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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

Donna Lee (Bishop) Stites ~ 02-13-1941 to 03-26-2025

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Linn County News Published April 2, 2025   Donna Lee (Bishop) Stites, age 84, of Mound City, Kan., passed away peacefully in her sleep March 26, 2025, at the Olathe Medical Center, after an extended illness. Born on Feb. 13, 1941, the third child of Jacob and... [More]

Frank Scott DeRemus ~ 06-21-1967 to 03-04-2025

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Linn County News Published April 2, 2025   Frank Scott DeRemus age 57 of Blue Mound, Kan., passed away Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at his home in Blue Mound. Scott was born June 21, 1967, in Olathe, Kan., to Frank Fox and Sharon K. (Chadwick) DeRemus. On August 11, 1994,... [More]

Douglas Eugene Joseph ~ 08-06-1964 to 03-16-2025

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Linn County News Published April 2, 2025   Douglas Eugene Joseph, 60, of Fort Scott, Kan., died Sunday, March 16, 2025, at Research Medical Center, Kansas City, Mo. Doug was born on Aug. 6, 1964, in Pittsburg, Kan., to Jean Ann Jones. He graduated from high school... [More]

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PLEASANTON WEATHER

NEWS

SPECIAL: STATEHOUSE REPORTING BUDGET FOR MARCH 28, 2025

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    FETALPERSONHOOD – The House and Senate on Thursday passed a bill that will require child support for unborn fetuses from the date of conception as well as an income tax exemption. A conference committee report was presented for HB2062 before the... [More]

SPECIAL: U.S. 69 overlay project set to begin in Bourbon and Linn counties

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  Monday, March 31, the Kansas Department of Transportation plans to begin resurfacing work on U.S. 69 in Bourbon and Linn counties. An overlay will be placed on the northbound lanes of U.S. 69, starting at the south U.S. 54 junction in Fort Scott and continuing... [More]

Commissioners learn of grant for planning phase on courthouse repairs

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During the March 24 meeting, the Linn County Commissioners heard from Linn County Public Works Administrator Shaun West on a grant possibility for repair work to the courthouse. SEKRPC (SEK Regional Planning Commission) is willing to assist with the HPF (Historic Preservation... [More]

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SPORTS

2025 Boys’ Basketball All County team

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The 2024-2025 high school boys’ basketball has concluded and it is time once again for the annual All County team. As usual choosing the team was tough as there were many good players this season and plenty more that showed steady progress through the season.  As... [More]

2025 Girls’ Basketball All County team

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High school girls’ basketball has concluded for the 2024-25 season and it’s time for the annual All County team. Like the boys’ team, and like most years, choosing players was tough. Plenty of girls from all three schools, Prairie View, Jayhawk Linn and Pleasanton,... [More]

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