Chong Her Yang
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- Published: 08 April 2020
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Chong Her Yang, age 76, passed away April 5th, 2020 in Kansas City, Kansas.
Chong is survived by his wife Mao Her Yang, five sons, Toua (Chue), Xao (Sumaly), Fue (Xai), Mike (Sarad), True (Pang) and two daughters Nou (Lue) and Tang (Joe). He also leaves behind 18 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
Chong was born October 25, 1943 to Txwj Ntxawg Yang and Maiv Her in Xiengkhouang Province, Laos.
He proudly served in the US Central Intelligence Agency’s Special Guerrilla Army unit in Laos from 1960-1962. During his service, he was wounded in action and lost his left arm. Upon his injury, Chong finished his education and became a teacher in Laos until they resettled to Thailand in a refugee camp.
In 1980, his nephews sponsored him and his family to the United States. While in the United States he made a home in Honolulu, Hawaii, Des Moines, Iowa, Fresno, California, and then to his eventual home in Kansas City, Kansas.
Chong was a very active man and often enjoyed hunting, fishing, and gardening in his free time despite his handicap. He loved spending quality time with his wife, whom he was happily married for 60 years, children and grandchildren. Chong was a man that loved others dearly and always provided encouragement, prayer and support to those who knew him.
Chong was a devoted Christian and spoke often of his faith in God; always open to sharing his faith to others, especially his children.
Chong is preceded in death by his parents, Txwj Ntxawg Yang and Maiv Her, his three brothers; Qhua Xaab, Xwm, and Nkag Pov, and four sisters; Txus, Vaab, Bla, and Rhav.
Our beloved father and grandfather will be dearly missed.
Due to current restrictions a private family service will be held.
Steven Lewis Graham
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- Published: 02 April 2020
- Hits: 1087

son of Kenneth Lee and Rosie (Thomas) Graham. Born October 06, 1949
in Fort Scott, Kansas. The young family moved to Kansas City, Kansas
when Steve was six months old. The family was joined by little sister
DeAnn in 1961.
Steve graduated from Wyandotte H.S, in 1967, not attending his own
graduation. He worked at Griffs Drive-In while going to school. Upon his
graduation he worked at Hallmark for about a year then began a lifelong
career in 1969 with Kansas Gas Service. He started as a serviceman,
moving to A/C man, dispatcher and finally “working foreman”. Retiring in
2007 after thirty-six years.
One of his lifelong friends, Jim Vogel had encouraged him to come to work
at the gas company. Along with working there he was a staunch Union
man. Upon Jim’s promotion, Steve became the president of the
Steelworkers Local 12561 Union. A position he held until he retired.
Steve was in the Army, overnight. He joined but the next day he was told
because of a problem in one knee he couldn’t serve.
March 11, 1978 Steve met his future wife, Sharyn at a private club in
Kansas City, Kansas. At that time he was living in Shawnee. In June 1986
Steve proposed, they married the following October.
Sharyn had been married before, both sons were out on their own. Steve
became Grandpa to their children and Great Grandpa to their children’s
babies. Eight grandchildren, nine greats with two more on the way this
year.
He was “Uncle” to five, one nephew, four nieces, “Great Uncle” to nine,
three girls, six boys. The youngest, Abner was born Feb 28 in Moline,
Illinois. Beside the niece (Michele) in Moline, he has a niece (Christa) in
Independence and another (Natalie) in Portland, Oregon. His brother’s son
and daughter (Aaron and Erica) are both living in California.
Steve and Sharyn traveled all over the country on “union trips”, Las Vegas,
San Diego, Portland, New Orleans, just to name a few. They also traveled
after Steve retired. Hawaii in 2011 for their 25th anniversary. Bangor,
Maine in 2014, sadly for Sharyn’s sister-in-law’s funeral. Their last trip was
to San Diego in 2018 after they had to say goodbye to their beloved puppy
girl, Brandi. Steve got Brandi for Sharyn and brought her to her forever
home at eight weeks. Don’t tell Sharyn but Brandi LOVED Steve best.
Steve was an avid fisherman, hunter and golfer, having taken up golf late.
He always said he wasn’t very good at it but he had fun.
After retirement he joined a coffee group at Oak Park Mall with other
retirees from an assortment of professions.
Everywhere Steve went he made friends, keeping his old friends close,
much like his parents.
He will be greatly missed by his wife of thirty-three plus years, his brother
Dale, his sister DeAnn, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and
nephews, great nieces and nephews, countless friends, extended family
and his Union brothers.
A “Celebration of Life” will be held at a future date.
Cruz (Ruth) Martinez
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- Published: 20 March 2020
- Hits: 916

