Author: RumseyYost

Charles E. Alldredge Jr.

Posted on by RumseyYost

Charles E. Alldredge Jr. passed away peacefully on February 27, 2018 after a long illness.

He was born June 1, 1931, in Lawrence, the son of Charles Alldredge and Julia Creason.

Charles attended high school in Kansas City and later served in the Navy aboard the USS George E. Davis.

After his discharge he worked for Dean Haynes Caterpillar out of Kansas City. The family moved to Booneville, Missouri then Bonner Springs, Kansas while he kept the earth movers running during the construction of I-70 in Kansas and Missouri. The family then moved to Lawrence, Kansas while he worked at the Reuter Organ Company. During the Vietnam War he worked for Sunflower Army Ammunitions plant in DeSoto, Kansas. He then worked until retirement at Owens Corning Fiberglass Company in Kansas City. After retirement, he worked at Lawrence High School in the maintenance department. After his second retirement, and because his love of golf, he worked at Alvamar Golf Course, keeping the golf carts running.

He was very active in Eagles Lodge and served on the board and as president.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Alldredge of Lawrence; sons, Steve Alldredge of DeLand, Florida, Stan Alldredge and wife Theresa of Lecompton, daughter, Sandi Yeakel and husband Rich of Lawrence; three grandchildren, Cassidy Carter, Tyler Yeakel, and Andy Alldredge.

He is preceded in death by his sister Veda Godsey and grandson Jason Alldredge.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Hillside Village Nursing Home for the excellent care they gave him. Alternatively, he would appreciate donations to Vitas Hospice of Lenexa, Kansas, or the Lone Survivor Foundation, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, PO Box 1260, Lawrence, KS 66044.

Per his request, no formal services are being held.

Thanh Van Nguyen

Posted on by RumseyYost
Thanh Van Nguyen, 60, passed away Sunday night after a long struggle with cancer in his home in Eudora, KS. He is preceded in death by his father, Qui Nguyen. He leaves behind a grandson, Colin, his two daughters, Mai and Janell, his two sons, Danny and Denny, and his wife, Thuy Nguyen, as well as his sisters Van Nguyen, Le Gilbert, his brother Don Nguyen, and his mother, Bieu Thi Le.
Thanh Van Nguyen was born in Saigon, Vietnam, in 1957, to Qui Nguyen and Bieu Thi Le. He served in the South Vietnamese marines during the Vietnam war, from 1974 to 1975. After emigrating to the United States, Thanh met his wife Thuy and they settled in Eudora, KS in 1994.
He studied nuclear engineering at the University of Washington, graduating with a masters degree in nuclear engineering. Thanh worked for the University of Pittsburgh before becoming an engineer at the University of Kansas power plant, retiring after 26 years of service.
Thanh was a loving father and husband, an honorable friend and a proud man, and he will be missed greatly by all who knew him.
Funeral services will be held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Friday, March 2nd, 2018 at 10 am. Burial will follow at
A visitation will be held at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, Thursday, March 1st, 2018 from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm.
Flowers may be sent to Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana Street, Lawrence, KS, 66044.
A reception after the burial will take place at Gilbert’s Home, 1725 East 24th St Lawrence, KS 66046.

Ashton Clarke Thompson Sr.

Posted on by RumseyYost

Ashton Clarke Thompson, Sr., died February 27, 2018 at the age of 77. He was the son of George and Murlyne Thompson. Ashton was married to Sandra Wilson for 57 years; she survives of the home. Other survivors include a daughter, Denise Machell and husband Michael, Lawrence; a son, Ashton Thompson, Jr., and wife Liesl, Vicksburg, MS.; four siblings, Terry Thompson and wife Frances, Memphis, TN, Curtis Thompson, Richland, MS, Melanie Coleman and husband Richard, Brandon, MS, and Sean Thompson and wife Janet, Jackson, MS.; a sister-in-law, Marvel Thompson, Byram, MS.; four grandchildren, Emma and husband Nathan Herrman, Laura Ashton Thompson, Jackson Wells Thompson and John Neil Thompson, as well as many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Rick Thompson, and his sister-in-law Joy Thompson.

Funeral services will be held at 3:30 pm Saturday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. A visitation will take place from 2:30 pm until service time.

The family suggests memorial contributions to a charity of the donor’s choice, in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS, 66044. Online condolences may be sent at rumsey-yost.com.

Floyd E. Nowak

Posted on by RumseyYost

Services for Floyd Everett Nowak, 68, Lawrence, will be 2:00 p.m. Friday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home.  Burial will be in McLouth Cemetery.

