MRS. RUBY J. OBENCHAIN - Submitted by Ilene Mullendore Butler
Ruby Jewell Obenchain, 88, of Sedan, Kansas, died Tuesday, March 28, 1995, at St. Joseph Medical Center, Wichita, Kansas. She was born September 25, 1906, in Sedan, Kansas, to Calvin and Barbara Ellen (Cowen) McMillan. She was a member of the Christian Church and a Home Maker.
On February 27, 1929, in Sedan, Kansas, she and Floyd Lee Obenchain were united in marriage. He preceded her in death on April 18, 1971.
Survivors include one son, Bud Obenchain of Stockton, Missouri; one daughter, Leota Mills of Sedan, Kansas; one brother, John McMillan of Peru, Kansas; two sisters, Christina Traskf of Renton, Washington, and Grace McNown of Douglas, Kansas; five grandchildren; and eight greatgrandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Friday, March 31, 1995, at 2:00 p.m., in the Graves-Baird Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will be in Riley Cemetery, Monett, Kansas. Rev. Dois Nix will officiate. Graves-Baird Funeral Home, Sedan, Kansas, is in charge of arrangements.
A memorial has been established in her name with the Pleasant Valley Manor Nursing Home Activity Fund.
MRS. ABBIGAIL SLATER OKERSON - Submitted by Barb Okerson Rodgers
OKERSON SERVICES HELD HERE SUNDAY
Services for Mrs. E.S. Okerson who died in California June 17 were held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in the Pitcher chapel and burial was in the Alden cemetery. Rev. Leroy Simmons preached the sermon.
Abbie Slater was born Feb. 22, 1869, at Salt Creek twp, Chautauqua Co, Kansas. She was married to Edward S. Okerson and they came to Oklahoma and settled in the Alden community in 1902. Mr. Okerson died June 23, 1940.
Mrs. Okerson was the first white child born in Chautauqua County. At the age of 16 she joined the Methodist church. She was in California visiting her children when she suffered a heart attack.
Survivors are four sons, Floyd and Raymond of Modesto, Alvie of Selma and Cecil of Stockton, California; two daughters, Mrs. Ethel Jones of Stockton, California and Mrs. Lodie Steckman of this place; one brother, R. T. Slater of this place, and one sister, Mrs. Linnie Barnes, Arkansas City, Kansas.
Services were held in Selma before the body was brought to Carnegie. Alvie and Raymond came here from California for the services here.
MR. ED S. OKERSON - Submitted by Barb Okerson Rodgers.
ED S.OKERSON DIES SUDDENLY SUNDAY
Death came suddenly early Sunday moring to E. S. Okerson, pioneer resident of this community and he passed away at his home on West First street. Altho he had not been ill before he declined to eat breakfast and stepped out on the porch of his home where he died within a few minutes.
Services were held at the Alden Presbyterian church at 2:30 Wednesday afternoon by Rev. Garland Howard of the Carnegie Baptist church assisted by Rev. J. R. Reid, Alden pastor. Burial was in the Alden Cemetery under the direction of the Pitcher Funeral Home.
Coming to this country in 1902, Mr. and Mrs. Okerson were among the early day settlers of the community south of town.
Edward Sherman Okerson was born at Clinton, DeWitt Co, Illinois, April 1, 1865 and was 75 years of age at the time of his death. He was married to Miss Abbie Slater May 12, 1889 at Salt Creek twp, Kansas and to them seven children were born, one dying in infancy. Mr. Okerson joined the Methodist church in 1912.
Besides the widow survivors include his children, Mrs. Lodie Steckman, Mrs. Ethel Jones and Cecil Okerson of this place; Floyd, Alvie and Raymond Okerson of California. A sister, Mrs. Sarrah Ella Briggs and a brother, Frank Okerson, both of Bartlesville and 12 grandchildren and five great grandchildren also survive.
MRS. CYNTHIA A. OLLER
Cynthia Alice Oller, age 90, of Cedar Vale, Kansas, died January 22, 2002 at the Cedar Vale Hospital. She was born April 19, 1911 at Carlinvilie, IL. Her parents were Frank and lnez Oller.
She married Floyd A. Oller on November 23, 1932. He preceded her in death April 19, 1970. She and Floyd lived in Litchfield, IL for many years. She moved to Gladwater, TX, then Chanute, KS and in 1994, moved to Cedar Vale, KS.
She was a Baptist and a member of the First Baptist Church in Litchfield, IL. She had also been a member of the VFW Auxiliary in Litchfield.
She is survivcd by her son, Floyd Oller, Chanute, KS, daughters, Connie Stripland, Cedar Vale, KS and Sharon K. Oller, Longview, TX, brothers, Roy Oller, Atwater, IL and Arley Oller, IL, a sister, Wanda Bounds, Hillsboro, IL, eight grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by brothers John, George, & Robert, sisters, Wilma Patton, Rena Gorsage & Velma Sherman, all of Illinois.
Services were held in Litchfield, IL, conducted by the Meinschein Funeral Home in Litchfleld, IL.
Wheeler Funeral Home in Cedar Vale was in charge of the local arrangement.
She was born March 27, 1912 in Chautauqua, Kan. to Harlen and Elsie (Bingaman) Wilkes. She grew up in Chautauqua and Sedan, attending school in Sedan and graduating from Sedan High School.
She married Arnold A. Olson and he preceded her in death.
Mrs. Olson was a member of the First Christian Church in Sedan, the Rebekah Lodge and Royal Neighbors of America.
She is survived by two nieces, Jorene Renteria, Rogers, Ark and Jayme Golden, Altus, Okla., and three nephews, Joseph John Colliatie, Valley, Calif., Christopher Colliatie, Mason, Ohio and Kim Colliatie, Mesa, Ariz.
