Category: Obituaries

Donald Duane “Don” Willson

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A memorial celebration of life visitation for Donald Duane “Don” Willson, 70, Lawrence, will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home & Crematory.

Mr. Willson died Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011, of heart failure at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

He was born Aug. 21, 1941, in Hoisington, Kan., the son of Lawrence and Pearle Thoman Willson. He attended schools in Hoisington and Ellinwood, and graduated from Winfield High School in 1959. He later graduated from Southwestern College in Winfield in 1963 with a bachelor’s degree in math education. He went on to earn his first master’s degree in mathematics from Pittsburg State University in 1971, and a second master’s in school administration from Wichita State University.

Mr. Willson spent 45 years as a public school educator in Kansas and Colorado. He taught math for many years at Newton High School, as well as Washburn University and Ottawa University. He was an assistant principal, athletic director, principal, and assistant school superintendent, eventually retiring as Superintendent of Schools in Concordia. After retiring, he taught math at Lawrence Free State High School. He was a member of Rotary Club, a Paul Harris fellow, the Elks Club, and served as president of the National Association of Athletic Directors from 1978-79. He was a former head high school and college football coach, and a high school wrestling coach. He was an avid 30 year Canadian fisherman, enjoyed traveling adventures and 14 cruise vacations, and was the ultimate University of Kansas Jayhawk fan. At the age of seven, he started listening to Jayhawk basketball games on the radio, even getting in trouble for kicking the family radio after a Jayhawk loss.

He married Carol Otto in 1964, and together they had three children. He later married Gay Gregg in 1982. She survives of the home.

Other survivors include three children, Sheri Burge and husband Chris, Overland Park, Debbi Croxton, Kansas City, Mo., and Brad Willson and wife Lesley, Overland Park; two brothers, Wayne, Weatherford, Okla., and Garrell, Loveland, Colo.; and 14 grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and grandparents Lorena and Clyde Thoman and Ida and Floyd Willson.

As Don was a child polio survivor, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Rotary International Polio Plus Program, in care of the funeral home, 601 Ind., Lawrence, KS, 66044.

Charles Wood “Butch” Clark Jr.

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Butch died of a heart attack at his Lawrence home on Friday, December 9, 2011. He was 64 years old.

He was born January 16, 1947 at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, the son of Charles Wood Clark and Ann Clark. He graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas, in 1965. For the last twenty years he lived in Lawrence and worked as a carpenter.

Survivors include his daughter, Sunina Upshaw; his brother Jackson Clark and wife Brigid Murphy and their daughter Aubin Murphy, all of Lawrence; his nephew Adam Clark, Hong Kong; and many loving friends.

There will be a party in Butch’s honor at 7:00 PM, Saturday, January 14, 2012, at Johnny’s Tavern, North Lawrence.

Virginia R. Hird

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Funeral services for Virginia R. Hird, 83, Lakeland, Fla., will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery.

Mrs. Hird died Saturday, December 10, 2011, in Lakeland.

She was born January 4, 1928, in Lawrence, the daughter of W.O. and Bessie Churchbaugh Boehle.

She married Howard Lee Hird. He preceded her in death on January 6, 1968. She was also preceded in death by her brother, Gerald Boehle, on April 18, 1988.

She is survived be her daughters, Judy Eager and husband Jim, and Sharon Brown and husband Steve; and two grandchildren, Bekki and Lee Brown.

The family will receive friends Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, in care of the funeral home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS, 66044.

Francis “Frank” Wilson Hursh

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Francis “Frank” Wilson Hursh of Baldwin City, Kansas died December 8, 2011.

He was born November 13, 1932 in Kansas City, Kansas to Frank Everett Hursh and Georgeann Dewey Hursh.

He graduated from Wyandotte High School, attended Baker University and graduated from the University of Kansas and Southern Methodist University.

After leaving the Methodist ministry he finally went to work and retired from the San Jose Police Department as an expert latent fingerprint examiner. After retirement he spent several years in Hawaii before moving to Baldwin City. His fondest memory was his three trips to China.

He is survived by his sister Morilla Ann Fothergill of the home, five nephews and nieces and their families, and a number of cousins.

His ashes will be returned to Osceola, Missouri where he fondly spent the summers of his childhood.

