Charles “Charlie” Apple, 60, of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, passed away peacefully at home on February 20, 2023.

He was born in North Kansas City to Claude and Betty Apple. He was raised in the Kansas City North area and graduated from Platte County High School. He then served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Baumbholder, Germany before returning to Kansas City.

Charlie had a long career in the trucking industry, including driving the last 25 years for XPO Logistics. Charlie’s steadfast work ethic encouraged his fellow freight haulers to “put your coffee down and get your butts back to work.”

Charlie had many friends from all parts of his life and had a kind and compassionate spirit. He enjoyed deer, pheasant, and quail hunting, fishing, traveling, good food, and music. Charlie was also a member Park Hill Christian Chruch.

Charlie was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Diana Roberts; and father-in-law, Wesley Bland.

He is survived by his wife, Kathryn; daughters, Courtney and Whitney Apple; grandsons, Nicholas, Kai, Alexander, and Eisley; brothers, Ronald “RD” (Pam) Ballard, and Steven Ballard; mother-in-law, Nancy Bland; brother-in-law, Timothy Bland; and numerous extended family.

Per Charlie’s request, no memorial service will be held.

Contributions in his memory may be made to Excelsior Springs Hospice, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, or Excelsior Springs Friends of Animals, P.O. Box 661, Excelsior Springs, MO. 64024.

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” -Dr. Seuss

“There is a road, no simple highway between the dawn and the dark of night and if you go, no one may follow. That path is for your steps alone.” -Ripple by The Grateful Dead

Arrangements in care of Bross & Spidle Funeral Home, Excelsior Springs.

Eylla M. Carey, 86, of Kearney, Missouri, went to be with our Lord and Savior on February 18, 2023.

She is survived by her husband, James D. Carey; sons, Mark Jensen (Nola) and Scott Jensen (Linda); daughter, Christie Brown (Jeff); granddaughters, Rachael Vallar (Alex) and Heather Snowden (Michael).

A private family graveside will be held. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Ace Sanctuary and Cat Rescue.

Martha Ann Smith, 80, of Lawson, Missouri, passed away on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at Lawson Manor.

Martha was born on December 17, 1942, in Kansas City, Missouri, to James and Martha (White) Richardson. On March 22, 1962, she married James B. Smith. They were married for 60 years and 11 months.

Martha worked at Gilmour for over 40 years, many of those as a supervisor. Her life’s love was her family, hosting many family barbeques and camping together.

She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Martha Richardson; brother, Larry Richardson; sister, Penny Turner; brothers-in-law, Raymond Oscar, Lyle, Bob, and Dale Smith; sisters-in-law, Louise Smith and Annebelle Trumbo.

She is survived by her husband, James B. Smith; dog, Buddy; daughter, Terry (Jamie) Johnson; sons, Richard Smith, Danny Smith, of Lawson, and Gary (Connie) Smith, of Holt; grandchildren, Chris (Karla), Misty (Corey), Jim-bo, Olivia, Candi Jo, Curtis (Christy) Smith, Jennifer (Steve) Barnes, April Richardson, and Beth Davis; family friend and caretaker, Sherie Parshall; siblings, Sandy (Gene) Pringle, Cheryl (Halin) Lawson, Bill (Linda) Richardson, Rick (Linda) Richardson, Candy (Bruce) Palmer; brother-in-law, Junior (Nella Jo) Smith; as well as numerous great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Arrangements in care of Bross &. Spidle Funeral Home Lawson Chapel.

Bobby “Bob” Lewis Manar died peacefully at his home in Liberty, MO, February 15, 2023, at the age of 90. Bob was born and raised in Boswell, OK, the son of David Emmett and Verna Roselee (Hallman) Manar. Bob attended Boswell High School before graduating in 1951.

During the Korean Conflict, Bob was drafted and served with the 115th Engineer Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. After his Honorable Discharge, he moved to Liberty, MO, in 1955.

