Author: RumseyYost

Paul W. Gay

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Paul W. Gay, 93, passed away on Monday, May 18, 2015 at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Graveside services will be in Arnett, Oklahoma.

Paul was born in Flippin, Arkansas on December 23, 1921, the son of Lewis Robert and Sylvia Myrtle Gay. He graduated from Wetumka High School in Oklahoma and Texas Tech University. Paul served in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1945, in the original crew that commissioned the U.S.S. Pine Island. Since 2004, he was a resident at Brandon Woods Retirement Community and a member of the Westside Presbyterian Church in Lawrence, KS.

He married Evelyn Tefertiller on January 1, 1946 in Ada, Oklahoma. Paul worked for Video Independent Theatres, managing movie theatres in Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. He retired as the company vice-president in 1983. For the next 13 years, he worked for H & R Block as a tax-preparer and instructor. After that he served as a volunteer who helped senior citizens prepare and submit tax forms. After moving to Lawrence, KS, he served as the state of Kansas administrative assistant for the statewide Tax-Aide program for AARP.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Evelyn, his parents, two sisters, Willie Mitchell and Goldia Crouch, and one brother, Gail.

Survivors include two daughters, A. Susan Gay, Lawrence, and Sharon M. Steindl (Walter), Vienna, Austria, seven grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, three nieces, two nephews, and friends across several states.

The family suggests memorials to The Coleman Theatre of Miami, OK, 103 N. Main, Miami, OK 74354, or Douglas County Visiting Nurses Association, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS, 66044.

Francis Melvin Zeller

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Services for Francis Melvin Zeller, 83, Baldwin City, will be 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Saturday, May 30, at the Vinland United Methodist Church. Mr. Zeller died Saturday, May 16, 2015 at the Baldwin Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center.

He was born January 14, 1932 in Waterville, Kansas, the son of Melvin Marshall and Byrl Anne Staples Zeller. He attended grade school in Arkansas and graduated from Lawrence High school playing football and track. Mr. Zeller went to Baylor University in TX, and Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS. He also served for 2 years in the United States Army during the Korean War.

Mr. Zeller worked at Trains Oilfield Service Incorporated for 2 years in Lindsborg and went on to work 35 years at Farmland Industry, retiring April 1, 1997. He farmed livestock, was a member of the Lighthouse Baptist Church in Baldwin City and the Dorsey-Liberty Post No. 14, American Legion in Lawrence.

He married Verdeania V. Anderson of Lindsborg, 54 years ago, on October 6, 1960 in Ottawa, KS. She survives of the home.

Other survivors include sons, Stephen M. Zeller and wife Karen of Overbrook and Mark E. Zeller and Wife Kathy of Lecompton; daughters Rita K. Zeller-Reed of Baldwin City and Barbara Ann Law of Paola; sisters, Dorothy Anne Lawrence of Holton and Doris Marie Dethredge and husband Billy of Lawrence; 12 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren; as well as extended family and friends.

The family suggests memorials to the Dorsey-Liberty Post No. 14, American Legion, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home & Crematory, P.O. Box 1260, Lawrence, KS 66044.

No peanuts – Son is very allergic.

Mary Elizabeth Gaumer

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Mary Elizabeth Gaumer, 77, Lawrence, is reunited in heaven with her beloved husband, parents, and friends. She died on May 18, 2015, peacefully and surrounded by family at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

She was born on September 18, 1937, in Clay Center, Kansas, the daughter of Archibald and Julia Rose. She graduated from Clay Center High School and earned a degree in elementary education from Kansas State University. She taught in the Topeka School District for a few years prior to becoming a Housewife and small business owner in Kingman, Kansas. She and her husband moved to Lawrence in 2003.

She married David Gaumer on June 11, 1960. They were married for 48 years until Dave’s death. She is survived by 3 sons and their wives, David and Tammy of Allen, Texas, Daniel and Sonja, of Lawrence, and Doug and Kathy of Lawrence. She is also survived by 7 grandchildren (Nick, Amanda, and Julia, Savanna and Larissa, Alexa and Austin).

Mary was a great entertainer who made Christmas, Birthdays, and other events memorable. She was an avid bridge player (whose day was all the brighter if she won high for the day), doing puzzles, travelling, and spending time with family and friends. She lived a full and rewarding life. She was a beautiful woman with an enormous capacity to love! Her positive spirit and warm smile will be greatly missed.

Friends may call from 6-8PM on Thursday evening at Rumsey-Yost Funeral home. A private service will be held at Oak Hill Cemetery.

