Patricia Ann “Patti” Benitz
1953-2013

Patricia Ann “Patti” Benitz, 59, St. Joseph, Missouri passed away Monday, September 2, 2013 at Shady Lawn Living Center surrounded by family and friends.

Patti was a wife, mother, and community servant, who was born November 24, 1953, to Corbett “Corky” and Virginia (Jenkins) Cundiff in St. Joseph, Missouri.

She graduated from Lafayette High School in St. Joseph in 1972 and attended Missouri Western State College before taking a full-time position with American Family Insurance, and later the St. Joseph School District.
On St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1973, she married Wesley E. Benitz, also of St. Joseph. He survives of the home.
Patti and Wes welcomed son, Brandon, in 1976 and lived in St. Joseph until 1977, when Wes received an appointment to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, transferring them to Unionville, Missouri.

She became a self-taught transcriptionist and medical secretary for the Putnam County Memorial Hospital. In 1979, they welcomed daughter, Jennifer. Later Patti served as a volunteer youth softball coach.
In 1986, Wes was promoted and transferred to Brookfield, Missouri. In addition to her positions at McCullough Trailer Company and Walsworth Yearbooks, Patti took an active role in the community by organizing the craft and concessions fair at the Brookfield Summer Fun Days.

Wes was promoted and transferred back to Unionville in 1990 and Patti became the secretary at the Farm Bureau Insurance. In 1992, she was elected South Ward Alderman for the City of Unionville, serving on the City Council where she was instrumental in bringing the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall to Unionville.

Wes was again promoted and transferred to Lee’s Summit, Missouri in 1995 and Patti became a self-taught legal secretary, working for a number of law firms in the Kansas City area and for the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Patti and Wes returned to St. Joseph in 2003, where she worked for several legal offices before she retired.
Patti was a talented counted stitch artist, an avid history buff, and loved to travel. She visited such places as Mount Rushmore, Little Bighorn Battlefield and National Monument, Gettysburg National Military Park and Cemetery, various Civil War sites in Virginia and Maryland, whale-watching in Maine, and took six cruise trips with her husband in her lifetime.

Survivors: husband, Wes; parents, Corky and Gin Cundiff; son, Brandon Benitz (Angie), Kearney, Nebraska; daughter, Jennifer Paul (Robert), St. Joseph, Missouri; and brother, Mike Cundiff (Debbie), St. Joseph, Missouri.

Memorial Service: 3:00 P.M. Thursday, Wyatt Park Baptist Church. Inurnment Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Wednesday, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory. For those wishing to make a contribution, the family suggests they be made to Wyatt Park Baptist. Online guest book and obituary at www.meierhoffer.com.

Inez Maxine Gartland
1925-2013

Inez Maxine Gartland, 87, St. Joseph, Missouri died Saturday, August 31, 2013 at her home.
She was born October 19, 1925 to Alvin and Grace (Dabler) Johnson in Maysville, Missouri.

She married John E. “Jack” Gartland on June 16, 1948. He preceded her in death on September 9, 2011.
Inez worked at Quaker Oats as a unit leader for forty-seven years.

Mrs. Gartland was a member of St. Joseph Cathedral Catholic Church and Ladies Social Club at Quaker Oats.
She was also preceded in death by her parents; and step-father, John Ford.

Survivors: daughter, Cindy Schmidt (Mike Suitt); son, John Gartland; grandchildren, Amber and Deborah Davis, Heather Schmidt, and Jordan Suitt; great-grandchildren, Dametria, Ziah, and Tristan Hughes; sister, Ellen Bea; nephew, Leroy Bea; and several great nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Mass of Christian Burial: 10:00 A.M. Friday, St. Joseph Cathedral Catholic Church. Entombment Memorial Park Mausoleum. Parish Rosary 6:00 P.M. Thursday, Meierhoffer Funeral home & Crematory. The family will receive friends 6:30 to 8:00 P.M. Thursday, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory, where friends may call after 5:00 P.M. Thursday. Online guest book and obituary at www.meierhoffer.com.

