Elizabeth Ashbrook 84, Shawnee, Kansas passed away March 8, 2010. 

 

She was born November 24, 1925 in rural Fort Scott, Kansas. She was the daughter of Herman and Lottie Toepfer.  Elizabeth attended grade school in rural Fort Scott at the Pleasant Valley School.  She graduated from Fort Scott High School and Fort Scott Junior College then attended the Pittsburg State Teachers College, now Pittsburg State University. Directly after graduating, Elizabeth taught three years at the Pleasant Valley grade school, a one-room schoolhouse with all eight grades.  Later before getting married, she taught three years as a second grade teacher at Caney, Kansas.  Then she was a substitute teacher for several years. 

 

Elizabeth married Orville Ashbrook on June 5, 1949.  Elizabeth and Orville lived in Caney, Kansas with their daughter until 1964 when they moved to Shawnee, Kansas. Elizabeth worked for the Pyramid Life Insurance Company for twenty-two years in Mission, Kansas. She and her husband both decided to retire in the year 1988. She enjoyed the friends that she made at work and in the community and continued to have get-togethers even years later.

 

Elizabeth loved to travel, cook and do new things, but being with family was where she was happy.  In her earlier years, she enjoyed being a Brownie and Girl Scout leader and Bible School teacher.  All through the years she enjoyed being a volunteer for charity work by helping at church events or even sending out mailings.  She was a member of the Caney United Methodist Church and later a member of the Shawnee United Methodist Church.

 

Elizabeth was preceded in death by her infant son, James Scott Ashbrook, her parents, a sister, Mildred Defebaugh, and brother, Kenneth Toepfer.  Survivors include her husband Orville; a daughter, Denise Dickson and spouse Jaye; a granddaughter, Michelle Blaske and her spouse Keith; a grandson Jason Dickson; two great-grandchildren, Serena and Harley Blaske; one brother Earnest Toepfer and his spouse Freda; sister in law Wilma Toepfer; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

 

In lieu of flowers please donate to the Stafford County Hospital, 502 S. Buckeye, Stafford, Kansas 67578, Reno County Hospice, 1600 N. Lorraine, Suite 203, Hutchinson, Kansas 67501,  or a charity of your choice. 

 

Vistation and Graveside Services

 

The visiting hours will be 6 to 8 pm. Thursday, March 11, 2010, at the Amos Family Chapel of Shawnee.  Graveside services will be 1 p.m. Friday, March 12, 2010, at the Sunnyside Cemetery in Caney, KS. 

William Lee Lowenbruck, 80, of Lenexa, Kansas, died March 9, 2010 at his home.

 

William was born on June 22, 1929 to Ambrose and Katherine Lowenbruck in Caldwell, Kansas. 

 

He is survived by one brother, Sylvan Lowenbruck of Shawnee, Kansas.

 

Services

 

The family will have graveside services at Douglass Cemetery in Douglass, Kansas at a later date.

Valentine S. Janasz, 71, Prairie Village, passed away, Monday March 8, 2010 at University of Kansas Medical Center. 

 

Bud was born December 7, 1938 to Bartholomew Janasz and Anna M. Blecharczyk in Leavenworth, Kansas.  He graduated from Immaculata Catholic High School in 1957.  After high school Bud joined the U.S.  Marine Corps.  While on active duty Bud met Jane Fittro.  On April 25, 1959 Bud married Jane in Rockville, Maryland.  Bud left the service in 1960. He joined the Prairie Village Police Department in 1965 and served for 27 years before retiring in 1992. 

 

Bud is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Jane;  a daughter, Marie A. Caldwell and husband Michael, De Soto, Kansas; three sons, Steven J. Janasz and wife Shelly, Lenexa, Kansas, Philip D. Janasz, and wife Leslie, Overland Park, Kansas, Paul Brian Janasz, Kansas City, Kansas;  five grandchildren: Jessica, Bret, Rhiannon, Riley, Ramsey; and two brothers, Frank and Florian Janasz.

 

The family suggests memorial contributions be made to Catholic Charities 9720 West 87^th Street Overland Park, Kansas 66212 or the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #10.

