Obituaries

Mary Cramer, 91, of Wellington, KS, died peacefully on January 5, 2025 at Botkin Care and Rehab Center in Wellington.

JANUARY 23, - JANUARY 30, 2025

Elsie Marie Morgan Cooper was born February 17, 1933 in rural Missouri, The youngest of four children born to Everett and Melissa Morgan. She graduated from Granby High School in 1951 and married John Cooper the next week. Elsie and John moved to Wichita Kansas, where she lived and worked while he fought in the Korean War. They adopted Beverly in 1959 and Terri and 1962. Elsie was a Girl Scout leader for each of the girls troops and joked that she knew how to make it rain by planning a camping trip. She was an accomplished seamstress and made many of her daughters’ clothes, including their wedding dresses. Elsie worked at Beech Aircraft for 20 years, retiring in 1996. In her retirement she joined a quilt guild and sewing software club, many times hosting the clubs in her home. She made many quilts for family and friends. Elsie died the morning of December 17, 2024, at the care home where she spent the last few weeks of her She is survived by her daughters Beverly and husband Dana Anderson, Terri and husband Mike Welch; grandchildren Laura (Drew) Spencer, Danielle (Kyle) Beltz, Tess Welch and Jillian Welch; greatgrand

JANUARY 16 - 23, 2025

Gaila Kay Roberts, age 77, passed away at her home on Friday evening of January 10, 2025. She was born on December 29, 1947, in Wellington, KS, to Robert Adell Busch and June Maxine (Force) Busch. A woman of great dedication and compassion, Gaila lived a life marked by her love for her family and her commitment to her work. She was a loving wife, mother, and caring member of her lifelong community in Milan, KS. Gaila’s passion for music was evident in her extensive record collection, which she cherished deeply. Gaila’s early years were marked by achievement and hard work. She was an active participant in the 4H club from her childhood through her teenage years. After graduating from Conway Springs High School in 1965, she furthered her education at Southwestern College. In addition to her educational pursuits, Gaila worked on her family farm alongside her father for many years, a testament to her strong work ethic and dedication to her family. Her professional journey led her to Boeing, where she served as an aircraft inspector until her retirement. The family was always at the heart of Gaila’s life. She was first married to Jess Kenneth Johnson Jr. on February 15, 1969, with whom she had three children. Later, she remarried Curtis Lee Roberts on July 31, 1994, a loving partnership that lasted until his passing on February 14, 2002. Gaila leaves behind a loving family: her children Jessica Dockery, Robert (Kris) Johnson, and Ivan (Alia) Johnson; her siblings Nina Tush, Roy (Jenice) Busch, and Roberta Busch; her grandchildren Sara (Ken) Curnutte, Olivia (Robert) Dockery, Ashley Dockery, Kenneth Dockery, Andrew Johnson, Zellissa Johnson, Chopper Johnson, Cheyanne McDonld, and Brianna Perkins; and her great-grandchildren Oliver and Malia. She is preceded in death by her parents Robert and June Busch; her husband Curtis Roberts; an infant brother and sister; and her granddaughter Cherokee Johnson. A memorial service to celebrate Gaila’s life will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2025, at 10:00 am at Cornejo Funeral Home & Crematory, located at 1030 Mission Road, Wellington, Kansas, 67152. Memorial donations can be made in her memory to the Wellington Humane Society. Donations may be mailed or left with the funeral home. In memory of Gaila, we invite you to share your memories, and condolences, or sign her digital tribute wall atwww.cornejofuneralhome.com. The funeral arrangements are under the care of Cornejo Funeral Home + Crematory, Wellington, Kansas.

Sara Ellen Henry, 79, a longtime resident of Pittsburg, KS passed away Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, in Lenexa, KS. She was born July 3, 1945, in Enid, OK to Paul Breen and Dorothy Dahlem Breen. She graduated in 1963 from Wellington High School. She graduated from Pittsburg State University in 1968 with a Bachelor’s degree in Education. She married Richard Henry on Nov. 10, 1990, in Pittsburg. She is survived by nieces Linda (Brace) Cooper, Jan Witkoski (Mark Pfau), and Donna Stanganelli, and nephews Gregg (Akiko) Witkoski, Eric (Adriana Escobar) Witkoski, and Michael (Alma) Breen. Greatnieces and great-nephews. Her husband, parents, sister, Lorraine Witkoski, and brothers George Breen and Lynn Paul Breen, preceded her in death. A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 18 at First United Methodist Church of Pittsburg. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to First United Methodist Church of Pittsburg or Pittsburg State University Music Department, Pittsburg, KS. A graveside service will take place in the spring at Prairie Lawn Cemetery, Wellington.

