Funeral services for Aletia Marie Vaughn, 46, Eudora, will be 1 pm Monday February 4, 2019, at Lawrence Free Methodist Church. A visitation will be from 3-4 pm Sunday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home.
Aletia Marie Yee was born on July 19, 1972, in Newton, KS, and grew up in Potwin. She attended Potwin Elementary School before the family moved to El Dorado, KS.
“Eeshie,” as she was known to close friends, attended El Dorado Middle School and played the flute, was on the basketball team, and sang in the show choir at El Dorado and Bluestem High Schools.
She attended Coffeeville Community College and graduated from Kansas University, where she studied Chinese and majored in political science.
Aletia met Gary Vaughn while they were both working at Wal-Mart. They married in 1993 and had two children, who were the loves of Aletia’s life: Chelsea Nicole in 1994, and Jordan Vance in 1997.
She was Human Resources Supervisor at Dobski & Associaties, where she worked for 23 years, managing hundreds of employees for 13 McDonald’s restaurants throughout the region. Known for her strong work ethic and her kindness to employees who were struggling, Aletia saw her colleagues as family, and took great pride in her job.
Aletia was very active in supporting her kids’ school and sports activities all year long. She loved to scrapbook, to spend time with her young nieces from Colorado, and to visit her family in California, which she did countless times throughout her life.
A compassionate dog lover who was quick to laugh and generous beyond good sense, Aletia always opened her home to friends of her children who needed a place to stay. At Christmastime, she collected trees, decorations and ornaments and distributed them to families who would otherwise go without.
She died suddenly on January 23 in her home, and is survived by her father, Jerry Yee; brother Lee Yee and nephew Lane Yee; nieces Madeline and Macey; dogs Roscoe, Aurora and Bagel; and children Chelsea and Jordan Vaughn.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Ronald McDonald House charities, Lawrence Community Shelter and/or the Lawrence Humane Society, sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana Street Lawrence, KS 66044.
