KLKC Obituaries

01/08/2026

Ruth M. Lavender, 81, of rural Altamont, passed away at 1:51 p.m., Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The funeral service will be at 10:00 a.m., Monday, January 12, 2025, at the First Baptist Church in Altamont. Burial will follow at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Altamont.

Ruth Marie Adams was born on March 30, 1944, to W. Glenn and Hazel (Westervelt) Adams in Hallowell, Kansas. She grew up and attended school in Labette County, graduating from Labette County Community High School in 1962.

On September 8, 1963, Ruth and Dale L. Lavender were united in marriage at the First Baptist Church in Altamont. Ruth devoted her life to making a loving and comfortable home for her family. She was a proud farm wife, who also babysat numerous children. For several years, Ruth also was the weekend grill cook at the Grizzly Den.

A devoted Christian, Ruth was a lifelong member of the First Baptist Church of Altamont. She loved to volunteer at the New Life Clothing and More store in Altamont. A long-time quilter, Ruth enjoyed being a member of the Itchin’ for Stitchin’ quilting club.

She is survived by her daughter, Tammy Sue Hilderbrand and her husband, Keith, of Altamont, Kansas; two grandchildren, Lori Zielinski and her husband, Mike, and Kristopher Hawley and his wife, Molly; two great-grandchildren, Mikayla Zielinski and Jadyn Zielinski; one great-great-granddaughter, Portlynn; two sisters, Mildred Banzet and her husband, Hosea, of Altamont, Kansas, and Janet Miller of Wheaton, Illinois; and daughter-in-law, Cynda Lavender.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Dale Lavender, on August 1, 2011; her son, Roger Lavender on March 26, 2017; and grandson, Joshua Hilderbrand on December 13, 2015.

01/08/2026

Betty J. Swanwick, 83, of Parsons, passed away on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at her home. There will be a Memorial Visitation from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons. The memorial service will be at 2:00 p.m., Thursday, January 15, 2026, at the Remnant Nazarene Church in Parsons. A private inurnment will take place at a later date at the Oswego Cemetery.

Betty Jane McCartney was born on June 17, 1942, to Clarence and Emma (Knight) McCartney in rural Labette County. She grew up and attended school in Parsons, graduating from Parsons High School.

For many years, Betty worked in the healthcare industry, including for Home Medical and Labette County Medical Center, now Labette Health.

A devout Christian who truly loved Jesus, Betty was an active member of the Remnant Nazarene Church in Parsons.

Known for her beautiful smile, Betty loved to laugh and loved people. Her generous spirit extended from family and friends to single mothers and others in need. The underdog had a special place in her heart. She enjoyed eating good food, her favorite restaurant was the Red Onion in Joplin and reading good books, some years averaging 200 books a year. Her greatest joy came from spending time with her family and many friends.

On November 11, 1960, Betty married the love of her life, Larry Swanwick. When Larry passed away on August 25, 2017, she felt like she lost half of her heart.

Survivors include:

One son – Mike Swanwick and his wife, Tonya, of Parsons, Kansas

One daughter – Tonya Waggoner and her husband, Eddy, of Parsons, Kansas

Three grandchildren – Trevor Waggoner and his wife, Erin, of Baldwin City, Kansas; Kyle Waggoner and his wife, Claire, of Mission, Kansas; and Hillary Swanwick of Oswego, Kansas

Eight great-grandchildren – Rowan Hilderbrand, Jude Waggoner, Art Waggoner, Cora Waggoner, Fern Waggoner, Octavia Fox, Erin Reed, and Zoey Reed

Lifelong friends – Bob and Jane Lewis of Desert Palm Springs, California

A host of friends

She was preceded in death by her father; her mother and step-father, Emma and Bill Blackburn; her husband; two brothers, Dwayne Maupin and Raymond Maupin’ and her faithful dog, Buddy.

01/07/2026

Babara Schmid, 78, life-long Parsons resident, died at 6:11 P.M., Monday, January 5, 2025 at her home. Among survivors include her daughter Jackie Schmid of the home.
Memorial services will be held at 2:30 P.M., Friday, January 16, 2026 at the Carson-Wall Funeral Home with Pastor Doug Jackett officiating. Burial will be in Springhill Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1:30 until service time Friday.

01/06/2026

David L. Nicholas, 80, of Altamont, passed away at 3:25 p.m., Sunday, January 4, 2026, at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa. He is survived by his wife, Carole, of the home.

Complete obituary details and funeral arrangements will be announced by the Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home of Altamont.