After moving to Liberty, Bob found employment with the Gas Services Company as a gas service technician. He provided various gas services for the rural residents of Agency, Dearborn, Edgerton, Gower, Trimble and Smithville. He retired from the gas company in 1992.

Bob married his wife of 34 years, Shirley June Moberly, in November 1988. They spent their retirement traveling the U.S. and several trips aboard, including Canada, Mexico, and Europe. He also enjoyed working on his lawn and gardens.

Bob is survived by his wife, June; daughters, Vicky and Phil Spaeth and Pamela McKown; and three grandchildren, Angella and Richard Ryan, Cody McKown, and Jordan McKown; his stepchildren, Mike and Donna Stegall, Sheri and Steve Sisco; and step-grandchildren, Natalie and Jim Egbert, Emily and Andy Barnett, Zachary and Misty Sisco, Cortney and Zachary Mooney, and Brandon Sisco; and step-great grandchildren, Jaiden, Hailey, Noah, Owen, Liberty, Zach, Sheri, Shelby and Shyanne; as well as his sister, Loraine Roebuck of Oklahoma.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, February 23, 2023 from 1 to 2 p.m., with service following at Fry-Bross & Spidle Funeral Home, 208 S. Jefferson St., Kearney, MO 64060. Interment will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Kearney, MO.

Ralph K. Turner, 89, of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, passed away February 14, 2023 at Liberty Hospital with family at his side.

Ralph was born August 13, 1933, in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, the son of R. W. “Dub” Turner, Jr. and Edna Mae (Woods) Turner. Along with his parents, Ralph was preceded in death by his son, Ernest K. Turner; and grandson, Christopher Clay Hendley.

He graduated from Excelsior Springs High School with the class of 1951. He enlisted in the Army in 1952 and served in Korea as a licensed tank driver and mechanic on tanks and guns.

Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Monna Sue (Coffman) Turner; brother, Ray Turner (Meredith); sister, Kathy Goode (John); daughter, Tabitha Foley (Tim); son, James Turner (Lisa); grandchildren, Ryan Hendley (Amanda), Brent Turner, Jenna Pepper (Dwight), Emma Multer (Andy), and Zachary Turner; great grandchildren, Avery Hendley, Harper Hendley, Bella Hendley, and Lucy Pepper; and many nieces, nephews and friends.

He was a lifelong member of Flack Memorial Christian Union Church, where he served many roles, including Sunday school teacher, building maintenance and grounds keeper.

Ralph retired from General Motors in 1989. He was an avid fisherman and loved to garden. Every spring when the lilacs bloomed, his mind turned to mushrooms. He had a knack for fixing things, and enjoyed repairing antique clocks. Above all, he loved his family and enjoyed spending time with them.

A visitation will be held Monday, February 20, 2023, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Bross & Spidle Chapels, 217 W.
Broadway St., Excelsior Springs, Missouri, followed by a service celebrating Ralph’s life at 11 a.m. Burial with military honors will follow at Enon Cemetery, Excelsior Springs, Missouri.

Dec. 12 1948 – Feb. 13, 2023

Kenneth Lee Stromquist was born on December 12, 1948 at the McPherson County Hospital, McPherson, Kansas, at 6:00 p.m. He was the only child of Leslie Luther Stromquist (February 16, 1913 – November 22, 1983) and Loreece Josephine Lorenz Stromquist (August 12, 1921 – May 30, 1998).

Leslie was a farmer and had a machine shop on the property, plus he served in the Army. Loreece was the last school teacher in the last One Room School House in McPherson County, Kansas, but quit teaching when he was born so she could devote her entire time to raising and educating him. Ken was reading at the age of two years. He read all of the books in his parent’s library. He even tried to figure out the German and Swedish volumes! Loreece taught her son so well that when he started school he was years ahead of his classmates in all academic areas. Ken was bored with classes and read virtually all the books in the two grade school libraries. He would hurry up and finish his homework so that he could find another book to read.

