Linn County News
Published March 23, 2022
Harold Edgar Goss, born Jan. 3, 1923, to Edgar Merritt Goss and Carrie (Tucker) Goss in Pleasanton, Kan., died, at the age of 99 on March 19, 2022, peacefully at his home in Leawood, Kan.
Harold grew up in Pleasanton, a small rural town south of Kansas City. His father was a teacher, a minister at the Disciples of Christ Church in Pleasanton, and a farmer of dairy cattle and honeybees. Harold began working almost as soon as he could walk, working on the farm, delivering milk from his father’s dairy to families in town, and traveling with his father to sell honey to country stores in southwestern Kansas and southeastern Missouri. When he turned 10 years old, he began working in “town.” He worked in the town grocery store, the filling station and the town theater, among other odd jobs. After graduating from Pleasanton High School in 1940, he hitchhiked to Garden City, Kan., and worked the wheat harvest during the summer of 1941.
Harold enrolled at the University of Kansas in the fall of 1941. He joined the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and was beginning to feel comfortable in Lawrence when Dec. 7, 1941, changed his life forever. He finished the semester and in May 1942 enlisted in the Army Air Corps soon to become the Air Force. He wanted to fly airplanes. He trained at Jefferson Barracks, Mo., Washington University and attended flight school in San Antonio, Stanford and Perrin Field, Texas. He spent time as a flight instructor before shipping out for Europe in January 1944. Harold flew a P-47 Thunderbolt. He had a fierce Jayhawk painted on the fuselage of his plane modeled after a Kansas University calendar he brought with him to Europe. A photo of him in his P-47 is hanging in the “Remembrance” section in the front entrance of Allen Field house in Lawrence, Kan. The Jayhawk on his airplane is the same fighting Jayhawk that is used on the helmets worn by the Kansas football team during the annual military honors game. Harold flew 62 missions in Europe out of the 53rd squadron of the 36th Fighter Group based in Louvain, Belgium. He received the DFC and Air Medal with six oak leaf clusters. Harold was headed to the Pacific when the war ended, and he returned home and to the University of Kansas in 1946. He remained in the Air Force Reserve after the war and retired after 28 years as a Lt. Col.
Back in Lawrence he met Betty June Sullivan, the only daughter of Maude and Frank Sullivan. Betty was one of the first women to graduate from the University of Kansas Business School. Harold claimed he met Betty in class. Betty had a different story. She said it was at a dance for the returning service men. We always believed her. Betty and Harold were married at the Chapel on KU’s campus on Feb. 7, 1947, a little more than a year after Harold returned from Europe.
After graduation from Kansas’s Business School, Harold began working for his father-in-law at the Kansas Department of Insurance in Topeka, Kan., while he and Betty continued to reside in Lawrence. They moved to an apartment on the Plaza in Kansas City in 1951. Harold started in the life insurance business with New England Mutual Life. He went on to become the General Agent for National Life of Vermont.
Among other organizations, he was a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table, CLU and the Estate Planning Counsel of Kansas City. Harold enjoyed a lifelong career in the life insurance business, which he later shared with two of his sons, Gary and Michael. He was particularly thankful for the people that his work brought him to know and serve personally and professionally.
In addition to the love for their family and spending time with them, Harold and Betty loved to dance and listen to music. He was a member of the Carriage Club and the Vanguard Breakfast Club. It was seldom that they missed an opportunity to hear live music or attend a dance, Harold in his tux and Betty in a pretty gown until Betty’s death in 2010. Harold and Betty were longtime active members of the Country Club Christian Church on Ward Parkway. Their faith was an integral part of their lives and was reflected in their participation and contributions to many charitable organizations.
Harold was predeceased in death by his wife Betty and almost everyone else he knew. Not a bad life. He served his country, his family, his community. Harold will be missed dearly by his family. He is survived by his four sons, Harold Merritt (Joan), Frank Neil, Gary Tucker (Janet) and Michael Allen (Kit Smith); five grandchildren: Gregory Sullivan (Maggie), Peter Edward (Lindsay), Scott (Andy), Michael and Madeline; and four great-grandchildren: Charlie, Zooey, Annie and Eleanor. Dad is also survived by Judy Smith who the family could not be more thankful for her friendship and devotion to his care for the past 10 years.
A private service and burial will be held for the family. Contributions in Harold’s name may be made to the First Christian Church of Pleasanton, 613 Main St., Pleasanton, Kan. 66075.
OBITUARIES
Norma Jeanne (Riley) Long ~ 08-21-1938 to 10-13-2025

