Category: Obituaries

Charles Edward ‘Eddie’ Boyer

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Charles Edward (Eddie) Boyer, 91, of Lawrence KS, formerly of Ottawa and Garnett, KS passed away peacefully at home in the early morning hours of Monday, November 12, 2018.

He leaves behind his wife, Roberta Hermreck Boyer of 70 years, 2 sons, Keith Boyer and his wife, Geralyn of Wamego, KS and Steve Boyer and wife, Karen of Eudora, KS. He also leaves behind 2 grandchildren, Alecia Boyer who resides in Manhattan, KS, and, Kelson Boyer and his wife, Allie, who reside in Valencia, CA, respectively.

He is preceded in death by his parents, James & Rita Boyer of Perris, CA, also originally from Garnett, KS.

Eddie had a full life beloved by family and friends. A quiet man with a great heart who shared his love of family and fishing with his sons and his kindness to his grandchildren. He will be sorely missed.

Janice ‘Jan’ Kozma

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JANICE KOZMA passed away peacefully at her home on November 9, 2018.

Jan was born on December 20, 1945 in Wyandotte, Michigan to parents William and Mary Pedica Kozma. She grew up in Trenton, Michigan and attended the University of Michigan where she obtained her B.A., M.A. and in 1973 her Ph.D. in Italian. During this period of study, she spent one year in Rome where she taught English as a foreign language.

Jan accepted the first job of her professional career in 1973, teaching Italian at the University of Kentucky. She next taught at Florida International University before accepting an assistant professorship at the University of Kansas in 1977.

For thirty-seven years Jan devoted herself to teaching at all levels of Italian language and literature in the Department of French and Italian at KU. Early in her career, she published two textbooks on Italian language. In 1978, she instituted the KU Study Abroad Program in Florence and Rome and directed it herself many times. For her excellence in teaching, she received a Kemper Award and a Mortar Board Award, and she was a five-time winner of the Cramer Award. From 1987-1992, she served as Department Chairperson. She attained the rank of full professor in 1992. Throughout the years, she served on and at times chaired numerous committees for the University and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Aside from teaching and service, Jan’s interests at KU were the novel and poetry of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Italy, in particular the work of Alberto Moravia, Vasco Pratolini, Francesca Duranti, and Nobel Laureate Grazia Deledda. She was the author of two books of literary criticism, The Architecture of Imagery in Alberto Moravia’s Fiction and Grazia Deledda’s Eternal-Adolescents: The Pathology of Arrested Maturation. She also translated three novels by Deledda and wrote numerous articles and book reviews. For her academic contributions to the field of Italian language and literature, Italy honored Jan by naming her Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

Retirement in 2014 marked a new phase in Jan’s teaching life as she shared her expertise in Italian culture and cuisine in classes she taught to senior adults at the KU Osher Institute and in a lecture at the Lawrence Public Library.

In 1981 Jan married Tom Southall, Historian of Photography and Curator of the Photography Collection at KU’s Spencer Museum of Art. They divorced in 1989. She is survived by her brother, Norman, of Trenton, Michigan, and by numerous cousins in the U.S. and in Rome. She will be missed by her many friends from KU, the Lawrence community and beyond.

A memorial service will be held at the St. Lawrence Catholic Center this week; the date and time will be announced as soon as possible. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Jan may be made to Just Food.

Judith Ann Holloway

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Judith Ann Holloway died at Lawrence Memorial Hospital on 11/10/2018 after fighting a long illness.
She was born on December 13th.  She moved to the Lawrence area which has been her home since 1970.  She completed her Master’s in Speech Pathology and worked as a Speech Therapist for many years.  She later retired after working several years at the University of Kansas as an Administrative Assistant for the head of Computer Science.
She has joined her two sons who predeceased her: Todd Anthony Holloway and Ricky Scott Holloway. She is survived by her oldest son Kevin William Holloway, his wife Pam, their daughter Jessica, and son Sean.  She is also survived by her daughter Jill Ann Dunham and her husband Mike Dunham.  She has one other surviving granddaughter Sharon who is the daughter of Rick.
Many who know Judy will remember her as being very private, fiercely independent, and with a good sense of humor.  She was the biggest KU fan, missed very few games, and knew all the team statistics.
The family is very grateful to all the neighbors and friends who supported her through her illness.  She had requested a private family celebration which will be held at a later date when all of her family can gather to honor her.
The family requests any memorials can be made to the American Cancer Society or Lawrence Memorial Hospital and any condolences or memories of Judy can be shared at www.rumsey-yost.com.