The family suggests memorials to either the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Research or the University Bridge Club.

James Thomas Arthur

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James Thomas Arthur died on May 8, 2015, in Wichita, Kansas. He was a resident of Wichita most of his adult life.

He was born Aug. 27, 1925, to Charles S. Arthur and Anna Pearson Arthur who both predeceased him. His three brothers, Charles S. Arthur Jr., William J. Arthur, and Wade H. Arthur also predeceased him. He was never married and had no children.

James graduated from Liberty Memorial High School in Lawrence and the University of Kansas with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He was employed by Boeing and Beechcraft Manufacturing companies in Wichita. He then worked as a real estate broker for many years.

He is survived by six nieces and nephews, Charles S. Arthur III, Robert Bowen Arthur, Cynthia Ann Sheern, Thomas Pearson Arthur, Deborah Louise Heidorn, and Vance E. Arthur, and a great nephew and niece, Brett Arthur and Laura Bieller.

A graveside service will be held at Memorial Park Cemetery in Lawrence on Saturday, May 23, 2015, at 10 am, with the Rev. Don Ogden officiating.

Howard E. & Mary K. Lynch

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Memorial services for Howard Ellsworth Lynch, 94, and Mary Katherine Lynch, 90, Lawrence, will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 16, 2015 at Trinity Lutheran Church. Burial will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery.

Mr. Lynch died February 8, 2015 and Mrs. Lynch died Monday, February 16, 2015 at their home.

She was born March 13, 1924 in Lawrence, the daughter of Solon J. and Mildred K. Longnecker Markley. Mary graduated from Liberty Memorial High School in 1942, and went on to attend the University of Kansas.

He was born January 26, 1921 in Lawrence, to Albert Penn and Lela Helen Howard Lynch. He graduated high school in 1938.

Mrs. Lynch worked at Weavers department store for 3 years as a telephone operator, at Sunflower Ordnance Works for 7 1/2 years as a receptionist, and retiring from Farmland Industries after 26 years as a PBX Operator.

Mr. Lynch worked at Lockheed Aircraft in Burbank, California from 1940-1942. He served in the US Air Force from 1943-1946 and was honorably discharged as a Staff Sergeant. He worked at Fritzel-Jayhawk Creamery from 1946-1948. Mr. Lynch was a mail carrier for the US Post Office from 1948 until his retirement in 1978. He also worked for the Douglas County Rural Water District from 1979-1986. He was a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

Both were members of Trinity Lutheran Church for 68 years.

They were married, June 16, 1946 in Lawrence, and celebrated 68 years together.

Mr. & Mrs. Lynch are survived by sons, Galen Lynch of Canadian, Texas, and Ronald Lynch of Lawrence, Kansas; 6 grandchildren; and 7 great grandchildren.

A son, Jerrald Lynch preceded them in death in May of 2012.

The family suggests memorial contributions to Visiting Nurses Hospice, sent in care of the funeral home.

Dr. Lester A. Mitscher

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Dr. Lester A. Mitscher, 83, died May 8th, 2015, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Lawrence, KS. He was born August 20th, 1931, in Detroit, MI, to Lester and Mary Athelda Mitscher (Pounder). He graduated from Hazel Park High School in 1949 as Class Valedictorian. He married Betty Jane McRoberts on May 29th, 1953 in Ferndale, MI. She survives of the home. He was preceded in death by his parents, Les and Mary, his brother, Ronald Eugene, and his daughter, Katrina Louise Chapman (Mitscher). He is survived by Katrina’s daughters Stephanie Louise Hamm and her husband Steve, Pomoma, KS, and Jennifer Marie Chapman, husband David, of Topeka, KS. His sons, Kurt Alan Mitscher, Olathe, KS, his wife Karen, and his grandchildren Mary and Trevor, his son Mark Andrew Mitscher, Lawrence, Catherine Louise Crawley of Roanoke, VA, and grandson Joseph Drewry Thies of Washington DC. He is also survived by five great-grandchildren.

Dr. Mitscher earned his B.S. – Pharmacy (1953) and a Ph.D. – Organic Chemistry (1958) from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. As a graduate student, he worked on the structure of coffee oil diterpenes and on optical rotary dispersion under the late Dr. Carl Djerassi. He continued his work on natural product chemistry at Lederle Laboratories in Pearl River, NY from 1958-1967 where he rose to group leader in antibiotic discovery. In 1967, he accepted an associate professorship in Natural Products Chemistry at The Ohio State University to pursue his passion for teaching, quickly rising soon to the position of Tenured Professor. In 1975, he joined University of Kansas as a University Distinguished Professorship and the Chairmanship of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry. He returned to the faculty in 1992 and retired as Emeritus Professor in 2011. During his tenure, he also held conjoint academic appointments at the University of Missouri – Kansas City and the Victorian College of Pharmacy, Melbourne, Australia.