Lenora Lynn Mahon
2013-2013

Lenora Lynn Mahon, infant, St. Joseph, Missouri died Saturday, August 31, 2013.
She was born June 26, 2013 to Jeremy and Kristina (LeClair) Mahon in Kansas City, Missouri.

She was a beautiful little girl with the brightest blue eyes. She is in heaven now as an angel looking out for her big sister.

She was preceded in death by her paternal great-grandparents, Rosalie and Richard Mass, and Richard Mahon; maternal great-grandparents, Louis and Josephine Koesters, and Marion LeClair.

Survivors: parents; sister, Madeline Rose; maternal grandparents, Alan and Mitzi LeClair; paternal grandparents, Richard and Lori Mahon; paternal great-grandmother, Helen Mahon; and maternal great-grandfather, Keith LeClair, all from Omaha, Nebraska.

Mass of Christian Burial: Thursday 10:00 A.M. Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Omaha, Nebraska. The family will receive friends on Wednesday at 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., John A. Gentleman Mortuaries 72nd and Western, Omaha, Nebraska. Parish Rosary beginning at 7:00 P.M.

Memorial Service: 1:30 P.M. Saturday, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory. Memorial gifts may be made to the Lenora Mahon Memorial, c/o U.S. Bank. Online guest book and obituary at www.meierhoffer.com.

Linda Lue Wise
1945-2013

Linda Lue Wise, 68, Cameron, Missouri died Sunday, September 1, 2013, in Hamilton, Missouri.
She was born February 2, 1945 to Marion and Lola (Lockridge) Hill in Jamesport, Missouri.

She married Garry Dale Wise on May 17, 1965 in Wyandotte County, Kansas. He preceded her in death on April 17, 2004.

Linda was employed as a nursing assistant working in Home Health.  She enjoyed her grandchildren, who were the most important to her.  She was also preceded in death by her parents; and sister, Cinda Sue Hamilton.

Survivors: daughters, Lisa Hertzog (David), Hamilton, Missouri and Vonda LaPiana (Joe), Hamilton, Missouri; grandchildren, Kelli Claypool (Tyson) and daughter Evelyn Rose, Cameron, MO; Kevin Hertzog (Sara), Cameron, Missouri; Joseph LaPiana, Hamilton, Missouri, Matthew LaPiana, Hamilton, Missouri, and Nikki LaPiana, Hamilton, Missouri, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorial Service: 2:00 P.M., Saturday, at her daughter Lisa’s house in Hamilton, MO. Online guestbook and obituary at www.missouricremation.com.

Opal Miller
1925-2013

Opal was born on September 11, 1925, her earthly journey ended on September 2, 2013. Opal retired in 2004 after a combined service of 60 years with Sister’s and Heartland Hospital.

Opal was a daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, aunt and friend.

She was loved and admired by her family. The family has planned a celebration of life service 3:00 PM Thursday, September 5, 2013 at Woodson Chapel Christian Church. They invite you to join them as they celebrate the life of a Christian woman who nurtured her family, gave more then she receive and thankfully enjoyed the life she was given.

Services under the direction of Heaton-Bowman-Smith & Sidenfaden Chapel.

Family Inurnment will be held at a later date.

Jack B. Hart
1929-2013

Jack B. Hart, 84, St. Joseph, Missouri died Wednesday, August 28, 2013 at his residence.

He was born February 13, 1929 to Lewis and Laura (Bryson) Hart in Helena, Missouri.

He married Thelma M. Payne on February 5, 1955.

He proudly served in the US Army during the Korean Conflict. Jack worked as a mechanic at the Savannah Chevy Dealership and later at Light and Power, from which he retired after 35 years. He was a member of the Community of Christ Church. Jack was also a member of Charity Zaredatha Lodge No. 189, A.F.& A.M., 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason; #198 St. Joseph Chapter, O.E.S.; Member of Moila Shrine. He was a collector of John Deere Memorabilia, a hobby he was quite passionate about.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; and infant brother, Ronald.

