Tom Stephens

Tom Stephens, 71, of El Dorado, Ark., died Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, at his home.
He was born Aug. 16, 1938, in Iola, to Ova M. and Irene (Dollie) Boughton Stephens of Neosho Falls. He grew up in Neosho Falls and attended elementary and high school there.
He served in the U.S. Air Force. He retired from the United States Department of Agriculture as a meat inspector.
He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Carol; three daughters, Debra, Sandra and Beverly; a son, Douglas; 11 grandchildren; a sister, Helen Francis, Burlington; two sisters-in-law, Blanche Stephens, St. Paul, and Mary Stephens, Salina; and several nieces and nephews.
Three brothers and one sister died earlier.
Services were held at Young’s Funeral Home in El Dorado on Saturday.
Memorials may be sent to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Pl., Memphis, Tenn. 38105.

Birth: Owen Grisier

Chad and Jana Grisier, Edwardsville, announce the birth of a son, Owen James, born Dec. 4, 2009, at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park. He weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces and was 20 inches long. He joins two sisters, Jaylen Faith, 3, and Emerson Claire, 2.
Maternal grandparents are David and Phyllis Loomis, and paternal grandparents are George and Sharon Grisier, Iola. Great-grandparents are Greta Ladd, Humboldt, Dorothy Loomis and Carolyn Dreher, Iola, and Robert and Alice Grisier, Yates Center.

Robert Rhea

Robert Perry Rhea, 95, of Yates Center died Sunday, Jan. 17, 2009, at Coffey County Hospital in Burlington.
He was born Dec. 3, 1914, in Rural Woodson County, the son of Robert Walter and Ina M. (Watts) Rhea. He graduated from Yates Center High School and attended Emporia State University.
On Feb. 11, 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He attained the rank of staff sergeant before his honorable discharge on Jan. 23, 1946.
On Nov. 20, 1948, he married Betty Eloise Starks. She died June 20, 1995.
He was a rancher for many years before he became owner of Rhea’s Sundries in Gridley, which he had for several years before beginning employment with Farm Bureau Insurance in Yates Center. He was the local Farm Bureau agent for numerous years, then worked at Yates Center High School until his retirement.
He was an active member of the local Gilead Masonic Lodge No. 144 in Yates Center where he was a master Mason. He was also a member of Scottish Rite, Mirza Shrine Temple, Little Wheels, Mini B’s and MG Shrine units. He was involved with Hospital Dads and was a member of Yates Center Lions Club, Yates Center Chamber of Commerce, Yates Center Volunteer Fire Department and a lifetime member of Woodson County Historical Society.
He is survived by one son, Larry and his wife, Vera, Jefferson City, Mo.; two daughters, Anita DeLaTorre and her husband, Michael, Chanute, and Bobbi Shahan and her husband Charles, Yates Center; 12 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; a brother, Myron “Mike”; and four nephews and two nieces.
Two sisters, Nadine Davidson and Mildred Knox, died earlier.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at First United Methodist Church in Yates Center.
Visitation will be from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Campbell Funeral Home.
Memorials to First United Methodist Church or Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children may be sent in care of the funeral home, P.O. Box 188, Yates Center, KS 66783.

‘Bud’ Mueller

Ernest G. “Bud” Mueller, 89, of Humboldt, died Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010, at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita.
He was born Oct. 10, 1920, in Humboldt, the son of Gustav Adolf and Dorothea (Lassman) Mueller. He grew up in and attended rural Allen County schools.
He served in the U.S. Army 7th Division during World War II.
On June 13, 1942, he married Margaret E. King in St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Humboldt.
He worked in construction and for Bud Butts and Leon Thompson.
He is survived by his wife; his children, Ernest R., Rodney J. and Bruce L. Mueller and Lora F. Dighero; nine grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; a brother, Charlie, Louisburg; and a sister, Gladys McCoullough, Yucca Valley, Calif.
Three brothers died earlier.
Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Humboldt. Burial will follow in Mount Hope Cemetery.
He will lie in state from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday at Penwell-Gabel Humboldt Chapel.
Memorials to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church may be left at the funeral home. To leave a message for the family online visit PenwellGabelHumboldt.com.

Jr. Wildcats split games

MORAN — Marmaton Valley Junior High’s boys lost 31-17 in A-team basketball play at home Monday.
Westphalia led 13-2 at halftime.
Garrett Booth had seven points and Chance Stevenson added six for Marmaton Valley. Michael Genn and Joey Jefferis had two points each.
The Wildcat B-team pulled out a 28-15 win. Shaun Frye led the way with 11 points. Austin Pinkerton had eight points.
Kohl Endicott and Trent Johnson each had four points. Coltan Alexander scored one point.
Marmaton Valley won a two-quarter C-team game 13-4. Johnson scored six points. Michael Swift had four points and Tristan Dickerson added three.

