Riley County Obits
"D" Surnames
If you have any obituaries published before 1923 that you would like to contribute to the page, please send them to me and I will add them. Obituaries published after 1922 will be abstracted to avoid copyright violations. Abbraviations after each obituary denote from which newspaper it came: "MM"= Manhattan Mercury,"CCT"= Clay County Dispatch, "CCD"= Clay Center Times, "JCU"= Junction City Union.
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From the Oak Hill (Clay Co.) Herald, July 26, 1889:
Our local editor was much pained last week to receive notice of the death of his grandfather, Mr. Thomas Davies, of Grant township, at the age of 80 years, and owing to the failure of a telegram to reach here in time, was unable to attend the funeral. Mr. Davies, or as he was more generally known, Squire Davies, has been a resident of this county for the past sixteen years, and had held the office of Justice of the Peace in Grant township for many years. He was a prominent and influential citizen of the township and was loved and honored by all those acquainted with him. His many friends all over the county will mourn with his relatives at his demise. He leaves three children: Mr. S. H. Davies, of Grant township, Mrs. R. W. Jones, of Clay Center, and Mrs. Dr. D. J. Vedder, of Utica, N.Y. The funeral took place at 2 o'clock on Wednesday from the Presbyterian church in Bala. The Rev. Jones of Bala preached the funeral sermon.
Gilbert I. Davenport, Sr., 88, of Manhattan, died Tuesday, July 4, 2006; born Aug. 13, 1917 in Riley, the son of Ross W. and Leona E. (Willis) Davenport; Oct. 26, 1938 in Manhattan, he was married to Elnora M. Hamilton; she survives of the home; also survived by two daughters, Linda Woods of Ottawa, and Paula Davenport Seiler of Corder, Mo.; one sister, Bonnie Quinn of Wamego; two brothers, Bill Davenport of Keats, and Warren W. Davenport of Topeka; 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; preceded in death by one son, Gilbert I. Davenport, Jr.; cremation, with graveside services at Sunset Cemetery. (MM)
Robert Eugene Dempsey, 81, of Vancouver, Wash., died Aug. 22, 2004 in Vancouver; born Feb. 8, 1923, in Manhattan; married Dorothy R. Brown in 1950; she preceded him in death in 1995; survived by two daughters, Dianne Dempsey and Mary Ellen Wells, both of Washington; a son, John Dempsey of Washington; a sister, Helen Whitney of Washington; and five grandchildren. (abstract MM)
Dettmer, Wesley Albert was born Oct. 23, 1920, at Winkler, the son of Albert and Louie E. (Jenkins) Dettmer; he died Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2001 in Manhattan; married Afton M. Ragan Jan. 7, 1966, in Manhattan, and she preceded him in death in 1997. He was also preceded by four brothers; survived by a brother, E. Dettmer of Randolph, and a sister, H. DeWyke of Waterville; burial in Sunset Cemetery in Manhattan(CCD)
Ruth K. Dicken, 83, born Jan. 15, 1917, at Morganville, the daughter of August and Anna (Lippe) Kolling; died Friday, July 14, 2000 in Manhattan; married James K. Walter in 1936 and he preceded her in death; then married D. Dean Dicken in 1954 and he also preceded her. Survivors include three sons, William K. Walter and wife, Linda, of Sidney, Neb., and Michael J. Dicken and wife, Christine, and Paul D. Dicken, all of Phoenix, Ariz.; a sister, Doris K. Brenner of Clay Center; seven grandchildren; and a great-grandchild; burial in Sunrise Cemetery.(Abstract, CCD)
Polly Doza, 83, of Leonardville, died Oct. 19, 2005, at Leonardville; born Aug. 22, 1922, at Havensville, the daughter of Henry and Maude (Manuel) Hayes; married Dec. 24, 1940, to Louis Larson, he preceded her in death in 1963. She married Frederick Doza on March 1, 1969. She was also preceded in death by one son, Loren Larson; and two sisters, Martha Stone and Nettie Melgren;survived by her husband, Fred Doza of the home at Leonardville; a son, L. Larson of Randolph; a daughter, V. Bryant of Junction City; 13 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren; burial in the Leonardville Cemetery north of Leonardville
(JCU)
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(c) 2003 Sheryl McClure
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