JANUARY 9, 2025 - JANUARY 16, 2025

Dr. Terry Marcus Lee, 74, of Durant passed peacefully on Thursday, December 26, 2024. Terry was born on December 5, 1950, in Independence, Missouri to Dr. Marcus Leroy Lee and Eleanor Maurine (Campbell) Lee. On May 28, 1972, Terry married his wife Lana Kay (Pacey) Lee in Wellington, Kansas. Terry grew up in Wellington, Kansas. He played high school football and was active in his local Boy Scout Troop, where he earned the highest award in Boy Scouts, the Eagle Scout rank. His scouting legacy continued into adulthood, where he served as Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 615 in Durant. He attended college at the University of Kansas, where he was a member of the Jayhawk Marching Band, playing the trombone. He became an Osteopathic physician, and initially practiced medicine in Wellington for a few years before moving to Durant in 1980, where he established Lee Family Clinic, along with his brother Mike and father Marcus. Terry thoroughly enjoyed the outdoors. He spent many days hunting quail and pheasant, and he was an avid angler, preferring top-water action for the largemouth bass. His favorite fishing lure was the Long A Bomber. To this day, he maintains a large collection of fishing rods, reels, tackle, and gear. When he went shopping for tackle, he would always buy three of each lure. One was never enough. The Boy Scout motto is Be Prepared, and he certainly fulfilled this motto when fishing, and with any other outdoor endeavor. He always packed a backup shotgun on hunting trips, in the event his primary gun developed problems. He always had a spare, or two, of everything. Terry loved music. He enjoyed rock and roll, listening to bands like Kansas, Boston, Toto, Adam Ant, Genesis, and Soundgarden. One of his favorite songs is titled Spoonman. He would like to play along with the song using his “Air Spoons.” Terry played piano, and could quickly learn to play music with his keen ability to play by ear. His love of rock and roll has likely caused permanent hearing damage for his kids, as he often played his music at deafening levels. A trip through Oklahoma City always meant 100.5 The KATT at full blast. Terry had a love for flying. He constructed model airplanes as a youth, and later earned his private pilot certificate. He and his brother Mike purchased an airplane that is still in use today. Giving back to the aviation community, he became a certified FAA medical examiner. Terry served on many boards and participated in many philanthropic groups. He was a Mason, and he was president of the Durant Jaycees. He spent countless hours as Director of Medical Education for the Durant Family Medicine Residency Program, which he founded. He was a mentor for several young physicians and aspiring medical students. He would often invite visiting medical students to his home for a steak dinner. He had a real passion for teaching and rural medicine. Terry was creative; and cerebral. He was a thinker and a doer. A true genius. When faced with any project or problem, he could find a solution, often in a unique, imaginative way. He designed one of the very first electronic medical record systems. He named it DOCS, for “Doctor’s Office Computing System.” This project required many after-hours nights. He used a dot-matrix printer and large amounts of printer paper to perform computer system backups, another testament to his preparedness. That printer would run non-stop for days. It is impossible to estimate the number of lives he impacted in a positive way. Friends and family. Thousands of patients over the years. Colleagues and employees. Each and every individual that ever interacted with Terry recognized his warm heart and his kind, loving spirit. Terry loved all of these things. But above all else, Terry loved and adored his wife and family. He was married for over 50 years to his one and only wife, Lana, the love of his life. He had a special twinkle in his eye that was even more apparent when surrounded by family. He relished spending time with his grandchildren. He could be found taking them for Polaris rides, swimming in their pool, or fishing at the dock. He was a supportive and loving dad to his children and was a steady and guiding figure in their lives. He is survived by his sons Dr. Chris Lee and wife Tangee Lee of Enid, Oklahoma, and Scott Lee and wife Leslie Mangrum of Lindsborg, Kansas, his daughter Carolyn Martens and husband Bryce Martens of Durant, Oklahoma, and his brothers Dr. Mike Lee and wife Kathy Lee of Durant, Oklahoma and Jeff Lee and wife Patty Lee of Durant, Oklahoma. His legacy lives on with his grandchildren Rindee Payne (23), Sam Lee (23), Emily Lee (21), Kelten Payne (18), Clara Mangrum-Lee (10), Maggie Martens (14), Molly Martens (12), Morgan Martens (9) and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Preceding him in death are his wife Lana Kay (Pacey) Lee, father Dr. Marcus Leroy Lee, his mother Eleanor Maurine (Campbell) Lee, and his sister Tamara Gay Lee. Family hour was scheduled from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, January 3, 2025, at Holmes-Coffey-Murray Funeral Home. A memorial service was held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 4, 2025, at First United Methodist Church in Durant with Reverend John Hiller officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Three Valley Museum, 401 W. Main Street, Durant, Oklahoma 74701. Arrangements are under the direction of Holmes- Coffey-Murray Funeral Home, 121 North 5th Street, Durant, Oklahoma 74701. www.holmescoffeymurray. com

JANUARY 2, - JANUARY 9, 2024