Mixed Obits Butler County Kansas Genealogy Trails

ALDRICH, RICHARD M. "HENRY"

Richard M. "Henry" Aldrich, 61, of Wichita, died Friday, Dec. 22 at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 28, at Northside Church of Christ, 4545 N. Meridian, Wichita. Burial will be at Lakeview Mausoleum in Wichita.

He was born Feb. 20, 1939 to Numan and Leta (Burris) Aldrich in Quinter. He was married to Jacqueline Ketron Aldrich. He was a directing buisness representative for District 70 Machinist Union. He was a member of the Church of Christ.

Survivors include: his wife of the home; a son, Jimmie Aldrich of Wichita; daughters, Tammy Hicks of Belle Plaine and Belinda Farrar of El Dorado; a brother Ronnie Ogden of Belton, Mo.; sisters, Doris Romera of Belton, Mo, and Sherrie Herrick and Renita Ogden of Lee Summitt, Mo.; his step-father, Boyd Ogden of Belton, Mo.; and six grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Guiding Eyes of Amererica. Lakeview Funeral Home, Wichita, has the arrangements. (El Dorado Times, Dec. 27, 2000, page 3, column 1)

ARMSTRONG, F. C. MAJOR

Major F. C. Armstrong's body reached Washington, D. C., today and the funeral will occur Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Hazlett are in Washington, and Mrs. Armstrong it is believed, will return here with them until she can settle up her husband's affairs. (Walnut Valley Times, Feb. 16, 1900)

EWING, GEORGE P.

George P. Ewing, 514 N. Starr St., died February 25, 146. He was born at Audrain, Missouri, October 12, 1872.

Surviving are two nephews, Dan Ewing, El Dorado and John McCrumm of Missouri; two nieces, Mrs. Georgia Bennett, Burdick, Ks., and Miss Elsie Ewing, El Dorado; one brother, Wm. F. Ewing, Wilsey, Kansas.

Services were held at Wilsey, Kansas on Thursday. Arnold-Kirby Funeral Home was in charge. (Butler County News, March 1, 1946)

FLATHERS, OPAL MARJORIE

Opal Marjorie Flathers, 61, of 321 E. Locust, died Wednesday evening at Allen Memorial Hospital. Services will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Carlson Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Sunset Lawns Cemetery.

She was born Jan. 1, 1922 at Peace, Minn., the daughter of Thomas and Ethel Fitzsimmons Orr. She came to El Dorado about 40 years ago from Ponca City, Okla. She also worked at the Mid-America Nursing Home until retiring three years ago due to ill health.

Survivors include a son, Glenn of El Dorado; and four daughters, Effie Akin of Great Bend, Shirley, Donna Stiebig of Vassar, Mich., and Lola Roberts of El Dorado. Fifteen grandchildren also survive. (El Dorado Times, June 28, 1983)

FOREMAN, RALPH

Ralph Foreman, 79, of Grove, Okla., and a longtime El Dorado, resident, died Saturday at his home. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Carlson Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Walnut Valley Memorial Park.

He was born Sept. 15, 1922 to Charles and Hazel Byerly Foreman in Gordon. He worked for 37 years for Cities Service Oil Co., and was a gang pusher.

On Dec. 25, 1943, he was married to Lois Marchel. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, the El Dorado Moose Lodge, Patmos Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite and the Butler County Shrine. He also served in the Air Force during World War II.

Survivors include his wife of the home; a son, Jerry Foreman of Gravette, Ark.; a daughter, Judy Ball of Marietta, Ga.; a sister, Beatrice Hoch of Lincoln; five granchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his grandmother who helped raise him and two brothers.

Friends may call Tuesday evening and all day Wednesday at Carlson Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Shriners Crippled Children's Hospital in care of Carlson Funeral Home, which has the arrangements. (El Dorado Times, June 4, 2001)

JOHNSON, DAVID WADE

At Rest

Died, at his home in Sycamore Springs March 13, 1903, David Wade Johnson. He was born April 26, 1837, in Marion county, Indiana.

He was married to Ruhamah Kiphart September 16, 1858. To this union fourteen children were born, eight of whom still survive him. He became a member of the M.E. church at the age of thirty, and has been an earnest christian worker since, always ready to tell "The Old, Old Story of Jesus and his Love."

He, with his family moved to Kansas in 1882 where they lived for about 18 years. They moved to Oklahoma three years ago and returned to Sycamore a year ago. He has been in feeble health for several years. The day of his death he was able to be about feeding his stock. He complained of not feeling well in the afternoon and in the evening he passed suddenly away.

He was a loving husband, a kind father and a good neighbor and will be greatly missed. -- A Friend. (Walnut Valley Times, March 18, 1903)

NACE, BETTY L. PLATTS

Betty L. Platts Nace, 82, of El Dorado, died Sunday, Oct. 1, at a local nursing home. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, at Kirby-Morris Funeral Home. Interment will follow at the Walnut Valley Memorial Park Cemetery.

She was born May 6, 1918 to William H. and Irene K. (Martin) Caywood in Oswego. She attended schools in Oswego. On Feb. 15, 1945, she was married to Howard Platts in Girard. His job took them to many towns in Kansas.

