Larned – Abbie Lynn Collins McCarty, 32, passed over to heaven on September 21, 2016 peacefully in her home after a courageous battle with thyroid cancer.

She was born April 3, 1984 in Great Bend, Kansas to Dan G. and Sarah B. Warren Collins. They survive. Abbie was outgoing and had an exuberance of joy when she was surrounded by her friends and family. Abbie loved playing the piano, summertime, and baking with her mother and grandmother. Abbie believed that Jesus Christ was her Lord and Savior.

On January 8, 2010 Abbie married Ken McCarty in Larned, Kansas. He survives. Abbie was the mother of four beautiful children, Madeline Faith and Gavin Sterling of Larned, Kansas and Parker Ryan and Landon James of Osceola, Wisconsin who are the loves and light of her life.

Other survivors include: one brother, Nat (Sarah) Collins, Colorado Springs, Colorado; one sister, Holly (Kyle) Corman, Larned, Ks; one nephew, Braeden Corman, Larned, Ks; one niece, Emma Corman, Larned, Ks.; maternal grandfather, Bill Warren, Wymore, Ne; aunts and uncles Dee (Karen) Collins, Midwest City, Ok, Allan Collins, Larned, Ks, Tim (Kelly) Warren, John (Gary Waits) Warren, Lexington, Ky, Chris (Al) Warren Barnston, Ne,, and Thad (DeAnn) Warren, Seward, Ne; many cousins and friends.

She was welcomed into heaven by her paternal grandparents; Delbert and Johnnie Collins, maternal grandmother; Norma Warren, maternal grandfather, Everett Newman.

Memorial service will be 10 a.m. Friday, September 30, 2016, at Beckwith Mortuary with John Hamm presiding. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Beckwith Mortuary. Cremation has taken place and Inurnment will be in the Larned Cemetery, Larned.

Memorials may be given to the Children’s Educational Fund in care of Beckwith Mortuary, Box 477 Larned, Ks 67550. Condolences may be left at www.beckwithmortuary.com.

Dateline: Emporia, Kansas

Helen M. Zorn, 95, died September 19, 2016, at Presbyterian Manor, Emporia, Kansas. She was born August 2, 1921, in Redwing, Kansas, the daughter of Frank and Anna (Demel) Koester.
Helen graduated from Odin High School in 1940.

On March 4, 1943, she married Frank F. Zorn, at San Carlos Catholic Church, Monterey, California. He preceded her in death on September 21, 2000.

Helen was a homemaker and also worked for EL-KAN retiring in 1977.

A longtime resident of Claflin moving to Emporia in 2013. Helen was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, in Claflin, where she was also a member of the Altar Society and the V.F.W. Auxiliary. Helen helped to organize Birthday Coffee in Claflin and continued that tradition when moving to the Presbyterian Manor in Emporia.

Survivors include; children, Thomas Zorn and wife Alice of Herndon, VA, Susan Cates and husband Steven of Emporia, Michael Zorn and wife Mary of Round Rock, TX; son-in-law, Harold Schremmer and wife Diana of Prosper, TX; two sisters, Mary Haberman and Rose Murphy, both of Great Bend; 13 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband; two sons, Donald and Gary Zorn; a daughter, Patricia Schremmer; two brothers, Bill and Joseph Koester; and three sisters, Ann Hickey, Augustina Axman, and Leona McCurry.

Vigil with Altar Society Rosary will be 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016, at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home Chapel. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10 a.m., Friday, Sept. 23, 2016, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church celebrated by Father Terrance Klein. Burial will follow in Claflin Cemetery. Friends may call 1 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church or Presbyterian Manor of Emporia in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, Hoisington, KS, 67544.
Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.nicholsonrickefh.net

Larned – Guadalupe M. Perez Sr., 76, passed away September 19, 2016 at Hutchinson Regional Hospital, Hutchinson, Kansas.

He was born February 18, 1940 in Kinsley. The son of Clemente R. and Lucia R. Mariche Perez. A lifetime area resident, he was a retired activity therapist from the Larned State Hospital.

He was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church; he loved bowling, softball and umpiring, hosting slow pitch tournaments, district and substate mens and womens, loved coaching, coached a Special Olympics team and kids sports. He especially loved watching his kids and grandkids play sports, attending auctions, and all outside activities. He was a big people person and always made everyone feel good. He was a big KU fan, a Royals fan and a Chiefs fan.

On September 15, 2001 he married Pamela S. Murray in Larned. She survives.

