Richard Neal Smith, 63, went home to be with the Lord Aug. 30, 2015, at his home surrounded by his loving family.
Richard was born Feb. 25, 1952, to Roy Jr., and Marianna Sutterby Smith in Fort Scott, Kan. He graduated from Blue Mound High School in 1970 and then furthered his education with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Kansas University.
Richard met the love of his life on a double date in high school and married Susan (Rogers) Jan. 13, 1973. Richard and Susan were blessed with three children, their spouses and five grandchildren, Samuel Smith, his wife, Jennifer, and their son, Cooper, of Shawnee, Kan.; Ted Smith, his wife, Allison, and their children, Avery and Natalie, of Belton, Texas; and Lattica Smith Foster, her husband, Daniel, and their children, Tanner and Hayden, of the Netherlands. Richard is also survived by his mother-in-law, Eleanor Rogers, of Mapleton, Kan.; two brothers, Phillip of Paola, Kan., and Stan and his wife, Frankie, of La Harpe, Kan.; and his sister, Jennifer Smith Hughes, and her husband, Mike, of Blue Mound, Kan.
Richard was preceded in death by his parents.
He worked for Spectra Energy and its predecessors for 40 years. Richard became a Master Mason in 1974, a member of The Scottish Rite in Fort Scott, Kan., and a member of Abdallah Shrine in Overland Park, Kan. He was also a Past Patron of Union #15 Order of the Eastern Star in Ottawa, Kan., and a Past Patron and active member in Tomball Chapter #838 Order of the Eastern Star and Tomball Lodge #1096. He was also a longtime member of Cypresswood Free Methodist Church of Spring, Texas.
He enjoyed wood working, computers, habitat projects and fun times with his family and colleagues.
Richard and Susan moved to Belton, Texas, in 2014 to be closer to family, his pride and joy!
Richard fought a brave battle with cancer. His love of life, encouraging and positive attitude and heartwarming smiles will always be with us.
A funeral service to celebrate his life will be held Friday, Sept. 4, 2015, at 10 a.m. at Klein Funeral Home in Tomball, Texas, with The Order of the Eastern Star and Masonic Lodge services. Kevin Niemann will officiate. The family will receive friends and family from 9-10 a.m. prior to the service. Burial services will be in Mapleton, Kan., at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to https://gifts.mdanderson.org for Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma (EHE) cancer research or https://rebuildhouston.org.
OBITUARIES
Kelly Kehl ~ 03-25-1938 to 06-28-2025

Linn County News Published July 2, 2025 Kelly Kehl, age 87, of Mound City, Kan., passed away Saturday, June 28, 2025, at his rural Mound City home. Kelly was born March 25, 1938, south of Parker, Kan., to Keith (Tom) Emerson Kehl and Helen Edith (Giffin) Kehl. Kelly... [More]
Kandi Kay Cruse ~ 03-29-1958 to 06-27-2025

Linn County News Published July 2, 2025 Kandi Kay Cruse passed away on June 27, 2025, at the age of 67 after a valiant battle with cancer. Born on March 29, 1958, in Colorado Springs, Colo., Kandi’s zest for life and carefree spirit were evident from an early age. She... [More]
Jessica Cae Pritchett ~ 08-30-1981 to 06-26-2025

Linn County News Published July 2, 2025 Jessica Cae Pritchett age 43 of Parker, Kan., died Thursday, June 26, 2025, at Overland Park Regional Medical Center. Visitation will be 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sunday, July 6, 2025, at Eddy Birchard Funeral Home in Osawatomie, Kan. ... [More]
More Obituaries
- Jackie Junior “Jack” Hewitt ~ 07-17-1935 to 06-18-2025
- Priscilla “Pat” Haney Smith ~ 11-19-1935 to 06-07-2025
- Ron Arbogast ~ 08-31-1946 to 06-05-2025
- Richard “Dick” Smith ~ 04-18-1942 to 06-22-2025
- Charles Edwin Sutterby ~ 06-20-1951 to 06-19-2025
- Windfred Allen DeMott ~ 09-15-1940 to 06-07-2025
- Maxine Breuel ~ 11-20-1926 to 06-07-2025
- Richard Paul Henderson ~ 07-26-1950 to 06-01-2025
NEWS
NOTICE:

Due to a scheduling conflict, the commissioners will not be meeting today, June 25th, for a second budget workshop. The meeting has been rescheduled for July 2nd.
Tanglewood Lakes files suit against Board of County Commissioners

Requests declaratory judgement that roads are private The Tanglewood Lakes Owners Association, Inc. (TLOA), filed a lawsuit in Linn County District Court on June 6, 2025, against the Linn County Board of County Commissioners requesting a declaratory judgement from... [More]
Case filed alleging exploitation of minors, breach of privacy

On June 20, following an extensive investigation by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, the Linn County Attorney’s Office filed a case in district court charging Erik Hellner, a Sugar Valley Lakes resident, with six separate felonies. The case originally stems from... [More]
More News
- La Cygne executes pool bond defeasance
- CANCELED: Statewide Purple Alert issued for missing Yates Center woman
- Parker mayor seeks affidavits to file charges
- USD 346 board learns of overpayments
- NOTICE
- Commissioners discuss estimate on overlay project
- Pleasanton council meeting heated over fire personnel interviews
- La Cygne gas customers may see rate decrease
SPORTS
Pleasanton/Jayhawk trapshooting team places seventh at State, Wallace earns State championship

The Pleasanton/Jayhawk trapshooting team traveled to Wichita to compete in the Kansas Trapshooting State tournament. The tournament features more than 110 high schools and over 1,500 student athletes. Pleasanton/Jayhawk compete in the 2A competition which happened on June... [More]
Joey Ewalt impacting youth wrestling here and abroad

Prairie View’s head boys’ wrestling Coach Joey Ewalt does more for the sport than just coaching the Buffalos, he has made an impact on the sport as a wrestler, coach and official. Ewalt began his wrestling career at the very young age of four. His father, Mike Ewalt,... [More]
More Sports
- Pleasanton and Jayhawk baseball on the 2025 All TRL team
- Jayhawk Linn softball has three All TRL unanimous selections
- Trenton Broyles leads Hawks at State track
- Prairie View track earns six medals at State
- Pleasanton’s Gratton wins two golds, sets meet record
- Jayhawk track breaks another school record and qualifies multiple athletes for State
- School records and State qualifiers are made for the Jays at Eureka
- Prairie View track qualifies multiple athletes for State
OBITUARIES POLICY
• May be mailed, e-mailed, faxed or hand delivered.
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Call Barbara at 913-352-6235 or e-mail linncountynewsreporter@gmail.com