Survivors: brother, Donald “Rex” Hart (Faye); aunt, Betty Bryson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Services: 1:00 P.M. Tuesday, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory. Interment Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Monday, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory, where friends may call after 5:00 P.M. Monday. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Community of Christ Church, 17th Street or Three Rivers Hospice. Online guest book and obituary at www.meierhoffer.com.

Margaret Marie Barmann
1916-2013

Margaret Marie Barmann, 97, died Friday, August 30, 2013, at Brandon Woods at Alvamar in Lawrence, KS.

She was born Margaret Marie Lawrence on August 9, 1916, in Wichita, KS, to William Andrew and Anna Maditz Lawrence. In 1921 her family moved to Kansas City, KS, where Margaret attended Blessed Sacrament grade school and graduated from Bishop Ward High School in 1935. She later attended a business/secretarial school and worked as a secretary in Kansas City, KS.

Margaret embarked on quite an adventure for a Kansas girl when she moved to Washington, D.C. in April 1941, where she lived on Constitution Avenue and worked at the U.S. Marine Corps Headquarters. She had many interesting stories about her experiences there as Pearl Harbor was attacked and the U.S. entered World War II. Margaret returned to Kansas City in 1942, where she worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Air Transport Command and the Veterans’ Administration. She was active in the Kansas Alpha Mu Chapter
of Beta Sigma Phi service sorority during this time. She married Lawrence V. Barmann on October 27, 1949 at Blessed Sacrament Church in Kansas City, KS. Lawrence, a U.S. Army Captain during World War II, was a farmer, and raised grain and livestock near Maryville, MO. Margaret and Lawrence lived on the farm from the time of their marriage until 2000 when they moved to Lawrence, KS. Lawrence passed away in 2008 after 58 years of marriage.

Margaret became an accomplished homemaker and farm wife, and she tackled learning new skills with enthusiasm. She raised chickens, churned butter, canned, sewed, quilted, cooked and baked to perfection. Margaret loved history and politics, and was an avid reader. She had a sharp mind up to the end of her life, and was witty, gentle and kind. She was an inspiration to her family and was dear to all who knew her. She was active in the Merry Matrons Club for many years, and was a member of St. Gregory Barbarigo Catholic Church in Maryville and Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Lawrence, KS.

Margaret is survived by a son, Larry Barmann and wife Kathy, Red Oak, Iowa; three daughters, Ann Edwards and husband, Robert, Kansas City, MO, Kathy Robbins and husband, Mark, Lawrence, KS, and Sue Buchanan and husband, Richard, Charleston, SC; nine grandchildren, Christina (Russ)Rauba, Mark (Krista) Barmann, Angela (Kevin)Britten, Matthew Edwards, Susanna Edwards, Stephen Robbins, Neal Buchanan, Andrew Buchanan and Hallie Buchanan; and seven great-grandchildren, Lauren Rauba, Jasmine and Brogan Barmann, Conor
and Caitlin Britten, and Jordan and Malia Baker. Margaret is also survived by her sister, Helen Stalzer and her husband, Donald; sisters-in law Dorline Lawrence and Mary Lawrence; brother-in-law, Jack Breitenstein; and many nieces and nephews, all of whom were very special to her.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, William
Lawrence and John Lawrence; and two sisters, Rosemary Breitenstein and Sister Anna Mary (Lillian) Lawrence.

There will be a prayer service from 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, September 2 at St. Gregory Barbarigo Church, Maryville, MO; the family will then greet friends from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, September 3 at the church. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Maryville.

The family suggests memorials to St. Gregory Barbarigo Church or the Kansas Audio Reader Network, sent in care of Price Funeral Home, 120 East First Street, Maryville, MO 64468.