Mr. Nowak died Friday, February 23, 2018 at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

He was born January 25, 1950, in McLouth, Kansas, the son of William McCalpine and Lillian Lee Emge Nowak. He grew up and lived in McLouth until the age of 10. His family moved to Abilene where he stayed until moving back to McLouth in his mid teens. Floyd and Karen moved to Lawrence in 2004.

Mr. Nowak worked as a truck driver and volunteer fireman. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, and working on cars. He was very fond of a 1969 Dodge Charger that he owned. He was also a member of the Faith Builders International Church in DeSoto, Kansas.

He married Karen Marie Snyder June 2, 1973, in Shawnee, Kansas. She survives of the home.

Other survivors include sons, Vincent Haworth and wife Joanne of Spring Hill, Kansas, Kerry A. Nowak and wife Angela of Topeka, Kansas; daughter, Erin E. Nowak-Smith of Lawrence, Kansas; brother, Donald Nowak and wife Donna of McLouth, Kansas; sister, Anne Dornberger of Louisburg, Kansas; step-brother, Keith Woodyard and wife Shirley of Topeka, Kansas; 7 grandchildren; 1 great grandchild; and many loving nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and brothers, Van Nowak and Jay Nowak.

Friends may call from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday and 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Friday, where the family will receive them from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

The family suggests memorial contributions to the Floyd Nowak Memorial Fund to help with funeral expenses, sent in care of the funeral home.

Dr. Stephen F. Evans

Posted on by RumseyYost

After a brief illness Dr. Stephen F. Evans (Ph.D., Kansas) passed away Monday, February 26th in the loving care of his husband and friends.

Born January 5th, 1949 in Salina, Kansas; Stephen was the firstborn of father Dr. Grant E. Evans, M.D. and mother Montana F. Evans, Ph.D.

He is preceded in death by his father and brother David S. Evans; and leaves behind his husband of over 30 years James R. Ward, mother Montana F. Newkirk, and brothers Grant R. Evans and Samuel S. Evans.

Stephen received his undergraduate (’71) and Masters (’74) from KU, both with Honors in English; and began work on his Ph.D. as the Graduate Research Assistant to renowned Shakespearian scholar Dr. Charlton Hinman. In 1979, as he was preparing to take his Ph.D. exams, his mentor and advisor Dr. Hinton passed away. The only time in his life to leave KU and Lawrence, Steve left to pursue other interests. Returning in 1989, he recompleted the entire Doctoral curriculum with a 4.0 GPA, and in 2000 received his Ph.D.

A passionate, imaginative teacher who loved his students, Stephen began teaching at KU in 1974. Twice honored in his career as the Department’s Outstanding Instructor, his professionalism, intellect, and range were displayed over his career as he taught introductory and upper-level courses, Shakespeare, American Indian, Technical Writing, Advanced Composition and other courses. He was coveted as a capable, reliable substitute teacher across the Department. Always asking the best from them, his students won thirty excellence in Writing Awards, numerous departmental writing honors, and in 2009-10, the prestigious Chancellor’s Writing Prize.

His scholarship was unquestioned, publishing numerous articles and reviews and presenting papers at the University of California, Ohio State, and the Congress of Medieval Studies; to name a few. He was also the recipient of the prestigious Wilbur, Albrecht, and Hopkins awards; as well as the Whitcomb Fellowship.

Stephen’s legacy lies within the thousands of students who were privileged to fall under his tutelage.

Charming and brilliant, he was incredibly proud to be part of the University; and loved Jim, Lawrence, and KU.

Rock Chalk, my brother.

Visitation is Saturday, March 3rd from 11:00-1:00 at the Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home; followed by a private inurnment at the KU Pioneer Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to either the K.U. Endowment Association for the Department of English or the Lawrence Humane Society are requested.

James Edward Fry

Posted on by RumseyYost

James Edward “Ed” Fry passed away on February 23, 2018, surrounded by family and in the thoughts and prayers of friends and loved ones. He was 92 years old.

He was born in St. Joseph, MO, on August 31, 1925, to Edward Arthur Fry and Louise McDonough Fry. One of his most vivid early childhood memories was the stock market crash of 1929. Over and over, he would hear people talk about the crash. For a long time he wondered why he hadn’t heard anything “crash” when everyone else did.

His father became very ill in 1930, and they moved from St. Joseph to the family home in Sedgwick, KS, where his father died later that year. Ed completed his education in Sedgwick and lettered in football and basketball during high school. He was the last surviving member of the Sedgwick Class of 1943.

