Obituaries

John E. Strella, 70, passed away Feb. 8, 2016 at The Hospice House, Olathe, Kan. after a 27-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
He was born May 29, 1945 in Denver, Colo. to Victor John and Ruth Ann (Tindle) Strella. John graduated in 1963 from Ellsworth High School; Hutchinson Community Junior College in 1966; and earned a BS in Elementary Education from Fort Hays State University in 1969. He met his future wife, Linda Weber in 1965 at a teen dance in Ellsworth and married June 8, 1968 at the St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Wilson, Kan. They had two children, Scott and Angela.
John taught 5th and 6th grades and junior high school science and social studies plus coached football, basketball, track and cross country in Bunker Hill, Geneseo, Bushton, Holyrood, Ellis and Lyons for 15 years and also taught CCD religion classes at St. Bernard’s in Ellsworth for 15 years. He was a registered baseball and softball umpire for 25 years.  

     Amy L. Kingsbury, 36, of Wilson, Kan. passed away Monday, Jan. 18, 2016 at her home in Wilson. She was born in Amarillo, Texas, the daughter of Gary and Dodie (Slagel) Sanders. She grew up in Hutchinson, Kan., then later moved to Wilson and graduated from Wilson High School in 1997. After high school, she focused her education in the healthcare field; first becoming a Certified Nurse Aid then a Certified Medication Aide. After working at Golden Living Center in Wilson and DSNWK in Russell, Kan., she went on to become a Licensed Practical Nurse through Brown Mackie College in Salina, Kan.
     Amy was married to Wayne Buell Sept. 25, 1998 in Ark City, Kan. This union was blessed with three children: Klayton, Kalab, and Kaelyn. They later divorced. She married Daren Kingsbury Nov. 10, 2011 in Wilson. He survives.

 Emily Suzanne Haxton, 39, passed away Feb. 7, 2016 in Ellsworth.
She was born July 23, 1976 in Beloit, Kan., to Melody (Ammeter) and Stephen Magette. Emily married Kevin Haxton in Claflin, Kan. on June 5, 1999. She was a physical therapist assistant at Ellsworth County Medical Center and a member of the St. Bernard’s Catholic Church.
Emily is survived by her husband, Kevin Haxton of Ellsworth; son, Avery Haxton of Ellsworth; daughter, Elyse Haxton of Ellsworth; parents, Steve and Melody Magette of Ellsworth; brother, Eric Magette (Kristin) of Eudora; sister, Amanda Kantack (Bryan) of Colorado Springs; and brother, Adam Magette (Crystal) of Wamego.
  Visitation was from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb.10, at Parsons Funeral Home, Ellsworth, and from 5 to 7 p.m. at the St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, Ellsworth, with family present.  
The Vigil/rosary service was at 7 p.m. Wednesday, at the church.

Steven Edward Shute, 45, passed away Feb. 3, 2016 in Ellsworth. He was born June 18, 1970 in Salina.

A lifetime resident of Ellsworth, Steven was a heavy equipment operator, over the road truck driver, farrier, and also spent time working on the wind towers in Spearville, Kan. He attended Oklahoma Horseshoeing School to become a farrier and Dodge City Community College on a rodeo scholarship.

Steven is survived by his son Lucas Bolen (Shute) of Ellsworth; parents, Roy and Nancy Shute of Ellsworth; brother, Jim Shute (Shawntelle) of Sedan; sister, Cecelia Miller (Scott) of Junction City; one niece and three nephews.

A celebration dinner will take place at noon, Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016 at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church Parish Hall with a memorial service following at 2 p.m. at the church.

A private family inurnment will take place at a later date.

James “Scott” Vance was born Aug. 31, 1943, in Emporia to Samuel G. Vance and Nora Scott. He graduated to heaven Jan. 31, 2016, at Tucson, Ariz.

He was educated in Kansas, graduating high school in Holyrood, received his Bachelor of Science degree at Fort Hays State University, and his Masters of Science at Kansas State University.

He was an Army First Lieutenant, 4th Infantry Division, serving in Vietnam 1968-1969. His career took him to New York, Kansas, and California with IBM. In California he also worked for Bank of America and APL, the shipping company.

He retired from DHL in Arizona and enjoyed retirement life in SaddleBrooke, Ariz., since 2007. His retirement travels included trips to Egypt, New Zealand (Canyon Swing Adventure and Jet Boat Ride), Holy Land, Turkey and motorcycles trips in the United States.

Ermadean Boardman, 80, passed away, Monday, Feb. 1, 2016 in Hutchinson. She was born Aug. 17, 1935, in Luray to Carl Lincoln and Hope Adelyne (Webster) Dillon.

A longtime resident of the Lorraine area, Ermadean was an office manager at Bushton grain elevator and an operations manager at Lorraine State Bank for 20 years. She attended the First Baptist Church, Lorraine where she was active in the Women’s Missionary Fellowship and taught Sunday school. She also spent time working with the Ellsworth Council on Aging. She married Marvin Boardman April 6, 1954 in Lincoln. He survives her.

     Beryle Irene Adams was born May 9, 1919, to William and Sadie (Bulmer) Supple in Michigan Valley, Kan. She died Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016, at Aldersgate Village in Topeka, Kan., at the age of 96.

     LaVerne P. Jacobs, known by his friends as Vern — husband, father, grandfather, and special uncle to many nephews and nieces — died on Monday, Jan. 25, 2016 in Sun City, Ariz.. He was 81.
     Vern was born June 13, 1934 in Loretto, Kan. to George and Veronica Jacobs.
     His childhood in Lacrosse is where his love of hunting and fishing began; throughout his life he would spend many weekends hunting in the fields of Kansas with lifelong friends and family.

     Elrene Helen Stowe, 94, of McPherson, Kan., passed away peacefully Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2016, at Sandstone Heights Nursing Home, Little River, Kan.
     Elrene was born in rural Ellsworth, Kan. on Nov. 3, 1921, a daughter of the late Helen Libby (Doubrava) and Ferdinand “Fred”  Barta.
     Elrene attended the Cass Ridge country school in Ellsworth County, Golden Bell country school in Lincoln County, and graduated in 1939 from Ellsworth High School.
     Elrene was a 71-year member of First Presbyterian Church, McPherson. Through the years Elrene served her church in many capacities. Elrene was a homemaker, she worked as a stenographer for Rice County Extension Office and later for Farmers Alliance Insurance Company and she was a local artist. Elrene was a member of the McPherson Opera House, McPherson Art’s Council, and Ladies Reading Circle.

     Osythe M. Wallert, 91, passed away Saturday, Jan. 23, 2016, at Great Bend Health and Rehabilitation in Great Bend, Kan. Osythe was born Nov. 20, 1924, in Wilson, Kan., the daughter of Henry and Ruth (Viglini) Kuch.
     Osythe grew up in Wilson and was a graduate of Wilson High School. She moved to Great Bend in 1960 and worked at the Central Kansas Medical Center as a switchboard operator then as a surgery scheduler. She went on to work as a medical coder for Dr. David Gillenwater for 22 years, retiring in 2013. She was meticulous in her work and enjoyed working in her yard and traveling with her family.