Thomas James McRae, 91, died Wednesday, February 1, 2017. He was born Nov. 29, 1925 in Florence, SC to David Delmus McRae and Gladys Grace (Martin) McRae. He graduated from Florence High School, Florence SC. He was a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S. Amy Air Corps which brought him to Salina and his final duty assignment at Smoky Hill Air Force Base. After his discharge on May 11, 1946, he married July 21, 1946, the gal who would be his wife of 70 years, Florence LaVaughn Moore. He worked for Bell Electric, Jones Electric, and Hammond Electric, wiring many of the grain elevators still standing in Salina. He was an electrician on Union Pacific Railroad for 35 years and on his days off could be found at Ed Hronek’s Salvage Yard. In addition to his wife, Florence “Shug” McRae of the home, he is survived by his two daughters, Deby Adrian of Hideaway, TX and Terre (Leon) Rawson of Lindsborg, KS; his two grandsons, Reid Adrian of Hideaway, TX and Paul Adrian of Lawrence, KS; and his great granddaughter, Ella Adrian of Hideaway, TX. He is survived by many nieces and nephews, two locally, Kathy Leiker of Lindsborg, KS and Rob (Tina) Leiker of Salina.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his older brother David D. “Snookie” McRae, Jr. and his sister Annie Valeria “the Baby” Calianno.

He was a homegrown musician, playing his saxophone, clarinet, harmonicas, trumpet and keyboard in his free time.
He was a good provider for his family, a man who was known to be able to fix anything, an animal lover who fed many homeless cats over the years.

Memorials contributions may be made to The Salina Animal Shelter in care of Roselawn Mortuary, PO Box 2322, Salina, 67402.

 

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Vivian Laneve “Bump” Olsen, 99, of Manhattan, formerly of Abilene, passed away Saturday, February 4, 2017 at Homestead Assisted Living in Manhattan. She was born April 16, 1917 south of Abilene, the daughter of Clyde and Debby(Kean) Stevens. Vivian grew up on the family farm and graduated from Abilene High School in 1934. Vivian married Harold Olsen on May 11, 1944. Together they owned and operated the Abilene Floral Company for fifty one years, where they achieved business success. A highlight was preparing the floral arrangements for President Eisenhower’s funeral. After retiring from the floral business, they continued to be active as owners of the Highlands Golf Course, south of Abilene, where many Dickinson County residents learned to love the game of golf. Vivian was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Abilene, and a founding member of the Alpha Master Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority. Her many interests included bridge clubs with friends, competitive golf, Big 8 women’s basketball and Royals’ baseball. She will always be remembered as the biggest fan and mentor of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in their sports and other activities. Vivian saw the best in everyone, and had a special heart for those who most needed her unconditional love and care.
She is survived by her two sons, Steve Olsen (Nancee) of Littleton, Colorado, and Rod Olsen (Susie) of Manhattan; grandchildren,Blaine Olsen(Shawna) of Denver;Brian Olsen (Jennifer) of Overland Park; Randy Olsen (Krissi) of New York City;SarahOlsen Valdez (Jeremy)of Denver; and CraigOlsen (Katie)of Manhattan.Vivian’s great-grandchildren,Tessa, Lucy, Luke, Brock, Zack, Tatum, Campbell and Connor were the light of her life. Vivian is also survived by nieces and a nephew, dear to her.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her loving husband, Harold, and one brother, Vernon Stevens.
The family will greet friends at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at the First Presbyterian Church in Abilene prior to the funeral service beginning at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Roland Slater officiating. Burial will follow in the Abilene City Cemetery. Memorials may be given to the First Presbyterian Church of Abilene, the Abilene Public Library or to a charity of your choice in Vivian’s memory c/o the Martin-Becker-Carlson Funeral Home, 414 NW Third St., Abilene, Kansas 67410.

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George H. Dexter, age 81, left this earthly life on Friday, February 03, 2017 at Cloud County Health Center, Concordia, KS. He was born on Feb. 16, 1935 in Hillsville, VA to William Glen & Sylvia Viry (Dalton) Dexter.

George was a retired union iron worker. He married Cheryl Sindibaldi on Dec. 28, 1974. They moved to Concordia from Georgia 11 years ago. George served in the U.S. Air Force and then the U.S. Marine Corps.

