ALL OBITUARIES ARE LISTED ALPHABETICALLY AND WILL REMAIN POSTED FOR SEVEN DAYS.
Rodney Mason Bowen-posted 7/23/14
Rodney Mason Bowen, age 76, of Manhattan, entered his Heavenly Home July 22, 2014, from the Good Shepherd Hospice House in Manhattan.
He was born March 12, 1938, in Seminole, Oklahoma, the son of Jasper V. and Golden A. (Marvel) Bowen. He had been a Manhattan resident for 50 years.
Rod graduated from Chase High School in 1955 and attended Kansas State University.
He served for four years in the United States Army, honorably discharged as a SP5. Rod worked for 36 years with Farm Bureau Mutual Company and served the State of Kansas as the Auto Underwriting Manager, retiring in 2000.
Rod was a former member of First Baptist Church and served as a Deacon and Trustee. Since 2004 he has been a member of Grace Baptist Church and Trubey Care Cell. He was active in Jaycees and for 18 years he helped coordinate the Miss Manhattan-K-State Scholarship Pageant including one year as Director.
He loved fishing with his grandchildren and teaching them how to drive. He enjoyed reading and collected John Grisham novels, and traveling. He and Nancy had been on 11 cruises and he planned a 50th Class Reunion for his high school class with a cruise to the inside passage in Alaska.
On June 27, 1939, at the Sterling Presbyterian Church in Sterling, Kansas, he was married to the former Nancy Lee Broadstreet. Mrs. Bowen survives of the home in Manhattan. Additional survivors include his four children: David Lane Bowen and his wife Jody of White Bear Lake, MN, Brent Edward Bowen of Overland Park, KS, Cynthia Lynne Huber and her husband Larry of Manhattan, and Amy Janelle Blackburn and her husband Jason of Shawnee, KS; seven grandchildren: Andrew, Ashley, Briana, Schuyler, Rodney, Brittany and Brett; one great-granddaughter, Anastasia; and two in-laws: Jo Bowen and Donald Keesling; and his nieces and nephews.
Rod was preceded in death by his parents and two siblings: Vernon “Bud” Bowen and Mary Jo Keesling, and his very close in-laws Bernard and Jennie Broadstreet.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, August 9th, at the Grace Baptist Church, 2901 Dickens Avenue, Manhattan, with Pastor Bob Flack and Dan Learned officiating. Inurnment will be at a later date in Marion, KS.
The family will receive friends prior to the service from 10:00 until 10:45 A.M. Saturday at the church.
Online condolences may be left for the family by clicking on “Send Condolences” on this page.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Good Shepherd Hospice House or the Meadowlark Hills Foundation for Bramlage House. Contributions may be left in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502.
Twila Sybil Converse-posted 7/23/14
Twila Sybil Converse, age 72, of rural Olsburg, Kansas, died Saturday July 19, 2014 at the Mercy Regional Health Center in Manhattan, Kansas.
Sybil was born in Emporia, Kansas on November 17, 1941, the daughter of Dr. Ralph and Genevieve Barrett, of Burlington, Kansas.
When her father returned to Kansas State College to complete his education in veterinary medicine, she began her education in Manhattan. She also attended schools in Hoisington, Leroy, and Burlington. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Kansas State University. Sybil was also a graduate cosmetologist and later in her life she completed her Theological Education for Ministry from the School of Theology from the University of the South.
Sybil devoted her entire life to being a loving supporting wife and partner, a loving supporting mother to her four sons and many of their friends. She was always a working partner to any activity that her family was involved in, always there to help anyone that was in need of support. Much of her time was devoted the past 18 years in helping manage their dream ranch, with cow-calf operation and of course her favorite, horses. When not managing at the ranch she was volunteering mostly at the church Encore Shop. She also volunteered and was committed to the Pastoral Care Service for the church, calling and visiting those in hospitals and care homes.
She was a member of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Manhattan and the church Pastoral Care Services, she was also a member of the Chapter GU PEO Sisterhood, Order of St. Luke, and National Society Daughters of the American Colonists, American Legion Auxiliary, Domestic Science Club, and the Kansas State Alumni Association.