Two months after graduation he enlisted in United States Army. During WW II, he served in both the European and Pacific theaters in the 341st Infantry Regiment of the 86th (Black Hawk) Division.

He married Dolores Douglass in June 1946. Before starting a family, they took flight training together in the inaugural class at the Sedgwick Airport. After sixteen days of training, Ed was the first to fly solo in the airport’s new Cessna 120.

He is survived by their four children, Doug (Marty) Fry of Roswell, GA; Dianne (Don) Huggins of Fall Leaf, KS; Kent (Diane) Fry of Lawrence, KS; and Cassie (Steve) Langdon of Lampasas, TX; as well as eleven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He is also survived by Mary Ann Womack, his companion of more than thirty years.

Ed worked in the dairy business in Sedgwick for 10 years before he began a career in marketing management at Bristol-Myers. He joined the Noxzema Chemical Company as a sales representative (Rocky Mountain region) in 1957, and the family moved to Evergreen, CO. He was promoted to the national sales department in 1960, and the family moved to Baltimore, MD. During that time, Noxzema was conducting market research in four cities on its new line of medicated cosmetics. “Thera-Blem” and “Blema-Glow” were names considered for the new line before the company settled on “CoverGirl,” which it launched nationally in 1961. He was promoted to product manager, a newly created position, in 1962 and became new products manager in 1967. He joined the International Division of Noxell (formerly Noxzema) in 1970 and relocated to San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1971. He retired from Noxell in 1980 as the general manger of Latin America.

Ed moved to Lawrence in 1980 where he enjoyed golf, family and friends. He spent countless hours at DCABA, YSI Sports Complex and Sport 2 Sport watching his grandchildren at play. He was a proud member of Dorsey-Liberty Post 14 of the American Legion. Ed and Mary Ann were regulars at the Legion where they spent most of their evenings on the dance floor.

The family wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the dedicated staff at Pioneer Ridge and Great Lakes Caring Hospice for the exceptional care Ed received during the past few weeks.

Plans for a celebration of life are being made for a date later this spring. Memorial contributions may be made online to the American Heart Association or sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana, Lawrence, KS.

 

Donna Jean Raybern Bagby

Posted on by RumseyYost

Memorial services for Donna Jean Raybern Bagby, 73, Lawrence, will be 1 pm, Monday, February 26, 2018, at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. Inurnment will follow at Oak Hill cemetery.

She passed away Tuesday, February 20, 2018, at her home in Lawrence.

Donna was born June 1, 1944, in San Francisco, CA, the daughter of James Claudius Sr. and Lillie May Bryan Raybern. She attended school in Eudora, KS.

She worked as a Certified Nurse’s Aide for over 20 Years. She enjoyed dancing, crocheting, playing in a bowling league, and being on Facebook to play games and to keep up with family and friends. Donna also loved the companionship of her dogs Little Bit and Molly.

Donna married Walter O’Keefe in 1964, they later divorced. Three children were born of this union, Geraldine O’Keefe Davis, Rhonda O’Keefe, and Dennis O’Keefe. She later married Delmer Bagby, they were married for 20 years before his death in 2004.

Survivors include her children, Geraldine O’Keefe Davis, Rhonda O’Keefe, Dennis O’Keefe; sisters, Susan Raybern Crawford, Catherine Raybern Goetler, Geraldine Raybern Thomas; grandchildren, Jennecia, Giovanni, Jasante`, Jahzara, Khristina, Chad, Anthony, Walter, Pamela, and Hailey; 14 great grandchildren; and companion, Darwin Yunk.

She is preceded in death by her parents; and siblings, Lorene Raybern Martin, Elsie Raybern Bunney, Veda Raybern Riesgo, Virginia Raybern Byers, James C. Raybern Jr., Charles Raybern, Sharon Raybern, Gerald Raybern.

The family suggests memorial contributions in memory of Donna made to the American Lung Association, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.

Marlene Carol Gleue

Posted on by RumseyYost

Services for Marlene Carol Gleue, 83, Lawrence, are pending at this time. Inurnment will be in the Aliceville Kansas Cemetery.

Mrs. Gleue died Monday, February 19, 2018, at Brandon Woods at Alvamar in Lawrence.

She was born April 21, 1934, on the family farm in rural Labette County, the daughter of Albert D. and Mildred Ruth Hornback Quathamer. She graduated valedictorian from Erie High School in 1952 and achieved a degree from Kansas State Teachers College in Pittsburg, Kansas attending from 1952-1955.