Cruz (Ruth) Martinez
Cruz (Ruth) Martinez, 93, Roeland Park, formerly of Kansas City, Kansas, died peacefully in her home on March 18, 2020, surrounded by two of her children who had lovingly cared for her. She is survived by sons, Antonio Martinez Jr. and Mario Martinez; daughters Maria Schuepbach (Tom), Veronica Sellers (Jere), and Pamela Martinez; 17 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren; sister Mary Ann Marquez; and brothers Louis Marquez and Peter Marquez.
Cruz was predeceased by her parents, Antonio and Inez Marquez; brothers Lupe Marquez, John Marquez, and Antonio Marquez, Jr.; sisters Mary Ramirez, Phyllis Rocha, and Theresa Jenkins; and son, Rene Martinez.
Due to current restrictions, only a private family service will be held.
Cruz was born in Kansas City, Kansas, where she spent most of her life. A devoted daughter and mother, in addition to raising her family, she lovingly cared for her parents as they aged. She later gave all of her time and devotion to her beloved grandchildren, whom she babysat, drove to all types of activities, and endlessly spoiled. She continued to drive every day until late 2018. Cruz’s love of family was equaled only by her deep faith, spending time each day in prayer. She had a sharp memory and wit. She was also an excellent cook without the need of any recipe, expert seamstress and crocheter, and an avid reader. Finally, she loved to collect salt & pepper shakers. Her collection was extensive with each set having a story.
Cruz’s family thanks the caring staff of Kansas City Hospice; Sisters, Servants of Mary; and Tanya Hernandez for their care, assistance, and support, which helped the family care for Cruz at home during her final months. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Kansas City Hospice or the Sisters, Servants of Mary in Kansas City.
Paul G. McDonnell
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- Published: 19 March 2020
- Hits: 829

Paul graduated from Wyandotte High School. He served in the U.S. Marine Corp during the Vietnam War. Paul retired as a computer engineer. He was a member of the Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church. Preceded in death by wife, Diane Wiehe and father; Charles McDonnell. Survivors; Children, Andrew (Amanda) McDonnell, Adam McDonnell. Grandchildren; Jase and Joel McDonnell. Mother;Thelma McDonnell, Siblings; Michael McDonnell (Judy), Alfred McDonnell, Elaine Allen. Many nieces and nephews. His special dog companion Bella.
Funeral Service, Mar 19th, 4pm Service, 3pm Visitation, Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church, 1315 N 64th St, KC,KS., Burial Friday, 2pm, Mt. Muncie Cemetery, Lansing, Ks.
James English, Jr.
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- Published: 14 March 2020
- Hits: 1891
James English, Jr. The Man. The Legend.
The best friend, neighbor, brother, uncle, father and grandfather anyone could ever ask for, James Edward English Jr. – or just “Jim” as most people knew him – passed away on March 6, 2020 at the age of 78 years.