 

Virginia Carol Schaake Strong

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Memorial services and inurnment for Virginia Carol Schaake Strong, 87, Lawrence, will be held at a later date. 

Virginia died Wednesday, November 8, 2018, at Medicalodges Eudora. 

She was born December 5, 1930, in Lawrence, to Milton Louis and Ruth Linsdale Schaake.  She graduated from Liberty Memorial High School in 1948 and attended the University of Kansas. 

Mrs. Strong was a homemaker and enjoyed sewing, cooking, quilting, playing cards and bingo, as well as running the family farm.  She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary. Virginia worked on her family genealogy for more than 50 years, and was an avid reader.  

She married Wayne E. Strong. He preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by her parents; step mother, Arlene Roberts Schaake; and companion, William Torneden. 

Survivors include son, Richard W. Strong of Eudora; daughter, Mary Lou Strong of Lawrence; grandchildren, Charlie Strong, Lance E. Taylor, Dawn Whitney Harper; and great grandson Jayden Crader. 

The family suggest memorial contributions to Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, memo: Virginia Strong or charity of the donor’s choice, sent in care of the funeral home. 

 

 

Annabelle Christina (Haas) Shelite

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ANNABELLE CHRISTINA  (HAAS) SHELITE , DAUGHTER OF C.F. “CHRIS”  AND KATIE ELIZABETH (MCBETH) HAAS, WAS BORN FEBRUARY 25, 1931, IN ELM MILLS TOWNSHIP, BARBER COUNTY KANSAS. SHE LEFT THIS EARTHLY LIFE AND ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN @ 11:49 ON NOVEMBER 5TH, 2018,  IN HER HOME, PEACEFULLY WITH HER FAMILY BY HER SIDE, AFTER AN ELEVEN YEAR BATTLE WITH ALZHEIMERS,  AT THE AGE OF 87.

SHE  MARRIED THE LOVE OF HER LIFE  ROBERT “BOB” SHELITE ON OCTOBER 7TH, 1947, IN ANTHONY, KANSAS & TO THIS UNION FOUR CHILDREN CAME. JUDY ANN, ROBERTA FAY, BOBBY LAVERN AND EDDIE LEE. ANNABELLE AND BOB LIVED IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN KANSAS ; DANVILLE, ARGONIA, PRETTY PRAIRIE AND SHARON, KANSAS, WHILE BOB WORKED ON THE RAILROAD. IN 1960 THEY SETTLE IN RURAL SHARON,  KANSAS WHERE THEY WOULD REMAIN UNTIL BOB’S PASSING IN 1988.

ANNABELLE WAS  A HOMEMAKER, AND RANCHERS WIFE  ENJOYED RIDING HORSES, GOING TO CAPRON DANCES, CATTLE AND HORSE SALES AND BEING THE BEST; GRAND, GREAT & GREAT GREAT GRANDMOTHER  TO HER “PRIDES & JOY.”..  UNPON BOB’S PASSING, ANNABELLE MOVED BACK TO TOWN (SHARON) AND RESIDED ON THE FAMILY PLACE UNTIL 1999 AT WHICH TIME SHE MOVED TO KIOWA, KANSAS TO HELP HER OLDEST DAUGHTER WITH GREAT GRANDCHILDREN. IN 2013  ANNABELLE WITH HER SECOND OLDEST DAUGHTER ROBERTA AND FAMILY VENTURED OUTSIDE OF BARBER/HARPER COUNTY AND STARTED A NEW CHAPTER IN LAWRENCE, KANSAS. BOY HOW ANNIE LOVED THOSE JAYHAWKS, NEVER MISSING A GAME WITH RON & BERT  FROM THE COMFORTS OF THEIR HOME.

