predeceased her: Todd Anthony Holloway and Ricky Scott Holloway. She is survived by her oldest son Kevin William Holloway, his wife Pam, their daughter Jessica, and son Sean. She is also survived by her daughter Jill Ann Dunham and her husband Mike Dunham. She has one other surviving granddaughter Sharon who is the daughter of Rick.
Many who know Judy will remember her as being very private, fiercely independent, and with a good sense of humor. She was the biggest KU fan, missed very few games, and knew all the team statistics.
The family is very grateful to all the neighbors and friends who supported her through her illness. She had requested a private family celebration which will be held at a later date when all of her family can gather to honor her.
The family requests any memorials can be made to the American Cancer Society or Lawrence Memorial Hospital and any condolences or memories of Judy can be shared at www.rumsey-yost.com.
Virginia Carol Schaake Strong
Memorial services and inurnment for Virginia Carol Schaake Strong, 87, Lawrence, will be held at a later date.
Virginia died Wednesday, November 8, 2018, at Medicalodges Eudora.
She was born December 5, 1930, in Lawrence, to Milton Louis and Ruth Linsdale Schaake. She graduated from Liberty Memorial High School in 1948 and attended the University of Kansas.
Mrs. Strong was a homemaker and enjoyed sewing, cooking, quilting, playing cards and bingo, as well as running the family farm. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. Virginia worked on her family genealogy for more than 50 years, and was an avid reader.
She married Wayne E. Strong. He preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by her parents; step mother, Arlene Roberts Schaake; and companion, William Torneden.
Survivors include son, Richard W. Strong of Eudora; daughter, Mary Lou Strong of Lawrence; grandchildren, Charlie Strong, Lance E. Taylor, Dawn Whitney Harper; and great grandson Jayden Crader.
The family suggest memorial contributions to Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, memo: Virginia Strong or charity of the donor’s choice, sent in care of the funeral home.