George is survived by his wife, Cheryl, Concordia; son, Michael Dexter (Balari), Concordia; daughter, Sylvia Dexter, Clifton; sisters; Wanda Shuman, Statesboro, GA, Gaynell Shuman, Woodlawn, VA & Ruth Jackson (Roy) Lumberton, NC; brother, Mark Dexter (Theresa), Rocky Mount, VA; 6 grandchildren & 2 great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Naomi Fortner & Josephine King & a brother, Donald Dexter.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 AM Wed., Feb. 8, 2017 at Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home with Pastor Jonathan Peppers officiating. Burial will follow at Pleasant Hill Cemetery with Military Honors conducted by American Legion Post #76 & VFW Post #588. Visitation will be from 1-9 PM with family greeting friends from 7-9 PM Tues, Feb. 7, 2017 at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the George Dexter Memorial Fund in care of the funeral home. For online condolences, please visit www.chaputbuoy.com.

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Council Grove – Helen Elizabeth Kelley Judd, a Council Grove native, born June 19, 1921, was 95 when she died on January 12, 2017. Her parents were Glen P. Kelley and Stella E. Whiting Kelley, although she was raised by her maternal grandparents T.W. and Alice H. Whiting.  Helen was born in the house her grandfather, T.W., built in the early 1900’s at the corner of Columbia and Rockhill.

Helen graduated from Council Grove High School and earned her undergraduate degrees in Botany and Journalism from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. She enrolled in the master’s program at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work, where she met her husband Charles (Charlie) L. Judd.  They were married in 1944 after receiving their master’s degrees. They moved to California where they lived on the San Francisco Peninsula, first in San Mateo and later in the home they built in Belmont.

Helen and Charlie had four children:  Carolyn Felton (Wayne) of Charlotte, North Carolina; Kathryn Kurtz (Gary) of New York City; Martha Aggazzotti (Steve) of Newbury Park, California; and Kelley Judd currently living in Council Grove.

Both Helen and Charlie were teachers and were active in their church and civic affairs.  Upon retirement, the Judds moved back to Helen’s childhood home in Council Grove.

Helen’s love for Council Grove inspired her to renovate and restore the Hays House Restaurant, which had been owned by her family since 1911.  She believed the restored Hays House would increase tourism and commerce helping to enrich this unique, beautiful, historic community that she so loved. Helen’s love of cooking and entertaining made the historical restaurant popular with locals and other Kansans as well as a destination for tourists.

Helen and Charlie were involved in promoting Council Grove and active in the Historical Society, Chamber of Commerce / Tourism, Rotary, TPM, Talahi and Kansas Farm Bureau.

Like her grandfather, Helen had a special interest in gardening and was happiest when pulling weeds or pruning a bush—that is, if she weren’t playing bridge or trying a new recipe.  Helen and Charlie loved to travel and visited all seven continents and every state in the U.S.  Avid collectors, their house is filled with mementos from their travels.

In addition to her four children, Helen is survived by five grandchildren:  Ryan Marsh of San Diego, California; Todd Marsh (Kristi) of Park City, Utah; Andrew Felton (Alice) of Washington, DC; Julia Felton of Chevy Chase, Maryland, and Cristina Aggazzotti of Cambridge, Massachusetts.  She is further survived by four great-grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life will be held Thursday,  February 16th from 2:00 to 4:00, at the Hays House Restaurant & Tavern. Inurnment will be private.

Memorial donations may be made to the Morris County Historical Society.

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Roger Duane Stitt 84, passed away Feb. 3, 2017 at 2:35 PM in the Linn Community Nursing Home. He was born June 17 1932 in Clay Center, KS the son of Denny David and Emma May (Rogers) Stitt. Roger moved with his family to Concordia and later to Randolph. He worked for farmers in the area while attending school. Roger graduated from Randolph high school with the class of 1950. He enlisted in the US Navy in January 1951. After boot camp, while on leave, he married Jeanne Moon on April 19 1951. Roger trained as a diesel engineman & spent the next 4 years on board the USS Rehoboth until his discharge in October 1954.

Roger worked at a service station in Manhattan before moving to Kansas City to attend mechanics school under the GI bill. After a couple of years in Kansas City, they decided to move back to Clay Center to raise their family. He worked at Livengood-Siebold Motor Co. until he heard about KDOT giving test for auto mechanics.       Instead of offering him a mechanics job they hired him as equipment inspector for an eighteen-county area. That job lasted 30 years until his retirement in 1994.

Roger liked to camp and fish. He also enjoyed woodworking. Every year the girls in the family received little Christmas ornaments cut from wood. People around town always commented on seeing him driving his little Cushman pickup around town.