She moved to El Dorado in 1957 from Pratt. She was a homemaker, and for several years she worked for Bright's Laundry and later worked in the laundry department at Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital. She was a member of the Baptist Church and the V.F.W. and American Legion auxiliaries. She loved to read and dance.

Survivors include: a son, John Fisher of Oswego; daughters, Diann Rogers of Haviland, Sher Bennett of Sedgwick County and Billie Michaelis of El Dorado; a sister, Maxine Maxwell of Seattle, Wash.; 16 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a son, a daughter and a great-grandson.

Memorials may be made to the Bradford Memorial Library in care of Kirby-Morris Funeral Home, who has the arrangements. (El Dorado Times, Oct. 4, 2000, page 3, column 1)

NORRIS, PEARL E.

Pearl E. Norris, 96, of 3411 E. Zimmerly, retired Walker Brothers saleslady, died Wednesday, June 17, 1987. Services, 1 p.m. Saturday, St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Whitewater (Kan.) Cemetery.

Survivors: son, Dr. Robert P. Norris, daughter, Mildred Lamb, both of Wichita; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren. Memorial has been established with St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Cochran Mortuary. (Wichita Eagle, Thursday, June 18, 1987)

NORTHROP, BELVA M.

TOWANDA - Northrup, Belva Mae, 66, retired J.C.Penney invoice clerk, died Wednesday Apr. 3, 2002. Service 11 a.m. Saturday, Towanda United Methodist Church of Christ.

Survivors: Husband, Charles; sons, Charles Jr. of Conway, Ark., James of Topeka, Curtis of Wichita; daughter, Jolyn Kennedy of Towanda; brothers, Bill Smith of Phoenix, Dennis Smith of Albert; sister, Nancy Tanton of Ellsworth; 9 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren.

Memorial established with Mercy Med Flight of Texas. Kirby-Morris Funeral Home - El Dorado. (Andover Journal-Advocate, April 11, 2002)

OLBERDING, MARGARET (RETA)

Margaret (Reta) Olberding, 82, of Route 1, Burns, died Sunday at Allen Memorial Hospital.

Services were held Wednesday at the Burns Catholic Church with burial in St. Mary's Cemetery at Burns.

Mrs. Olberding was born May 15, 1894 at Burns, the daughter of Herman and Anna Weber Uppenkamp. She was married Jan. 31, 1917, to Henry Olberding at Burns and he died Dec. 16, 1975.

Survivors include three daughters, Mrs. Catherine Brown of Burns, Mrs. Raymond Weber of Elmdale and Mrs. Louis Hall of Haysville; a son, James of Route 1, Burns; a sister, Mrs. Wilhelmina Clark of Salina; a brother, Joe Uppenkamp of San Diego, Calif., 19 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. (El Dorado Times, April 7, 1977)

OSBORN, LOREN E. "MIKEY"

Loren E. "Milky" Osborn, 73, of El Dorado, died Sunday, June 18, 2000, at Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital. Services are 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 21, at Carlson Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Sunset Lawns Cemetery.

He was born Dec. 8, 1926 in south Butler County, the son of Leslie B. and Grace E. (Johnson) Osborn. He had made his home in El Dorado for the past 36 years, moving from Augusta. He graduated from Augusta High School and worked for Mobil Refinery at Augusta where he was a night superintendent. He was a member of First Baptist Church, the Elks Club for 55 years and enjoyed bowling and golf. During the Korean Conflict he served in the Marine Corps from 1951 to 1953.

On Nov. 21, 1964, he and Marjorie L. (Hanson) Walton were married in El Dorado.

Survivors include: wife, Marjorie, of the home, daughter, Dianne Travnicek of El Dorado; sisters, Sharon Marlow of Andover and Lucille Walker of Woodland, Calif.; two grandchildren, Katie Travnicek and Lesa Travnicek, both of El Dorado, several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Memorials in his memory for the American Heart Association or the First Baptist Church may be left at Carlson Funeral Home where friends may call. (el dorado Times, June 19, 2000, Page 3, Column 1)

RICHEY, ELSIE E. (McCUNE)

Elsie E. Richey, 92, of Hermitage, Tenn., and formerly of El Dorado, died Friday, June 30, 2000, at the McKendree Health Care Center in Tennessee. Services are 10 a.m. Thursday, July 6, at the First Christian Church of El Dorado. Burial will follow at the Benton Cemetery in Benton.

She was born Jan. 14, 1908, in Benton, the daughter of Lewis Obadiah and Amy Edna (Ramey) McCune. She grew up in the Benton area, and graduated from Benton High School. She then attended the Phillips University in Enid, Okla., for a year before returning to El Dorado and attended the El Dorado Junior College where she graduated with a degree in education. She and Byron Eugene Richey were united in marriage on April 20, 1930, in Eureka. He preceded her in death on Jan. 23, 1985. She was a homemaker most of her life. She was a member of the First Christian Church of El Dorado, H.D.U. and a member of D.A.R.

