Obituaries
Merrill Virgil Welch
Nov 20, 2025
UPDATE
A Celebration of Life service and reception will be held at 11:00 AM, on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at Council Grove United Methodist Church, 21 N Mission, Council Grove. The family welcomes all who knew and loved Merrill to join them in remembering and honoring his life.
Merrill “Bud” Virgil Welch Jr. of Council Grove, KS, passed away peacefully at his...
Gene Barr
Apr 22, 2026
Gene D. Barr, 99, passed on to his eternal home on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, surrounded in love by his family at his home near Diamond Springs, Kansas. Nearly a century earlier, Gene was born “Jean” Drummond Barr on November 23, 1926 to Carl Otto and Margaret Drummond Barr at the very same country home.
Gene grew up on the family...
Gordon Smith
Apr 12, 2026
Gordon Robert Smith was born on October 16, 1940, in Shattuck, Oklahoma, to Paul and Maggie Francis (Donley) Smith. From an early age, Gordon was shaped by strong values of hard work, service, and community—values he carried with him throughout his life.
He attended school in Fargo, Oklahoma, and after graduating high school went on to Wichita Technical College in Wichita,...
Shirley Messer
Apr 11, 2026
Shirley Jean (Stone) Messer, 85, of Council Grove, Kansas, passed away on April 11, 2026. Shirley was born on November 2, 1940, to Jack and Nadine Stone in Columbus, Kansas.
Shirley met her one true love, Earl “Dean” Messer, through her cousin, Junior Stone. On their first date, Dean took Shirley to see Love Me Tender, starring Elvis Presley— Dean knew...
charles Grimmett
Apr 9, 2026
Charles Harold Grimmett was born March 12, 1938 to Olen Harley and Esther Emelia (Collyer) Grimmett in Maysville, Missouri. Charles was the oldest of ten children. The family moved multiple times by the time Charles was ten years old. In 1948 the family settled in a home on south 4th street in Council Grove, Kansas where Charles lived until leaving...
Glen Eldon Sisson
Mar 22, 2026
Glen Eldon Sisson, Jr., best known as “Fuzzy,” passed away on March 22, 2026, at the age of 76 in Council Grove, Kansas.
Glen was born in Herington, Kansas to Bonita Sisson and Glen Eldon Sisson (Pee-Wee). He attended school in Dwight, Kansas, and went on to live a life defined by hard work, independence, and a willingness to take on...
Joyce Sellin
Mar 21, 2026
Joyce Jane Sellin passed away on March 21, 2026, at Diversicare in Council Grove. She was born on February 13, 1940, in Herington, Kansas, to Mary Helbach and Walter Carl Sellin.
Joyce was baptized at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Latimer. She graduated from Woodbine School in 1958 and grew up on a farm north...
Wiletta Kay Lewis
Mar 21, 2026
Wiletta Kay Lewis, of Council Grove, Kansas, passed away peacefully on March 21, 2026, at the age of 59.
Wiletta was born on April 13, 1966. She was known for her deep love of the outdoors, a passion that began while growing up on the family farm.
She found great joy in tending to her summer garden and could often be found...
Timothy Elmer Garrett
Mar 5, 2026
Timothy Garrett “Tim”, age 67, was born during a blizzard on February 3, 1959 to Charles and Mary Lou (Wilson) Garrett. He passed away at Stormont Vail Hospital on March 5, 2026.
He and Katherine (Barger) Garrett were married on August 15, 1987 in Council Grove, Kansas.
Tim never met a stranger and loved to “shoot the breeze” with anyone and everyone,...
Phyllis Irene Waugh
Mar 5, 2026
Phyllis Irene Waugh of White City, KS passed way surrounded by family on March 5th, 2026, at the Good Shepherd Hospice House in Manhattan. She was born on August 19, 1943, on the family farm North of Eldon, Iowa to Rudolph Herman Osing and Della Marie Dalbey Osing. She was the 3rd of 4 sisters, Norma Jean Davisson, Margaret Louise...