After he completed reading all the books in the two Peaceful Prairie School libraries, he read all the books in the McPherson County School Superintendent’s Library. Unfortunately, his classmates were jealous of his knowledge and abilities. They called him names such as egg head. However, Ken still enjoyed reading. Ken kept pestering his parents to take him to the McPherson City Library so that he could find something new to read. Needless to say, Ken’s favorite place was a library. He loved to read and do research. His term papers and research were always among the best in his classes and he consistently received high marks on them.

This continued with him throughout his life and resulted in him developing his own private library in his home basement which was filled with thousands of books. Many were first editions that he had collected.

Ken attended McPherson High School where he excelled and was the Yearbook Editor. He was an honor graduate and attended McPherson College on a Merit scholarship. In 1967 he was elected Master Councilor of the North Central area of the Kansas State DeMolay association. This is a fraternal organization for youths between 14 and 21. He stayed in touch with them throughout his life. He collected DeMolay memorabilia and was writing a book about the DeMolay when he passed February 13, 2023.

He was a member in good standing in Free Masons, International Order of DeMolay, Past Grand Commander of the Kansas Grand Court of Chevaliers, Sons of the American Legion, Knights of Pythias, and the Last Life Member of the McPherson County Historical Society. He included Kansas City BBQ Judge to his outstanding achievements. He was also a lifetime member of the New Gottland Evangelical Lutheran Church in McPherson, KS, a charter member of the US Internet Genealogical Society and a member of the International Genealogical Society. Ken started and operated the Stromquist Genealogical Society where he focused on Laubach, Lorenz, Stromquist and other members associated with his family from Germany and Switzerland.

Ken loved to learn and research anything he could. His favorite pastime was attending workshops and seminars on various subjects from Real Estate to Coins and Metals or Photography. He was almost a fulltime volunteer at many events in and around the Kansas City area. He was an avid collector of Presidential items, and loved a good auction.

Ken’s Father was Swedish, Mother was German, he never married, nor had children. He always said he was waiting for the right Swedish girl. Ken really enjoyed coming back to the Stromquist home farm in McPherson, Kansas, to visit his Mother before he moved her to Kansas City to help care for her.

He worked at the Post Office in the 1980 timeframe until his health caused him to take a disability leave. He lived mostly in the Platte County, Missouri area until his health failed and he moved to Riverside Missouri Nursing Home in 2018 where he stayed until he passed.

Ken was an adoring son, loved cats, always interested in sharing stories, and enjoyed visiting with his neighbors.

Betty Rae Wilkerson, 96, of Kearney, Missouri, passed away February 13, 2023.

Betty was born on May 21, 1926, to parents Raymond and Clara Cummins and foster parents, John and Elizabeth Yates.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her son, Wally; and grandson, Jason.

She is survived by daughters, Betty Joy Leighton, Mary Celesta Simpson, and Brenda Sue Wilkerson; eight grandchildren; and nine great grandchildren.

A memorial visitation will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2023, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Fry-Bross & Spidle Funeral Home in Kearney, Missouri with a graveside to follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Cancer Society.

Arrangements in care of Fry-Bross & Spidle Funeral Home, Kearney.

Sherry Lynn Roller, 66, of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, passed away peacefully on February 12, 2023. She was born on June 17, 1956.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Evelyn Jones, and her husband, Jim Roller.

She is survived by her only daughter, Amanda (Jeremy) Romazon, Excelsior Springs; grandson, Caleb Romazon, Excelsior Springs; and granddaughter, Keira Romazon, Excelsior Springs. She leaves behind five sisters and one brother from various locations, along with nieces and nephews.

“Where a beautiful soul has been, there is a trail of beautiful memories.”

Cremation and Private Ceremony.

In lieu of flowers the family has suggested that you make a donation to a local Hospice organization.

Arrangements in care of Bross & Spidle Funeral Home, Excelsior Springs.

Debra Ruth Green, 65, of Parkville, Missouri, passed away on February 8, 2023, at home. She was born on January 11, 1958, in California.

Debra loved her family and enjoyed life to the fullest. She enjoyed watching old movies and television shows.

She was preceded in death by her father, James Green.

