Category: Obituaries

James Raymond Powell

Posted on by RumseyYost

James Raymond Powell- Jim Powell Sr. 76 of Lecompton Kansas, Passed away on May 4th 2022, from complications with pneumonia at his home surrounded by his family.

Jim Sr. was born September 2nd 1945 in Topeka Ks. To Earline and Raymond Powell.

Jim Sr. Was married to Penny Powell who passed away February 2001 of Cancer. Together they had a Son James Powell Jr. Who cared for both as they passed.

Penny had 2 children who Jim Sr. Loved as his own. A daughter Sherry Bullock of Olathe Ks who passed in 2002, and a Son Jerry Maple of Elsinore Californian.

9 Grandchildren and 6 Great Grandchildren.

Jim Sr. Has one sibling a Sister Patricia Simmons of Purvis Mississippi, a brother in Law John Simmons 1 niece 2 nephews, several great nieces and great nephews as well as great grand nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home 601 Indiana Lawrence Ks. On Saturday May 14th. Viewing is from 12-1pm with services to beginning at 1pm.

Jim Sr. Will have an open casket followed by Cremation where he will in part be buried next to his wife Penny at Maple Grove Cemetery in Lecompton and part spread at his favorite race tracks.

Memorial Contribution’s may be made to Jim Powell Sr’s Funeral cost care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home with any remaining going towards his granddaughter Brooklynn Powell’s college fund.

Richard D. Jacob

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Private family services for Richard D. Jacob, 79, Lawrence, will happen at a later date.

Mr. Richard (Jake) Jacob died Tuesday, May 3rd at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

He was born November 27, 1942 in Toledo, OH. The son of A. Richard and Evelyn Jacob. He Graduated from Devilbiss High School in 1961. He served in the Navy from 1961-1963. He served on a ship in the Caribbean in the Cuban Missile Crisis. After the Navy he worked at Toledo Scale until 1981. He married Joyce Haas April 1, 1966 in Monroe, MI. He and the family moved to Lawrence, KS in 1983.

Jake enjoyed early retirement, watching his beloved Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions and Ohio State Football. During his time in the Navy he developed a love of traveling. Las Vegas, NV and Myrtle Beach, NC.

He was a good friend, loving father, grandfather and supportive husband.

Jake is preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife Joyce, daughter Darlene, son Steve and grandchildren Jessie (wife Jessica) and Melissa, all of Lawrence, KS.

David John Pellett

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Visitation Services for David John Pellett, 70, Lawrence, will be from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Friday May 20 at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home.

David passed away Monday, May 2, 2022, at St. Luke’s Hospice House in Kansas City.

He was born November 16, 1951, in Fort Scott, Kansas, the son of Harry and Mable (Poe) Pellett. He had fond memories of childhood years spent in Rainier, Oregon before moving back to Kansas to live with his aunt Louise. He went on to graduate as valedictorian from Fort Scott High School in 1969. He would eventually earn a degree in General Studies from the University of Kansas in 1980. David lived in Dodge City and learned to fly airplanes for a hobby, then met his wife in Wichita. He married Mary Pat Stech on April 15, 1989. They settled down in Lawrence, spending 33 blissful years of marriage together. David was always in a good mood. His smile captivated Mary Pat when they first met and continued to charm her, even if she had to remind him to smile for photographs.

David, who went by ‘Dave’ to friends and family, worked for the Kansas Department of Agriculture for 35 years before retiring in 2017. He spent his time in the company of friends and family, traveling, and riding bikes around Lawrence. He appreciated cold beer and live music. He was passionate about Jayhawk sports, Chiefs football, and Royals baseball and had a sweet golf stroke. A lover of astronomy and Roman history buff, he was the best Jeopardy! contestant to never appear on the show. Dave knew how to enjoy life. He was everybody’s friend.

He was a man of the outdoors who yearned to camp, backpack, and see the world. In his youth he traveled the globe, finding himself as a mail courier in the Empire State Building to help fund his traversal of Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. He appreciated being exposed to other cultures and maintained contact with friends in Norway and Japan.

His wife, Mary Pat, survives the home along with two sons, William and Nicholas. Other survivors include two brothers, Michael (Pearl) of Pocatello, ID, and Terry (Tary) of Muskegee, OK. Dave cherished the friendships of his in-laws, especially his father-in-law, Dr. J.M. Stech, and his late mother-in-law, Mary K Stech. Dave will affectionately be remembered by his nieces and nephews as ‘Uncle Ankle Grabber.’

Online condolences may be sent at www.rumsey-yost.com. In lieu of memorials, the family suggests donations be made to Saint Luke’s Hospice House or Lawrence Unchained Bicycle Co-op.

