Virgil Lempenau, 101, St. Paul

Virgil Lempenau, 101, St. Paul, died Thursday, May 22, 2025 at the Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul.Born August 13, 1923, on their farm near Alta Vista, Virgil was the son of William and Mamie (Kahle) Lempenau.

Ethel Melton, 74, Baxter Springs

Ethel “Amy” Nelsiemay (Palmer) Melton, 74, Baxter Springs, died at her home at 1:54 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, 2025.Born May 13, 1951, in Tulsa, Okla., Amy was the daughter of Charles Ray Palmer, Sr. and Juanita Marie (Erskin) Palmer. Her early years were spent living in Diamond, Mo.

Dorothy Hale, 93, Joplin, Mo.

Dorothy Joan Hale, 93, Joplin, Mo., died May 18, 2025. She was surrounded by loved ones during her time in Freeman Hospital.Born September 12, 1931, in St. Louis, Mo., Dorothy was the daughter of Walter C. Olney and Esther Victoria Heath Olney. The family moved to Columbus when she was four.

Tammy Leivan, 64, Lamar, Mo.

Tammy Leivan, 64, Lamar, Mo., died Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at her home. Born February 14, 1961, in Columbus, Tammy was the daughter of Charlie Johnson and Patricia (Sparling) Johnson. Tammy was a long-time resident of Jasper County, Mo. and had lived in Barton County, Mo. for the past five years.

Brenda Buckner, 68, Pittsburg

Brenda Sue Buckner, 68, Pittsburg, died peacefully at 2:50 a.m. Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at Via Christi Village in Pittsburg, after struggling with multiple health complications for several years.Brenda loved her family, friends, and her cat Chica very much.

Betty Karnes, 80, Baxter Springs

Betty Marie Karnes, 80, Baxter Springs, died May 20, 2025.Born October 31, 1944, Betty was the daughter of Chuck and Maude VerSoy on. Betty graduated from Baxter Springs High School with the Class of 1962 and soon after married the love of her life, Donald Wayne Karnes, from Picher, Oklahoma.

Thomas Moore, 80, Baxter Springs

Thomas Lee “Tom” Moore, 80, rural Baxter Springs, died peacefully May 15, 2025, at the Quaker Hill Nursing Home in Lowell, Born November 19, 1944, in Baxter Springs, Tom was the son of John Byron and Geraldine “Jerry” (Moyer) Moore.

John Lovell, 83, Pittsburg

John “Johnnie” Robert Lovell, 83, Pittsburg, died May 12, 2025 at 3:42 a.m. at his home in Pittsburg.Born December 17, 1941, in Cherokee, Johnnie was the son of Granville Louis and Marie Matilda (Mc-Clure) Lovell.John grew up in Cherokee and graduated from Crawford County Rural High School in 1959.

Junior Barrett, 89, Joplin, Mo.

Junior LeRoy Barrett, 89, Joplin, Missouri, died peacefully Friday, May 16, 2025, at Wildwood Independent Living in Joplin, Mo. surrounded by his children.Born November 3, 1935, in Columbus, Kansas, LeRoy was the son of Floyd and Agnes (McCormick) Barrett. He grew up the oldest of six children.

Archer Spencer, infant

Archer James Spencer, infant, died Saturday morning, May 17, 2025 at the Overland Park Regional Medical Center.Born May 15, 2025 at Overland Park, Archer was the son of Eric James and Mackenzie Lynn (Beebe) Spencer.