 

 

Visitation and Services

 

Visitation will be 10 to 11 am Thursday, March 11, 2020 at the Amos Family Chapel of Shawnee.  Funeral Services will follow at 11.   Burial with military honors will be at Corinth Cemetery in Prairie Village. 

Donald L. “Don” Wempe, 82, of Shawnee, Kansas, passed away, Monday, March 8, 2010.

 

Don was born January 1, 1928 in Brown County, Kansas, the son of Frank and Thelma Wempe. He attended Sabetha High where he was a member of the football, basketball and track teams. He graduated in 1945. He was a veteran of WWII and served in the occupation army in Japan in 1946-47.

 

He attended Kansas State University and graduated in 1950. Don was a long time season ticket holder with the Chiefs and Royals. He enjoyed fishing and hunting with his poodles. He was a life member of the American legion Post #327 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #7285 of Sabetha.

 

While at Kansas State, Don was a sports writer for the Manhattan Mercury and covered K.S.U. sports for three years. After graduating, he moved to St. Louis and was sports director at Washburn University.

 

Don was a sales representative and retired in 1987.

 

He leaves these survivors; a brother, Dale (Virginia), of Kansas City; a sister, Maxine Draney (Jerald), of Grainsville, Virginia and a niece and a nephew.

 

Memorial Visitation

 

Visitation will be from 1 – 3 p.m., Friday, March 12, 2010, at the Amos Family Chapel of Shawnee.

Helyn Smith, 82 of Shawnee, Kansas, passed away March 8, 2010.

 

Helyn was born December 27, 1927 in Sunbury, Ohio, to George and Ethel (Buchanan) Morrison and was one of nine siblings.  She worked as a beautician for many years, and was a member of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 327.

 

Helyn was preceded in death by her parents, siblings, and a grandson, Ronnie Bess.  She is survived by her husband Floyd T. Smith; by her son Okey Bess and his wife Jeri; two grandchildren, Brandon Bess and Christy Heath, her husband Philip, along with great-grandson, Damon. 

 

Memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in Helyn’s memory.

 

Visitation and Funeral Service

 

A visitation will be held from 12 noon to 1 pm, Thursday March 11, 2010, followed by the funeral service at 1 pm at the Amos Family Chapel of Shawnee.  A graveside service will be held at 3:30 pm at St. Joseph Memorial Park Cemetery in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Betty Lou Lassiter was born in Osborn, Missouri on March 9, 1924.  She grew up there, and moved to Maryville, Missouri,  to attend Northwest Missouri State College in 1942.  Betty Lou received her Bachelor of Science degree majoring in music in 1946.  She married The Rev. Arleigh W. Lassiter on June 28, 1947, and they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, in 1949.

 

Betty was the organist at The Church of the Good Shepherd from 1949 to 1967.  She taught piano lessons to many students over the years.  Betty Lassiter played the organ at Avondale Methodist Church for several years.  Betty and Arleigh moved to Merriam, Kansas, in 1979 where Arleigh continued his ministry at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Shawnee, Kansas.  Betty served as the organist at St. Luke’s from 1980 to 1999.  She was a member of the American Guild of Organists, and assisted with many organizations within the church.

 

Betty Lassiter passed away March 7, 2010.  She is survived by her husband Arleigh of 63 years, and two daughters,  Cheryl Ball and husband Gary, and Charlene Lassiter.  She has four grandchildren-Nancy Palmer, Shannon Sutherland, Stacey Sutherland, and Scott Sutherland. Betty was blessed with three great grandchildren-Mikayla Pink, Jackson Palmer, and Caroline Palmer.  Also, she is survived by her brother, Don Crane, of Cameron, Missouri.  Betty was preceded in death by her granddaughter Dr. Julie A. Ball.

 

In lieu of flowers, the family has asked for donations to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Alzheimer’s Association, or Grace Hospice.     

 

Memorial Service

 

The memorial service will be held on March 13, 2010 at 3:00 PM at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church 5325 Nieman Road, Shawnee, Kansas 66203. 