Lucas Henry Mehl

Posted on by RumseyYost

A Tribute to Lucas Henry Mehl

3-23-93

4-27-22

While there are no words to express our unimaginable pain

with the loss of our son and brother we’d like to share a few thoughts, memories, and what we fondly refer to as “Lucasisms”.

 

Lucas always had a positive attitude, a great sense of humor, and was an inspiration to many.

As a child, the highlight of his year was going to Muscular Dystrophy camp and as a young adult with MD, going to FUSE camp.  Upon his return from camp, his favorite line was always, what happens at camp stays at camp.’’ (He liked to use that line for a few other occasions as well, when he returned from trips with his friends or after a stay with his brother, sister, and cousin).

Lucas loved road trips. He traveled to 46 states and was our trusted navigator on the road. We didn’t need Google Maps, we had Lucas Maps.  He was always a back seat driver and never missed a beat when telling Dad where to turn. He had a special way of referring to each and every RV we passed along the highway that can’t be mentioned here.  He could tell us every state’s capitol, where to find the major football stadiums, basketball arenas, historic fire stations, landmarks, etc.

He was a wealth of trivia knowledge, history buff, and geography expert (he could tell us the name of a random country by looking at its shape). His nightly ongoing commentary during the evening news often resulted in a continuous back and forth of pushing pause and play, pause and play on the TV remote, he always had just one more thing to say…

Lucas had a thirst for knowledge and never-ending questions, but if anyone had a random question, he could answer it – like why are some of the streetlights in Lawrence blue. He had a memory like an elephant – Mom and Dad will be lost without him telling us what we did yesterday.

He was a jigsaw puzzle master.  His bedroom wall is covered with his completed masterpieces.

He loved Sunday jam sessions at his Uncle Chuck’s house as their auxiliary percussionist –  #1 cowbell player and woodblock extraordinaire.

Rarely would you catch Lucas off guard with the phrase, “Hey Lucas”, “what?”, “you’re a nut”, but he loved catching others off guard.

A tech savvy, young man, Lucas knew all the latest gadgets, apps, etc.  Lucas would always tell us which remote to use and which buttons on the remote to push. Guess Mom and Dad won’t be watching much TV anymore.  On occasion, Lucas would get stuck in an elevator, unable to push the button, he was quick to ask Siri to text Dad “I’m stuck.” – thank heavens for Siri!

Lucas had a penchant for keeping things organized, which kept everyone on their toes (often organizing his brother and sister’s rooms). He had a keen sense of attention to detail. He was meticulous about his hair, clothes, socks, and after 15 minutes of adjusting and re-adjusting, Lucas would always ask “Is my shirt even? Is my hair down in the back?”   If Mom dusted his room and moved something in even the slightest direction, he noticed and was sure it got back in it’s place, everything had a place.

An avid KU fan, Lucas could rattle off the sports news and stats like an ESPN pro (his dream job was to be a sports commentator). Lucas wouldn’t think of ever missing a game, even if it meant waking up at 2:00am when we were living overseas, or finding a KU watch bar if we were on a road trip.  Most recently, his all time favorite find was KC Barbeque in San Diego with a KU alumni fan room and watching KU win the Final Four.  Of course we had to cut that road trip short to get back in time for the KU National Championship parade.

Lucas enjoyed going out on walks with us, he knew every accessible trail around Lawrence, he was our motivation, he kept us going, pushing us to go just a little bit further.  He spent hours sitting in the sun in our backyard, a backyard nature enthusiast, he recognized bird calls, loved hearing the owls that nested in the trees nearby, watching the many animals pass through our backyard – deer, bobcat, fox along with the resident rabbits and squirrels. (Next time you’re enjoying the great outdoors and hear an owl in the woods, think of Lucas).

He had an adventurous spirit, traveling to 4 continents; he loved our time living abroad in Myanmar and Africa (as long as he made it back in time for March Madness). He was such a trooper on our many travels as we maneuvered him in and out of some tight squeezes on planes, trains, buses, and boats. His favorite stories to tell are about being lifted while in his wheelchair by a few strong men into the cargo area of a bush plane while on safari in Africa. Also being lowered over a short cliff/wall into a narrow wooden boat on a river in Myanmar, only to turn around and have to be hoisted back out on the other side by a few more happily waiting men at the shore. Landing safely each time at the expense of Mom’s frayed nerves.  No matter what country we were in, the local people loved their time with Lucas. His favorite time spent in Myanmar was joining the building security guards sitting out on the front steps in the evening.  Lucas not able to speak a lick of Burmese, nor they a lick of English, they spent hours together communicating with hand gestures, smiling, laughing. It was the universal language of a smile that spoke volumes.  Whether he spoke the language or not, he never met a stranger.