CMS boys win games

COLONY — Crest Middle School’s Lancers swept visiting Pleasanton Junior High’s Blu-Jays Monday.
The Lancers won the A-team game 35-29. Brock Ellis paced Crest with 18 points. Austin Green had five points.
Scoring four points each were Craig Brailler and Taylor Davis. Clayton Miller and Landon Stephens each had two points.
Crest won the B-team game 19-10. Rene Rodriquez and Kyler Bowen had six points apiece. Cody Vermillion added four. Trevor Freelove had two and Braden McGhee had one point.
Crest goes to Moran Thursday to play Marmaton Valley.

Allen County Mat Warriors compete at Burlington

BURLINGTON — Allen County Kids Wrestling Club’s Mat Warriors were at Sunday’s Burlington Kids’ Open/Novice Tournament.
In the 6-and-under division, T.J. Taylor was third in the 43-pound class going 1-2 with a 14-6 win. Alex Yarnell posted a 10-4 win and was second in the 61-pound class.
Gavin Morris and Jeremy Ridge competed in the 8-and under 64-pound class. Morris was 1-1 for second and Ridge went 0-2 for third.
Quentin Sams placed second in the 12-and-under 120-pound class. Teammate Chandler House was third in the bracket.
Andrew Garber placed third in the 12-and-under 130-pound class at 1-3. Mike Armstrong took third in the 14-and-under 115-pound class at 1-3.
The Mat Warriors are idle this weekend. They go to the Fort Scott Open/Novice tournament Jan. 31.

LenaBelle Harris

LenaBelle Grace Harris, 77, Walnut, died Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, at Freeman Health Center in Joplin, Mo.
She was born Jan. 23, 1932, in Brookfield, Mo., to Hollie H. Wetzel and Lula Louise Lane Wetzel.
She married Jerrold Don Harris Sr. in 1949 in Tacoma, Wa. He preceded her in death on Nov. 18, 2002. Prior to retirement for health reasons, she worked as a nurse’s aide and medical aide for Heritage Nursing Home, Girard. She loved working with flowers, reading, and various crafts including wood carving and crocheting.
Survivors include three sons, Jerrold Don Jr., Walnut, Jerry and wife Patty, Iola, and Roger and wife Beverly, Piqua; four daughters, Jennifer Harris, Donna Harris, Gracie Gibson and husband Steve, all of Walnut, and Pam Strong and husband Mick, Erie; a brother, Nathan Larrabee, Lake Elsinore, Calif.; 17 grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by four sons, Daniel, killed in military action, and infant sons, Nathan, Hollie, and Steven Harris; one brother, Charles Wetzel; one sister, Mary Jane Wheeler; and a granddaughter, Debra Harris.
Pastor Chuck Russell will conduct funeral services at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in U. S. National Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 12:30 p.m. until service time at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to a LenaBelle Harris Memorial Fund and may be sent to Cheney Witt Chapel, P.O. Box 347, Fort Scott, KS 66701.

New Web site for Register

Next week the Iola Register will launch its new Web site.
Besides a new look, the Register will begin charging non-subscribers a fee to access stories.
Those who already pay for a Register subscription will also be given access to the newspaper’s Web site, which will remain iolaregister.com. To ensure access, the Register needs all subscribers’ e-mail addresses.
The move to a paid Web site is justified because of the labor involved to report the news, said Register publisher Susan Lynn.
“Just as with our paper product, the Web site involves the entire Register staff to make it happen. Giving our services away for free is not a viable economic model,” she said.
Two items will remain free for all viewers — obituaries and classified advertising.
“Many people from out of the area go to our Web site to read about the death of a loved one,” Lynn said. “It would be punitive to make them subscribe to the newspaper when all they want is the time and place of a funeral service.”
As for classifieds, Lynn said “advertisements are one of our biggest draws to the Web site,” noting they provide job postings as well as items for sale. Blocking access to ads customers have paid to post would be counterproductive, Lynn said.

THE NEW Web site will include a search function for all previous issues once available in digital form.
The Register is having issues as far back as 1867 digitized by Heritage Microfilm of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The search capability should be good to go by spring.
The new Web site will include interactive forms for readers to submit social announcements such as engagements, weddings and anniversaries.
It will continue to allow posting of classified advertisements from one’s home computer and the purchase of pictures from sporting and community events.
An entire “picture” of the newspaper will also be available at the new site. Besides being able to view individual stories, the Register will be downloadable in a PDF format, allowing readers to view the newspaper in its entirety, including comics and crossword puzzles.
The PDF images carry a fringe benefit for the Register’s rural subscribers. They can now read each day’s paper without having to wait a day for it to arrive in the mail.
Lynn encouraged all subscribers to call 365-2111 or e-mail Gita Johnson, Register circulation manager, at [email protected], with their e-mail addresses to continue access to the Register’s online edition.