Mrs. Gleue was an elementary school teacher, spending most of her career shaping the young minds of first and second graders. She was very artistic and enjoyed crafting, drawing and painting. She was also an exceptional seamstress, making wedding gowns, coats, and other types of clothes for family and friends.

Marlene married Erwin Emil William Gleue June 5, 1960 in Humboldt, Kansas. He died December 15, 2016.

Survivors include two sons, Alan Gleue and wife Kelly of Lawrence, Kansas, Mike Gleue and wife Dr. Lois Wilkins of DeSoto, Kansas; daughter Janelle Gleue Taylor and Husband Todd of Independence, Kansas; a sister, Dollie Couch and husband Norvelle; grandchildren, Casey Gleue and wife Haley, Ryan Gleue, Marshall Rawley, Adam Taylor and wife Margaret, Nicole Taylor and Justin Lytle, Kyle Taylor and Kitrina Miller, and Ursula Logan.

The family suggests memorial contributions to the Cancer Center of Kansas-Independence Kansas Healthcare Center, sent in care of the funeral home.

 

 

Francis Patrick Smith

Posted on by RumseyYost

Francis Patrick (Pat) Smith died February 18, 2018, he donated his body to KU Medical Center.

He was born October 29, 1923 in St. Mary’s Kansas, the son of John Patrick (JP) Smith and Leona M. Smith. He graduated from St. Mary’s high school and from O.C.S. U.S. Maritime school of Marine Engineering, New Long Conn. and was commissioned an ensign and a licensed marine engineer. Mr. Smith served in both the Atlantic and Pacific during WW II. He took part in the invasions of North Africa, Italy and France. He served again during the Berlin airlift. He worked for Santa Fe Railroad, General Motors and KPL. He retired from Kansas Power and Light in 1988 after 39 years. He was a volunteer with the Boy Scouts and Knights of Columbus. He married Florence C. Frey in Brooklyn, N.Y., she died June 9, 2016.

Survivors include sons, Thomas P. Smith, Portland, OR. and Lawrence E. Smith, Lawrence, KS , daughters, Joan E. Starks, and Mary C. Chaney both of Lawrence, KS., grandsons, Maxwell D. Smith, Portland, OR, H. Reed Starks, Lawrence, KS and granddaughter, Kelsey S. Myers and husband Brett, Lawrence, KS.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, brothers, William K. Smith, Donald J. Smith and sisters, Mary L. Merrill and Delores Schrader.

Herman F. LeRoux

Posted on by RumseyYost

NOTICE: DUE TO THE ANTICIPATED INCLEMENT WEATHER, THE FUNERAL SERVICE FOR HERMAN LEROUX WILL BE HELD AT 10 AM THURSDAY AT BUCK CREEK SCHOOL, JUST OFF HWY. 24 IN JEFFERSON COUNTY. The burial will follow at Underwood Cemetery. The family will greet friends at Buck Creek School following the burial.

Herman died Friday, Feb. 16, 2018, at his home.

He was born Oct. 17, 1932, in Wewoka, Okla., the son of Charles E. and Lottie D. Hanning LeRoux. He was a mechanic all his life, beginning work with Wilson Implement, then Johanning Implement from 1968 until they closed in 1987, and finally becoming self-employed. He enjoyed traveling, bingo, and going to the casino.

He married Marjorie Helen Cleek on Nov. 4, 1952, in Oskaloosa. They lived in the Williamstown area for many years before moving to Lawrence in the late 1960’s. Marjorie preceded him in death in 2009. He was also preceded in death by his parents, his stepmother Ethel LeRoux, his stepfather, Robert Nance, a brother, Charles LeRoux, eight half brothers and two half sisters.

Survivors include a son, Eric LeRoux and wife Genie, Lecompton; two daughters, Deborah Feist, Lawrence, and Lynda Wilson and husband Jerry, Eudora; siblings Hazel Cross (Dene), Hubert Payne (Eleanor), Sara Smith (Daryl), Myra Eastman, Carol Haywood, Sharon Allen, and Mary Smith; sister-in-laws Karen LeRoux and Delana LeRoux; grandchildren Erin Lewis (Jason), Phillip LeRoux (Susie), Chad F. Wilson, Amy Wilson, Mathew Parton, Jessica Brown, Jamie LaDuke, and John LaDuke; six great grandchildren, one great great granddaughter, and many nieces and nephews.

Friends may call from noon to 8 pm Wednesday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, where the family will receive friends from 6-8. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Herman LeRoux Memorial Fund, in care of the funeral home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS, 66044. Online condolences may be sent at rumsey-yost.com