JEFFCOUNTYNEWS.COM

Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008

Connie Diane Lay

   Connie Diane Lay, 61, Climax Springs, MO, formerly of Valley Falls, died Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008, at Midland Hospice House in Topeka.
    She was born April 2, 1947, at Topeka, the daughter of Chris and Mildred Winter Martin.
    She graduated from Topeka High School. Connie was a beautician at Nortonville for 25 years and owned the Cottage of Hair Design.
    She married Bill Lay on Feb. 20, 1980, at Oskaloosa. He survives.
    She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Catherine Martin.
    Survivors include three daughters, Diane (Gregg) Jennings, Denison, Lori (Toby) Barnett, and Angie (Bryan) Tillery, all of Valley Falls; a brother, Ron (Violet) Martin, Holton; two sisters, Rosemary Lester, Topeka, and Darlene Morgans, Olathe; seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
    The funeral service was at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at Mercer Funeral Home. Burial was at the Valley Falls Cemetery.
    Memorial contributions may be made to Midland Hospice and sent in care of the funeral home, 810 Broadway, Valley Falls, KS 66088. Online condolences may be made at www.mercerfuneralhomes.com

Irma Schipper
    Funeral services for Irma L. Schipper, 86, Lufkin, Texas, were held Dec. 4 in the St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church. Interment followed in the Garden of Memories Memorial Park.
    Mrs. Schipper was born Sept. 30, 1922, in Bainbridge, Ga., to the late Ida Mae Kersey and Harrell H. Moore, and died Dec. 1, 2008, in Lufkin.
    She had resided in Lufkin most of her life. She was a manicurist and retired at the age of 77. She was a member of St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church.
    Survivors include her husband, Willard “Bill” Schipper, Lufkin; sons, Frank Thomason, Lufkin, Joe Thomason, Wilmer, Texas, and John Thomason, Gun Barrel City, Texas; daughters, Nancy Farmer, Oskaloosa, and Barbara Brookshire, Lufkin; 16 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren.
    Memorial contributions can be made to St. Cyprian’s Episcopal Church, 919 South John Redditt Drive, Lufkin, 75904 or Heart to Heart Hospice of Lufkin, 1320 South John Redditt Drive, Suite A, Lufkin, 75904.
    The Carroway-Claybar Funeral Home, Lufkin, was in charge of arrangements.

Helen Mills
    Helen Irene Mills, 89, McLouth, died Dec. 4, 2008, in Lawrence.
     The family will hold a private graveside inurnment.
    Mrs. Mills was born July 4, 1919, the daughter of Christian and Laura Poulsen.
    She married Clarence Dale Mills. He preceded her in death Jan. 6, 1983. She was also preceded in death by her son, Clarence “Butch” Mills, her brother, Sgt. Leonard I. Poulsen, stepbrother, Raymond Coleman and an infant brother.
    She was a homemaker.
    She is survived by four daughters, Maxine Handley, Fenton, Mich., Barbara Larison, McLouth, Jeannie Parmer, Lawrence, and Kathy Lewallen, McLouth; two sons, Mike Mills and Randy Mills, both Lawrence; two sisters, Evelyn Kelly, Chanute and Marie Wendt, Salina; one stepbrother, Harold Coleman, Overland Park; 15 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren.
    Memorials can be made to Southern Care Inc. (Hospice), and sent in care of Quisenberry Funeral Home, P.O. Box 993, Tonganoxie, 66086.

James Daniel Sheldon
    James Daniel Sheldon, 90, Ottawa, formerly of Valley Falls, died Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2008, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
    He was born July 28, 1918, south of Winchester, the son of Jesse P. and Catherine A. Perry Sheldon. He graduated from Winchester High School in 1936.
    Dan owned Sheldon Insurance and Real Estate in Valley Falls from 1965-1985. He was later manager and real estate broker for the Northeast Kansas Agency associated with the Kendall State Bank in Valley Falls.
    He had also been a cashier at the Citizens State Bank in Valley Falls and had been the Jefferson County Clerk at Oskaloosa from 1958-1962. Dan had farmed near Winchester and Dunavant.
    He was a member of the United Methodist Church and the Lions Club, both in Valley Falls. He had also served as mayor of Valley Falls. He was a charter director for both Sunset Housing Development in Valley Falls and the Jefferson County Memorial Hospital in Winchester.
    He married Dorothy L. Potts on July 26, 1940, at Winchester. She died on March 23, 2006. He was also preceded in death by two sisters, Marjorie Sheldon and Ruth Haney.
    Survivors include two sons, Larry D. (Mara) Sheldon, D.D.S., Olathe, and Richard L. “Dick” L. (Kathleen) Sheldon, Ottawa; six grandchildren, Clay, Ann, Daniel, Chris, Matt and Stefano and twelve great-grandchildren.
    The funeral service will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008, at the Valley Falls United Methodist Church. Private burial will be at the Reformed Presbyterian Cemetery at Winchester.
    Visitation will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday at Mercer Funeral Home in Valley Falls.
    Memorial contributions may be made to the United Methodist Church and sent in care of the funeral home, 810 Broadway, Valley Falls, KS 66088. Online condolences are at www.mercerfuneralhomes.com       25-15-1tc