Born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1941 to Irene Catherine English and James E. English Sr., Jim grew up in an Irish Catholic family as the oldest of nine siblings. He played basketball growing up and attended Bishop Miege High School before taking his talents to Rockhurst College.
A career with the Santa Fe Railroad took him from KC to Topeka to Texas and he made a lot of lifetime friends along the way.
Jim loved good BBQ, Joe’s KC was his favorite, a good Scotch (for him, Dewar’s), and was a sucker for a bowl of ice cream. He was a passionate sports fan -- basketball, baseball, football, golf, wiffle ball, you name it he’d watch it.
He loved his Kansas Jayhawks and got to see them win 3 titles in his lifetime (p.s. he liked their chances this year); was a die-hard Royals fan, celebrating 2 titles; and of course he loved the Chiefs, who thankfully managed to give this man one more reason to smile, pump his fist and drink champagne straight from the bottle when they won the Super Bowl in February. It was the last major event he celebrated with his family.
Jim was always a good friend. If he had time and money, he’d give it to you. If you had something going on, he’d be there if he could. He’d remember your name and always say “hello”. He always gave and never asked for anything in return. He was a man of few words, but he made it count when he did speak up.
Jim’s true passion has always been family. He was the Godfather of the family, always there to make sure things could happen and to ensure the family stuck together, especially during the holidays. He leaves behind his brothers Chris, John, Terry, and Steve; and his sisters Barbie and Patty and joins his parents, his sister Mary and brother Mike in the great beyond.
Being a parent always gave him purpose. He’d probably tell you he did it all wrong, but the truth is, he was one of a kind, stubborn and hard-nosed when he needed to be but always there when you needed a boost. His legacy lives on through his children, Thomas (Overland Park, Ks.), James, III (Strongsville, Ohio), Timothy (Merriam, Ks.) and Tricia (Santa Fe, NM).
More than anything, Jim loved being a Grandpa. He leaves behind 12 grandchildren – Jim’s kids: Cody, Connor, and Courtney; Tom’s kids: Drew, Mallory, Megan, Ryan and Tommy; Tricia’s kid: Chloe; and Tim’s kids: Nicolas, Owen, and Zoe. He never missed a game, race, play, band or concert, and he loved that he got to be even a small part in each of their lives.
Jim will be missed by friends and family. He was one of the greats. RIP, big guy. Rock Chalk.
Private Family Service.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking donations to be made to the Johnson County Meals on Wheels organization:
https://jocogov.3dcartstores.com/Meals-on-Wheels-Donation_p_18.html?fbclid=IwAR1sjSMbXpAsITLixZjTKb6CBAYFrb0uUR7x6mRt1W5NYe_gDaHl7xQ1Q9M
Stanley "Rick" Billups
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- Published: 13 March 2020
- Hits: 867

Stanley "Rick" Billups
Stanley "Rick" Billups, 65 of Kansas City, Kansas away March 09, 2020.
Celebration of Life, March 22, 2020 with service at 4 pm and visitation at 3 pm at New Story Church, 5500 Woodend Ave.,
Kansas City, Kansas.
He was preceded in death by parents Mary Barbara and Stanley "Pinky" Billups and siblings Danny and Mary. Rick is survived by wife of 36 years Karen; 4 children Bret, Jason(Lisa), Les and Melissa; 9 grandchildren; 2 great grandchildren and 6 siblings Mike, Patrick, Mark, Paula, Nancy and Juanita.
Phyllis Barnes-Deay
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- Published: 12 February 2020
- Hits: 937

PHYLLIS BARNES-DEAY
Phyllis Barnes-Deay passed away peacefully on February, 5th 2020 in Olathe, KS at the age of 75.
She was born in Independence, KS on October 21, 1944 to Annie Elizabeth Leyda and Edwin Ernest Barnes. A graduate of Independence High School and the University of Kansas, she lived in Fairfield, CT and Schaumburg, IL before settling in the Kansas City area.
Phyllis is survived by her 2 sons, Fredrick Deay II and Shane Deay, her grandsons Stephen Deay and Matthew Deay, and her former husband Fredrick Deay.
Besides spending time with family and friends, Phyllis enjoyed traveling, reading and watching sporting events. She was always willing to help others and touched many lives with her abundant generosity.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the National Scoliosis Foundation (https://charity.gofundme.com/…/phyllis-memorial-fund-for-sc…).
Jimmie Fox
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- Published: 14 February 2020
- Hits: 1005

