Lavona Marie (Gilkey) Bradley, age 49, passed away unexpectedly at her home in Prescott, Kan., on Oct. 15, 2016. She was born Jan. 29, 1967, in Butler, Mo. Lavona was the youngest of six children born to Bobby Ray Gilkey and Della Marie (Black) Douglas.
Lavona attended school in Rich Hill, Mo., until her junior year. She worked many years at Oak-N-Things in Rich Hill and later at Food Fair in Mound City, Kan. She finished her career as a caregiver at Prescott Country View Nursing Home where she dedicated 15 years of her life. She lived in Rich Hill the majority of her life until moving to Mound City around 1995 and later to Pleasanton, eventually making her home in Prescott.
Lavona was a free-spirited, fun-loving woman who loved life to the fullest. Lavona was always a spunky fireball of a person who always made get-togethers fun.
Lavona loved her family and they loved her; there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for her kids, brothers, sisters, mother, and friends, and especially her grandkids. She was a granny and was proud to be one; from the moment she found out she was finally going to be a grandma she was ecstatic about it. She always told her kids and grandkids, “There ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no valley low enough, to keep me from getting to you.” And yes, she would sing it! She loved every minute of being a grandma and she rocked at it. Her grandkids were the light of her life. There wasn’t a time she didn’t talk about her grandkids; she loved them very much and they loved her just as much.
Lavona’s several nieces and nephews will tell you how much they loved her and how excited they were to see her at family events. She always knew how to have a good time. At work, she was considered a “work mom” to some of her co-workers, even when they disagreed she’d let them know it and they would go on and it would be over.
She was a very caring person and if she could help you in any way—whether it be by giving you food, money, etc.—she would help and then tell you not to worry about it. She just loved to help people.
Lavona loved fishing, swimming, mushroom hunting and being outside, sitting on her back porch listening to music and having a beer. She also loved to be in the sunshine working in her yard and keeping it looking nice. One thing she looked forward to on her days off was going shopping with her brother Freddy, and then going to see her mother. She loved to go to town with her husband, Martin. Sometimes it would be to shop, other times it was because they needed to be somewhere, and sometimes just to drive around town. It didn’t matter where they went; it just mattered that she was with the people she loved and she loved being with them.
Lavona was preceded in death by her father and her grandparents.
She is survived by her husband, Martin, of the home; four children Jennifer (husband Jeremy), Louie (wife Charity), Christopher (wife Jenn) and Gloria; three stepchildren Craig (wife Erica), Travis (Megan) and Sarah (husband Matt); 22 grandchildren Jayden, Jeremy, Jack, Kyler, Kylee, Uriah, Sydney, Jordan, James, Maddisyn, Carolyn, Anthony, Bodee, Brylee, Bailee, Breana, Zachary, Laynee, Olivia, Robert, Ethan and Michael. Lavona is also survived by her mother; four brothers Johnny Ray (wife Nellie), Bobby Joe (wife Peggy), Freddy (wife Georgia) and Dewey (wife Shannon); one sister Carol (husband John); several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
Funeral services were held Friday, Oct. 21, 2016, at Heuser Funeral Home in Rich Hill. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Lavona (Gilkey) Bradley Memorial Fund, in care of Heuser Funeral Home.
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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