Linn County News
Published April 14, 2021
Cecil L. Fish, 89, Ottawa, Kan., and former longtime Labette County resident, passed away Thursday, April 8, 2021, at his home.
Cecil was born the third child to Cecil Paige and Edna (Nickoley) Fish on Dec. 7, 1931, in Pawhuska, Okla. He grew up in Mound Valley, Kan., attended school there and graduated in 1949. In 1951 he graduated from Coffeyville Community College.
He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1952 and served four years. During his service he attended various electronics schools in Belleville, Ill., and was eventually assigned to Haneda Air Force Base in Tokyo, Japan, as an airborne radio mechanic. During his service in Japan, he traveled to numerous locations in the Far East including Korea, Okinawa, Guam, the Philippine Islands, Formosa (Taiwan) and Siam (Thailand). Upon returning to the United States, he was assigned to the strategic air command at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas, and was later transferred on temporary assignment to the Nouasseur Air Force Base near Casablanca in North Africa. During his tour in North Africa, he very much enjoyed his visits to Spain and the Rock of Gibraltar. After his discharge from the USAF in 1956, he returned to southeast Kansas and entered Kansas State Teachers College (KSTC) in Pittsburg, Kan. During this time, he met his future wife, Bonnie May Greenlee, at a Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) dance in Oswego, Kan. He asked her to marry him on their first date. She thought he was bluffing! They married May 1, 1957.
After a semester at KSTC he accepted a position as communications craftsman with the American Telephone and Telegraph Co. (AT&T) in June of 1956. He worked in Wichita, Kan., for approximately six years. During this time he and Bonnie welcomed the birth of daughters Kelly in 1958, Joni in 1959 and Dixie in 1962.
In 1962, Cecil was promoted to operations supervisor at La Cygne, Kan., and the family moved to Pleasanton. He received additional promotions with AT&T, and the family moved from Pleasanton, to Kansas City, back to Pleasanton, to Hiawatha, and back to Kansas City. He retired in 1984 after almost 30 years with the company.
In retirement, he and Bonnie returned to southeast Kansas building homes first near Big Hill Lake and later in Altamont. He continued working as personnel manager and purchasing agent for Gragg Cabinet Co. in Cherryvale and later served for eight years as a Labette County Commissioner, followed by five years as an Altamont City Commissioner. In 2006, Cecil and Bonnie moved to Baldwin City, Kan., to be closer to family, and in 2017 they moved to Ottawa and built a home there.
Cecil is preceded in death by his parents; and sisters, Wilma, Norma and Donna. He is survived by his wife, Bonnie, of the home; daughters, Kelly Fish-Greenlee (Phil Crabb), Joni Fish-Gertz (Bruce Gertz) and Dixie Fish-Richard (Gerald Richard); four grandchildren, Katie, Leland, Micah and Jonah; and seven great-grandchildren.
A short interment service for extended family will be held Friday morning, April 16, 2021, followed by a public Celebration of Life event at the Dennis Community Center. Lunch and libation will be served at 1 p.m. Family and friends are all encouraged to attend and share their favorite experiences with, and stories about, our beloved Cecil. The family looks forward to engaging in a light-hearted celebration of Cecil. Masks are required.
Memorial contributions may be made to Ives Chapel, United Methodist Church, Baldwin City, Kan.; Mound Valley Christian Church, Mound Valley, Kan.; or Bible Holiness Church, Oswego, Kan. These may be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357. Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.
OBITUARIES
Robert “Bob” Eugene Markley ~ 04-11-1936 to 04-15-2024
Linn County News Published April 17, 2024 Robert (Bob) Eugene Markley, 88, was born on his family farm north of Mound City, Kansas, April 11, 1936, to Aaron R. and Hallie (Bell) Markley. He passed from this life on April, 15, 2024, at the very place he was born,... [More]
Ronald Joe Smith ~ 05-10-1944 to 04-11-2024
Linn County News Published April 17, 2024 Ronald Joe Smith, 79, LaCygne, Kan., passed away Thursday, April 11, 2024, at Olathe Medical Center, Olathe, Kan. Visitation will be 10 – 11 a.m. Friday, April 19, 2024, at Bruce Funeral Home, 106 S. Center, Gardner,... [More]
Mary Tinsley ~ 12-15-1935 to 04-09-2024
Linn County News Published April 10, 2024 I, Mary Tinsley; being of sound mind and steadfast in my faith died today. My body decided to give out. Here I am, onto my next adventure, carried home to heaven by these wonderful angels shouting, ‘She is here, She... [More]
More Obituaries
- Frederick John “Fritz” Johanning, Jr. ~ 08-10-1948 to 03-26-2024
- Doris Maxine Basore ~ 01-02-1920 to 03-10-2024
- Janice (Good) Waltmire ~ 08-20-1937 to 03-09-2024
- Richard Lee Strader ~ 06-08-1974 to 02-24-24
- Robert William Harper, Jr. ~ 07-14-1947 to 02-24-2024
- Richard Eldon Baldwin ~ 07-21-1963 to 03-04-2024
- Michael Barry Hixon, Sr. ~ 08-31-1952 to 01-31-2024
- Charles Vernon Rowe ~ 08-14-1930 to 02-26-2024
NEWS
Commissioners appoint new county counselor
The Linn County Commissioners held several interviews in executive session following their meeting on Monday, Apr. 15, for the position of county counselor, legal advisor to the Board of County Commissioners. This week the commissioners appointed Mark Hagen, of Hagen Law Offices,... [More]
La Cygne accepts desludging cost
Biosolid removal at lagoons part of major sewer project La Cygne city leaders have accepted a cost for desludging at two of the city’s three wastewater lagoons. In a unanimous action at their regular meeting last Wednesday, the council approved $412,400 for... [More]
USD 362 sets capacity numbers
District now prepares for lottery applications Prairie View Unified School District 362 has set capacity numbers for the 2024-25 school year. At their monthly meeting April 16, the board of education unanimously adopted capacity of 80 students per grade level at... [More]
More News
- Pull Tabs for Pound Puppies
- Linn County Planning Commission proceeds with prohibiting commercial solar fields
- Commissioners send CUP for rock quarry back to P&Z again
- La Cygne to update police gear
- STARS welding competes at GCCC 2024 competition
- Mine Creek Battlefield Foundation to hold music festival
- SEKMH presents outreach program to commissioners
- Linn Valley residents respond to council appointment
SPORTS
Prairie View softball goes 4-2 in busy week
The Prairie View softball team played three double-headers this past week. On April 15 they hosted Paola and swept the Panthers 16-7 and 8-7. Then on April 16 they traveled to Osage City and split against them losing the first game 4-10 and winning the second 6-3. On April 18... [More]
Pleasanton baseball sweeps St. Paul and Oswego
The Pleasanton baseball team recently played league foes St. Paul and Oswego and swept them each in double-headers. On April 15 the team traveled to St. Paul and won both games 13-1 and 16-3 and then on April 22 they hosted Oswego and won both games 15-0 and 17-2. In the... [More]
More Sports
- Prairie View track has strong performance at Anderson County
- Jayhawk track wins Pleasanton Invitational
- Pleasanton track hosts home invitational
- Jayhawk softball sweeps Crest
- Prairie View track takes on tough challenge at Paola
- Pleasanton baseball routs Yates Center
- Pleasanton baseball starts season 4-0
- Jayhawk softball sweeps Central Heights, splits against Uniontown
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Call Barbara at 913-352-6235 or e-mail linncountynewsreporter@gmail.com