Sybil was united in marriage to Leo H. Converse on September 3, 1961 in Burlington, Kansas. He survives of the home. From this union God blessed them with four sons: Terry L. Converse (Jennifer), Myron L. Converse (Tami), Michael J. Converse (Lori), and Seven Arizona Black “Steven D. Converse” (Kjersten). Her sons blessed her by marrying the girls she richly deserved and wanted, each becoming her daughter.
Other survivors include her father, Dr. Ralph Barrett; sister, Cynthia K. Miller (Dave), mother-in-law, LaMoyne H. Converse, her aunt, Illa Rhue Gleue and Uncle Elmer; three granddaughters: Mandy, Meagan, and Mindy Converse, two grandsons, Kyle Converse (Shyanne) and Dalton Converse. Sybil is also survived by many brother and sister-in-laws, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Genevieve (Berry) Barrett, several aunts, and her father-in-law, Harry H. Converse.
A Celebration of Sybil’s Life will be held Wednesday July 30, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. at the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 601 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church – Pastoral Care Service or to Cottey College-Sybil Converse Memorial Fund. Contributions may be left in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502.
Isabella (Kirkman) DeArmond-posted 7/26/14
Isabella (Kirkman) DeArmond, the daughter of Kristine Leigh Kirkman and Justin Beau DeArmond, passed away July 23, 2014, at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, as the result of the Trisomy 18 birth defect.
She was born March 4, 2014, at Mercy Regional Health Center in Manhattan.
Isabella is survived by her parents of the home; two siblings: Nathan and Amelia DeArmond of the home; and three grandparents: Ken Kirkman of Houston, TX, and Howard and Jeanie DeArmond of Manhattan.
She was preceded in death by her grandmother Jerrie Kirkman.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Tuesday, July 29th, at the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home. Cremation will follow the service.
The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 P.M. Monday at the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home.
Online condolences may be left for the family by clicking on “Send Condolences” on this page.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Mighty Oakes Heart Foundation. Contributions may be left in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502.
Pamela Olson Posted 7/28/14
Pamela Jean Olson, 54, of rural Onaga, Kansas, formerly of Albuquerque, New Mexico and Loveland, Colorado, died Sunday, July 27, 2014, after a battle with cancer. She lived the last ten years in Albuquerque and had recently moved to Kansas to be close to her family.
Pam was born July 17, 1960, in Gary, Indiana, the daughter of Eugene and Dorothy Jagielia Olson. She attended local schools and graduated from Thompson Valley High School in Loveland in 1978. Pam also earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mathematics and Reading.
In her earlier years Pam was a paramedic. After earning her degrees she began teaching and tutoring. She taught in the Akron, Ohio public schools and the Catholic Charities in Albuquerque. Pam also served as a resident advisor at Job Corps, she tutored at Brown Mackie College, she did seasonal tax preparations for H & R Block, and elder care. Pam had many work related awards given her over the years and was also a published poet. She volunteered at the Royal Family Kids Camps in Ohio and Colorado and helped with many church activities, classes and singing in the choir. She also volunteered as a cuddler in the Neonate Intensive Care Unit at the University of New Mexico Children’s Hospital, She held a patent on apparel for nursing mothers. Pam was an accomplished photographer and also enjoyed cake decorating.
She was a Third Order Member of the Society of St. Pius X and a member of Assumption Chapel in St. Marys.
Pam is survived by her father, Eugene, Onaga; her sisters, Mary Cason (Jeffrey), Loveland, Colorado, Gale Barr (Rick), Onaga; brother, Kevin Olson (Syndi), Loveland, Colorado. Pam was loved by numerous cousins and nieces and nephews but was especially close to her cousin, Therese Hazel. She was preceded in death by her mother on January 23, 2002.
A Requiem Mass will be held at 7:15 a.m., Friday, August 1, 2014, at Assumption Chapel in St. Marys, Kansas. Burial will follow at Our Lady of Peace Cemetery. Miss Olson will lie-in-state, on Thursday, beginning at 2:00 p.m. at Campanella-Evans Mortuary in Wamego where a rosary prayer service will be held at 6:00 p.m. The family suggests memorial contributions to St. Marys Academy for masses, and those may be sent in care of the mortuary. Online condolences may be made at www.campanellafuneral.com.
