Oscar Rosales
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- Published: 13 June 2022
- Hits: 92

Todd Her
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- Published: 10 June 2022
- Hits: 98

Phoua Her
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- Published: 10 June 2022
- Hits: 93

Michael Todd Alvis
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- Published: 10 June 2022
- Hits: 104

Kevin D. Jennison
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- Published: 10 June 2022
- Hits: 1010

Chua Herr
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- Published: 10 June 2022
- Hits: 91

Services are as follows:
Saturday, June 11, 2022 2:00~8:00 PM at Faith Deliverance Church in Kansas City, Kansas.
Monday, June 13, 2022 10:30 AM at Maple Hill Cemetery in Kansas City, Kansas.
Delbert L. Starks Sr.
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- Published: 01 June 2022
- Hits: 119

Jan. 11, 1939 – May 27, 2022
Delbert passed away in his home in Desoto, KS surrounded by his family, He was a Loving Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great-Grandfather, Uncle and Friend.
Delbert is survived by his wife of 62 years Mary Ann; daughter Mary (Ivory) Desper; Son Tim (Bethany) Starks; 5 grandchildren Ivory Jr. (Lacey), Misty (John), Jessica (David), Eli, & Trinity; 6 great- grandchildren Landon, Aiden, Tony, PJ, Delilah & Liam, & many other extended family members.
He loved to tell stories, jokes, play about any kind of game and was ready to help with the many crafts and projects that our family was involved in. He just wanted to spend time with you. Delbert became an expert at his word search puzzle books. Learned at the age of 81 to do the diamond beading and my mom showed him how to sew all those tiny little beads into their Indian style bracelets. To us his family HE could do anything from repairing the Air conditioner, replace the roof, put up lights and so much more.
As the saying goes it is not the dates that matter, it is the dash between those dates and how you lived from the start to the end, he has blessed us with more memories than one could hope for.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, June 11, 2022 From 1 – 5 p.m. at the American Legion Post 370, 7500 W 75th Street, Overland Park , KS
His remains will be placed at the City Cemetery in Paola Kansas on a later date
Wayne Edwin Koons
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- Published: 06 June 2022
- Hits: 796

Wayne Edwin Koons, 87, a Marine Corps pilot and NASA engineer, passed away May 29, 2022, in Overland Park, Kan. Wayne was born in Lyons, Kan. to Marvin and Fern (Christiansen) Koons, and grew up in Rice County on the family farm. After high school, he attended Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kan., where he earned bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics.
After his 1956 graduation from college, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps and served on active duty from 1956 to 1961. After graduating flight school, he was assigned to helicopter squadron HMR(L)-262 at Marine Corps Air Station, New River, N.C. He was selected in 1959 as project officer to work with NASA’s Space Task Group to develop rescue and recovery procedures for the Project Mercury. He was command pilot of the helicopter that recovered Freedom 7 on May 5, 1961, flown by Commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr., USN, America’s first astronaut.
Wayne subsequently left active duty, but continued to serve in the Marine Corps Reserve. In fall 1961, he joined Space Task Group (Landing and Recovery Division) in Houston as its 87th employee. He held management positions in flight operations for Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions, and in 1969 watched from Mission Control as Apollo 11 landed on the moon.
In 1970, he joined the Space Shuttle project as Manager, Space Shuttle Program Office in the Payloads and Operations Office, and served as Manager, Space Shuttle Orbiter Project Office in the Manufacturing and Test Office for the final four years of his NASA career. He was involved in the approach and landing test flights, and had a front-row seat in Florida for the launch of STS-1 in 1981.
Retiring from NASA in 1983, Wayne moved back to his Kansas hometown to begin a new career as a wheat farmer, returning to his roots. He retired from the Marine Corps Reserve in 1994 as a lieutenant colonel. In 2016, Wayne and his wife, Cynthia, began living full-time in Overland Park, Kan., to spend more time with their family.
Wayne received numerous awards and commendations from the Marine Corps and NASA, and in 2009 he was awarded Ottawa University’s lifetime Outstanding Achievement Award. He served on the Lyons school board for eight years, including as president. Active in his church, Wayne was also a member of the Board of Ordained Ministry for the Kansas West Conference of the United Methodist Churches as well as serving in leadership roles in his local church.
A devoted father, Wayne always viewed his most important role as being a good father and role model to his five children, three from his first marriage and two from his marriage to Cynthia (Magill) Koons. He was a hands-on dad, teaching his kids to play baseball, joining them to watch Saturday morning cartoons and cook dad’s special breakfasts, making up bedtime stories, and crafting one-of-a-kind birthday cakes (including a Space Shuttle-shaped cake for his small son).
Wayne was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Fred, and his daughter, Alice. He’s survived by his wife Cynthia, children Deborah, Linda, Laura Mullins, and Jeff, and grandchildren Kayla Rueffer and Henry Koons. Wayne and Cynthia would have celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary on June 3. His family plans to hold a memorial service at a later date.
Family and friends will remember this exceptional man with great love and respect. It was a privilege to know him.
For further information and photos from Wayne’s life and career:
JSC Oral History / Bio & Interviews:
https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/oral_histories/KoonsWE/koonswe.htm
2016 Leatherneck Magazine article:
https://mca-marines.org/wp-content/uploads/Spacecraft-Recovery-1.pdf
(There is also a February 1961 article in Leatherneck’s archives and a cover story in the May 12, 1961 edition of LIFE Magazine)
The “I’ve Got a Secret” episode that aired May 10, 1961:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JijUaMXvcL8
The Landing & Recovery Division website:
http://www.jonessite.net/upload/LRD/index.htm
Daughter Deborah’s Facebook page contains many public photo albums:
https://www.facebook.com/debkoons/
Ralph West
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- Published: 24 May 2022
- Hits: 143

Ralph West at the age of 41, passed away on May 16th 2022.
He was Born on October 12th, 1981 in Kansas City, Kansas. He was a graduate of Turner High School and a lifelong Mechanic. He will be remembered for his outgoingness, his love for meeting new people and his love for his family, friends and God.
Ralph enjoyed being outdoors, going fishing, spending time with family, listening to music and going to church.
He is survived by his daughters Raelynn, Emily and Raven; his son Chuck and his sister, Doris. He was preceded by his parents Ralph and Anna West, grandparents Carl West and Doris Crumby.
Celebration of Life, Friday, May 27, 2022 from 3 pm to 5 pm at Kansas City Funeral Directors, 4880 Shawnee Drive, KCK 66106