Marilyn K  Day, 63, of Overland Park, Kansas passed away at 2:20 Saturday, March 6, 2010 at the KU Medical Center following a lengthy illness.

 

She was born Nomvember 19, 1946 in her paternal grandpartent’s home in Clyde, Kansas to Richard and Marjorie (Kennedy) Sager.  She attended schools in Clyde, Kansas, graduating from the Clyde Rural High School in 1964.  Following graduation , she attended beauty school in Hays, Kansas.

 

She and Marvin Day were married in 1965.  They later divorced.  She moved frequently, living in several Midwestern states including: Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, and Kansas, finally settling in Overland Park, Kansas in the early 1970’s.  Her many work experiences included: secretarial, medical and legal transcription, legal services, printing, typesetting, and banking.   She owned and operated two businesses, Day Secretarial Service and Alpha-Omega Typesetting.  She most recently worked as a bank officer at Industrial State Bank in the Argentine area of Kansas City, Kansas.  She enjoyed reading, yard work, visiting with neighbors, blonde jokes, day trips, bargain shopping, and searching for the perfict gifts for her grandchildren. 

 

Survivors include her mother, Marjorie Sager of Clay Center, Kansas; one brother, James Sager of Kansas City, Missouri; one son, Jon Day and wife, Michaele of Altamont, Kansas; and ten grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her Father, Richard Sager.

 

Services

 

A private family memorial service will be held at a later date in Clay Center, Kansas. 

Kenneth was born in Niobrara (Verdel) Nebraska, to Ralph Earl Moser and Josephine Mcaffee. He was the eldest of four children. Kenneth graduated from Clearwater Schools in May 1951.  He participated in school basketball and football.

 

Kenneth enlisted in the US Air Force in March 24, 1952.  He served one year tour of duty in Korea. He served on an outpost near K55 Air Force base and outside of Seoul.  He was honorably discharged in March 24, 1956.

 

Kenneth graduated in February 1963 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering.  After graduation, he went to work for the Bendix Corporation in Kansas City, Missouri, as a gage engineer in the gaging department in February 1963. Later he was transferred to the metrology laboratory as a metrologist. In 1983 Bendix became the Allied Signal Corporation. In April of 1990 he retired from the Allied Signal Corporation. After graduation, he became a life member of the University of Nebraska Alumni Association. During the early years with the Bendix Corporation, Ken served 2 years as a Junior Achievement Advisor.  He was also a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Codes & Standards committee for 15 years He served with the working group 1.12-coordinate measurement machines. 

 

He is survived by wife Rita J. Moser. They were married on July 13, 1957.  He is also survived by two sons, Keith (Lori) Moser of Una, Idaho and Roger Moser of Olathe, Kansas; grandson Logan Moser of Forrest Grove, Oregon; siblings Delores R. (Bob) Morgan, Lincoln, Nebraska, Janet J. (Don) Christensen, Henderson, Nevada, and Karen K. (Dixie) Moser, Omaha, Nebraska

 

Visitaton and Funeral Services

 

Visitation will be 6-8 p.m., Monday, March 8, 2010, at Amos Funeral Chapel of Shawnee, Kansas.  Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mission, Kansas. Graveside services will be Wednesday, March 10, 10:30 a.m. at David City Cemetery in David City Nebraska.

Gene Amos, 78, Shawnee, Kansas died Friday, July 24, 2009, at the Kansas City Hospice House.

 

Gene was born August 20, 1930, in Liberal, Kansas, the son of Edward Paul and Hazel Crane Amos.  He and his sister, Paula, moved with their parents to Shawnee in the fall of 1945 to build a funeral home at 301 Main Street.  The E. Paul Amos Funeral Home was open for business in May of 1946.

 

Gene joined the business in August of 1952 after serving in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.

 

Gene graduated from Shawnee Mission Rural High School in 1948 and in 1978 was named Distinguished Alumni.  He graduated from Kansas City Missouri Jr. College in 1950 and Kansas City College of Mortuary Science in 1951.   Gene earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 1945 and was also in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. 