Virginia M. Longfellow

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Graveside services for Virginia Longfellow, 84, Lawrence, will be at 3 p.m. Monday at Memorial Park Cemetery. The Rev. Nathan Rovenstine will officiate.

Mrs. Longfellow died Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011, at her home.

She was born Sept. 17, 1927, in Boicourt, the daughter of Thomas and Mary Anna Hidy Steele. Mrs. Longfellow grew up in Missouri and Kansas and graduated from De Soto High School in 1945. She moved to Lawrence in 1948.

Mrs. Longfellow worked as a crossing guard for 14 years at Sunset and Woodlawn schools.

She married Delbert Olin Longfellow on March 18, 1948, in Bentonville, Ark. He survives of the home.

Other survivors include two sons, Sterling and companion Debra, Lawrence, and Jay and wife Diane, Wichita; a daughter, Anita Gardner, Logan, Utah; two sisters, Ellen Shore, Topeka, and Deloras Gurney and husband Edwin, Pocatello, Idaho; nine grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a son, Gary; her parents; one brother and one sister.

Friends may call from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. The casket will remain closed.

The family suggests memorials to The Salvation Army, sent in care of the funeral home, 601 Ind., Lawrence, KS 66044.

Ryan Lee Zwiener

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Funeral services for Ryan Lee Zwiener, 19, Lawrence, will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Lawrence First Church of the Nazarene, 1470 N. 1000 Rd., with the Revs. Bob Giffin, Don Dunn, and Robby Giffin officiating. Interment will follow in Rock Creek Cemetery in rural Douglas County.

Ryan died Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, at his home, after a long battle with depression.

He was born Dec. 17, 1991, in Overland Park, the son of Raymond and Lisa Hegeman Zwiener. He graduated from Lawrence Free State High School in 2010, where he was a member of the National Honor Society and the wrestling and cross country teams. He later attended Johnson County Community College, and was currently attending Kansas University.

Ryan was working as a meat department clerk at Hy-Vee on 6th Street. He was a member of Lawrence First Church of the Nazarene, the Lawrence Athletic Club, and the Ju-Jitsu Club at KU. He was an avid outdoorsman, and particularly enjoyed camping, hiking, and fishing

Survivors include his parents, Lawrence; a sister, Mandy Zwiener, Lawrence; maternal grandparents, Bill and Jean Hegeman, Lawrence; paternal grandparents, Larry and Linda Zwiener, Garnett; paternal great grandmother, Gladys Zwiener, Garnett; maternal great grandfather, George Eberhart, Lawrence; paternal aunts and uncles, Dr, Kevin Zwiener and Dr. Kassie Zwiener; and maternal aunts and uncles Steve and Becky Grammer, Mike and Vicki Hegeman, Annette and Tom Glahn, and Mark and Melinda Hegeman.

He was preceded in death by a paternal great grandfather, Raymond Zwiener, paternal great grandparents, Leonard and Frieda Hermreck,; a maternal great grandmother, Juanita Riley, and an uncle, Daniel Zwiener.

Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Lawrence First Church of the Nazarene.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Ryan Zwiener Memorial Fund, for the establishment of a fund for teen suicide prevention, in care of the funeral home, 601 Ind., Lawrence, KS, 66044

It is the hope of the family that, by acknowledging Ryan’s battle with depression, others with similar issues and their families can be spared the tragedy of losing a loved one unnecessarily.

George D. Corn

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George D. Corn died Friday, December 2, 2011 at Lawrence Presbyterian Manor at the age of 99. A Celebration of Life will be held at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home on Saturday, December 10 at 10:00 a.m. A gathering of family and friends will be held Friday, December 9, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Funeral Home.

George was born northeast of Oskaloosa, KS on February 2, 1912, the eldest child of Edith (Reese) and Ray R. Corn. At the age of 2, George’s father took a job with the railroad. For a year and a half, the family followed across Kansas in a covered wagon where they settled for a time in Graham County. They returned to the Douglas county area where he attended Pinckney school. He graduated from Baldwin High School in1930. George attended Baker University where he boxed and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.

