Burnis “Bernie” Dawson
March 27, 1940 – April 25, 2019
Burnis “Bernie” Lee Dawson, 79, Harrisonville, died April 25 at his home. Memorial services were April 29 at the Atkinson Funeral Home, Harrisonville.
Bernie was born March 27, 1940, in Osceola, the son of Espie Thomas and Lillian Gertrude (Smith) Dawson.
He was a 1959 graduate of Harrisonville High School and was a lifelong Harrisonville resident.
Bernie had worked for Hurley Lumber Company and later as a counterman for New Lumber Company in Harrisonville. He had also worked for Payless Cashways in Grandview before retiring.
Bernie was a member of the Harrisonville Elks Lodge. He loved being at Truman Lake, fishing and hanging out with his friends.
Bernie was preceded in death by his parents, a son, Kevin; a brother; three sisters; and a granddaughter.
He is survived by a daughter, Pam Dawson, Harrisonville; a brother, Bill Dawson, Harrisonville; a sister, Dolores Bassett, Lee’s Summit; two grandchildren, Megan McCann, Harrisonville, and Jessica McCann, Appleton City; and five great-grandchildren.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Atkinson Funeral Home, Harrisonville.
Arthur Donald Dorrell
April 17, 2019
Arthur “Art” Donald Dorrell, 82, Garden City, died April 17 at Research Medical Center, Kansas City.
Art is survived by four children, Donis Solberg, Liberty, Ronald E. Dorrell, Kansas City, Sheila Carver and husband, Ernest, Ft. Smith, Arkansas, Robert Shepard and wife, Debra, Deepwater; eight grandchildren; 15 great-grand-children; five great-great-grandchildren; a brother, Jerry Dorrell, Belton; a sisters, Viola Cotter, Springfield; other relatives and many friends.
Cremation. A celebration of life service was April 27 at the Dickey Funeral Home, Garden City, with inurnment in the Garden City Cemetery, Garden City, immediately following the service.
The family suggests memorial contributions to the American Lung Association.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Dickey Funeral Home, Garden City.
Marvin DeWayne Hocker
June 8, 1939 – April 22, 2019
Marvin DeWayne Hocker, 79, Drexel, died April 22 at Adrian Manor, Adrian. A Masonic service under the direction of Grand River Lodge No. 276, was April 27 at the Atkinson Funeral Home, Harrisonville, immediately followed by the funeral service.
Burial was in the Sharon Cemetery, Drexel.
Marvin was born June 8, 1939, in Butler the son of Howard and Naomi (Mann) Hocker.
He attended Rocky Point rural school and was a 1957 graduate of Freeman High School. He was a lifelong Cass County resident.
Marvin was a tractor and farm implement mechanic and co-owned and operated Archie Implement in Archie. He was considered a “Jack of all Trades.”
He was a 50-year member of Grand River Masonic Lodge No. 276, Freeman, and a member of the Abdallah Shrine Temple, Overland Park, Kansas.
Marvin was preceded in death by his parents and his companion of 24 years, Norma.
He is survived by a son, Curtis Hocker, Drexel; three daughters, Pam Jones, Fort Myers, Florida, Patsy Stewart, Archie, and Peggy Kidd, Williston, Florida; 11 grandchildren, Melissa Nichols, Elizabeth Smith, Kurtis Hocker, April Hocker, Jennifer McMurry, Marsha Jones, Rickey Jones, Michelle Stewart, Kelsie Stafford, Whitney Kaspeaski and Logan Kidd; and 22 great-grandchildren.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Atkinson Funeral Home, Harrisonville.
Alice Corrine Hubbard
June 17, 1926 – April 19, 2019
Graveside memorial services for Alice Corrine Hubbard were April 22 at Adam Howell Cemetery, Amoret, with Bobby Roll officiating.
Alice Corrine Hubbard, 92, Butler, died April 19 at her home in Butler.
She was born June 17, 1926, the daughter of Sam and Gladys Pool Ellis in Wellsville, Kansas.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Cecil Hubbard; a son, Gary Hubbard; a daughter, Ellen Scott; and a sister, Genny Gregg.
Corrine is survived by a son, John D. Hubbard, Archie; two daughters, Angelia C. Berry, Butler, and Shaunna M. Petty and husband, Dylan, Adrian; and several grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Cremation and memorial services were under the direction of the Schowengerdt Funeral Chapel, Butler.
Contributions are suggested to Susan G. Komen Cancer Research.
Erma Ardis Plank
Jan. 5, 1930 – April 18, 2019
Erma Ardis Plank, Garden City, was born Jan. 5, 1930, near Hartwell, the daughter of Loyd Powers and Mona May (Kisor) Hutson.
She died April 18 at Research Medical Center, Kansas City, at the age of 89 years, 3 months and 13 days.
June 11, 1947, Erma was married to Chester Roland Klopfenstein and she later married Robert G. Plank Nov. 20, 1993.
Erma was employed as a bookkeeper for Kelsay Feed and Grain in Urich, and was later employed as a bookkeeper for Kingsville Livestock Auction, Kingsville, until her retirement.
She was an active member of the United Methodist Church, Garden City, and was involved in many church committees and activities. She was a member of the Golden Valley Memorial Hospital Auxiliary, Clinton.
Since the age of 21, Erma served as secretary and board member for the Norris Cemetery Association. Erma liked to quilt, crochet and play cards.