Teresa Venneberg
    Mass of Christian Burial for Teresa Venneberg, 85, Hays, formerly of Plainville, were Dec. 10, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Plainville. Mrs. Venneberg died Dec. 5, 2008, at the Hays Good Samaritan Center in Hays.
    She was born June 26, 1923, in Hays, the daughter of Nick F. and Catherine Schyler Arnhold.
    She graduated from Girls Catholic High School in Hays and was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the Daughters of Isabella, the Ladies Guild, the Reeder-Dinkel-Westhusin V.F.W. Post 8871 Auxiliary, all in Plainville.
    She was a homemaker and co-owner of Arnhold’s Furniture in Plainville for many years.
    She married Roger D. Venneberg Aug. 10, 1942, in Wichita. He died Dec. 6, 1998.
    Survivors include her daughters Janet Schmidt, Valley Falls, and Darlene Cole, Hays; a son, Roger Venneberg Jr., Westminster, Colo.; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
    She was also preceded in death by eight brothers and sisters and a grandchild, Travis Schmidt.
    Burial was in the Sacred Heart Cemetery.
    Memorial contributions can be made to the Hays Good Samaritan Center or the Sacred Heart Catholic Church and sent in care of the Moore-Overlease Funeral Chapel, 409 S. Cochran, Plainville, 67663.

Margaret Huber
    Margaret Huber, 84, Savannah, Mo., died Dec. 9, 2008, at the Heartland Regional Medical Center at Savannah.
    She was born Feb. 8, 1924, in Valley Falls, to Samuel and Arlie L. Van Meer Strawn.
    She was a member of the Worldwide Church of God.
    She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Thelma Hawkins, brothers, Morris Benson Strawn, William Strawn, Samuel Strawn and Marion Strawn.
    She is survived by her husband, Cecil Huber; brother, Paul Strawn; daughter, Carol Smith; son, John Turner; 10 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
    Funeral services will 1 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Harman-Rohde Funeral Home in Troy. V
    Family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday evening at the funeral home where friends can call after 9 a.m. Thursday.
    Burial will be in the Valley Falls Cemetery.

Della M. Antes
    Della M. Antes, 94, Atchison, formerly of Effingham, KS passed away Monday December 8, 2008 at the Atchison Hospital.
     Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 AM Saturday, December 13, 2008 at St. Ann’s Parish Center in Effingham, KS, with Fr. Benjamin Tremmel, OSB as celebrant. Burial will follow in St. Benedict’s Cemetery, Bendena, KS.
    The family will receive friends from 6:30PM to 8:30PM Friday, December 12, 2008 at St. Ann’s Parish Center, with Parish Rosary starting at 6:30PM. Memorial Contributions are suggested to St. Ann’s or Effingham Senior Center and maybe left in care of the Becker-Dyer-Stanton funeral home. Condolences to the family may be left online at www.beckerdyer.com <http://www.beckerdyer.com/>.
     Della May (Longberg) Antes, the daughter of Clinton A. and Lena B. (Hanna) Longberg was born October 20th, 1914 near Goff, KS. She graduated from Soldier High School and worked several years before marriage by providing in-home healthcare and teaching needs to area families near the Holton and Soldier communities. Della worked as a farm wife and mother along side of her husband in raising their family. She was a member of the Farmington Unit, the Nortonville St. Joseph’s Altar Society, and the St. Ann’s Church congregation in Effingham. Della enjoyed sewing, flowers, vegetable gardening, raising her family and spending time with her grandchildren.
     Della was married to John E. Antes on August 17, 1939 in Holton, KS. He preceded her in death on May 22nd, 1994. She was preceded in death by two daughters Helen Kempin of Atchison, on Nov 16, 1992, and Teresa Antes on August 23, 1971, a great-grand-daughter, Kylie Elizabeth Antes on February 1, 2008, her parents, four brothers and a sister.
     Survivors include seven sons; Robert and Sharon Antes, Grain Valley, MO, Paul Antes, Overland Park, KS, Carl and Shirley Antes, Emporia, KS, Bernard and Deborah Antes, McLouth, KS, Raymond and LeeAnn Antes, Olathe, KS, Leroy and Sheila Antes, Atchison, KS, Leo and Sharon Antes, Olathe, KS, two daughters; Katherine and Bob McLoughlin, Lenexa, KS, Ann and David Boles, Madison, KS, a brother Richard (Ben) Longberg, Wichita, two sisters, Gladys Mary Renyer, Auburn, KS and Mildred Bauman, Seneca, KS, twenty-nine grandchildren, thirty-two great grandchildren, four great-great grandchildren, and two expected great grandchildren in 2009. 15-1tc