SHE  LOVED BABYSITTING HER GRANDCHILDREN, ALWAYS HELPING OUT WHEN & WHEREVER SHE COULD , EVEN IN THE THE LATER STAGES OF ALZHEIMERS SHE LOVED HOLDING AND INTERACTING WITH HER GREAT GREAT GRANDSON BRALYNN AND GREAT GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER ALICE, FROM  GRAND TO GREAT GREAT HER CHILDREN  ALWAYS BRIGHTENED HER DAY AND COULD DRAW THAT “GRANNY ANN” SMILE FROM HER FACE.

ANNABELLE IS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY PARENTS C.F.  AND KATIE ELIZABETH (MCBETH)  HAAS,   HER HUSBAND ROBERT “BOB” SHELITE,  SONS; BOBBY LAVERN & EDDIE LEE SHELITE. GRAND-DAUGHTER HOPE NICOLE (LOEWENSTEIN) SCHMIDT. SON-IN-LAWS; ROBERT “BOB” LOEWENSTEIN & RONALD “RON” SWONGER. GRANDSONS-IN-LAW; JASON KAUMANS  AND JAMES “TUFFY” TALBOTT.  SISTERS; BABY GERTRUDE HAAS &  LOUISE VIOLA MANDEVILLE.  BROTHERS; FREDRICK LEE “LEE” HAAS &  WILLIAM CHARLES “W.C.” HAAS.

SHE IS SURVED BY HER DAUGHTERS; JUDY ANN (SHELITE) LOWENSTEIN OF KIOWA, KS. AND ROBERTA FAY “BERT” (SHELITE) SWONGER OF LAWRENCE, KS.,

TWELVE GRANDCHILDREN; RICHARD LOEWENSTEIN, STACY (LOEWENSTEIN) TALBOTT, CHRISTINA (LOEWENSTEIN) KAUMANS AND MATTHEW LOEWENSTEIN.  ROBERT “ROBBY” SWONGER AND KURT SWONGER.  WENDEL, LAUREL (SHELITE) REICHER and  THOMAS ROBERT SHELITE. KRISTOPHER, KODY & KIRBY SHELITE; 17 GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, 3 GREAT GREAT GRANDCHILDREN; SISTER MARY JANE (HAAS) CATLIN OF MEDICINE LODGE, KS, NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS AND MANY MANY FRIENDS AND EXTENDED FAMILY.

AT ANNABELLE’S REQUEST, CREMATION HAS TAKEN PLACE AND A MEMORIAL/ CELEBRATION OF LIFE WILL BE PLANNED AT A LATER DATE WITH HER SON-IN-LAW RON SWONGER’S IN SHARON, KANSAS.

MEMORIALS MAY BE MADE TO THE ALZHEIMERS’ FONDAITON IN CARE OF RUMSEY-YOST FUNERAL HOME, 601 INDIANA STREET, LAWRENCE, KS 66044.

Donna Roubison

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Memorial services for Donna Roubison, 78, Lawrence, will be at 3 pm Saturday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, with the Rev. Ron Kimes officiating. Inurnment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery. Donna died Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

She was born March 20, 1940, in Emporia, Kan., the daughter of Wayne M. and Georgia Helen Stutsman Vermillion. She graduated from Winslow, Ariz. High School, and later attended college. Donna worked as a quality control specialist at E &E Specialties for many years. She was a devout Christian who was very positive and generally had a smile on her face. She attended St. James AME Church, where she served as a deaconess. In her spare time, she enjoyed reading, golf, bowling, crossword puzzles, and especially her dogs.

She married Gary Dale Roubison who preceded her in death in 1999. Survivors include three children, Carl Roubison, Eudora, Jim Roubison and spouse Tammy Shaw, Naples, Fla., and Samantha Roubison, Lawrence; a sister, Waynet Brower, Lawrence; ten grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the American Cancer Society, in care of the funeral home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS, 66044.

Suzanne Lutz

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Memorial graveside services for Suzanne Lutz, 74, Lawrence, will be 2p.m. Tuesday at Memorial Park Cemetery.

Mrs. Lutz died Tuesday, November 6, 2018, at her home.