Linn County News Published October 22, 2025 Norma Jeanne (Riley) Long, age 87, of La Cygne, Kan., passed away Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, at Vintage Park in Osawatomie, Kan., surrounded by family. Norma was born on Aug. 21, 1938, in Liberal, Kan., to Frederick and... [More]
Geneva Darlene Jennings ~ 11-15-1939 to 10-12-2025

Linn County News Published October 15, 2025 Geneva Darlene Jennings, age 85, Pleasanton, Kan., passed away Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. She was born on Nov. 15, 1939, at Trading Post, Kan., the daughter of Charles and Daisy Rittinghouse Purdy. She graduated from Pleasanton High... [More]
Mary Margaret Wilson ~ 01-08-1930 to 10-13-2025

Linn County News Published October 15, 2025 Mary Margaret Wilson of Mound City, Kan., age 95, was called home to be with the Lord Oct. 13, 2025. She resided at the Anew Healthcare facility in Pleasanton, Kan. She was born in La Cygne, Kan., to Edwin Josheph Riley and Eva... [More]
More Obituaries
- Letha Spillman ~ 06-19-1929 to 10-02-2025
- Mary Alice Fagg ~ 07-30-1933 to 09-25-2025
- John T. Miles ~ 01-29-1960 to 05-01-2025
- Paul David Hamilton ~ 11-07-1950 to 09-23-2025
- Lora Lynn West ~ 10-22-1959 to 09-24-2025
- Lois Ann Simons ~ 11-12-1937 to 09-27-2025
- Betty Joan Haupt ~ 10-03-1931 to 09-29-2025
- Carolyn Lee Wilson Dunlop ~ 12-15-1944 to 09-27-2025
NEWS
Souza resigns county clerk post

Linn County’s county clerk is resigning. At the weekly Linn County Commission meeting Tuesday morning, delayed a day because of Monday’s governmental Columbus Day holiday, Danielle Souza spoke during the public comment agenda section of her intention to resign the... [More]
Farmers State Bank under new ownership

Time moves on and things change – and the banking world is not exempt from those changes. When Farmers State Bank owner Dale Sprague passed away in August of 2024, his wife Janice and family made those changes when they sold the three banks this fall to Citizen Bank owner’s... [More]
Linn Valley council updated on water, lagoon projects

Linn Valley city council held its first meeting of the month on Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. at City Hall. Mayor Lewis Donelson began the meeting by asking city employees present at the meeting to stand up front and introduce themselves and state their job title. The mayor continued by... [More]
More News
- Suit filed in Sunshine Meadows building permit case
- Pleasanton demos asphalt zipper for street repair
- La Cygne awards lift station bid
- Appraiser’s office announces completion of review
- SPECIAL: KBI conducts statewide marijuana enforcement operation
- Pleasanton council vetoed on fire volunteer appointments
- Kansas Policy Institute talks property taxes with legislature
- Pleasanton city candidate forum Oct. 6
SPORTS
Schneider makes State for Hawks in girls’ golf

Celeste Schneider made the 3-1A State golf tournament again this year for the Lady Hawks and will be looking to earn another State medal. To see the full article, check out this week's edition of the Linn County News or check out the online version here.
Wade and Britz advance to State for the Buffalos

The Prairie View girls’ golf team is doing well. The girls won the Pioneer League championship at Deer Trace on Oct. 7 and then followed that up by placing fourth at 3-1A Sub-State tournament at Crestwood in Pittsburg on Oct. 13. The Lady Buffs won the league tournament... [More]
Blu-Jays convert takeaways into Homecoming win

Pleasanton converted two second-quarter fumble recoveries and a third-quarter interception into passing touchdowns to break a three-game losing skid and claim a 41-6 Homecoming win over Southeast-Cherokee Friday at Blu-Jay Nation Stadium. The victory moves the ‘Jays’... [More]
More Sports
- Lady Jays host league triangular and competes at Uniontown
- Jayhawk volleyball has a busy successful week
- Jayhawk football wins thriller over Pleasanton on Homecoming
- Prairie View football dominates Burlington on Homecoming
- Pleasanton volleyball travels to Arma and Prairie View
- Jayhawk volleyball goes 4-0 on the week
- Pleasanton volleyball competes at Yates Center and Humboldt
- Prairie View football picks up a big win against Wellsville
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Call Barbara at 913-352-6235 or e-mail linncountynewsreporter@gmail.com