01/05/2026

Priscilla Jones, 98, of Altamont, passed away at 8:58 p.m., Thursday, January 1, 2026, at Labette Health. The funeral service will be at 2:30 p.m., Saturday, January 10, 2026, at Western Way Cowboy Church, Altamont. The family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. until 2:30 p.m., at the church. Burial will follow at Spring Hill Cemetery.

Priscilla Hockett was born on December 13, 1927, to Samuel M. and Frances Hope (Botts) Hockett in rural Mound Valley, Kansas. She grew up in Oklahoma until age twelve, then the family moved to Texas for three years before settling back in Kansas, where she graduated from Labette County High School. Following high school she attended LCC.

Priscilla married Hubert L. Jones on May 17, 1946.

Priscilla worked to help support her family. Some of her jobs included working as a grade school cook, working for the Parsons State Hospital, Ray Products and lastly Labette County State Bank for thirty-two years, before retiring in 2004.

In her spare time, Priscilla enjoyed dancing. The married couple would spend many Saturday nights going someplace to dance. She was an avid football fan and never missed a game for Labette County High School.

Survivors include:

Two sons – David Jones (Elaine)

Dean Jones (Sandy)

Daughter- Elaine Phillips (Allen)

Grandchildren – Shelby Phillips (Shelly), Joey Phillips (Amanda), Adam Phillips, Tara Karhoff (Charlie), Ryan Jones (Deb), Rusty Gillespie (Jennifer), Cindy Falk (John), Michelle Whipple (Toby), Jacob Jones (Shannon), Kierstin Jones, Scott Ridgeway, Corey Ridgeway (Brandi), Tim Ridgeway (Becky), and Brad Ridgeway (Connie).

30 great-grandchildren

20 great-great-grandchildren

Two half-brothers – James and Billy Hockett.

Niece – Wymetta Barnett

Nephews – Larry Nutt and wife Cindy, and Steve Nutt and wife Patti

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Hubert L. Jones; two brothers; Sammy and Richard Hockett, sister and brother-in-law; Orlena and Max Nutt.

01/05/2026

Timothy S. "Timmy" Bingaman, 60, of Parsons, passed away at 6:48 a.m., Saturday, January 3, 2026, at the Labette Health Emergency Room in Parsons. Further obituary information and service arrangements will be announced by the Carson-Wall Funeral Home of Parsons.

01/05/2026

Charles E. “Charlie” Wheeler, 85, of rural Galesburg, passed away peacefully in his home at 3:26 p.m., Friday, January 2, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at the Carson-Wall Funeral Home in Parsons with the Reverend Dr. Stan Basler officiating. Burial will follow in Mt. Hope Cemetery at Galesburg. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday evening.

He was born on November 20, 1940, in Thayer, Kansas. He was the son of Ernest and Leona (Dowell) Wheeler. Charlie grew up at Thayer and attended Thayer schools, graduating from Thayer High School in 1958. He attended one year of junior college at Chanute and then worked in construction for four years before starting at Bush Hog at Galesburg in December 1963. He worked in several capacities at Bush Hog before becoming the Plant Manager in 1971 and served in that role until the plant closed in 1986. Following the closure, Charlie worked as a territory sales representative for Bush Hog from 1986 until his retirement in 2006.

Throughout his life, Charlie was known for his wit, leadership skills, eagerness to take care of others, and a deep devotion to his family. His genuine care for others left a lasting impression on all who knew him. Charlie was a devoted husband, loving dad to his children, and a perfect papa to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all of whom were the greatest joy of his life. Charlie married the love of his life, Barbara Dulavey, on May 20, 1961, at the Galesburg Christian Church.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Barbara, of the home.; his son, Donnie Wheeler (Michael) of Joplin; his daughters, Donna Bates (Jim) of Galesburg, and Denise Brooner (Brian) of Claremore, OK; his grandchildren, Peter Bates (Brandon), Kerri Jackson (Derek), Jonathan Bates (Mary Kate), Hannah Van Cleave (Kyler), Hope Van Cleave (Marshall), and Addison Van Cleave (Dakota); his great-grandchildren, Boaz Jackson, Elijah Jackson, Shiloh Bates, Charley Bates, and Dawson Pease; three sisters, Sara Essig, Mary Stevenson, and Sue Bean; two brothers, Gary Wheeler and Steve Wheeler; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Glen, Ed, and Stan.

01/01/2026

Cheryl Paxson, 70, of Chetopa, passed away at 3:00 a.m., Monday, December 29, 2025, at Kansas City Hospice House in Kansas City, Missouri. She is survived by her husband, Wesley Alan Paxson, of the home.