The family wishes to give a heartfelt thank you to the wonderful and caring staff of Brandon Woods, many of whom became her dear friends, and who took care of our mother so lovingly over the years; and also thanks to the special people at Heartland Hospice, for their compassionate care during her final journey.

www.pricefuneralhomemaryville.com

Jack Ray Richey 66, of St. Joseph, Missouri passed away Friday August 30, 2013 at his home.

He was born August 21, 1947 in St. Joseph, Missouri son of Dorthy & Jack Richey Sr.. He married Jeanette Wright Richey on September 27, 1991 and she survives of the home.

He was Mill Rite working at J & L Drywall, he also worked in appliance repair and termite control for several years. He enjoyed football, baseball, and bowling.

Jack was preceded in death by his father his parents.

He is survived by wife, Jeanette “J.R.” of the home. Children: Rosie (Dave) Hager, Carol (Kevin) Butler, Jack (Karla) Richey III, Terry (Angie) Richey, stepchildren: Barbara (John) Bailey, Frank (Cora) Reed, Donna (Dave) Blackshere, James Reed, Debbie (Tim) Williams, and William (Veronica) Reed, two brothers Gary (Zola) Richey, and Terry Richey as well as several, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, aunt, uncles, and cousins.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm on Wednesday at the Rupp Funeral Home. He will be cremated following the visitation under the direction of the Rupp Funeral Home.

Memorials are requested to the Jack Richey Memorial fund in care of the Rupp Funeral Home. Online condolence and obituary at www.ruppfuneral.com

Anna Marie Atkins
1915-2013

Anna Marie Atkins, 97, formerly of St. Joseph, Missouri died Thursday, August 29, 2013 at a healthcare facility in Kansas City, Missouri.

She was born September 15, 1915 to Arthur and Viola (Fisher) McCubbin in St. Joseph, Missouri.

She married Derrell P. Atkins on August 4, 1934. He preceded her in death in 1980.

Anna was a member of McCarthy Baptist Church, a former member of King Hill Baptist Church, and was a Tupperware dealer for thirty years.

She was also preceded in death by her parents; daughters, Dixie Landers and Judith Ann Atkins; and brother, John McCubbin.

Survivors: daughter, Sue Bennett, St. Joseph, Missouri; son, Raymond Atkins, Albany, Missouri; granddaughters, Michelle Wilson and Melissa Lembke (Doug); grandsons, Michael Wilson (Amy), Jeff Landers and fiancee, Shannon Wilkerson, and Shawn Landers (Katie); seven great-grandchildren; one niece, Sherry Dougan; and one nephew, Johnny McCubbin.

Services: 3:00 P.M. Tuesday, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory. Interment Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Monday, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory, where friends may call after 5:00 P.M. Monday. Online guest book and obituary at www.meierhoffer.com.

Connie Gail Braman 58, of Saint Joseph, Missouri passed away Wednesday August 28, 2013 at a Saint Joseph hospital.

She was born October 2, 1954 in St. Joseph, Missouri daughter of Clara & Phillip Bish. She married Edward Braman on February 26, 1972 and they shared 41 years together. She graduated from Benton High School in 1971. Connie was a homemaker. She enjoyed playing bingo and spending time with her grandchildren.

Connie was preceded in death by her father, Phillip Bish. She is survived by husband, Edward Braman of St. Joseph, MO, mother, Clara Bish of St. Joseph, MO, daughter, Nichole (Brad) Rullman of Agency, MO, son, Edward Braman Jr. of St. Joseph, MO, grandchildren, Tyler, Tanner, Edward III and Kenzie, brother, Phillip Bish, three sisters, Linda Newberry, Carol Newcomer and Phyllis Bish. A Celebration of Life will be held at 1:00 pm, Saturday at Hap’s Place, St. Joseph, MO. All family and friends are welcome to come.