 

Service to the community was an important part of Gene’s life and that service continued on through his involvement in the following organizations:   Optimist Baseball organizing the association; Optimist International as Past President and District Governor;  Shawnee Historical Society serving as Charter Member and Past President.  Gene and his dad along with many other Shawnee businessmen helped to build and establish Old Shawnee Town.  He was on the Shawnee Elementary School Board and Shawnee Mission Unified School Board, serving as Past President of both Boards;  Past President and member of the Kansas Funeral Director’s Association; Past President and member of the Kansas State Board of Embalmers;  one of the founding members of the Society of the Descendants of Dr. Johannes de la Montagne;  member of many Family Genealogical Societies;  member of St. Andrews Society;  Past President and member of the Delaware Crossing Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution;  Past President and Honorary Member of the Shawnee Chamber of Commerce where he received Citizen of the Year; Merriam and Lenexa Chamber of Commerce;  Former Precinct Republican Committeeman;  charter member of the Ancient Form Masonic Lodge;  Scottish Rite Bodies;  Abdallah Shrine, Beatrice Chamber, Order of the Eastern Star;  Kansas House of Representatives Serving the 18^th District (1987-1993);  Chairman of the Shawnee Downtown Partnership;  Rotary International serving as Past President of the Lenexa Rotary Club and as District Governor for District 5710 and former member of the DeSoto and Shawnee Mission Rotary Clubs;  Board member of the Lakeview Village Retirement Community;  former Foundation Board Member of Shawnee Mission Medical Center and Johnson County Community College;  former member of Overland Park Christian Church serving as Deacon, Elder and Past Chairman;  member of Merriam Christian Church serving as Past Board Chair, choir member, Elder and Chair of numerous committees.  Gene has received numerous awards and recognition throughout the years.

 

Gene was also the author of several books:  History of Kansas Funeral Directors;  Ancestory from A toZ, Amos, Zoll and Related Families;  and co-authored Tales of the Preacher and the Undertaker with his longtime friend, Forrest Haggard.

 

Gene’s last project was a vision of a sculpture to recognize 50 years of Shawnee Optimist Baseball.  He was working with the artist Charles Goslin and the City of Shawnee to make this vision a reality.

 

Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Margaret Zoll Amos;  son, Gregg Amos (Brenda) of Shawnee;  daughters, Joni Pflumm of Lenexa and Amy Ruo (John) of Shawnee;  sister, Paula Ramona Upton of Topeka, Kansas;  six grandchildren, Matt Pflumm (Jessica), Megan Bassman (Max), Melissa Meythaler (Jeremy), Parker Amos, Toni Ruo and Philip Ruo;  one great-grandson, Nathaniel Stinemetz.

 

Memorial Contributions

 

Shawnee Optimist Baseball Sculpture, P. O. Box 13430, Shawnee Mission, Kansas 66282-3430

 

Merriam Christian Church, 9401 Johnson Drive, Merriam, Kansas 66203

 

Lenexa Rotary Foundation, c/o Lou Gehring, 16005 W. 80th Place, Lenexa, Kansas 66219.

 

 

Visitation and Funeral Service

 

Friends may call from 1:00-8:00 p.m. on Monday, July 27, 2009, at the Amos Family Chapel of Shawnee.  Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at the chapel.  Burial in Shawnee Mission Memory Gardens.   

 

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Stephen K. McClintic, 58, formerly of Turner, Kansas, passed away on Tuesday, February 9, 2010, at his home in Houston, Texas, where he lived for the past 30 years. 

 

He was born on March 7, 1951 to parents, J.D. McClintic and Jeanette (Masters) McClintic, who preceded him in death. Steve is survived by his sister, Victoria McCrary and family, and his brother, Richard McClintic and family, many other family members, and several beloved friends in Texas.

 

The family suggests contributions in memory of Steve be made to the charity of your choice.

 

Celebration of Life Services

 

Family and friends are invited to a Celebration of Life which will be held at the Amos Family Chapel of Shawnee on Saturday, March 6, 2010, from 3 to 5 p.m.