Category: Obituaries

Ella Mae (Chenoweth) Jump

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Memorial Services for Ella Mae (Chenoweth) Jump, 81, Lawrence, will be 10 am, June 11, 2022 at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home.

Ella Mae (Chenoweth) Jump passed away in her home May 23, 2022.

She was born March 3, 1941, in Modesto California to Francis Marion and Marian (Esther) Ella (Addis) Chenoweth.

Ella was raised on farms in McCune and Parsons Kansas and graduated from LCCHS in Altamont Kansas.

She married Richard Lee Jump on February 11, 1961 in Parsons, Kansas, He survives of the home.

Ella is survived by her children Dale Leah Sparkes and Spouse James Sparkes Jr., Teresa Kay Thomasson, Randall Dean Jump, Jacqueline Beth Randolph. Grandchildren; James D. Sparkes, Samantha Sparkes, Brandon Laing, Jacob Thomasson, Katie Jump, Megan Jump, Zoe Randolph, Nathan Randolph. Great Grandchild; Lila Sparkes.  Siblings; Marion Chenoweth, Wanda Knight, Mary Whitaker, Jerry Chenoweth and many nieces and nephews.

Francisco “Frank” L. Calderón

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Francisco (Frank) Leyva Calderón, age 54, passed away in Cedar City, UT, on May 21, 2022. Frank was born on November 20, 1967, in Mexico City. He was a graduate of Santa Paula High School in California and he went on from there to attend Ventura Community College, where he played football. He was later recruited to play football at Tabor College in Hillsboro, KS, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Animal Sciences and met his future wife, Donna (Rice) Calderón. They got married on August 1, 1992, in Hutchinson, KS, and started a family in Liberal, KS. Over the course of his career, he worked at DeKalb in Plains, KS, and then later Seaboard Foods and Qvest Sanitation in Guymon, OK, before moving to Lawrence, Kansas.

Frank was an avid fan and recreational player of many sports, but especially football, golf, and baseball. He enjoyed supporting his children at their various school activities, such as band concerts and sports matches. He had a passion for learning about anything and everything, and would constantly be researching the local history of Kansas and other places he has traveled to. He had an eclectic music taste and an even more eclectic sense of humor. His favorite movies included The Big Lebowski, the Godfather movies, A Christmas Story, and Little Miss Sunshine.

Francisco is survived by wife, Donna of Lawrence, KS; their children, Victoria, Rebecca, and Francisco A. Calderón; mother, Rosa Leyva Calderón of Porterville, CA; sisters, Norma Calderón Leyva-Gomez, Rocio Calderón Lamas, and Cristina Calderón; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and other loved ones and friends. He was preceded in death by his infant daughter, Dolores Esther Calderón; father, Francisco Sotelo Calderón; his grandparents, Carlos Calderón Ortiz, Maria Dolores Calderón, Marcelino Leyva Paniagua, and Maria Calderón Leyva; uncles, Octavio and Antonio Calderón and Roberto, Juan, and Jose Leyva; and aunt Emma Salas.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, May 29 at 3 pm at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home in Lawrence. The funeral service will be held on Monday, May 30 at 10 am. A memorial fund in Frank’s name is being set up for the Calderón Children’s Educational Fund. Donations can be sent in care of the funeral home, PO Box 1260, Lawrence, KS 66044.

Porterville, California- A visitation will be held at 4pm Wednesday, June 1, at Porterville Funeral & Cremation Center, Porterville, CA with a rosary to follow at 6pm.

Porterville, California- El velorio se llevará a cabo el miércoles 1 de junio a las
4:00 p.m. en Porterville Funeral & Cremation Center, Porterville, CA, seguido
de un rosario a las 6:00 p.m.

Marie Thompson

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Marie Thompson, 92, of Lawrence, Kansas passed on May 20, 2022, at Pioneer Ridge Skilled Nursing Facility, surrounded by family. Marie was born on September 13, 1929, in Harlan, Kentucky. She was the daughter of Clay and Ollie Ward. Marie went to Harlan Kentucky schools and married Quentin Thompson on December 22, 1945. The family moved to Lawrence, Kansas in 1962 and Lawrence has been her life long home since. Quentin and Marie had seven children, Jim Thompson (Linda), Darla Beebe (David), Regina Stultz (Howard), Barbara Young (Rick), Ted Thompson (Cindy), Ollie Wenger (Chris) and Tom Thompson (Angela Ellison). Marie has 17 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren. She was a mother, housewife and friend to many. She made friends wherever she went. She loved to garden and spend time with her family.

