Obituaries
Larry Joseph Carmody
Jan 18, 2026
Larry J. Carmody died peacefully on Sunday, January 18, 2026, in Council Grove, KS. Services with full military honors will be held at Fort Logan National Cemetery, Denver, Colorado on Thursday, 1/29/26 at 11:30 a.m. Arrive at 11:15 a.m. Staging Area White.
Larry Joseph Carmody was born on July 17, 1946, in Carrington, ND. He was the seventh son of James...
Kathryn B'Hymer
Jan 12, 2026
Kathy (Kathryn) Maxine B’Hymer
Kathy B’Hymer, 77, passed away on January 12, 2026, in Council Grove, Kansas.
She enjoyed camping, bingo halls, casinos, traveling, scrapbooking, Pickard “cousin” reunions, jigsaw puzzles, Phase 10, and crocheting. Notably, she did not enjoy cooking—at all.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Wayne and Maxine Howell; her sister, Connie Robinson; and her husband, Jack.
She is survived...
Ralph Edward Hedgespeth
Jan 8, 2026
DUE TO THE WEATHER, THE GRAVESIDE SERVICE HAS BEEN CHANGED TO A MEMORIAL SERVICE LOCATED AT THE DUNLAP GYMNASIUM, 601 5TH STREET, COUNCIL GROVE, KS. 66846.
Ralph Hedgespeth, born on August 12, 1946, was a devoted husband, father, and community servant whose life was rooted in hard work, service, and family. On September 24, 1965, Ralph married the love of his...
Robert Allen Smith
Jan 5, 2026
Robert Allen Smith was born in Wilsey, Kansas on September 29, 1939. He was proceeded in death by his grandparents Ralph and Flossie Stover, Orville Smith (father), Juanita Stover Smith (mother), James Smith (brother) and Angela Prince (niece). He is survived by Larry Smith (brother) and Barbara Smith (wife), Lawrence Strouts (uncle), nieces, nephews and many cousins.
Bob worked for the...
Sylvia Rose Woodruff
Jan 4, 2026
Sylvia Rose Woodruff-Brown
Born February 25, 1949 of Ohio, passed away at home, January 4, 2026 in Council Grove, Kansas under the love and care of her loved ones, husband (married in October 2020): Bill Brown, daughter: Bridget Soucy and all her fur babies (5 rotten dogs and 2 rotten cats, all spoiled).
Sylvia was one for adventures. She came out to...
Hazel Zimmerman
Dec 31, 2025
Hazel Zimmerman, 94, passed away December 31, 2025, at her home, rural Alta Vista. She was born September 14, 1931 to John E. Olson and Jessie Shaw Olson in rural Morris County.
She graduated from Alta Vista High School in the spring of 1949, and married Everett Otto Zimmerman on October 2, 1949. They celebrated 60 years of marriage on the...
Omer Glen Pitts
Dec 8, 2025
Omer Glen Pitts, 81, of Council Grove, Kansas, passed away December 8th at his home following a brief illness.
He was born January 27, 1944, in Council Grove, the son of Omer and Emily Pitts, and was raised there. Glen lived in Colorado for many years before moving to South Carolina, where he married Clara Kieffer on November 2, 1996. After...
Victor Lee Zimmerman
Dec 3, 2025
A well-known retired farmer/stockman in the Alta Vista community, Victor Lee Zimmerman (99) died December 3, 2025. Vic was born October 24, 1926, on a farm in the Templin Community, northeast of Alta Vista. He was the first child and only son of Arnold and Elsie Brabb Zimmerman, both of whom have preceded him in death.
His early childhood education was...
Jimmy D. Hawthorne
Nov 29, 2025
Jimmy Dean Hawthorne, 70, died Friday, November 28, 2025, at his home in Allen, Kansas.
Jimmy was born in Council Grove, Kansas on August 3, 1955, the son of Hubert and Lillian (Johnson) Hawthorne. He married Cathy Bennett on May 8, 1987, in Council Grove.