Other survivors include; four sons, Guadalupe (Lupe Jr.) and wife Shanda, Larned, Mike, Protection, Anthony and Amber, Salina and Alex, Larned; seven daughters, Stephanie Perez, Larned, Patricia Brown and husband David, Larned, Dana Dawes and husband Mike, Great Bend, Tracy Martinez and husband Tony, Larned, Pennie Lancaster and husband Greg, Bend, Oregon, Shawna Barry, Hoisington and Mackenzie Perez, Larned; five brothers, Manuel and wife Marilyn, Salina, Raymond and wife Cindy, Larned, Terry and wife Marilyn, Larned, Tony and wife Darla, Larned, and Felix Perez Sr., Hutchinson; two sisters, Eleanor Sanders and husband Leon, Larned and Linda Garcia and husband Frank, Larned; twenty grandchildren, Isiah, Baylea, Jordahn, Kindra, Tiasha, Braedon, Jackson, Rusty, Jason, Drew, Grant, Nate, Brandi, Anthony, Espy, Nydia, Andres, Aemilio, Josh and Paige; six great grandchildren, Lylee, Shay, Kalvin, Gehrig, Broguhn and Noah.

He was preceded in death by; three brothers, Frank, John and Pete; two sisters, Trinidad Ruiz and Jane Bronson and one great grandchild, Forever Worden.

Funeral Mass will be 10:00 a.m. Friday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Warren Stecklein presiding, Rosary and Vigil Service will be 7:00 p.m. Thursday at Beckwith Mortuary Chapel. Visitation will be 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday and 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday at the mortuary. Cremation will follow the service and Inurnment will be at a later date.

Memorials may be given to the Guadalupe M. Perez Sr. memorial fund, in care of Beckwith Mortuary, P.O. Box 477, Larned, KS 67550. Personal condolences may be left at www.beckwithmortuary.com.

GREAT BEND — Rev. Kevin U. Franklin, 62, died Sept. 19, 2016, at his home, Great Bend. He was born April 19, 1954, at Salina, the son of Rev. Raymond A. and Eva E. (Benson) Franklin. He married Dwana Lue Smith July 28, 1973, at Wichita.

Kevin accepted Christ as his Saviour Feb. 18, 1982. He was ordained Oct. 12, 1992, to preach the word of God. He was a youth pastor in Salina for many years and then pastored First Baptist Church, Concordia, for 16 years, and First Bible Baptist Church, Great Bend, for 10 years. He had also previously lived in Oregon, California, and Oklahoma. He was also a carpet installer for 35 years.

Survivors include his wife, Dwana Lue Franklin, of the home; three children: Rick Franklin and his wife Donna S. of Great Bend, Donna R. Harvey and her husband Kris of Salina, and Kevin S. Franklin of Great Bend; and 11 grandchildren, Ricky, Christian, Isaiah, Elijah, Charity and Trinity Franklin of Great Bend; and Anthony, Rayna, Grace, Kevin Allen and Julie Harvey; his Church family, two aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, his grandparents, Ray and Agatha Benson and Earnest and Mabel Franklin, and one brother, Rev. Charles R. Franklin.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m., Friday, Sept. 23, 2016 at Ray Avenue Baptist Church, 2801 E. Ray, Salina with the Rev. Dr. Rex Fuller. Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery, Salina. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, September 22, 2016 at Bryant Funeral Home, Great Bend. Memorials are requested to the Kevin Franklin Memorial Fund, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net
Arrangements by Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road Great Bend, Kansas 67530

GREAT BEND — Marion Lightfoot passed away Sept. 10, 2016, at his daughter’s home in Arkansas City, Kan., following a battle with kidney disease. Marion was born March 31, 1931, in Hartford, Ohio, to Beulah Lightfoot and was raised by his maternal grandparents, Edgar and Mary Lightfoot, on a farm near LaRue, Ohio.  He graduated from high school in a class of 13 and attended Ohio Wesleyan University, where he played varsity football, joined the Air Force ROTC program and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics. He completed fighter pilot training at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas and flew F-86 Sabre jets while stationed in Formosa (Taiwan) and Okinawa. There he met and married Elizabeth Wagner. They raised three children together prior to divorcing in 1981.

After leaving the Air Force, Marion returned to Ohio and began a career in manufacturing management that included stops in Mentor, Ohio; Lafayette, Ind.; Lebanon, Tenn.; Houston, Texas; Tulsa, Okla.; Larned, Kan.; and Columbus, Ohio.  In 1983 he married Patricia Chiater McGinnis and relocated to Fairmont, W.Va. and then Buffalo, N.Y.  In 1989, the couple moved to Great Bend, where Marion served as the president of Great Bend Industries until his retirement in 1999.