Throughout his decorated career, he earned numerous awards and honors. These included the Research Achievement Award in Natural Products Chemistry from the American Pharmaceutical Association (1980), the Ernest H. Vorweiler Award for Research Achievement from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (1985), the Higuchi-Simons Award in Biomedical Sciences at Kansas University (1986), the Bristol-Myers Squibb/Edward E. Smissman Award in Medicinal Chemistry from the American Chemical Society (1989), Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1995), the Division of Medicinal Chemistry Award from the American Chemical Society (2000), and the Norman R. Farnsworth Research Achievement Award from the American Society for Pharmacognosy (2007).

Dr. Mitscher’s research focused on the isolation, identification, and optimization of naturally occurring antimicrobial and anti-cancer agents, as well as the development of combinatorial methodologies. He published more than 270 research publications and authored or co-authored seven technical books on drug discovery and properties. He was on the editorial board of several technical journals including the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and the Journal of Natural Products. He also consulted widely among pharmaceutical firms, serving as senior advisory council member of firms such as Abbott Laboratories, Searle Laboratories, Dupont-Merck, among others.

Visitation will be held at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home from 6-8 pm on Thursday, May 14th, 2015. Services will be held at Plymouth Congregational Church, Lawrence, KS, on Friday May 15th at 3 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contribution to the Lester A. Mitscher Faculty Fellowship in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Kansas, in care of the funeral home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS, 66044.

Barbara Jean Humphrey

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Memorial services for Barbara Jean Humphrey, 52, Lawrence, will be at 11:30 am Sunday, May 31, 2015, at St. Paul United Church of Christ, Eudora. Barbara died Monday, May 4, 2015, in Eudora after a courageous battle with cancer.

She was born Sept. 29, 1962, in Chicago, the daughter of Michael Thomas and Gloria Jean Buffa Foster. She graduated from high school in Elmwood Park, Ill., and later attended nursing school in Iowa. Barbara worked as an LPN in nursing homes and hospitals. She was a member of St. Paul United Church of Christ in Eudora, and was an avid Chicago Bulls fan.

Survivors include a daughter, Roni Jean Humphrey, Eudora; her mother, Gloria Foster, Eudora; and three siblings, Michael T. Foster (Joanne), Island Lake, Ill., Thomas L. Foster (Angela), Eudora, and James M. Foster, Chino, Calif. She was preceded in death by her father, Michael Foster.

The family is in the process of establishing a memorial fund to help with expenses. Further information will appear here when available.

EC Pagan

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The visitation for EC Pagan, 88, will be held at Grace Evangelical Presbyterian Church at 9:45 a.m., followed by the Celebration of Life at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 8, 2015. Burial will follow at Alpine Cemetery, Osage County, KS at 3:00 p.m.

EC was born February 15, 1927, in Sapulpa, OK, the son of Areathus and Opal Gail Facker Pagan. He worked as a railroad engineer at Santa Fe for 41 years.

He married Lauma Lou Geis on January 15, 1984, in Strong City, KS. She survives of the home.

Survivors include, his brother, Keith Pagan; his two sisters, Patsy Thandschiedt and Reeda Tyler; his sons, Barry Pagan (Kelly), Ricky Dodd (Lucinda), Robbie Dodd, (Christina), and his daughters; Lorinda Hartzler (David), LaVonna McAlister (Gary); grandchildren; Noah and Jordon Pagan, LaTanya Graff, Garrett Dodd, Jesse and Jade McAlister, Harrison, Summer and Hannah Hartzler; and, three great-grandchildren Mackailynn, Gage and Grayson Graff.

EC’s favorite way to pass time was through camping and fishing with his wife, family members and friends. He enjoyed large bon fires, fish fries and a comfortable lawn chair under a shade tree. EC took great pleasure from listening to country music, watching Christian programs on TV and reading. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather with a very gentle and kind spirit. Although he is singing with Jesus in heaven, he will truly be missed by his friends and family.

He is preceded in death by his infant daughter, Kathy Jean Pagan, and son Lowell Edward Dodd Jr. (Eddie).

Memorial contributions may be made to the EC Pagan Memorial Fund to assist with future medical needs for his grandson, Noah Pagan, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home.