Lucas never complained about his situation, living a life with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, (only about the wrinkles in his shirt, and the loop in his hair at the back of his head – or the single piece of hair standing up).  He rose above the challenges; he was our hero.  Lucas made us better people, we were lucky to have him.

Lucas lived a short life, but a well-lived, full life. He was loved by many and will be forever missed by all.  He sends his love to all the friends and family he leaves behind, especially his Grandpa & Grandma B, his aunts, uncles and cousins, his mentor Bobby, and his dear best friend Ruben.

 

We ended each day as we turned out the lights with

“Goodnight, Lucas, love you.”  We end this tribute with

“Good night Lucas, we love you, Dad, Mom, Johanna and Zachary.

Lights out….

 

Please join us in a Remembering Lucas Day

Saturday, May 21st from 2:00 – 5:00

2115 Terrace Road

Lucas would enjoy seeing everyone in their favorite KU gear

We would love for you to share a favorite memory, thought, or photo.

To honor his memory, Lucas would love it if the next time you see someone in a wheelchair, you see the person, not the wheelchair.

Contributions can be made to

  • Muscular Dystrophy Young Adult Group – MpowerDKC

Website:  mpowerdkc.com

Facebook:  M Power D KC

Checks can be mailed to

MpowerDKC/Josh Malena

12175 South Black Bob Road Apt.307H

Olathe, KS  66062

Or Venmo: @MpowerDKC

  • Muscular Dystrophy Young Adult Camp – FUSE

Website:  fusefoundation.net

Facebook:  The Fuse Foundation

  • Your favorite charity

Sondra Sue Pence

Posted on by RumseyYost

Sondra Anderson Pence died peacefully Friday, April 29th, 2022, at Presbyterian Manor in Lawrence, Kansas.

She was born May 21st, 1940, in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Paul and Frances (Hahn) Anderson.  She graduated from Osage City High School in 1958 and earned her undergraduate from Kansas University and a masters degree from Emporia State University.  She has been a resident of Lawrence Kansas since 1973.

Sondra was a school psychologist for the Lawrence Unified School District for over twenty years and also oversaw the Lawrence Learning Resource Center.  She was a great advocate for the children she worked with.

She never missed a Kansas University home football game and was a season ticket holder for more than 35 years and went to Miami to watch the team win the Orange Bowl in 2008.

Sondra loved to travel. Fiji, St. Vincent, London, Paris, Vancouver, Washington D.C., New York, Los Angeles, Mexico and Philadelphia are some of places she visited. She loved spending time with family, especially her two Grandsons and playing bridge with her many friends.

She survived by her daughter, Cindi Long, Lawrence; son, Jason Bogard, Los Angeles. Grandchildren Nick and Carter Long, Lawrence.  Son–in–laws Dennis Long and Demond Adams; a sister, Joan Anderson and a brother, Joe Anderson, both of Lawrence.

She married Mike Bogard on June 11th, 1961. They divorced in 1979. she later married Fred Pence of Lawrence, KS where they owned Pence Garden Center. Fred died in 1995.

A private family gathering is planned for a later date.

Donations in her name may be made to the American Cancer Society, or to the Lawrence Humane Society.

Linda Kay Wymore

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Memorial services for Linda Kay Wymore, 70, Lawrence, will be at 2 pm Sunday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home & Crematory, with Chaplain Paul Reed officiating. A visitation will be held from 1 pm until service time. Linda passed away Monday, April 25, 2022, at her home with her husband by her side.

She was born June 13, 1951, in Marshall, Mo., the daughter of Fred Leroy Brandon and Mary Frances Carr Brandon. She graduated from Washington High School in KCK and later attended Emporia State University. Linda worked for the Oskaloosa School District for several years as a baker and later as a school bus driver. She was an accomplished tie-dye’er, and enjoyed horses, chickens, and camping. She and her husband were members of the Carriage Travel Club.

She married Clarence L. Wymore on August 1, 1972, in Emporia, Kan. He survives of the home. Other survivors include three children, James Lynn Wymore (Jodi), Lawrence, Jeffrey Lee Wymore (Sarah), Wenatchee, Wash., and Susan Elizabeth Wymore (Troy Herschell), Lecompton; two siblings, Stephen Paul Brandon (Lynn Cunningham), Lee’s Summit, Mo., and Charles Milton Brandon (Nancy), Mesquite, Tex.; and four grandchildren, Blake Farmer, Alyson Farmer, Jadyn Wymore, and Kelsey Leonard.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to the American Cancer Society, or Douglas County Visiting Nurses, in care of the funeral home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS, 66044.