A 1972 graduate of Northern Heights High School, Jim initially pursued architecture studies at Kansas State University...
Jesse Robert Young
Nov 27, 2025
Jesse Robert Young, 40, of Neosho, Missouri, passed away on November 27, 2025. He was born on May 11, 1985, in Council Grove, Kansas. Jesse was a former firefighter, a role he took great pride in and carried with him throughout his life. At the time of his passing, he was working as a heavy equipment operator for BJ Ford...
Jon Comp
Nov 21, 2025
Jon Dennis Comp passed away peacefully November 21, 2025, at Diversicare of Council Grove. He was born on March 2, 1938. Jon was born in the family house on the farm to Everett and Reba (Worley) Comp. Jon was the third-generation dairy farmer, he worked along the side of his father learning the traits of the dairy farm growing up...
Lorna May McNeal
Nov 21, 2025
Lorna May McNeal, 77, passed away peacefully and surrounded by family on November 21 after a nine-and-a-half-year battle with metastatic kidney cancer. Born on September 14, 1948, to Lauren and Edwinna Ramsey – she spent her childhood growing up in White City, Kansas as one of the five Ramsey girls before moving to Council Grove to start her freshman year...
Merrill Virgil Welch
Nov 20, 2025
Merrill “Bud” Virgil Welch Jr. of Council Grove, KS, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, November 17th, 2025. He was 84 years old. Born on December 12th, 1940 in McAllen, TX to Merrell Sr. and Lucy Welch, their second child. Bud was a veteran of the National Guard, member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, KSU alumni, beloved...
Lonita Rhea Hatfield
Nov 18, 2025
Lonita “Loni” Rhea Hatfield went to heaven on November 18, 2025.
She was born to Robert and Elsie Forbes on January 22, 1949, in Guymon, Oklahoma and was a twin. She graduated from Liberal High school in Liberal, Kansas. She spent her childhood between Guymon, Ashland and Liberal, Kansas.
She married Robert Smith, moved to Amarillo, Texas and raised two daughters.
About 25...
Elmer Clayton Finney, Jr.
Nov 18, 2025
Elmer Clayton Finney, Jr. was born on September 10, 1933, in Americus, Kansas, one of seven children born to Elmer Clayton and Evelyn Marie (Viles) Finney.
On September 18, 1955, Clayton married Patricia M. Stone. Together they raised two sons, John and Jordan, and built their life on the family farm.
Clayton loved farming and took great pride in working the land....
Patrick Charles Garrett
Nov 14, 2025
Patrick Charles Garrett, born June 15, 1956, to Charles and Mary Lou (Wilson) Garrett, passed away peacefully with his nephew by his side.
Patrick loved the outdoors. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and enjoyed working on the family farm. He retired from KDOT after 34 years of dedicated service. He took pride in plowing snow and treasured the lifelong...
David Wayne Williams
Nov 7, 2025
David Williams passed away November 7, 2025, surrounded by family and loved ones, at KU Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas.
He is survived by his two sons, Bobbie (Melissa) Williams and Josh Williams; three beloved grandchildren, Hunter (Allie) Williams, Melanie Williams, and Hailey Williams; and brother, Richard Williams. He was eagerly awaiting the arrival of his soon-to-be-born great-granddaughter, lovingly known as...
Charles Grant Weeks
Nov 3, 2025
Charles G. “Charlie” Weeks, 61, of Council Grove, Kansas, passed away on November 3, 2025, at Diversicare of Council Grove.
Charlie was born on August 29, 1964, in Council Grove to Mary Weeks. He attended Wilsey Grade School and graduated from Council Grove High School in 1983.
A lifelong resident of Council Grove, Charlie was known for his gentle spirit, quiet determination,...
James M Martin
Oct 28, 2025
Jim’s life began on April 6, 1935, in Atchison, Kansas. He was the son of Eugene and Esther (Massey) Martin. Jim was a 1953 graduate of Atchison High School and attended college for a brief time, but the business world was calling him. At 18, Jim bought his first business, a tavern in Atchison and later opened one of the...