She worked various jobs throughout the years including being the manager of the Velvet Freeze in her early days. She worked several years at The University of Kansas Student Housing Food Services and after that she worked more than five years at Furrs Cafeteria. Marie was a faithful Christian and attended many churches throughout her life. She has been a member of Plymouth Congregational Church for many years. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister, Bessie Saylor and her husband, Quentin Thompson.

A private family service will be held at a later date.

Jason C. Oehlert

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Jason Carlyle Oehlert, age 47, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Eudora, KS on May 18, 2022. Jason was born on February 17, 1975 in Lawrence to John and DeVonna (Runyon) Oehlert.

 Jason is survived by his wife, Sparkle (Mortell) Oehlert along with their children, Norah Grace Oehlert (15) and Cooper John Oehlert (13); his parents, John and DeVonna Oehlert; his brothers Chad (Stephanie) Oehlert and Nathian (Haley) Oehlert; his sister, Jennifer (Brian) Elm, 17 nieces and nephews, 10 great nieces and nephews, many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Jason is preceded in death by his grandfathers Richard Oehlert and James Runyon and grandmothers Betty Bidinger and Mary Runyon.

 Jason was proud to work at Eudora Schools as the Finance Director and cared deeply for his work family and the community. On September 28, 2002 he married his soulmate, Sparkle and on July 17, 2006 they welcomed their beautiful daughter, Norah to their family. On October 20, 2008 they welcomed their son, Cooper to their family. Norah and Cooper were the light of his life.

 Jason was a devoted father and loved spending time listening to Norah talk about her day and the recent books she has read, looking at Norah’s drawings, and most recently talking about which colleges they should visit. Jason enjoyed watching Cooper play in all his sports activities, making rockets, and fishing. He was always up for anything Norah and Cooper wanted to do.

Jason was very close to his siblings, his Uncle Dan, and Cousin Andy (and many, many of his cousins, aunts, and uncles). He enjoyed a good game of Texas Hold’em and oftentimes won by bringing up topics he knew would throw them off their game.

Jason loved airplanes, tractors, auctions, and “the barn”.  He enjoyed traveling with his family, especially his travels to Chicago and Colorado.

 A visitation is scheduled at 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM on Tuesday, May 31 at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home in Lawrence, KS. Funeral is scheduled for 10:00 AM on Wednesday, June 1 at River City Church (formerly Lawrence Free Methodist) in Lawrence, KS followed by a graveside service at DeSoto Cemetery (Silent City). Reverends Robby Giffin and Larry Baldridge will officiate.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the Eudora Schools Foundation.

We welcome family and friends to join us after the graveside service for a meal to celebrate Jason.

Dr. Katrina (Katy) Zagaruyka Cook

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Katrina (Katy) Zagaruyka Cook, Ph.D.

December 9, 1983 ~ May 16, 2022

 

After a short, four-month battle with cancer, Dr. Katrina Zagaruyka Cook, 38, passed away suddenly on May 16, 2022, at KU Medical Center in Overland Park.

Katy was born December 9th, 1983, in Lawrence, Kansas. She graduated Co-Valedictorian from McLouth High School, then continued her education at the University of Kansas, where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Cognitive Psychology, and both a Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Communication Studies, with an Emphasis in Legal Communication. While working on her Ph.D., Katy taught several college courses, including Speaker-Audience Communication, Problem-Solving in Teams & Groups, and Introduction to Behavioral Research Methods in Communication. During her years at KU, Katy formed many warm and lasting friendships that she enjoyed immensely.

Katy adored watching crime shows on television and was intrigued with how people’s minds worked. Juries, in particular, fascinated her, so she tailored her studies to prepare her for a career in the legal arena. In 2017 Katy started her Dream Job at Litigation Insights (now IMS Consulting) as a Jury Consultant. Her close connections with her IMS family helped her deal with the stress of such a fast-paced career.

Katy loved to travel, and was able to do so often, at company expense, which makes it so much more enjoyable! She spent hours playing video games, watching anime, and loved spending time with her family. Her true loves, though, were her cats, Loki and Romeo, whom she adored. They are 13 and 14 years old, gave her so much love and comfort over the years, and kept her sane.

Katy is survived by her mother Theresa (Tess) Zagaruyka, brother William (Will) Zagaruyka Cook, and her maternal grandmother Katherine (Kitty) Zagaruyka. She was blessed with a nephew, Gage, and niece, Sophira. She was preceded in death by her father, William Jay Cook, paternal grandfather and grandmother, William J.R. and Ione Cook, maternal grandfather, Fred (Zack) Zagaruyka, and uncle Fred J. Zagaruyka. She leaves behind a plethora of Zagaruykas and Cooks who will miss her dearly.

A celebration of life will be held for Katy on Saturday May 28th, at 2 pm at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home in Lawrence.

