Author: RumseyYost

Jean Elizabeth Lukehart

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Jean Elizabeth (Stone) Lukehart, 88, died peacefully at Lawrence Presbyterian Manor on May 23, 2017. Jean was born July 16, 1928, in Detroit, Michigan, to Clarence and Nellie Gann Stone. Jean married the love of her life, Billy Joe Lukehart, May 16, 1948 in Ludlow, MO.

Bill and Jean moved to Oklahoma City, OK to start their family, where Bill was employed at OG&E and Jean worked at the phone company. They were members of Putnam City Baptist Church. In 1968 they moved with their children to Livermore, CA, where they were members of Granada Baptist Church.

Jean was a loving wife, mother and homemaker who enjoyed cooking, baking, sewing and reading. She always made the holidays a special time with her joy, creativity and good cooking. She and Bill were married 57 years. They loved bowling, entertaining and travel. They collaborated on crafts – Bill did the woodworking and Jean did the painting. At age 56, Jean earned her Associates Degree from Las Positas Junior College, Livermore.

In 2006, following Bill’s death, Jean moved to Lawrence, KS, to be near her daughter, Janet. Jean found church family at First Baptist Church.  Jean loved Lawrence and eagerly learned of its history.  She quickly became an avid Jayhawk fan.

She was preceded in death by her parents, sister, Lois, and brother, Bob; her sons Billy Joe Lukehart, Jr. and David Lynn Lukehart, and husband, Bill. Jean is survived by son Gerald Lukehart, El Sobrante, CA, and daughter, Janet Lukehart (April Dixon), Lawrence. Jean was an affectionate friend to Toni Dixon and Theodora Dixon, and beloved aunt of Karen McGeehen Wiley, Mary Beth Lusk (Bob), David Stone (Jean), Larry Stone, Taylor Stone, and Virginia Smith (Sandra Postel). Jean was a second-mom to Becky Dohrn.

A memorial gathering will be held June 21, 2:00 p.m. at Presbyterian Manor, Lawrence. A graveside service will be held in July at Sunny Lane Cemetery, Oklahoma City, OK. Memorial contributions may be made to Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence, Kansas, in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS, 66044.

 

 

Betty Lou Dobbs

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Memorial services for Betty Lou Dobbs will be at 2 pm Sunday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, with the Rev. Angela Lowe officiating.

Betty Lou Dobbs, 85, passed away on May 22, 2017 at The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, surrounded by her loving family.

She was born Betty Lou Warner on July 10, 1931 in El Dorado, Kansas. She moved with her parents, Albert and Gladys Warner to Wichita, KS and attended East High School in Wichita. She worked as a Dental Assistant for many years and was also a homemaker and raised three children.

She met the love of her life, Larry Joe Dobbs Sr, and was married to him on January 22, 1950, at the home of her parents in Wichita. They were happily married for 62 years until his death on December 10, 2012.

She is preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Robert Warner and William Warner.

She is survived by her son, Larry Joe Dobbs, Jr (Ruth) of Chocowinity, NC and two daughters, Deborah Miller (Gary) of Sunrise Beach, MO and Angie Black (Kevin) of Baldwin City, KS. She also had 8 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

She will be sorely missed by all who knew her. God speed, Betty Lou.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to KU Cancer Center at: kucancercenter.org/give

Lila M. Hagerman Watkins

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Funeral services for Lila Hagerman Watkins, 86, Baldwin City, will be at 2 pm Thursday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, with LMH Chaplain Angela Lowe officiating. Burial will follow in Vinland Cemetery, Vinland. Lila died Monday, May 22, 2017, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

She was born Dec. 13, 1930, in Vinland, the daughter of Clarence A. and Viola Nichols Hagerman. She graduated from Baldwin High School. Lila worked for the Kansas State Geological Survey for more than 40 years, retiring as business manager. She enjoyed bowling and participating in state and national bowling tournaments, Bingo, and yard work, tending to her roses. She was a member of the Baldwin Mother’s Club and ABWA, a businesswomen’s organization where she served as secretary.

She married James (Arlis) Watkins on Mar. 1, 1952, in Lawrence. He preceded her in death in 1991. She was also preceded in death by her parents, and siblings Cecil Hagerman, Aubrey Hagerman, and Charlene Jackson Hagerman. Survivors include a daughter, Debbie Watkins, Phoenix; sisters-in-law Mabel Hagerman, Charlene (Watkins) Jones and Evelyn (Watkins) Whetten and their families; a nephew, and many cousins.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Memorial contributions are suggested to Vinland Cemetery, in care of the funeral home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS, 66044.