Memorial services were held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 22, in the First Christian Church in Sedan with Rev. Penny Goldberg officiating. David W. Barnes Funeral Home in Sedan was in charge of the arrangements.
KENNETH H. OLSON
LEONAROVILLE, Kan. - Kenneth Hayden Olson, age 89, of Leonardville, Kan., died Saturday, July 8, 2006, at Leonardville Nursing Home in Leonardville. He had been in failing health.
He was born Feb. 14, 1917, on the family farm northwest of Leonardville, the son of George A. and Joyce E. (Haydin) Olson.
He graduated from Arbor Grade School and Leonardville High School as the co-valedictorian of the Class of 1934. In school he sang in the glee club, participated in several school plays and played the violin in the orchestra.
Following high school, he gained employment at the Farmers Co-op delivering gasoline to area farmers and worked as a hired farm hand. In 1939, he bought his first farm and began his lifelong vocation as a farmer raising cattle, hogs, grain and hay.
On Jan. 10, 1942, he married Elda Jean Malmstrom of the Walsburg Church. They farmed at Lastia until 1950, and then moved to the Olson homestead near Leonardville. In 1979, they semi-retired to their present home in Leonardville. He continued to farm the home-place until retiring in 1991.
He was a member of the Leonardville United Methodist Church and for several years he served as a church trustee. Over the years he served his community as a school board member, 4-H leader, little league coach, member of the Leonardville Lions Club and was a charter member and past president of the Leonardville Senior Citizens.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Elda Jean Olson of the home in Leonardville; two sons, John Olsen and wife Judy of Parsons, and Jim Olson and wife Evadne of Leonardville; one daughter, Judy Foster and husband Dudley of Sedan; one sister, Peggy Dettmer of Leonardville; 10 grandchildren; and 28 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Yvonne Dudley in 1987; and also by two brother-in-laws, Ray Dudley and Marvin Dettmer.
Funeral services were held Wednesday, July 12, 2006, at the Leonardville United Methodist Church in Leonardville with Rev. Sharlan Graber and Rev. Michael Graber officiating. Burial was in the Leonardville Cemetery north of Leonardville, Kan.
MRS. WAUNETTA M. OSBURN
SEDAN Waunetta M. Osburn, 88, of Sedan, Kan. died Wednesday, April 12, 2006, at Pleasant Valley Manor in Sedan.
She was born on Aug. 2, 1917, in Carona, Kan. to Ralph Brown and Alta (Francis) Brown. She grew up in rural Scammon, Kan. and she later graduated from Mineral High School in 1937.
After high school, she worked as an LPN in doctor’s offices in Weir, Kan. and Commerce, Okla.
She moved to Sedan in 1980, and later she moved to Pleasant Valley Manor in 1992 where she has lived for the last 13 years.
She married Thomas Fitzgerald and he passed away Nov. 14, 1988. She later married Mark Osburn and he also preceded her in death.
She is survived by three daughters, Fran McElroy, Virginia McCann, and Ruth Klein, all of Sedan, Kan., one sister, Ann Marie Smith, Wichita, Kan., nine grandchildren. 12 great grandchildren, and two great great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Fitzgerald, and one granddaughter, Gwen Miller.
Graveside services were held at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at the Edgmand Cemetery near Columbus, Kan. with Elder Larry Reynolds officiating.
David W. Barnes Funeral Home of Sedan was in charge of arrangements.
MRS. JENNA V. OWNBEY
Jenna V. Ownbey, 81 year old resident of Vinita, Oklahoma, former resident of Spearman and Amarillo, TX, and widow of Robert James Ownbey, died Thursday, November 23, 2000 at the Craig General Hospital in Vinita.
Mrs. Ownbey was born on January 1, 1919 in Lipscomb County, Texas, the daughter of Earl and Lena (Hill) Stevenson. She graduated from Delhart High School in Texas and received a Bachelor of Science degree in education from West Texas State College in Canyon, TX in 1946. She married Robert James Ownbey on November 10, 1941 in Clayton, NM. Mr. Ownbey preceded her in death in 1967.
She made her home in Spearman, TX for twenty-one years before moving to Amarillo in 1968. She was a member of the Colonial Dames of the 17th Century, United Daughters of the Confederacy and Daughters of the American Revolution. She was also a member of the Order of Eastern Star, Friends of the Library, Amarillo Genealogical Society, Social Order of the Beaucent and Daughters of the Nile. Mrs. Ownbey was a past president of the Texas Women's Press Association, a member of Panhandle Pen Women, and managing editor of the Gruver News, a correspondent for Amarillo Globe-Times and Borger News-Herald. Mrs. Ownbey also worked in the Amarillo Public Library. She was a member of Wolflin Avenue Baptist Church in Amarillo and attended Vineyard Christian Church in Vinita.
She is survived by two daughters and their husbands, Nancy and James C. Archer of Orange, TX, and Robbie and Larry D. Butts of Spearman, TX, a son and his wife, Dr. Jimmie and Susan E. Ownbey of Vinita, OK, two adopted daughters and their husbands, Donna and Bob Williamson of Santa Rosa, CA, and Jane and Glen McNatt of Graham, TX, two adopted sons, Dr. James Ownbey of Lubbock, TX and Bill Ownbey of Round Rock, TX, thirteen grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.
Graveside services for Mrs. Ownbey were held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, November 27, 2000, at the family plot of the Holt Cemetery in Spearman, TX. with Rev. Eddie Fontanez officiating.
Memorials have been established with the Vineyard Christian Church in Vinita, OK and the First United Methodist Church of Spearman, TX in her memory.
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