Marion possessed a great passion for public service. Throughout his life he supported and served on a wide variety of civic organizations, including the Barton County Planning Commission, Jenks (Okla.) City Council, SCORE small business mentoring program, Rotary, and countless business and community groups and volunteer programs.  Two of his favorite volunteer experiences were guiding the construction of the B-29 Memorial at the Great Bend Municipal Airport and helping bring the USAF Thunderbirds to the air show in Great Bend in the early 1990’s.  In his spare time, he spent nearly four decades umpiring baseball, refereeing football and officiating basketball games. As he transitioned to retirement, he shifted his interest to photography and his frame shop.

Marion was hard-working, focused and goal-oriented.  He was direct, sometimes unfiltered and had a great sense of humor. Later in life, when asked why he was so driven, he explained that being raised by his grandparents and never knowing his father, he always felt he had to work harder to prove himself and leave his mark on the world.  He truly made a difference in his life’s work.

Marion was preceded in death by his wife, Pat, in 2012.. He is survived by his children, Lisa Vetter of Arkansas City, Kan., Keith Lightfoot of Fort Collins, Colo., and Marya Bosley of Augusta, his step-children, Harry “Kip” McGinnis of Rivesville, W.Va., Tamara McGinnis of Paris, France, and Jeff McGinnis of Baxter, W.Va., 11 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be at 10 a.m., Friday, Sept. 16 at Bryant Funeral Home in Great Bend, with the Rev. William F. Johnson officiating. Private family inurnment will be in Great Bend Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to Barton County Historical Society, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

EL PASO, Texas — Michael Jovanee Carrasco, 8, died Sept. 7, 2016, at El Paso Children’s Hospital, El Paso, Texas. He was born Oct. 9, 2007, at Great Bend, the son of Norberto and Claudia (Torres) Carrasco.

Survivors include his father, Norberto Carrasco of Sioux City, Iowa; his mother, Claudia Torres of El Paso, Texas; two sisters, Jazmin Rodriguez of El Paso, and Alyha Carrasco of Great Bend; one brother, Anthony Carrasco of Great Bend; paternal grandparents, Norberto, Sr. and Manuela Carrasco of Great Bend; and maternal grandmother, Juana Delgado of El Paso. He was preceded in death by maternal grandfather, Francisco Torres.

Vigil service will be at 7 p.m., Monday, Sept. 12, 2016 at Bryant Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m., Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Great Bend with Father Don Bedore celebrating. Burial will be in Great Bend Cemetery North. Memorials are requested to the Michael Carrasco Funeral Expense Fund, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

 

Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net

                      Arrangements by    Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road       Great Bend, Kansas         67530

GREAT BEND — Claudie Jean Biles, 87, died Sept. 9, 2016, at her home in Heizer. She was born Dec. 26, 1928, at Gainsville, Mo., the daughter of Albert and Margie (Harley) Piland. She married Roy M. Biles April 30, 1945, at Great Bend.  He died April 21, 2007. A Great Bend, Kansas resident since 1940, coming from Gainsville, Mo., Mrs. Biles was a homemaker and was a former receptionist for Great Bend Family Mortuary and Crematory.

Mrs. Biles was a member of First Church of God, Great Bend.

Survivors include one son, Robert Earl Biles and his wife Paula of Great Bend; six daughters, Lavonna Lick and her husband Jerald Lick of Topeka, Susan Marie Hartsell and her husband Richard of Wagoner, Okla., Karla Biles of Great Bend, Sherry Smolik of Heizer, Rhonda Suppes and her husband Richard of Hutchinson, and Brenda Johnson of Albuquerque, N.M., two brothers: Kenneth Piland of Pahrump, Nev., and Troy Piland of Garden City; 13 grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Basil Piland and Gary Piland, one sister, Wanda Conaway, and one grandson, Chris Smolik.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m., Monday, Sept. 12, 2016 at Bryant Funeral Home with the Rev. Dick Ogle officiating. Burial will be in Great Bend Cemetery. Friends may call from 1 to 9 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016 and 9 a.m. to service time, Monday, September 12, 2016 at Bryant Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m., Sunday at the funeral home. Memorials are requested to Alzheimer’s Association, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net

                      Arrangements by    Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road       Great Bend, Kansas         67530