Obituaries for 12/31/07
Mary Ellen Smith
Mary Ellen Smith, 87, of Arkansas City, died at the Presbyterian Manor Health Center on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007, of a recently diagnosed brain tumor.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008, at Trinity Episcopal Church. Interment will be in the Parker Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home, from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday.
Mary Ellen was born on July 2, 1920, in Oklahoma City, to Charles and Edna Mae Bright. Although the family lived in Atlanta and Tulsa briefly, most of her upbringing took place in Oklahoma City. As a youth, she excelled at the piano and organ. Her father died while she was at Classen High School, and her mother died while Mary Ellen was studying music at Oklahoma City University. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1942. A scholarship from her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, afforded her the opportunity to study at the Juilliard School in New York City, where she completed a graduate certificate in singing in 1944. While in New York she performed in the 1943-44 production of The Vagabond King on Broadway. A highlight of her singing career was her appearance as the soprano soloist for a performance of Brahms' Requiem with the Oklahoma State Symphony, which was broadcast to the state, to commemorate the first anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
C. B. Macklin, music critic for the Daily Oklahoman, wrote that "it would be difficult to imagine anything more exactly fitting and beautiful than her performance."
Following her marriage to Dr. Newton Smith in Oklahoma City on June 1, 1945, she lived in North Carolina and California, while he was serving in the U.S. Navy. The couple first settled in Oklahoma City, then moved to Arkansas City in 1951. A consummate homemaker, Mary Ellen was also a particularly fine seamstress.
She was active in the Trinity Episcopal Church choir, Arkansas City Music Club, Mothers Club, and PEO. Later in life she took up the harp and golf.
In a newspaper interview at the age of 21 prior to an upcoming concert, Mary Ellen told the interviewer that "a singer has to observe people and their reactions so that she can get true feeling in her singing." People never ceased to fascinate her, and she was particularly adept at and keen to strike up conversations with strangers throughout her life.
Survivors include three children, Kathryn Bowers and husband, David, of St. Louis, Carolyn Managan and husband, Michael, of Houston, and Norman Smith, of Arkansas City; and two grandchildren, Elizabeth Managan and husband, Christopher Elsasser, of Silver Spring, Md., and Michelle Managan, of College Station, Texas.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Newton C. Smith, a longtime physician in Arkansas City; and her sisters, Dorothy and Charlene.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Trinity Episcopal Church or the Newton and Mary Ellen Scholarship at Cowley County Community College.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home, Arkansas City. On-line condolences may be made at www.rindt-erdman.com.
ADV.
Irving "Rich" Richardson
Irving "Rich" Richardson, 83, of Wellington, died Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007, at the Via Christi St. Francis Medical Center in Wichita.
Funeral Services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008, at the Wellington Baptist Temple in Wellington. Interment will be in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Tuesday. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m.
Born Sept. 5, 1924, he was the son of Irving and Olive Spangler Richardson. Rich worked as a mechanic building engines for race cars. He and owned and operated Richardson's Machine Shop in 1970.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy (Wyckoff) Richardson, of Wellington; sons, John Richardson, of Wellington, and Rudy Richardson, of Ann Arbor, Mich., stepchildren, Vicki Rohrer, of Belle Plaine, and Randy Wyckoff, of Wellington; twelve grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife Maxine (Frans) Richardson; sisters, Marjorie and Louvella; and brother, Frank Richardson.
A memorial has been established with the American Cancer Society or the Jim Ross Missionary Fund. Contributions may be made through the funeral home.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Hawks Funeral Home in Wellington. On-line condolences may be made at www.hawksfuneralhome.com.
Darlene Naden
Darlene Naden, 70, Wichita, retired Boeing material analyst and former teacher died Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008, at Hillside Christian Church. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. in Riverview Cemetery in Arkansas City.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 3-5 p.m. Tuesday.
Survivors include her husband, William; sons and daughters-in-law, Tim and Melanie, of Wichita, Gary and Angela, of Bozeman, Mont., and Dan and Paula, of Gardner, Kan.,; brother, Terry Rountree, Blackwell, Okla.; and eight grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Harvey and Gertrude (Pinkstaff) Rountree; and a son, Kyle.