Shirley W. (Garratt) Flory

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Shirley W. (Garratt) Flory, 92, passed away on Sat. May 20, 2017 at Monterey Village, Lawrence, KS.  She was born March 7, 1925 in Lawrence.

She graduated from Liberty Memorial H.S. in 1943 and attended K.U. for one year.  She did secretarial work for Kansas Electric  and worked in food service at South Junior High School for many years.  In addition, she was a homemaker and lived on the farm until recently.

She was united in marriage to Dudley Flory on June 2, 1945 at the home of her parents south of Lawrence.  He died April 9, 1976.  On August 17, 1989, she married Alva Flory.  He died on August 2, 1992.

Survivors include two children, Joyce (Jon) Hawkins,  Baldwin and Murray (Connie) Flory, Lawrence. Two step children Carl (Velma) Flory, Baldwin and Allen (Mickele) Flory, Eudora. And 6 grandchildren, 4 step grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren and 5 step great grandchildren; Lois Gish, sister-in-law also survives.

She is preceded in death by her parents; a sister Virginia Garratt; great grandson Reuben Hawkins.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday evening, May 23 at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. Private family graveside service will be at Pleasant Hill Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to VNA or the charity of your choice, sent in care of the funeral home.

Condolences may be sent at rumsey-yost.com.

 

 

Donald F. Allis

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Services for Donald F. Allis, 89, Baldwin City, will be 10:00am Thursday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery in Baldwin City.

Mr. Allis died Saturday, May 20, 2017, at the Comfort Care Home in Baldwin City.

He was born September 15, 1927, in Omaha, Nebraska to Lawrence R. and Hazel Hyatt Allis. He came to Kansas at the age of two and was raised by Walker and Minnie Randall. He attended Vinland grade and high schools.

He served 7 years and 11 months in the National Guard. He farmed for several years before moving to Colorado to take an over the road truck driving job. After moving back to Kansas he worked for the Sunflower Ammunition Plant for 7 years. He returned to farming in 1968. In 1972 he began working for Lawrence Ready Mix and was there for 22 ½ years before retiring in 1993.

Mr. Allis enjoyed raising cattle, bowling, hunting, golfing, but most of all he loved spending time with his grandchildren, whom really stole his heart.

He married Arlene Sturns and they had 2 children, they later divorced. He married Norma June Moore, April 11, 1968, who had 3 children. She died June 18, 2015.

He is survived by a son, Michael Allis; daughter, Charlotte Newkirk; step-son, Michael Puckett; step-daughter, Janice Harral; 16 grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren; and 3 great great grandchildren.

He was also preceded in death by his parents and a step-daughter, Marilyn Neider.

Friends may call from 9am to 8pm Wednesday at the funeral home, where the family will receive them from 6-7pm Wednesday.

The family suggests memorials to the Comfort Care Home of Baldwin City, sent in care of the funeral home.

 

Lanny Dayton Gaston

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A memorial service for Lanny Gaston will be held Friday, June 9, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. in Danforth Chapel on the KU campus.

Lanny Dayton Gaston, 67, died March 26, 2017, in Kansas City, Kansas, after an extended illness.

Lanny was born in Wichita, Kansas, to Ralph and Virginia Gaston. He graduated from Wichita West High School and Wichita State University. He received his Master of Public Administration from the University of Kansas in 1975. He worked for the Coleman Company as a technical writer and for the state of Kansas in the Division of Personnel and the Department of Education, where he was HR Director for twenty eight years. During his high school and college years, he was a member of a popular local band in Wichita called The Downbeats.

Lanny was married August 20, 1971, in Lawrence, Kansas, to his wife, Margie. She and their son, Joshua, survive of the home.

Lanny is also survived by his sister, Carol Munson, Wichita, brother, David (Rosemarie), Wichita, brother Doug (Lisa), Lawrence, mother-in-law Alice Amyx , Lawrence, brother-in-law R. Michael Amyx (Linda), Midlothian Virginia, and numerous nephews and nieces.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a son, Geoffrey Tyler Gaston, and a nephew, Caleb Alvarado Gaston.

A memorial service is planned for late spring. In lieu of flowers or a donation, the family requests any special memory of Lanny by friends or family be sent to M.Gaston, P.O. Box 442471, Lawrence, Kansas. 66044

Dr. Charles Neuringer

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Charles Neuringer, 85, Professor Emeritus, Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, passed away Monday, May 15, 2017, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.  Known to friends and family as Charlie, he was born on May 30, 1931, in Brooklyn, New York, to Anna and Benjamin Neuringer.