In lieu of flowers, Katy and her family would be forever grateful for any donations made to The Loki and Romeo Long Term Care Fund at The Cat Clinic of Johnson County, to help support them while waiting to find their next forever home.

Morris A. Kay

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Morris A Kay passed away to his heavenly home on May 15, 2022.

He was born on July 31st, 1932 in St John, KS to Albert E Kay and Ellamay Garmin Kay.

Morris excelled in athletics in high school. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1953 where he was captain of the Kansas Jayhawk football team and a member of the Lamda Chi Omega fraternity.  Morris lettered in both the University of Kansas football team (1951-1953) and the Kansas University Track team (1952-1953).

Upon graduation, Morris served in the United States Army and returned to Lawrence KS where he became a leader in the community.

Morris was proud of his native state of Kansas and was honored to serve in the Kansas House of Representatives (1967-1973). He went on to be a Gubernatorial candidate in 1972 and Majority Leader of the house in 1973. He was appointed as Regional Administrator to the Environmental Protection Agency by President Ronald Regan (1987-1989) and reappointed by President George H. W. Bush (1990-1994).

Morris later became an entrepreneur and continued being an avid golfer.

Survivors include his wife Sandra Kay of the home, his son Brad Kay of Evergreen, CO, grandson Jacob Kay of Indian Hills, CO and Granddaughter Sarah Kay of Denver, CO.

Services will be held at The First United Methodist Church 946 Vermont St. Lawrence, Kansas 66044 on July 8th, 2022 at 10:00am.  Reception to follow from 11-1pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to American Heart Association or First United Methodist Church, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. P.O. Box 1260 Lawrence, Kansas 66044.

Janice Lynn Tidwell

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Graveside services for Janice Lynn Tidwell, 71, Mission, will be at Noon, at Oak Hill Cemetery, Green Section in Lawrence.

Ms. Janice Lynn Tidwell died Saturday, May 14th, 2022, surrounded by her daughters. On January 26th, 1951, Janice was born to Joseph and Evalena Farmer of Kansas. She graduated from Kansas City Kansas Community College with an associate degree in Nursing. Janice had a very successful forty-five-year career as a Registered Nurse, which was a profession she loved. She lived life on her terms, including many outdoor adventures such as horseback riding and camping. Janice was a strong woman of faith and is survived by her younger brother James Farmer, her cherished children Spring Wittmeier (husband Troy), Bobbie White (husband Kristofer), Rachel Warren (husband Matt), Charlie Tidwell (partner Hannah), along with her grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and numerous friends.

A visitation will be at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home and Crematory at 601 Indiana Street, Lawrence, Kansas 66044, on May 17th, 2022, at 11:00 am. Following the visitation we will proceed with a graveside service at Oak Hill Cemetery in the Green Burial Section. Please wear casual clothes and bring gloves and shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. After services, lunch will be provided at Pickleman’s Gourmet Café, 818 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, Kansas, 66044 phone number is (785) 856-6700.

John Albert Butter

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John Albert Butter passed away on May 08, 2022 at the age of 78, in his hometown of Lawrence, KS.

John was born in La Junta, CO on April 24, 1944 to Casey and Ann Butter. He was later followed by younger brother Jack Butter. While the bothers were in elementary school, the family moved to Atchison, KS and the boys attended Trinity Lutheran School and developed friendships that lasted a lifetime. After John finished his junior year, the family moved to Leavenworth, KS where John graduated High School in 1962.

John later moved to Lawrence, KS where he worked as a butcher and started his family. He married Sherry Michael in 1971, they later divorced. He welcomed Tonya Denise into his heart in 1978.

In 1993 John reconnected with his high school sweetheart, Barbara Ann Denton and they later married in 1997. The couple Married in New Mexico, thus expanding his family even more, adding Gregory Alan and Jennifer Lynn Dixon. Barbara passed away in 2007 after a battle with leukemia.

He is preceded in death by both parents, Casey and Ann Butter, and bother Jack Butter, by granddaughter Miranda Ami (Tonya Torrez) Roberts and wife, Barbara Denton.

He is survived by (in order of age before beauty) children Greg (Winnie) Dixon, Lawrence, KS. Jennifer (William) Dixon-Perkins, Lawrence, KS and Tonya (Robert) Torres, Topeka, KS. Grandchildren, Donecia, Angelina, Kahill, Ayla, Ian and Sean, Lawrence, KS.

He is also celebrated by his companion Sandra Whitehead, Lawrence, KS as well as extended family and friends.

A graveside service will be held at Memorial Park Cemetery at 2 pm on Friday May 13. Celebration of life following at Eagles Lodge, 309. Friends and family are welcome.

The family humbly requests memorial in the form of donation to Lawrence Boys and Girls Club, or Eagles Lodge 309 sent in care of the funeral home.