Cecil "Gene" Smith 1925-2010

HAYSVILLE — Cecil “Gene” Smith, 84, of Haysville, died May 24 at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, Wichita. He was born July 5, 1925, at Olmitz, the son of Ray Ross Smith Sr. and Edna Mae (Becker) Smith. A lifelong resident of Kansas, he was a self-taught television repairman. He was owner/operator of Gene Smith T.V. for 50-plus years.

Mr. Smith was a member of the First United Methodist Church.

He married Elizabeth Lorraine Keened[sic]. She passed away in 1952. He then married Norma Jean Bell on Nov. 5, 1953, in Great Bend. She passed away in 2005.

Survivors include three sons, Larry (Pam) Smith of Russell, Jimmy (Del) Smith of Wichita and Rodney (Sandy) Smith of Haysville; a daughter, Gayla Smith of Wichita; a brother, John Smith of Great Bend; a sister, Carolyn (Bernie) Schulz of Alabama and Arizona; nine grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wives, one son, Donald, four brothers, Leo, Wayne, Ross and Wilmer, and three sisters, Maxine, Delfreda and Shirley.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Charter Funerals, Great Bend, with Elder John Smith as officiant. Interment will be at Great Bend City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at Charter Funerals. Memorials may be made to the Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, Wichita, or Community Christian Church, Great Bend. Funeral arrangements provided by

Charter Funerals*
2115 Washington
Great Bend, KS 67530
620-793-6161
Great Bend (Kan) Tribune, May 26, 2010

Donna M. Wegele (May 1, 1943 - July 5, 2010)

Donna M. Wegele, 67, died July 5, 2010 at her home, Pratt, Kansas. She was born May 1, 1943 at Great Bend, Kansas, the daughter of Roland John and Maxine Maurine (Smith) Rowley. She married Wilmer A. Wegele May 29, 1965 at Hoisington, Kansas. A Pratt resident for twelve years, Mrs. Wegele grew up in Hoisington. She was a homemaker and had been a cashier at the Pratt Community College cafeteria.

Mrs. Wegele was a member of the Lutheran Church.

Survivors include her husband, Wilmer A. Wegele, of the home; one son, Weldon Wegele, Salina, Kansas; one daughter, Dionne Rudney and husband Alex, Salida, Colorado; two sisters: Marilyn Bowman, Keller, Texas; and JoAnn Guerrero, San Jose, California; one brother, John Rowley, Augusta, Kansas; and three grandchildren: William Wegele, Zane Rudney, and Wyatt Rudney.

Funeral service will be at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, July 8, 2010 at Bryant Funeral Home with the Reverend Garry Dassow officiating. Burial will be in Golden Belt Cemetery. Friends may call from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 7, 2010 with the family receiving friends from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., and from 9:00 a.m. to service time Thursday, all at Bryant Funeral Home. Memorials are requested to the grandchildren's education fund, in care of the funeral home.

Tombstone Tuesday: J. M. and Nancy E. Smith

Boy was I excited today when I checked my e-mail and found that my Find A Grave request for my great-great grandparents had been fulfilled. John Mack "Maxie" Smith was b. 26 Feb 1831 in Bowling Green, Warren, Kentucky and d. 13 Jan 1900 in Jerome, Appanoose, Iowa. He m. Nancy Ellen Hickman in 1851. She was b. 4 Feb 1834 in Kentucky and d. 15 Aug 1896 in Jerome, Appanoose, Iowa. They are buried in Jerome Cemetery, Jerome, Appanoose, Iowa. They had nine children: Ellen; John Franklin "Frank"; William Thomas "Tom"; James; Stephen Henry "Henry"; Martha Jane "Mattie"; Mary Cleoria "Ora"; John Martin "Mart"; and Leonard E. Thanks so much to Find A Grave Contributor: rhondabrent for taking this wonderful photo.

A Call Out of The Blue

I got a phone call out of the blue today after I got home from running errands. It was my first cousin once removed, Allen Lee Roberts. He is the son of Walter Ray and Anna Belle "Annie" (Carmack) Roberts. He was asking me questions about the Roberts family and also telling me lots of stuff about the Roberts and Carmack families. Also told me that he had pictures of my great-grandparents, Benjamin Franklin and Lucy Jane (Allen) Roberts. Boy was I excited. In the end we exchanged snail mail addresses and agreed to share all our information. He was excited when I told him that I had copies of his mother's obituaries and a picture of her tombstone. He had been asking me lots of questions about his mother because he didn't have much on her. Said he had sent off for Walter and Annie's marriage license and I told him I already had it and would be glad to send him a copy. Am really looking forward to seeing what information, pictures, etc. he sends me. Gotta get busy and send some stuff off to him as well. He also told me about the death of two of my cousins (see my previous posts) - Lois Maxine (Roberts) Reed and her son, Lesley Everett Reed. They died within two days of each other, Lois on 16 Mar 2010 and Lesley on 14 Mar 2010. He said that Lois had a trunk full of family information that she wouldn't share with anyone and that her daughter was going to locate the trunk and go through whatever was in it and send him stuff. Hope she follows through. Sure wish I could have recorded our conversation. Allen is 75 and will be turning 76 on 29 May 2010 and lives in Nathrop, Colorado. Between Allen and my cousin Becky Jamison I sure would like to make a trip out to Colorado!!!

Obituary: Lois "Maxine" Reed 9-19-1924 - 3-16-2010

Died peacefully, with family, in Carmichael, Calif. Maxine was the first born of six children in Barber County, Kansas in 1924 to Anabelle and Walter Roberts. She attended High School in Hazelton, Kansas. It was there that she met Lesley H. Reed, whom she married October 9, 1942 and moved to Portland, Maine, where he served in the military. In 1946 they moved to Maxwell, Calif. to join other family members; Les and Maxine lived most of their 57 years of married life in Maxwell where they owned and operated a small trucking company. Maxine began the service of driving handicapped children from throughout Colusa County to school in Colusa, which developed into a twenty-year career. Maxine was a homemaker and mother to her three children, Lesley "Sonny", Lois and Loretta. Maxine had a cheerful personality and was a kind and loving wife and mother. She reached out to help people. Musically inclined, she played the organ and enjoyed singing as well as dancing. She took great pleasure from embroidering gifts for family and friends, and doted on her dog, Pepper. Maxine was preceded in death by her husband, Lesley H. Reed in 1999, and her son, Lesley E. Reed, of Yreka, California, on March 14, 2010. Maxine leaves to mourn her passing her daughters, Lois Reed of Moscow, Idaho, Loretta Reed of Carmichael, California, daughter-in- law Nova Reed of Yreka, California; sister Dotty Moore of Pratt, Kansas; brother Alan Roberts of Nathrop, Colorado; and granddaughter Leona Ahles of Moscow, Idaho. A double memorial for both Maxine, and her son, Lesley, will be held Saturday, March 27, 2010, 2 pm at the Maxwell Baptist Church, 177 N. California Street, Maxwell, California. A double internment after the memorial will be held at the Maxwell Cemetery. Send Condolences at www.appealdemocrat.com