Area Obituaries

  Leslie Wilbur Landphair was born to Katie and Kingsley Landphair March 20, 1919 on the family farm in southern Decatur county near Pleasanton, Iowa. Wilbur was welcomed by older sister LaVera and was later joined by younger siblings Venita, Blanch, Harl, Charles, Helen, Donald and Macyl. Wilbur passed away at the age of 92…

  Shirley Ann Buchanan, daughter of Leroy and Thelma Dellinger, was born September 17, 1935 at Hutchinson, Kansas. Shirley met her future husband, Melvin Buchanan, in Hutchinson. They were united in marriage at Melvin’s parent’s home in Diagonal, Iowa on November 3, 1951. Because of Melvin’s work, the family lived in various towns but Diagonal…

Betty Catherine Boyer, second child of Mary Ethel (Smith) Beemer and Simmie Bryan Beemer, was born November 5, 1919 in rural Conway, Taylor county, Iowa. She grew up and attended Conway Consolidated Schools, graduating in 1939. The family lived at Sumner, Chariton county, Missouri from 1921 to 1929. She met her life mate, Marvin R.…

Melvin Frasier Newton was born on July 23, 1922, to Burr and Ethel Burdette Newton on the family farm in Ringgold county, Iowa. Always a ‘farm boy’ he attended country school and was active in 4-H and the family farming enterprise. He graduated from Diagonal high school as valedictorian of the class of 1939. Among…

Velma Louise Hill, daughter of Orville and Mary Sheldon, was born March 12, 1921 at Diagonal, Iowa and passed away December 5, 2011 at West Bridge Care & Rehabilitation in Winterset, Iowa. Velma graduated from Mount Ayr high school in 1939. She worked seven years for Northwestern Telephone Co. in Mount Ayr, Iowa. On April…

  Melvin Eugene Doolittle, son of Clifford Dorman and Ethel Arena (Still) Doolittle, was born August 16, 1942 in Nevada, Iowa and passed away at his home in Kellerton on December 6, 2011. Melvin married Judy Maxine Reed on September 20, 1959 and to this union three daughters were born, Debbie, Penni and Teena. Melvin…

  Michael Henderson Graham was born August 24, 1952 in Helena, Montana and died December 2, 2011 in Mount Ayr, Iowa. Michael was adopted by Ward and Nettie (Davidson) Graham and raised around Missoula, Montana. When he was growing up, Michael loved to visit his grandparents because they lived ‘in the country.’ He told many…

    Wilma Lauretta Wilson was born on a farm outside of Cainsville in Harrison county, Missouri on April 13, 1921 to Loren Ariel Willis and Minnie Dallas (Snethen) Willis. She departed this life on November 20, 2011 in Riverside, California at age 90 years. Wilma moved to Mount Ayr at age six and attended local…

  Mary Lucille Novak, daughter of Orville and Nina (Evans) Swett, was born February 16, 1928 at Delphos, Iowa. Mary graduated from Delphos high school in 1946. On April 21, 1947, Mary was united in marriage to Cyril Laverne (Bus) Novak. With the exception of one year, they lived on the same farm south of…

  Francis Harlan Ayres, son of Francis and Doris (Wheelen) Ayres, was born July 3, 1938 at Lincoln, Nebraska. Bud, as he was known, grew up on a farm and attended country school until the eighth grade. Bud transferred from a one-room rural schoolhouse to high school at Lincoln High; what a change! In 1956…

 Zoe Elliott Nichols, 91, died in Denton, Texas of lymphoma on November 21, 2011. The second of five children of Mark and Ilah Spencer Elliott was born February 20, 1920 in Rice township, Mount Ayr, Iowa. She married Donald O. Nichols, June 30, 1940, in the farm home where she was born. Graduating in 1936…

  Luella Young, 91, of Des Moines, Iowa,  formerly of Creston and Mount Ayr, Iowa, died Thursday, November 17, 2011, at Manor Care in West Des Moines, Iowa. Services were Wednesday, November 23, 2011, at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Creston. Burial was at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Mount Ayr. Powers Funeral…