John C. “J.C” Gilroy

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J.C. Gilroy, 64, of Lawrence, passed away unexpectedly Friday, April 22, 2022, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. He grew up in Eudora and graduated from Eudora High School.

After graduating from high school, he worked as a correctional officer and later a Douglas County Deputy Sheriff. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas in 1990. He later went on to earn his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1996.

He worked for various law firms before establishing his own in Lawrence, Kansas where he practiced law for over 20 years. J.C. also served on a panel of local defense attorneys who assisted the Douglas County community.  J.C. took special pride in providing counsel to his juvenile clients and children deemed to be “in need of care.” J.C. spent most of his life helping others.

J.C. met his wife, Linda, working at the Colorado Mountain Ranch. They lived in Boulder before settling down in Lawrence. They married in 1988 and later had two children, Daniel and Kirsten.

Family was important to J.C. and he was always available to lend a hand. He spent many hours providing his mom companionship and support. In his free time, he enjoyed his many projects such as remodeling the house, woodworking, and tending his garden. 

He also loved all aspects of sports; from playing and watching basketball, to umpiring baseball, to coaching his son’s sports teams.

He is survived by his wife, Linda; son, Daniel; daughter, Kirsten; his mother, Pauline; three siblings, Cathy Johnson, Connie Gilroy, and husband Chip, and Jim Gilroy, and wife Joleen; his wife Linda’s family, including her father, sister, and brother and sister-in-law; as well as many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father, John Gilroy; sisters, Colette Foster, Cyrilla Loria, and Carolyn Crews; and brothers-in-law Randy Johnson, and Allan Loria; Linda’s mother, and brother-in-law.

A visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 12 at Rumsey- Yost Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life will immediately follow the visitation at the funeral home. Please stay and share your favorite stories of J.C. with us. Inurnment will be private. 

In lieu of flowers, donations in J.C.’s memory may be made to the Colorado Mountain Ranch to establish scholarships to send kids to camp in the coming summers.

 

Jack Virtue

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Funeral services for Jack Virtue, 84, Eudora, KS, will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 30, 2022, at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. Visitation will be at 10:00 a.m. A private burial will take place at a later date. Jack passed away Saturday, April 23, 2022, at his home from a recent diagnosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Jack was born on April 19,1938 in Mountain Grove, MO, the son of Margaret (Halliburton) and Archie Virtue.

Jack was a 1956 graduate of Mountain Grove High School. He retired from Farmland Industries after 34 years.

He looked forward to morning coffee with the guys. The love of his life was fishing. He also hunted with his buddies. Hanging out at Clinton Marina and helping around the dock was a favorite pastime. Conversing with all the fisherman and getting the insights on where the fish were hiding. He also enjoyed traveling. He was a Jack of all trades… pun intended and true! He cherished spending time with family and especially fish fries at the lake. He enjoyed making and eating homemade ice cream and never ever got a brain freeze in his life. He loved going dancing with Hazel, which is how they met. The two-step and the waltz were some of their favorite dances.

Survivors include his brothers Norman (Phyllis) of Hartville, MO; Ronnie (Joyce) of Scammon, KS; Leon (Linda) of Houston, TX; Steve (Linda) of Rogers, AR; and Mike (Donita) of Mountain Grove, MO; sisters Linda Virtue Wethington (Raymond) of Henderson, KY and Brenda Virtue Strickland of Mountain Grove, MO; children, Christie Anderson (Larry) of Pacific City, OR; Rick Virtue (Sheryl) of Lawrence, KS; and Tammy Wilson (Stan) of Eudora, KS; and his companion Hazel Rew of the home.

He is also survived by his grandchildren: Chris Wilson of DeSoto, KS; Jessica Veit (Chris) of Overland Park, KS; Beverly Jo Virtue of Eudora, KS; and Sophia Klemme of Shawnee, KS; Kyle (Stephanie) Anderson of Salem, OR; and Matt (Miyuki) Anderson of Everett Washington; great grandchildren Daelynn Virtue, Liam Virtue, Charlotte Veit, Kensley Holland, Isabelle and Gretchen Veit, Chloe and Riley Anderson, Jaxson Holland, and Corbin Hohn Virtue.

He was preceded in death by his brother Russell and sister Charlotte; his wife Beverly Jo Virtue; son Monte Virtue, and grandson Bryon Virtue.

Jack was loved by all who knew him and never met a stranger. He will be greatly missed.

The family will receive friends at 10:00 a.m. prior to the service at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – AML) in care of the funeral home, PO Box 1260 Lawrence KS 66044.