She is survived by her mother, Sylvia Hale; sister, Sharon (Roger)Wheeler; nieces, Heather (James) Guilkey, Tina (Mike) Dunkin; and many great nieces and nephews.

Cremation.

Arrangements in care of Bross & Spidle Funeral Home Lawson Chapel.

Marguerite “Margie” Craven was born on November 30, 1941 and passed away on February 7, 2023 at Centerpoint Hospital, surrounded by her daughter, grandson, his fiancée’, and granddaughter.

Margie was a 1959 graduate of Van Horn High School. She spent most of her career as an Administrative Data Clerk with Allis Chalmers. After 42 years of service she retired and spent the rest of her career as a Clerk for the Jackson County Court House.

She spent most of her years dedicated to cooking, tending to her flowers and, most of all, being with her grandchildren.

Margie is survived by her husband, Morgan Lee Craven of 61 years; her daughter, Tammy Pitts and son-in-law, Don Pitts; grandchildren, Andrea Barker and James Barker (spouse), Tyler Pitts, Travis Pitts and Kaylie Beeler (fiancé); her brother, Timothy A Bly; and great-grandchildren, Cameron Barker, Aaron Barker, Wyatt Pitts, Addi Beeler, and Cayson Beeler.

Margie will be laid to rest at Crown Hill Cemetery in Excelsior Springs on February 10, 2023.

Arrangements in care of Bross & Spidle Funeral Home, Excelsior Springs.

Dennis Clarence Simmons, 67, of Holt, Missouri, passed away peacefully on January 28, 2023 at North Kansas City Hospital. Dennis was born on December 9, 1955 in Kansas City, Kansas. Dennis lived with his parents where he attended Washington High School.

Dennis Simmons is survived by his brother, Robert Simmons, wife, Terri Simmons, and granddaughter, Sista Cisneros; and other friends and family.

Dennis was a truck driver at Southwest Trucking for about 10-15 years then followed up with TransAm trucking for another 10 years. Dennis loved cracking jokes and making people laugh and smile. His main hobby was getting on his wife’s nerves. Dennis loved to tend to his cats and mow his lawn when it became nice outside. He also loved to cook for his family, listen to rock music, and watch wrestling.

There will be a get together held in March

Margie M. Duley, of rural Lawson, died Saturday, February 4, 2023, at Excelsior Springs Hospital, Excelsior Springs, Mo., surrounded by family and friends. She was 93.

Margie was born May 31, 1929, to J. Homer and Angie (Johnson) Evans in rural Stanberry, Mo., where she grew up.

On October 19, 1947, she married Roy Duley at Island City Christian Church. They were married 63 years.

Margie was a homemaker, loving her family and farm life. Always busy, she grew vegetables, and flowers, made many quilts and comforters, and loved visiting with family and friends. She followed Christ at the age of 11, never lost sight of that calling and was a real prayer warrior.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her brothers, G. Vernon, Russell and R. Kenneth Evans; her sister, Lorene Evans; her son-in-law, Dick Pettiecord; and one grandson, Aaron Duley.

Survivors include her sons, David (Roberta) Duley of Lawson; Rick (Stephanie) Duley of Lee’s Summit, Mo.; Bill (Sherry) Duley of Rolla, Mo.; daughter, Linda Pettiecord of Thorn Hill, Tenn.; sister-in-law, Bonnie (Herman) Harville of Robertsdale, Al.; 14 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, two great-great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

Visitation will be Saturday, February 11, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Elmira Baptist Church, rural Lawson, with funeral services at 11:00 a.m. Interment will immediately follow services at Elmira Cemetery.

Thanks to the Lawson Manor, including great granddaughter, Kara Seeley, for their care during the last few months of her life. Special thanks to the One Community Hospice team, especially Cody, Chloe and, Nikki, whom she loved.

While she loved flowers, she loved Jesus more, so in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Elmira Baptist Church where Margie was a long-time member.

Arrangements in care of Bross & Spidle Funeral Home, Lawson Chapel, Lawson, MO.