Charlie attended New Utrecht High School and Brooklyn College in New York City from where he graduated in 1949.  He then attended the University of Kansas where he received a master’s degree in 1953 and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology in 1960.

Charlie was a graduate of the Veterans Administration Training Program and received University of Kansas Fellowships from 1955 to 1958.  After earning a Ph.D. in 1960, he took a position as a research psychologist at the Los Angeles Suicide Prevention Center.  From 1960 to 1962 he served as a deputy coroner for Los Angeles County where he performed psychological autopsies.

He moved into academia accepting the position of assistant professor of psychology at the University of North Dakota in 1962.  The University of Kansas invited him to return to Lawrence as an Assistant Professor of Psychology in 1964.  While at KU, Charlie held the position of Director of Undergraduate Studies from 1973 to 1981 and served on various departmental, college, and university committees.  He was a consultant to the National Institute of Mental Health Center for Suicide Prevention from 1966 to 1971, and consulted periodically throughout his career with the VA to reduce suicides among veterans.

Charlie is the author and/or editor of five books and has contributed 19 chapters.  He has authored over 100 published papers and has served as a referee for several scholarly journals. Within the Psychology Department, Charlie was known at meetings for being the first to utter, “I move we adjourn this meeting.”  After teaching psychology for 35 years at KU, Charlie retired from KU as a Full Professor in 1999.

Charlie became interested in theater in his later years; he turned his interest from the area of suicide to that of creativity, specializing in research on the psychology of acting.  He developed a class for the Theater Department, Psychology of the Actor.  Charlie also performed on stage in plays at the University of Kansas, the English Alternative Theatre, the Liberty Hall Players, and at Theatre Lawrence.  In more recent years Charlie acted with the Vintage Players.  Some of the many plays Charlie acted in include George Washington Slept Here, The Ballad of Black Jack, The Diary of Anne Frank, Annie, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

His creativity extended beyond acting to artwork.  Charlie took up ceramics and painting after retirement and could often be found in the ceramics studio at the Lawrence Arts Center.  He enjoyed painting primitive Egyptian images and creating ceramic totem poles and horses.

Charlie married Carolyn Jane Ely on February 21, 1960, in Kansas City, MO.  She preceded him in death in 2002 after 42 years of marriage.  He is survived by their two daughters, Miriam Neuringer and her husband Jim Salamon, The Colony, TX, and Helen Benefiel and her husband Greg, Lawrence, and three grandchildren, David and Rachel Benefiel, Lawrence, and Amy Salamon, Lewisville, TX; his brother, Sheldon Neuringer and his wife Rochelle, Asheville, NC; his sister, Renee Sands, Boynton Beach, FL; and several nieces, a nephew, grand-nieces and a grand-nephew.  His parents and a sister, Esther, preceded Charlie in death.

Friends may call after 2 p.m. on Friday and all day Saturday at the funeral home, where the family will receive them from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Graveside inurnment services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 21st, at Pioneer Cemetery on the University of Kansas West Campus officiated by Rabbi Linda Steigman.

The family suggests memorials to Theatre Lawrence or the Lawrence Arts Center, sent in care of the funeral home.

Smain Mebarek Tichtich

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Smain Mebarek, 62, of Lawrence, KS passed away May 10, 2017 at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.  Smain was born in Skikda, Algeria June 4, 1954.  He moved to Kansas from Algeria in the late 1970s to attend the University of Kansas.  Smain is remembered by his two children, Mimi Mebarek Long and Scooter Mebarek, as well as his mother, Ounassa, brothers and sisters, many nieces and nephews, and extended family and friends in Algeria and in the Kansas City area.

Smain had a great love of futbol (soccer), the Jayhawks and the Chiefs.  His favorite pastimes include camping with his friends at Clinton Lake and down at the river, barbequing, playing solitaire and cribbage, and spending time with friends and family.

A celebration for Smain will be held at Clinton Lake Overlook Park, on Saturday June 3, 2017 at 2pm.  864 N. 1402 Rd, Lawrence, KS.  Please let Scooter or Mimi know if you would like to say a few words in Smain’s honor.

Memorials may be made in Smain’s name to Health Care Access in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, PO Box 1260, Lawrence KS 66044 or http://www.healthcareaccess.org/donate/.