Preceding him in death were his parents; Sisters, Doris (Merlin) Schultes and Elaine Hitsman; Brothers, David Stitt, Donald Stitt, Robert Stitt, James Stitt and Baby boy Stitt.

Surviving are his wife, Sons Kenneth (Judy) Stitt, Richard (Elizabeth) Stitt and Terry (Tina) Stitt. 8 grandchildren & 8 great-grandchildren.

Funeral Services: 11:00AM Tuesday, February 7, 2017 at the Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home in Clay Center, KS

Minister: Rev. Matthew Coleman

Burial: Greenwood Cemetery, Clay Center, Kansas

Visitation: Monday, February 6, 2017 from 4-8 PM at Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home

Memorials: Clay County Hospital Foundation or Clay County Historical Society c/o the funeral home

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Gary E. Foskett 60, died February 3, 2017 at the Hutchinson Regional Hospital.  He was born May 20, 1956 in Texas the son of Harlan and Goldie Foiles Foskett Sr. He has been a resident of Sterling since 2008 and formerly of Orlando, Florida. He graduated from Nickerson High School in 1975 and Hutchinson Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Human Resources.  He was retired from the U.S. Navy serving in the Seabees.  He was a member of the United Methodist Church and church choir, served as a Boy Scout leader and was Scout Master for Troop 369, all of Sterling.  On May 21, 1977 he married Patricia Tierney in Mill Hall, Pennsylvania.

Survivors include his wife Patricia of the home, his son Paul Foskett and wife Allie and their children Sarina, Eric and Melissa of Gallatin, Tennessee; his daughter Brenda Foskett and Fiancée Lloyd Wilson of Gallatin, Tennessee and son Jayce Markham of Sterling; brothers Harlan Foskett Jr. of Austin, Texas, Michael Foskett of Kingman, Keith Foskett of Lorraine and Stanley Foskett of Bazine; sisters Deborah Berends of Great Bend and Sharan White of Wakeeney.

He was preceded in death by his parents Harlan and Goldie Foskett Sr., brother Randal Foskett, niece Kandy White and father-in-law Lee H. Tierney.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, February 8, 2017 at the United Methodist Church, Broadway & Jefferson, Sterling, with Rev. Jeff Miller officiating. Burial will Saturday, February 11, 2017 at the City of Gallatin Cemetery, Gallatin, Tennessee with Dr. Steven S. Nelson officiating. Friends may call from 2:00 until 7:00 P.M. with family present from 5:00 until 7:00 on Tuesday at Birzer Funeral Home, 203 North 7th in Sterling.  Memorials may be given to the Boy Scouts of America Troop 369 in care of Birzer Funeral Home, Sterling.

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John M. Conger passed away on Sunday, February 05, 2017 at Solomon Valley manor in Stockton, Kansas at the age of 100. He was born on April 11, 1916 in Stockton, Kansas to the late Aaron and Leffee (Larison) Conger. He grew up, and spent most of his life in the Woodston, Kansas area. On November 16, 1941 he was united in marriage to Wilma Blecha in Stockton. They were blessed with two boys, Grant and Paul.

John worked as a railway section hand before joining the United States Army Air Forces where he served during WWII in the Asiatic Pacific Theater. He then returned home and eventually took up farming and ranching, raising cattle and hogs. He was a member of the United Methodist Church in Woodston, a life member of VFW Post #8873 in Stockton, served on the Rooks County Fair Board, and was a member of Saqui Lodge #160 AF&AM Masonic Lodge in Osborne, and the Order of the Eastern Star in Alton. He enjoyed woodworking, playing cards, especially Pinochle, and loved spending time with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

John is survived by his grandsons John Conger and wife Tina of Hays, and Jake Conger and better half Barb Ard of Woodston; granddaughter Jana Becker and husband Joe of Plainville; and great-grandchildren Cody Conger, Colter Conger, Jeston Conger, Chase Conger, Kya Conger, Trayven Conger, Harper Becker, Davis Dandurand, and one on the way.

He was preceded in death by his parents Aaron and Leffee Conger, sons Grant Conger and Paul Conger, all of his brothers and sisters, and granddaughter Jill St. Clair.

John was a hardworking man who was tough on the outside and had a heart of gold on the inside. He was greatly loved and will be greatly missed, until we all meet together again, in that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Funeral Services will be held at 1:30 pm on Tuesday, February 7, 2017 at the United Methodist Church in Woodston. Burial will follow in Ash Rock Cemetery. Visitation will be from 2:00-8:00pm on Monday at the funeral home in Stockton.