Joseph Henry Bohrer, 82, Kansas City, Kansas,  passed away Friday, March 12, 2010 at the Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Merriam, Kansas. 

 

Joseph was born May 21, 1927 in Hickman Mills, Missouri, to Joseph  and Nellie (Green) Bohrer.  He was employed with the BNSF Railroad for 44 years.  Joseph was a member of the American Legion Post 188 and past member of the Knights of Columbus.

 

He was preceded in death by his wife, Iona L. Bohrer on May 31, 1994.  Survivors include his two sons, Leslie Bohrer and his wife, Renee, Lenexa, Kansas and Mark Bohrer and his wife, Mary, Shawnee, Kansas; two daughters, Connie Beckham and her husband, Kenneth, Kansas City, Kansas and Linda C. Main and her husband, Marvin L., Edwardsville, Kansas; nine grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.

 

Memorial contributions may be made to Catholic Charities, 9720 W. 87^th Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66212.

 

Visitation and Funeral Service

 

Funeral services will be 11:00 am, Tuesday, March 16 at the Amos Family Chapel of Shawnee; burial in the Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens. Friends may call from 10-11:00 am at the chapel.

Johnna Raye Gilbert, 47, Shawnee, Kansas,  passed away Friday, March 12, 2010. 

 

Johnna was born August 5, 1962 in Kansas City, Missouri.  She was a member of Ink’d Girls.  She was preceded in death by her brother, Charles Pearson and sister, Linda Kushich and her father, Robert Martin.  Survivors include her husband, Tim Gilbert; mother, Doris Jackson; two daughters, Arminta Gast, and Sundaye Mitchell; five sisters, Grace Rice, Kelly Sue Valejo, Eleanor Brooks, Jayme Studer and Kimberly Johnson; granddaughters, Katarina, Jillian, Kyra, Raven, Reena and Hailey and her pets, who meant very much to her, Pewter, Cole, Maya, Inca, George and Sam.

 

Memorial contributions may be made to either the March of Dimes or the American Cancer Society.

 

Memorial Visitation

 

Memorial visitation will be 7-9 pm, Thursday, March 18, 2010, at the Amos Family Chapel of Shawnee.

Mary Jane (Wilson) Eisenhart passed quietly on March 4, 2010, at Lakeview Village in Lenexa, Kansas.  

 

Mary Jane was born in Sedalia, Missouri on March 28, 1916.  She graduated from Smith-Cotton High School and Sedalia Business College.  She worked for several local businesses before and during World War II.  During the war, she was a Red Cross Nurse’s Aid at Bothwell Hospital.  

 

On January 24, 1937, Mary Jane married her high school sweetheart, James William Eisenhart.  Jim and Mary Jane were married for 66 years and had two children.  She was a home maker and volunteered as a den mother, Girl Scout leader, and Sunday school teacher.  She was previously an active member of Overland Park Christian Church, serving on numerous committees and circles.

 

Mary Jane loved time spent in her garden raising flowers and vegetables.  During retirement years, she found a passion for painting.  In 2008, one of her water colors was featured in the “Memories in the Making” art auction, a fund raiser for the Alzheimer’s Association.

 

Mary Jane was preceded in death by her husband, Jim, and by two sisters, Dorothy Mae Wilson and Peggy Dickmann.  She is survived by two sisters Gerry Lively and Loyce Rudicil; daughter Susan Knight and son-in-law Dan; son Neil Eisenhart and daughter-in-law Janene; three grandchildren Christine Stutesman, Eric Knight and Reed Eisenhart; five great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

 

Mary Jane will be most remembered for her kindness and for her love & devotion to family and friends.

 

The family would like to thank her many care givers at Lakeview Village.

 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Church or to the Alzheimer’s Association, Heart of America Chapter, 3846 West 75th Street, Prairie Village, KS. 66208. 

 

Celebration of Life

 

A Celebration of Life service will be held at Overland Park Christian Church, 7600 West 75^th Street, on April 16, 2010,  at 11:30am with visitation at 10:30am. 

Jerry Milton, 62, Lenexa, Kansas, passed away Thursday, March 11, 2010 at his home.  

 

Jerry was born July 11, 1947 in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Melford and Jean (Richardson) Milton. On November 19, 1971, Jerry married Barbara O’Neill in Fridley, Minnesota. They moved to Lenexa, Kansas in 1982.

 

Jerry was preceded in death by his parents and daughter, Amber Milton. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Milton; seven children and their spouses, Debbie and Mark Strouse, Jeff Milton, Susan and Robert Brown, Laura, Cyndi, Angela and Ashley Milton; two sisters, Bette and John Fitzgerald, and Carol and Al Letchko; three brothers, Jim and Pat, David and Karen and Steve and Linda Milton all of Minnesota; and six grandchildren, Cody, Tanner, Tyler, Payton, Parker and Kadin.

 

Memorial Service

 

Memorial services will be 5:00 pm, Sunday, March 14, 2010, at the Grace Christian Fellowship Church, 7230 Quivira Road, Shawnee, Kansas.

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. 

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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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.