In 1934, he married Beulah Bell. They had two daughters, Sandra and Patricia. After attending Snyder Beauty College, he and his mother started Corn’s Studio of Beauty at the present site of Wheatfields Bakery. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served from 1942 to 1946 as a Radio Specialist. He and Beulah divorced and in 1946 he married Margaret Tipton in Plainview, Texas. In 1948 they returned to Lawrence where they had two daughters, Lynn and Luann. George was a Lawrence businessman for 37 years. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Lakeview Fishing and Shooting Assn., and Sertoma International where he received Sertoman of the Year in 1985. He was an Officer/Board Member of Douglas County Trail Riders, Kansas Cutting Horse Assn., and Northeast Kansas Quarter Horse Assn. George became a much sought after judge of horse shows throughout northeast Kansas.

Upon retirement he began working part time at the Orchards Executive Golf Course which allowed him to renew his lifelong love of golf. He was many times state champion Senior Olympics Golfer, and represented Kansas at the National Senior Olympics in St. Louis, Baton Rouge, San Antonio, and Tucson. He played in the Orchards Men’s Senior League until the age of 98.

He was preceded in death by his wife Margaret; his parents; two brothers, Francis Ray Corn; Clyde Leroy Corn; sister Emmalou Anglin.; a grandson, Corben John Saunders, and a son-in-law, John Phillip Saunders. He is survived by his daughters: Patricia Monroe and husband Kenneth of Westland, MI; Sandra Blume and husband Budd of Oaxaca, Mexico; Lynn Saunders, Lawrence; and Luann Crist, Perry. Grandchildren: Dustin and Colleen Crist, Chesapeake, VA; Loren and Margaret Saunders, Kansas City, MO; David Bommelje, Scott and Sherrie Bommelje, and Kay Moore, all of Charlotte, NC.; Tammy and Bill Neighbor, Amhurst, OH; Lisa and Scott Dorow, Belleville, MI; Anna and Steve Bossidis, Canton, MI; and fifteen great grandchildren.

George will be remembered as an avid outdoorsman, for his love of his family, friends, and the Jayhawks. It can be said that George “birdied” life.

Memorials are suggested to Douglas County Visiting Nurses and Hospice, or Lawrence Presbyterian Manor Memorial Golf Tournament Fund, in care of the funeral home.

Carl W. Ruddell

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Memorial services with military honors for Carl W. Ruddell, 78, Lawrence, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home & Crematory, with Chaplain Paul Reed officiating. Inurnment will be at a later date in Wellsville Cemetery

Mr. Ruddell died Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011, at his home.

He was born Apr. 13, 1933, in Harris, Kan., the son of Thomas Jefferson and Mary Estella Farrell Ruddell. He graduated from Wellsville High School in 1951, where he was an accomplished athlete.

Mr. Ruddell was involved with electronics communications in the United States Air Force, where he received additional schooling. He attained the rank of Staff Sergeant, and retired after 20 years of service. He was a member of the Countryside TLC Bible study group, and enjoyed reading and spending time with friends and family.

He married Elena Maria Falbo on Jun. 17, 1956, in Buca-Izmir, Turkey. She survives of the home.

Other survivors include a son, Alan G. Ruddell and wife Lisa, Miller, Ind.; two daughters Germaine M. Ruddell, Lawrence, and Lorraine M. Orner and husband Paul, Miller, Ind.; two brothers, James W. Ruddell and wife Jessie, Mesa, Ariz., and Leslie W. Ruddell and wife Fran, Independence, Mo.; seven grandchildren, Lena M., Anna M. and William E. Barker, Ellen A. and Luke D. Orner, and Isabella and Ethan Ruddell; and two great grandchildren, Kyla and Anaya.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and a sister and brother-in-law, Idonna and Robert Walter.

The family suggests memorial contributions to The Salvation Army, or the Lawrence Humane Society, in care of the funeral home, 601 Ind., Lawrence, KS, 66044.

Oskar Langdon

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Memorial services for Oskar Langdon, 21, Lawrence, will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home.
Mr. Langdon died Monday, November 28, 2011, in Lawrence.
He was born February 10, 1990, in Leon, Mexico, the son of Tony and Mercedes Langdon. Oskar & his mother moved to Lawrence when he was 5 years old. He attended Lawrence schools and graduated from Free State High School in 2008. After high school Mr. Langdon joined in the US Army and served in El Paso, TX. At the time of his death he was employed by Lawrence Memorial Hospital as a CNA.
He is survived by his parents of Lawrence, and a daughter, Sophia Rose.
The family suggests memorials to the Sophie Rose Educational Fund, sent in care of the funeral home.
Online condolences may be sent at www.rumsey-yost.com