May 2, 2023

Linn County News

Published May 3, 2023

Dale Deer, age 82, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kan., passed away Sunday, April 30, 2023, at the Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kan. He was born May 25, 1940, in Bronson, Kan., the son of William Percy Deer and Kathryn Maxine Jackson Deer. Dale graduated from Uniontown High School with the Class of 1959. He first married Donna Kirker in 1961. They had two daughters, Debbie and Susan. This marriage ended in divorce. Dale later married Linda Jean Sullivan Epps at the Prescott United Methodist Church on Oct. 20, 1995, and gained two step-daughters, Amy and Stacy. 

In earlier years, Dale farmed and then owned and operated his own trucking company. In 1996, he sold out of the trucking business and went to work for Linn County where he remained until his retirement in 2006. Following retirement, Dale and Linda were able to travel much of the United States as well as Australia and New Zealand and were able to enjoy many of God’s creations. He was a member of the West Liberty United Methodist Church and the Mapleton/Fulton Masonic Lodge.

Survivors include his wife, Linda, of the home; two daughters, Debbie Rogers, (Larry) of Fort Scott, and Susan Cannon (Delbert) of Prescott, a step-daughter, Amy Hutton (Tim); eight living grandchildren and step-grandchildren, Tabitha Hardesty (Kent), Kayla Bronson (Jeff), Erica Bolton (Jason), Chase Cannon (Alison), Dyamond Hutton, Zoe Hutton, Ryan Rogers (Megan) and Shanna Rogers; four great-granddaughters, Kenzi Hardesty, Riley Bronson, Morgyn Bronson and Brylin Rogers; four great-grandsons, Blaine Rogers, Cruz Bolton, Blake Swift and Colben Cannon and a great-great-grandson, Skylar. Also surviving are a brother, Kirk Deer (Debbie) of Mound City, Kan.; four sisters, Betty Adams of Fort Scott, Elaine Gibbons of Chanute, Kathy Combs (Kevin) of Girard, Kan., and Joyce Hall (Brian) of Fort Scott; and a sister-in-law, Jackie Deer of Nevada, Texas. Dale was preceded in death by a grandson, Heath Cannon in 1998; a step-daughter, Stacy Epps in 1999; and a brother, Carroll Deer in 2012.

Rev. Jim Brackett will conduct a celebration of life service at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 6, at the West Liberty United Methodist Church. Private burial will take place in the Prescott Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Heath Cannon Scholarship Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.