A memorial has been established with Hillside Christian Church, 8330 E. Douglas, Wichita, KS 67206.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Downing and Lahey Mortuary East, Wichita. On-line condolences may be made at www.dlwichita.com.
Sylvia Loree Miller
Sylvia Loree Miller, 83, died Thursday, Dec. 27, 2007, at Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Mo.
Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday Jan. 3, 2008, in the
Riverview Cemetery in Arkansas City, with the Rev. Jeff Martin officiating.
Friends may call at the funeral home from 1-8 p.m. Wednesday. The family will receive friends from 7-8 p.m.
Born Aug. 25, 1924, in Cedar Vale, she was the daughter of Linn Turner and Ada Belle (Bradshear) Townsend.
In Arkansas City, she and her husband were co-owners of Mothers Pie Shop. She was a PBX operator for Santa Fe Railroad for 10 years. In Oswego, she and her husband owned and operated Miller's Liquor Store.
Survived by her son, Michael G. Miller, of Austin, Texas, and one daughter, Phyllis Cosby, of Oswego; and four grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Robert C. Miller; one son, Robert Linn Miller; one daughter, Cora Ruth
Miller.
Memorials may be made to the Oswego Library. Contributions may be made through the funeral home.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Murdock Funeral Home, Oswego.
Dean Pepper
Dean Pepper, 60, Tulsa resident, died Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007, at the Hillcrest Medical Center, Tulsa.
Arrangements are pending and under the direction of the Miller-Stahl Funeral Service, Newkirk.
Randy Lee Benton
Randy Lee Benton, 46, of Arkansas City, died Friday, Dec. 28, 2007, at his residence.
Funeral services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008, at the Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home in Arkansas City. Brother James "Babe" Standerfer will officiate. Interment will follow in the Parker Cemetery.
Randy was born Aug. 22, 1961, in Arkansas City, to Paul A. Benton and Eloise Leora (Martin) Benton. He attended Arkansas City schools.
In 1983, he married Kelly McManus and the couple had three children. On July 26, 1989, he married Leila May Hearlson in Arkansas City, where the couple made their home. Randy worked for Rodeo Meats and then General Electric Engine services at Strother Field.
Survivors include his wife, Leila Benton, of Arkansas City; son, Steven Benton, of Wichita, and Shawn Benton, of Wichita Falls, Texas; daughter, Kayla Benton, of Arkansas City; stepdaughter, Tricia Cook, of Geuda Springs; stepson, Loren Hearlson, of Arkansas City; brothers, Russell Musson, Brad Musson and Brady Benton; stepbrothers and sisters, Terry Dobbs, Jim Johnson, Marty Johnson, Kari Burnhardt, Bill Johnson and Kelly Smith; mother and stepfather, Eloise and Lee Johnson, of Maple City; six
grandchildren, Colten Cook, Lakin Cook, Ashley Langhorst, Levi Langhorst, Preston Hearlson and Jadin Hearlson.
Randy was preceded in death by his father, Paul Benton, and grandmother, Rose Anderson.
A memorial has been established with the Cowley County Humane Society. Contributions
may be made through the funeral home.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home, Arkansas City. On-line condolences may be made at www.rindt-erdman.com.
Lesia A. Batemon
Lesia A. Batemon, 42, of Howard, died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2007, at the Greenwood County Medical Center, of Eureka. Graveside services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008, in the Greenlawn Cemetery of Grenola.
Born April 15, 1965, in Wichita, she was the daughter of Gilbert A. and Stella M. (Spire) Erbert. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Roger Dale Batemon of the home; two daughters, Keri Duncan, of
Winfield, Erin Batemon of the home; a son, Michael Batemon of the home; three brothers, Clifford Burgardt, of Great Bend, Robert Burgardt, of Fairhaven, Vt., Dennis Erbert of Wichita; three sisters, Donna Smith, of Wichita, Betty Frost, of Grandville, N.Y., Anna Buhl, of Colby; one granddaughter, Brooklyn Duncan; and three step-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Michael.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Rindt-Erdman Funeral Home of Arkansas City.
On-line condolences may be made at www.rindt-erdman.com.
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