Erma had lived near Urich before moving to Garden City in 1992.
Besides her parents, Erma was preceded in death by her first husband, Chester, July 26, 1986, and her second husband, Bob, Aug. 9, 2009.
Erma is survived by two daughters, Brenda G. Monroe (Phil), Springfield, and Janet Pratt, Beatrice, Nebraska; four grandchildren, Emily, Todd and Paul Monroe, Whitney Fuchs (Tom); a great-granddaughter, Olivia; other relatives and a host of friends.
Funeral services were April 23 at the Dickey Funeral Home, Garden City, with burial in the Norris Cemetery, Urich.
The family suggests memorial contributions to the Norris Cemetery Association.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Dickey Funeral Home, Garden City.
Nina Rosetta Smith
Jan. 15, 1929 – April 18, 2019
Nina R. Smith, 90, Lincoln, died April 18 at St. Luke’s Hospital, Kansas City.
Funeral services were April 23 at the Atkinson Funeral Home, Harrisonville, with burial in Orient Cemetery, Harrisonville.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association.
Nina was born Jan. 15, 1929, in Lexington, the daughter of Ollie and Maude E. (Adams) Barnes.
She spent her early years in Lexington and had worked as an administrative assistant at Wentworth Military Academy and later at the Dunhill Shirt Factory, both in Lexington.
Nina was married to Bobby Gene Smith Jan. 24, 1955.
They lived in Los Angeles, California, for a few years where Nina worked for Eastman-Kodak helping develop film for the movie studios.
She lived in Warsaw for 40 years before moving to Lincoln a few years ago.
She was a member of the First Assembly of God Church in Clinton.
Nina was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Bobby, Dec. 29, 1995.
She is survived by two sons, Robert “Robbie” Smith, Belton, and Jonathan Smith (Amy), Lincoln; six daughters, Debbie McVay (Glen), Cleveland, Kathy Vannatta (Rick), Clinton, Dolores Reimund (Mark), Lincoln, Teresa Thurman (Bill), Harrisonville, Nancy O’Connell, Parker, Kansas, and Susan Newman (Brian Templeton), Warsaw; a sister, Jewell Dogle, Independence; 18 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Atkinson Funeral Home, Harrisonville.
James Keith Swofford
Feb. 10, 1968 – April 19, 2019
James Keith Swofford was born Feb. 10, 1968, in Harrisonville and died unexpectedly April 19 at North Kansas City Hospital, North Kansas City, at the age of 51 years, 2 months and 9 days.
He was the son of Ronald Martin Swofford and Kathryn (Hooper) Swofford.
Although he tried his hand at baseball and football, Jim realized sports were not his thing. He was an accomplished pianist and excelled in vocal music. He found his home singing in the Pleasant Hill school choirs, with his favorite being the competitive show choir, Hillside Singers. He graduated from Pleasant Hill High School in 1986.
Jim attended Central Missouri State University on a music scholarship. In 1992, he received his degree in Vocal Music Education. He touched the lives of countless students sharing his beautiful baritone voice and passion for choral music. His first teaching job was in Cole Camp.
He moved to Huntsville and taught at Moberly High School. After leaving Moberly, Jim received a Master of Music Education degree from Northwest Missouri State University where he was a graduate assistant in the choral music department. His next job was at St. Joseph Central High School.
In 2001, he began working in the North Kansas City School District where he was the choir director at Winnetonka High School and Maple Park Middle School. Jim spent the last several years of his teaching career at Oakwood Manor Elementary School which he loved.
Jim loved the Lord and loved leading choirs and planning worship in many faith communities. He was a church music director at Laura Street Baptist Church in Maryville; Englewood Baptist Church, Gracemor Christian Church and Northcross United Methodist Church, all in Kansas City.
Jim had a crazy sense of humor and his huge belly laugh was contagious. Building relationships and encouraging people was one of his greatest strengths. His social calendar was always full and he loved hanging out with his family and friends. His circle of friends was vast and to be a friend of Jim’s meant you were a friend for life.
He was a champion for his students, his friends, his family and most of all, his son, James, whom he adored more than anything.
Jim was preceded in death by a brother, Robbie Swofford.
He is survived by his son, James Read Swofford, Kansas City; his father, Ronald Martin Swofford, Fayetteville, Arkansas; his mother, Kathryn (Hooper) Fleener, Pleasant Hill; two brothers, Chris Swofford and wife, Kristine, Raymore, and Andrew Swofford of Missouri; five sisters, Rhonda Jackson and husband, David, Angela Lees and husband, Scott, all of Pleasant Hill, Crystal Fleener, Harrisonville, Debra Elkins and husband, Ryan, Gravette, Arkansas, and Jennifer Swofford, Green Forest, Arkansas; stepbrothers, stepsisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, other relatives and many, many friends.
As Jim wished, cremation has been accorded. A celebration of life service was April 26 at the Wallace Funeral Home, Pleasant Hill, with Pastor Rob Carr officiating.
Inurnment was in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made by cash or check to the NKC Schools Education Foundation in memory of Jim Swofford in the memo line and mailed to 2000 N.E. 46th St., Kansas City, MO 64116.
To give online, visit www.nkc-schools-foundation.org/support/onlinedonation.
After entering your information, indicate that you want to customize the donation in memory of Jim.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Wallace Funeral Home, Pleasant Hill.