Survivors include: son, Melvin Richey of Carlsbad, N.M.; daughters, Vesta Nisley of Madison, Tenn., and Renetta Stribling of Bartlesville, Okla.; brother, Ralph L. McCune of Wichita; eight grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one daughter, Bethine Richey; two granddaughters; one brother; and five sisters.

A memorial has been established with the First Christian Church Scholarship Fund. Contributions may be left with Kirby-Morris Funeral Home who has the arrangements. (El Dorado Times, July 3, 2000, page 3, column 1)

RUDOLPH, JENNIE

Jennie, the year old daughter of Charles Rudolph died yesterday at the home of its grandfather J. Henley of Flint Ridge. She was brought over to Eureka thia afternoon and laid to rest in Belle Vista Cemetery. The little one was the great granddaughter of Uncle John Teter. (Walnut Valley Times, Aug. 14, 1923)

THOMAS, EARL MRS. & TWIN INFANT SON

Mrs. Earl Thomas and one of her newly born twin sons, 1127 West Third Avenue, died here Saturday afternoon at 2:35 o'clock. Mrs. Thomas was 30 years old and had been a resident of El Dorado for the past three years, having come here from Okmulgee, Okla.

She was born on July 4, 1902, in Nowata, Okla. and was married in Okmulgee in 1921. Surviving are her husband; three sons, Thomas, 9 years, Ralph, 8, and the surviving twin son, a brother, Francis Orendorff, of Okmulgee, Okla.; a sister, Sister Mary Judieth, of San Antonio, Texas and her mother.

Mrs. Thomas was a member of the Catholic Church. The Rosary was said last evening at the Byrd Funeral Home. The body will be taken to Okmulgee, Okla., this evening where funeral services will be held tomorrow at St. Anthony's Church. Interment will be made in Okmulgee.

A close friend of Mrs. Thomas had the following to say regarding her this morning: "A large number of friends are saddened by the death of Mrs. Thomas. There never lived a happier, sweeter or more unselfish woman than Mrs. Thomas. We always spoke of her as the little woman who was always laughing. She was ever showering acts of kindness on her friends, and her devotion to her husband and two small sons were untiring. Of an artistic temperament, her modest little home was adorned with the pictures she had painted and other objects. She was never idle. She was a sincere and devout Catholic. (El Dorado Times, August 15, 1932, Monday, Front Page)

TROMBLA, RICHARD L. "DICK"

Richard L. "Dick" Trombla, 81, of El Dorado, died Tuesday, Aug. 7, at Rochester Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Minn. Services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church in El Dorado. Interment will be at 3 p.m. at Downs Cemetery in Downs.

He was born Aug. 6, 1920 to Dr. LeGrand and Bessie Amanda (Pugh) Trombla in Wichita. he graduated from new Mexico Military Institute in 1934. he attended El Dorado Junior College. He owned and operated Trombla's Jewelry Store in El Dorado for many years, and spent most of his life in El Dorado. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church, El Dorado Downtown Kiwanis Club, Patmos Masonic Lodge #97 A.F. & A. M., Consistory, Shrine; a life-member of V.F.W. and the American Legion; and member and past-president of Kansas Jewelers Association. He was chair of the National Credentials Committee of V.F.W. for 45 years and served in the State Offices and was past State Department of Kansas commander. He served in the Navy during World War II.

On Nov. 10, 1945, he was married to June Mollohan in El Dorado.

Survivors include: his wife of the home; a son, Richard Trombla and wife Teri of Gladstone, Mo.; a daughter, Nancy King and husband Robert of Greensburg; grandchildren, Jeffrey LeGrand King and wife Anne of Newton, Jennifer Lyn Trombla of Manhattan, Brett Leigh Trombla of Gladstone, Mo., and Bridgett Kay King of Scottsdale, Ariz.; and a great-grandchild, Derrien Walker King of Newton.

Visitation with the family will be from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at Carlson Funeral Home, followed by Masonic Services. Memorials may be made to the El Dorado Lions Club for Eye Bank Research in care of Carlson Funeral Home, which has the arrangements. (El Dorado Times, August 8, 2001)

UNDERKOFLER, C. WILBUR

C. Wilbur Underkofler, 95, of North Newton, died Thursday, Sept. 6, 2001, at Kidron Bethel Health Care in North Newton. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at Burns United Methodist Church, with Rev. Dale Houghton officiating. Burial will be at the Burns Cemetery.

He was born April 27, 1906 to Charles S. Underkofler and Caroline Lachenmaier in Winston, Mo.

On June 12, 1937, he was married to Leota Gore in Preston. She preceded him in death Dec. 6, 2000. He was a member of Burns Methodist Church. He graduated from the Chicago Diesel Institute. He farmed and ranched near Burns for many years.

Survivors include: a daughter, Jean Elgin of Haysville; a son, Bill Underkofler of Wichita; three grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife; his parents; a brother, Guy Underkofler; and a sister, Faith Gaither.

Visitation is from 1 to 5 p.m. today and 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Petersen Funeral Home, which has the arrangements. Memorials may be made to the Burns United Methodist Church or Kidron - Bethel Village in care of the funeral home. (September 10, 2001, El Dorado Times)