Delma Boyer
Mar 5, 2026
Delma Jean Boyer joined her Savior peacefully on March 5, 2026, in Council Grove, Kansas. She was born Delma Jean Comp on Christmas Day in 1925 southwest of White City, KS, in the Red Top community. She grew up on the farm of her parents, J. Howard and Marie Henry Comp, along with her two sisters, Doreen and Myra. She...
Mary Ann Wendel
Mar 1, 2026
Mary Ann Wendel’s life began as Camden County Missouri’s first birth of the year on January 1, 1946. She was born to Don and Wilda Hill. She spent the first two years of her life in Illinois until being adopted by her mother’s parents, Arthur and Cordia Huber who from then on became “Momma and Daddy”. Mary Ann grew up...
Lea Paige Walker
Feb 16, 2026
Lea’s life began on June 9, 1942, in Wichita. She was the daughter Ralph and Marjorie (Huffman) Walker. Her father passed away and her mother later married her stepfather, Lloyd Weeks. Lea had worked for several nursing homes including West Haven and Osage nursing homes. She worked at the Council Grove Senior Center for many years and enjoyed decorating the...
Alice Clare Allen
Jan 28, 2026
Alice Allen of Council Grove passed away at the age of 99 on January 28, 2026.
Alice was born on January 15,1927 to the parents of Grover and Nelle McCrabb. She married Dean Allen on February 14,1947. Alice and Dean had a long and happy life together for 72 years before Dean passed away in 2019. They had 2 children, Gary...
Dennis A. Wainwright
Jan 25, 2026
Dennis Allen Wainwright, 70, passed away January 25th, 2026, at AdventHealth Hospital in Shawnee Mission, KS. He was born February 13th, 1955, in Council Grove, KS to Edgar and Mary Lou (Ziegler) Wainwright. He attended Alta Vista Grade School and graduated from Council Grove High School in 1973. While in high school, he enjoyed being a part of the Braves...
Larry Joseph Carmody
Jan 18, 2026
Larry J. Carmody died peacefully on Sunday, January 18, 2026, in Council Grove, KS. Services with full military honors will be held at Fort Logan National Cemetery, Denver, Colorado on Thursday, 1/29/26 at 11:30 a.m. Arrive at 11:15 a.m. Staging Area White.
Larry Joseph Carmody was born on July 17, 1946, in Carrington, ND. He was the seventh son of James...
Kathryn B'Hymer
Jan 12, 2026
Kathy (Kathryn) Maxine B’Hymer
Kathy B’Hymer, 77, passed away on January 12, 2026, in Council Grove, Kansas.
She enjoyed camping, bingo halls, casinos, traveling, scrapbooking, Pickard “cousin” reunions, jigsaw puzzles, Phase 10, and crocheting. Notably, she did not enjoy cooking—at all.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Wayne and Maxine Howell; her sister, Connie Robinson; and her husband, Jack.
She is survived...
Ralph Edward Hedgespeth
Jan 8, 2026
DUE TO THE WEATHER, THE GRAVESIDE SERVICE HAS BEEN CHANGED TO A MEMORIAL SERVICE LOCATED AT THE DUNLAP GYMNASIUM, 601 5TH STREET, COUNCIL GROVE, KS. 66846.
Ralph Hedgespeth, born on August 12, 1946, was a devoted husband, father, and community servant whose life was rooted in hard work, service, and family. On September 24, 1965, Ralph married the love of his...
Robert Allen Smith
Jan 5, 2026
Robert Allen Smith was born in Wilsey, Kansas on September 29, 1939. He was proceeded in death by his grandparents Ralph and Flossie Stover, Orville Smith (father), Juanita Stover Smith (mother), James Smith (brother) and Angela Prince (niece). He is survived by Larry Smith (brother) and Barbara Smith (wife), Lawrence Strouts (uncle), nieces, nephews and many cousins.
Bob worked for the...
