August 6, 2026

Linn County News

Published August 12, 2026

Lennie D. Hill Crooks, age 93, of Mound City, KS, passed away on August 4, 2026.  She was born to William and Loretta Hill on Feb 20, 1933.  She married Donald Crooks on Feb. 21, 1952.  Their marriage produced four children: Susan, Mark, Shelley and Donna.  

Lennie is survived by her daughters: Susan (Paul) Myers, Shelley (Jerry) Cochran and Donna (Rick) Long; 10 grandchildren: Jenny Herrmann, Matthew Cochran, Christine Teagarden, Jason Crooks, Stephanie Nichols, Janelle Davey, Shayla Long, Kyla Halsey, Dwight Long and Meriel Allen and numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Lennie was preceded in death by her parents, four siblings, her loving husband Don, and their beloved and only son, Mark.  
 
Lennie was a homemaker most of her life, tending to her family, home, garden, and farm.  She and Don always attended church, with their four kids in tow.  Lennie was a proud member of the First Baptist Church of Mound City.  Lennie’s girls remember her playing stacks of records at bedtime and hearing each record drop.  Lennie was a selfless caregiver to her aging mother, Loretta, and taught her daughters by example, how to care for an aging parent.  

She loved having her kids and later, grandkids close to her.  Her home was adorned with pictures of her children and grandchildren.  She was a lovely hostess of family dinners and holiday celebrations until the family outgrew her little home.   Her favorite way to say goodbye to loved ones was always: "Love ya back".

Her children and grandchildren remember many weekend camping trips to Stockton with her and Grandpa Don, and many slumber parties hosted by Grandma Lennie.   She taught nearly every one of her grandkids how to play King in the Corner, and she would almost always win.  

Lennie was a woman of many talents and hobbies.  All who knew and loved her have memories of her gardening in her younger years and too-many-to-count sewing projects. Some of which projects were matching outfits for her grandkids, which resulted in giggles and eye rolls from the then teenaged granddaughters.  Lennie always had a stack of romance novels on her side table and a current book in her hands.  There was almost always a 1000-piece puzzle spread out on the dining room table.  She loved her hummingbirds.  She also enjoyed feeding her cat(s) through the front window in the dining room.  Lennie sure loved her leopard print eye glasses and the compliments she received on them wherever she went.  

She is famous with her family for her amazing home cooked meals.  Some family favorite recipes are her chicken and noodles, donuts, and cinnamon rolls.

Lennie was so loved, and she will be missed dearly by her family.  Until we meet again, "Love ya back, Lennie”.

Funeral Service will be Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Mound City, Kansas. Visitation will be at the church from 1 p.m. until service time. Burial of cremains will be in Fort Scott National Cemetery at a later date. The family suggests memorial contributions to Mound City Library.