Complete obituary details and funeral arrangements will be announced by the Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home of Chetopa.

12/31/2025

Nyla J. Smith, 60, of Edna, passed away Tuesday morning, December 30, 2025, at the Labette Health Emergency Room in Parsons.

Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, January 10, 2025 at the Carson-Wall Funeral Home in Parsons with Pastor Alan Kalgren officiating. Memorials are suggested to the family and these may be left at or mailed to the Carson-Wall Funeral Home, 112 N. 26th St., P.O. Box 942, Parsons, KS 67357. Online condolences may be left at

Carson-Wall Funeral Services in St Paul, Parsons, Erie and Girard, KS provides funeral, memorial, aftercare, pre-planning, and cremation services to our co... Learn More

12/30/2025

Michael R. Lattin, 83, of Erie and formerly of Parsons, passed away the morning of Monday, December 29, 2025, at his home. The family will receive friends from 12:00 Noon until 2:00 p.m., Friday, January 2, 2026, at the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons. There will be a Celebration of Life beginning at 2:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Michael Roberts Lattin was born on June 28, 1942, to Horrace and Genevieve (Lockrem) Lattin in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He grew up and attended school in Minnesota, graduating from high school in Blue Earth, Minnesota, in 1960.

Following high school, Michael served in the United States Navy. Upon honorable discharge, he began an over 40-year career in the beer distribution industry, including years working for Valley Distribution and Slayman’s. For a number of years, he also managed Bike’s Burger Bar.

An outdoorsman at heart, he enjoyed camping and fishing, especially for flat heads, at Lake Parsons. He also enjoyed riding motorcycles and was a big Minnesota Vikings fan. His family was a priority in his life, and he loved to spend one month a year with his sister, Judy Weber, in Arizona. He also loved animals and was especially proud of his rescue dog, Red.

Survivors include:

Two sons – Kelly Lattin (Stephanie) and Doug Lattin

Five grandchildren – Courtney Lamb (T.J.), Chelsey Lattin, Brian Lattin, Travis Lattin, and Adam Lattin

Eight great grandchildren – Bailey Rhuems, Cooper Rakes, Addy Richardson, Kaden Lamb, Dylan Ensch, Julius Courtney, Mya Courtney, and Nevaeh Lattin

One sister – Judy Weber (Chrissy Manross)

He was preceded in death by his parents and his daughter, Genny Lattin.

12/30/2025

Mary Burrows, 74, of Chetopa, passed away at 10:26 a.m., Sunday, December 28, 2025, at her residence.

Complete obituary details and funeral arrangements will be announced by the Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home of Chetopa.

12/30/2025

Dollie Irene Franklin, 92 of Girard Passed away Monday, December 29, 2025 at the Homestead Assisted Living of Girard surrounded by her loving family. The Smith-Carson-Wall funeral home of Girard is in Charge of Arrangements. Services will be held at a later date.

Dollie was born October 20, 1933 in Mulberry, Kansas a daughter of Jonas Albert and Lola Ethel (Harper) Elliott. She grew up at rural Arcadia, Kansas and graduated from the Girard High School.

On January 10, 1955, Dollie was united in marriage to Lindell Richard Franklin in Wichita, Kansas. He preceded her in death on November 15, 2013.

Dollie was a nurse aide at St Francis Hospital in Wichita for 4 years. She later worked at Maggie Gillard’s Nursing Home in Girard for 2 years and then at the Hospital District No. 1, now the Girard Medical Center, for 31 years.

She attended the Baptist and Methodist Churches, and she enjoyed her grandchildren, gardening, fishing, making pies, keeping her house clean, crafting, puzzles with friends at Homestead Assisted Living.

Dollie’s children are Buddy Franklin and his wife Pam of Girard, Carolyn Lowe and her husband Dale of Girard, Debbie Vance of Ottawa, Kansas, Lisa Roberts and her husband Joey of Girard: her step-children Janice Danley of Pittsburg, Kansas, Peggy Baker and her husband Bill of Cherokee, Kansas, Linda Bryant and her husband Richard of Carl Junction, Missouri, 11 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and 4 great, great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her brothers Calrence, Jonas, Clifford, and Frank Elliott and sisters Dorothy Franklin, Judy Weimer, Anna Bess Huddleson, Ida Ellen Ivan, Susie Brunk, Ada Linticum, and Olive Simpson.

The family would like to thank the staff at Homestead Assisted Living and Gentiva Hospice for all the loving care that they provided for their mother.