She was born June 27, 1944 to Curtis William and Cleda Eileen Haight Dalton.  She graduated from Lawrence High School and went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree from Emporia State University.

Mrs. Lutz worked for the Lawrence Paper Company for over 35 years.  She loved her family and enjoyed reading.

She married Jerry Arlin Lutz at the Plymouth Congregational Church in Lawrence in 1985.  He survives of the home.

Other survivors include daughters, Stephanie Mohler of Carbondale, Sarah Spreer of Perry, Sherry Vetch and husband Cliff of Fairbury, Nebraska, Mary Sorrells of Lawrence; grandchildren, Rena Lutz, Garrett Spreer, Zachary Swartz, Jerry Wilks, Codi Wilks, Kaylee Spreer, Dana Mohler, Jill Mohler and Madison Vetch; sister, Diane Williams of Ft. Collins, CO.

Suzanne was preceded in death by her parents.

The family suggests memorial contributions to the charity of your choice, sent in care of the funeral home.

 

Janice Ellen Stewart

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Funeral services for Janice Ellen Stewart, 82, Lawrence, will be at 10 am Saturday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, with Pastor Steve Hanson officiating. Burial will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery. Janice died Monday, Nov. 5, 2018, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

She was born Sept. 9, 1936, in Alma, Nebraska, the daughter of Henry Grover and Jesse Belle Vanover Heft. She graduated from Alma High School. Janice was a homemaker, and was a hard worker who always had a wonderful garden. She also enjoyed animals and time spent with family. Janice was an active member of Countryside Methodist Church and its women’s groups.

She married James Lowell Stewart in 1955. He preceded her in death in 2015. She was also preceded in death by four siblings, Richard, Dale, Vivian, and Harry. She is survived by four children, Elizabeth Guilfoyle and husband Patrick, Tyler Stewart and wife Terri, and Lowell Stewart and wife Deborah, all of Lawrence, and Victoria Wallace and husband Steve, Jupiter, Fla.; eleven grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.

Memorial contributions are suggested to KSDS Assistance Dogs, Inc., in care of the funeral home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS, 66044. Online condolences may be sent at rumsey-yost.com

Poo-Sung Liu

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A visitation for Poo-Sung Liu, 94, Lawrence, will be 5-6 pm, Tuesday, November 6, 2018, at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home.

He died November 2, 2018, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

Poo-Sung (P.S.) was born June 15, 1924 in Jinan, China. He is the son of Yin Po Liu (father) and Shi Yu Zhuang (mother).

P.S. worked at the US Consulate in Hong Kong. He and his wife moved to Lawrence in 1972. He was an entrepreneur and owned several businesses in Lawrence including Chinese House and Cathay restaurants. Before he retired he was the Human Resources Manager at Microtech Computers.

P.S. was an avid reader and loved learning about new technology and science. He enjoyed keeping active and lived independently throughout his 94 years.

He married Yin Won Wong on December 21, 1964, in Hong Kong. She preceded him in death on November 20, 1992.

Survivors include two daughters, Penny Liu and Pamela Liu; a son, Francis Liu; and his sister Zhi Jin Liu. He was a beloved grandfather to four grandchildren: Emma Bellotte, Beckett Morgan, Ian Morgan, and Oliver Liu.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions made to the American Cancer Society, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana Street Lawrence, KS 66044.

Kenneth Lewis “Ken” Greeno

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Kenneth Lewis “Ken” Greeno, 78, of Lawrence, KS, passed away peacefully at his home October 26, 2018.

Ken was born August 17, 1940, in Carlsbad, NM, to Joe and Florence Greeno. He was the oldest of five children. He graduated from Kearney High School, Kearney, Nebraska, in 1958.

Ken played minor league baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals and in 1960 he tried out as a pitcher for the White Sox organization. In the off season, he attended college and eventually earned an associate degree in military sciences.

In 1963, Ken joined the Army and in the next decade of service, including two tours in Vietnam, he rose to the rank of captain. Following military service, he was in sales.

Ken is survived by his wife of 17 years Nancy, of Lawrence, his step-daughter Jane of Salina, KS, his son Patrick and daughter Stacey of Arizona.