Jimmie Fox was born in Pine Bluff Arkansas on September 11, 1937 and was called to Heaven
on February 12, 2020 at Saint Joseph Medical Center.
Jimmie was born to Joseph Fox Sr. and Jueary (Taylor) Fox, and moved to Kansas City in 1955.
He was the 7th child out of 15 children and accepted Christ at an early age.
Jimmie was known for being a hard worker, a family man to his loving wife, and retired from
Sanderson Lunch at 65 as the Chef in 2002, but continued working in janitorial maintenance
until he became ill in 2015.
Jimmie had a love for music and was in a singing group called, “The Junior Gospels Quartet” as
the lead singer with his brothers and friends. His favorite singers were Bobby Womack, Sam
Cook, Otis Reading, and the O’jays. One of his hobbies was bowling and as he finished his bowling career, it
landed him a total of four 300 games overall and he had the rings to prove it. A big fan of our
local sports teams, The Kansas City Royals, and Kansas City Chiefs, you may spend hours in a
heated but fun debate as he expressed his love for the players and the excitement for his home teams. One of his biggest past times was eating and Jimmie loved to cook for his children.
“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not part from it” - Proverbs
22:6, was one of his favorite bible verses.
Jimmie is survived by his wife of 62 years, Alvisteen Gertrude (Browning) Fox, his 7 children,
daughter Ladina (Ronald) Saxton, Son Alvernon (Lacenia) Fox, Son Jimmie Fox, Son Kevin
(Bridgette) Fox, Daughter Larisa (Henry) Frazier, Son Marvin (Yvonne) Fox, and Son John
(Sharon) Fox. His 3 sisters, Artimese Jefferson(Nehemiah), Geraldine Potter, Ruby Fox and brother
Eugene Fox, 21 grandchildren, 35 great grandchildren, 9 great great- grandchildren, over 60
nieces and nephews, and a host of extended family and friends.
“Our joys will be greater, Our love will be deeper, Our life will be fuller, because we share your
moment.” - Arthur Unknown
Homegoing Celebration will be held at Kansas City Funeral Directors, 4880 Shawnee Drive, Kansas City, Kansas 66106 on Saturday, February 22, 2020. Visitation will begin at 12:00 PM with service to follow at 1:00 PM.
Norma Jean (Turner) Cordes
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- Published: 11 February 2020
- Hits: 898

Norma Jean (Turner) Cordes, 85, formerly of Prairie Village, Kansas, passed away on February 10, 2020 surrounded by family. Visitation will be held on February 13 from 5:30-7:30pm at Cure of Ars Catholic Church, 9401 Mission Road, Leawood, Kansas. Funeral services will be at 12:00 noon on February 14 at Cure of Ars. Private burial service will be at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa.
Norma was born on March 5, 1934 in Green Forest, Arkansas to Claude and Winnie Turner. She was the oldest child and had one sister and a brother who called her “Jean.” After graduating from Green Forest (Arkansas) High School, Norma moved to Wichita, Kansas to work and to live with her cousin and later meet the love of her life.
In 1955, she married her sweetheart, Francis Anthony Cordes. Shortly after, Francis was stationed in San Antonio, Texas where they lived for ten years. Norma worked as a paralegal during their time in San Antonio. In 1965, they moved to the Kansas City area where they raised their family.
Norma was active in numerous women’s philanthropic clubs; Kansas City Affinem and the Kansas City Musettes. In the late 1970’s, she founded Blue Ribbon Tours & Arrangements and continued with the business until she retired in 2013.
As members of Cure of Ars Catholic Church for over 50 years, Francis and Norma were on the league bowling team for 30 years. Norma enjoyed cooking and entertaining for family and friends, sewing and needlework, shopping and was an enthusiast of dishes, crystal and various collectibles. She was an avid bridge player and belonged to several bridge clubs .
Norma is survived by her daughters Michelle Embree (Ed) of Leawood, Kansas and Jene Hong (Thai) of Overland Park, Kansas; son Tony Cordes (Julie) of Stilwell, Kansas; grandchildren: Katie Blasko (Jeff), Mark and Caroline Embree; Shannon Ellerson (Wayne), Heather Benjamin (Jack) and Tyler Popper; AJ and Jamie Cordes; great-grandsons: Tommy and Cooper Blasko and Damian Popper; sister Annie Cobb; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Francis; parents Claude and Winnie Turner, and brother Clell Turner.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Kansas City Hospice, www.kchospice.org/donate KCHPC, 1500 Meadow Lane Parkway, Suite 200, Kansas City, MO 64114