Larry E. Hancock, 73, of Independence, Missouri, passed away May 8, 2015 at his home.  He was born in Cheyenne, WY to Curly & Mae Hancock in 1941.  Larry moved to Kansas City in 1942 and has been in Independence since 1954.  He worked for Missouri Gas Energy for 43 years, retiring in 2001. Larry was a devoted family man…

James E Rice II, 71, of Independence passed away May 7, 2015. He was retired from Bayer. He is survived by his wife Judy; Daughter, Tracie Rice (Bingo); Sons, James E Rice III (Kim) and Michael Treft (Jennifer); 9 Grandchildren; 3 Great grandchildren; 2 Sisters and 2 Brothers.  The family will have a celebration of life held May 23, 2015…

Betty “Granny” Park, 90 of Oak Grove, Missouri, passed away peacefully at her home on May 6, 2015.  A private memorial was held for the immediate family and a celebration of her life will be held at a later date. She was born August 2, 1924.  She was 1 of 10 children and the daughter of LJ and Mildred (Hursh) Evans of Valley Falls,…

Wayne M. Overton, 92, of Buckner, Missouri, passed away Monday, May 4, 2015 at Oak Grove Nursing & Rehab.  Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, May 7th at Oakland United Methodist Church, Buckner; burial in Oakland Cemetery.  The family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. until service time at the church.  In lieu of flowers, contributions may…

John Albert Cutshall Jr., 60, of Oak Grove, Missouri passed away Sunday, May 3, 2015 at St. Mary’s Medical Center, Blue Springs, MO.  Graveside services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 6th at Sni Mills Cemetery, Oak Grove. John was born April 1, 1955, in Oak Grove, Missouri, the son of John A. and Thelma L. (Morris) Cutshall…

Terre Lynn Whitener, 50, of Oak Grove, Missouri, passed away Sunday, May 3, 2015.  Memorial services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 8th at First Baptist Church, Oak Grove.  The family will receive friends from 12:30 p.m. until service time at the church.  In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the family to help defray funeral…

Leonard G. Adkins, 81, succumbed to cancer early Saturday morning, May 2, 2015 at Research Medical Center.  Leonard and Mary Beth, wife and mother of four sons, lived in the Independence area for 54 years.  Leonard carried on after the death of Betsy in 2000. Leonard was a veteran of the United States Army.  He was a past owner and…

William Wayne Shepard, 74, of Independence, Mo, passed away May 2, 2015.  He was born December 21, 1940 in Boonville, Mo, the son of Joseph LaVerne and Velma Louise (Dilley) Shepard. William lived in Independence most of his life and worked for many years at Lake City Arsenal Plant as a Quality Control operator, before he retired. He was preceded…

Alfred “Al” Wyrick, 76, of Oak Grove, passed away Friday, May 1, 2015 at the VA Hospital in Kansas City MO.  Funeral services will be Thursday, May 7 at the First Baptist Church of Oak Grove; visitation from 5:00-6:00 pm with service following at 6:00 pm.  In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box…

George A. Stice, 87, of Bates City, MO passed away May 1, 2015.  Memorial service will be held May 16, 2015 at the Oak Grove Restoration Church in Oak Grove, MO.  Cremation and disbursement of ashes will be in MO. He was born on December 10, 1927, in Poughkeepsie, AR. He married Nadine Smith June 4, 1949 in Benton Harbor,…