Kimberly L. Smith-Bell, 49, of Topeka, passed away on Wednesday, March 14, 2007. She was born on June 25, 1957 in Topeka, the daughter of Juan Ponder and Beverlee Smith-Kinmon. Memorial services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday at Antioch Life Center, 1921 S.E. Indiana St. Kimberly will lie in state and the family will receive friends from Noon...

Justin Paul Sumner, age 22, of Topeka, died quietly in his sleep on Friday, March 16, 2007. Justin was born in Fredonia, Kansas on March 30, 1984 to Paul David and Anita Faye Reinhart Sumner. He attended the Lutheran Elementary Schools in Independence and Topeka. He attended Shawnee Heights High School, was a graduate of Wichita Technical Institute and was...

Marguerite L. Nussbaum, 80, Topeka, died Thursday, March 15, 2007 at Midland Hospice House of cancer.She was born April 12, 1926 in Omaha, Nebraska. She came to Topeka in 1963. She graduated from Creighton University, Omaha, in 1947.Mrs. Nussbaum taught school in Boston for a while, as a civilian at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, and later for Penney...

John Foster Kinmon, 55, of Topeka, passed away on Monday, March 12, 2007. He was born on April 28, 1951 in San Angelo, TX the son of Aaron and Billie Shields Kinmon, Jr. Graveside services will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday at Mount Hope Cemetery. Burial will follow. John will lie in state and the family will receive friends...

Clayton Newton HedrickClayton N. Hedrick, 83, a native Topekan, passed away on March 9, 2007 at Midland Hospice House.Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Lois; their daughter, Carol; and granddaughters Amy and Sarah Watkins; son-in-law Michael Watkins; nieces Beverly Hughes and Rhonda Tevis; and nephews Clifford Hansel and Ronald Pease. He was preceded in death by his parents, Herman...

Jerry Dominick Fusco, 88, of rural Berryton, passed away Monday, March 5, 2007, at Midland Hospice House. He was born October 17, 1918 in Utica, NY, the son of John and Rose Fusco. He grew up in Utica and at age 21, moved to Santa Monica, CA where he worked for Douglas Aircraft Company. There he met Juanita Fail, from...

Ruby I. Offen, 85, of Topeka passed away Tuesday, February 27, 2007 at McCrite Plaza Health Center. Ruby was born on July 17, 1921, the daughter of Rolland Guy and Blanche May Cook Shower. She attended elementary school and junior high in Topeka. She moved with her family to California as she began high school. After graduating from San Bernardino...

Lottie Maxine Stephenson Hardesty, 81, Topeka, died Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at a local care center.Mrs. Hardesty was born February 21, 1926 at her parent's home at rural West Buffalo, Kansas. She was the youngest daughter of William and Gertrude Mae Easley Stephenson. She attended grade school at Rural West Buffalo. Mrs. Hardesty attended high school at Yates Center.She attended...

George C. Walton, Sr., 71, of Topeka, passed away, Saturday, February 24, 2007 at Midland Hospice House, Topeka. He was born January 6, 1936 in Birmingham, Alabama the son of Luther and Ethel Tolbert Walton. Mr. Walton was an Army Veteran and resided in Topeka over 50 years. George worked for Langley Recycling 34 years. He was a member of...

Lt. Col. John W. "Bill" Briery, USAF (Ret) passed away at home on Tuesday, February 27th, 2007. A lifelong Topeka resident, John was born in Topeka on May 31st, 1924. He graduated from Topeka High in 1942 and then enlisted in the U S Army Air Corp in March, 1943. After his return from active duty, he attended both Washburn...

Judith "Judy" K. Hay, 64, of Wakarusa, passed away on Monday, February 26, 2007 at her home. She was born on April 30, 1942 in Topeka, the daughter of Clayton and Jackie T. Burke Powers. She graduated from Highland Park High School in 1960. She was employed by Jostens Yearbook Company for 28 years before retiring in 2002. Judy married...

Willie Mae Jordan, 64, formerly of Topeka, passed away on Friday, February 23, 2007 at a Columbia, MO hospital. She was born on October 18, 1942 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, the daughter of Willie and Tennie Lee Spriggs Purnell. She had resided in Topeka since 1983 before moving to Columbia in 2004. Survivors include her children, Maxine McCoy-Hamilton (AD), Timothy Townsend...

Orville James Rule, 78, Topeka, passed away on Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at his residence.Orville was born November 24, 1928 in Lawrence, the son of Tom and Irene (Corbin) Rule. He worked as a crane operator at a sand plant in Lawrence and operated Rule's Blacksmith and Welding in Overbrook and Topeka since 1971, and recently retired due to health...

Dorothy F. Farrell, 87, of Topeka, passed away on Friday, February 16, 2007 at Brewster Place in Topeka. She was born on November 4, 1919 in Valley Falls, the daughter of Raymond J. and Helen Smith Haslett. She graduated from Topeka High School. Dorothy had lived in South Dakota from 1956 before returning to Topeka in 1986 where she had...

Leslie R. Bergin, 55, of Topeka, Kansas passed away, Tuesday, February 13, 2007 at Midland Hospice House. He is survived by his three children, Lucas Bergin, Kathleen Irish, and Kristen Bergin, three brothers, Steven, Jeffrey, and Jonathan Bergin and one grandchild. Leslie worked for the Topeka Rescue Mission and was a member of Covenant Baptist Church. Memorial services will be...

Clara Alice Kingen, 91, Overbrook, formerly of Russell, passed away on Monday, February 12, 2007.She was born January 17, 1916, the daughter of Jess W. and Mary Rose Hummel.Clara was a graduate of Brown Mackey School of Salina. She worked most of her life for Chet Roberts in the oil business. She loved the Lord, her family, natures beauty and...

Joseph A. Bruce, 79, of Topeka, passed away on Tuesday, February 6, 2007 at his home. He was born on December 31, 1927 in Topeka, the son of Lloyd R. and Lorena Walker Bruce, Sr.. He was a life long Topeka resident. He was employed as an adjustor for the State of Kansas. He attended Shiloh Baptist Church. Joseph married...

Miriam L. Steves, 96, of Topeka, passed away on Saturday, February 3, 2007 at her home. She was born on September 1, 1910 in Galveston, TX, the daughter of Horace and Laura Stanford Long. She lived most of her life in Topeka. She was a homemaker for most of her life before she and her husband opened Steves Type Shop...

Margaret L. Gray, 86September 7, 1920Of Topeka and born and raised in Anthony, KansasShe lived during her childhood in nearby Freeport, KS.She passed away at the Plaza West Regional Nursing Home in Topeka, Kansas on January 31, 2007 after a brief stay. She had been in St. Francis Hospital since January 1, 2007 from having suffered a fall. She was...

Kathleen Ellen McClellan, 74, Topeka, KS, died Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2007 at Aldersgate Village.She was born Oct. 14, 1932 in Detroit, MI, the daughter of William Shephard and Elsie Kelly Therrien. She graduated from Madison High School, Madison Heights, MI, and received an Associate Degree from Oakland Community College, Oakland, MI in 1983.Mrs. McClellan was employed as a technical writer...