Linn County News
Published May 17, 2017
Shirley Marie Bruner Ball of Garnett, Kan., was born Aug. 9, 1941, on the family farm near Xenia, Kan., and passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 10, 2017, at the age of 75. She was the seventh of 10 children born to Walter Eberlee Bruner and Agnes Mackie Bruner.
Her life was shaped by a large farming family and surrounding neighbors in Mud Hollow. She attended grade school through eighth grade at Mapleton and went on to graduate from Blue Mound High School in 1959. She loved her big family and growing up with eight siblings helped develop her love of competition. As a young girl, Shirley enjoyed reading, basketball, softball and swimming. She learned to work hard on the farm as a child and was dedicated to her work as an adult. After high school, she worked for two years in Fort Scott at Western Insurance.
She was united in marriage to Carrol Ball in 1962. During this time in her life she also worked hard at building a business with Carrol, raising sheep, which she loved so much, and raising three children. This marriage ended in divorce in 1969.
She went to work at the Parker Sewing Factory and later at the Sherwood Inn and Restaurant in Garnett, where she loved her co-workers and customers. She was a huge Perry Mason and Elvis fan, and loved listening to the radio and playing cards and Yahtzee! In retirement, Shirley enjoyed traveling and fishing.
Shirley leaves behind her son, Jonnie Lee Ball of Kansas City, Kan.; her son, Lonnie Carrol Ball and wife Melanie of Olathe, Kan.; daughter Juanita Joann Peine and husband Bob of Parker, Kan.; and companion Clifford Wells of Garnett. She is also survived by her brother, Willard Bruner and wife Darla of Fort Scott, Kan.; her sisters, Venita Miller of Kincaid, Kan., and Marilyn Bruner of Fort Scott; sister in-law Freda Bruner of Mound City, Kan.; many nieces and nephews; and her grandsons, Lee, Damon and Donovan Ball, and Trint, Justin and Chaylin Peine.
She was preceded in death by her parents; infant sister Mary; sisters Lorraine Wilcox and husband W.H. Wilcox, Leora Ross and husband Keith Ross, and Pauline Seitz; brothers Virgil Bruner and Joseph Bruner; nephews Raymond Badders and Virgil Miller; and niece Vicki Bruner.
Funeral services were held on Tuesday, May 16, 2017, at the Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel, Garnett, with burial following in the Sunny Slope Cemetery in Blue Mound, Kan.
Memorial contributions may be left to Prairie Paws Rescue in care of Feuerborn Family Funeral Home. You may send your condolences to the family at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.
OBITUARIES
Bonnie Faye Bishop ~ 03-25-1949 to 04-22-2025

Linn County News Published April 30, 2025 Bonnie Faye Bishop, age 76, Olathe, Kan., passed away Tuesday, April 22, 2025. She was born on March 25, 1949, in Kansas City, Mo., the daughter of William and Imogene Krueger Carter. After graduating from high... [More]
Lois A. Murray ~ 11-03-1931 to 04-20-2025

Linn County News Published April 30, 2025 Lois A. Murray, age 93, formerly of Pleasanton, Kan., passed away on Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Overland Park, Kan. Lois was born the daughter of Arlie and Winifred Stanhope Poindexter on Nov. 3, 1931, near Drexel, Mo.... [More]
Dr. Howard F. Wilson ~ 02-05-1938 to 04-20-2025

Linn County News Published April 23, 2025 Dr. Howard F. Wilson, age 87, of Garnett, Kan., passed away on Sunday, April 20, 2025, at St. Luke’s South Hospital in Overland Park, Kan. Howard Frank Wilson was born on Feb. 5, 1938, in Garden City, Mo. He was the... [More]
More Obituaries
- Anna Louise Stites ~ 09-27-1946 to 04-13-2025
- Sandra Kay “Sandy” Crooks ~ 01-08-1949 to 04-13-2025
- Richard Lee Keaton ~ 01-29-1935 to 04-05-2025
- Linda Ann Pruitt ~ 05-08-1953 to 04-07-2025
- Ira “Sonny” Ray Caruthers, Jr. ~ 05-23-1955 to 04-02-2025
- Michelle Lynn Young ~ 05-20-1967 to 04-04-2025
- Phyllis Sybil Colbert ~ 11-23-1935 to 03-28-2025
- Joseph Francis “Mr. Joe” Cunningham ~ 03-17-1967 to 03-31-2025
NEWS
SPECIAL: Legislative Update

April 18, 2025 Kansas Land and Military Installation Protection Act, SB 9, prohibits foreign adversaries from purchasing property within 100 miles of a military installation and any foreign adversary ownership of non-residential real property purchased prior to July 1, 2025,... [More]
16 criminal cases from Tanglewood Lake incident dismissed

Late Wednesday afternoon, April 16, orders were filed dismissing all 16 current cases on file in Linn County District Court concerning the Tanglewood Lake gate incident, 14 of which were filed against separate individuals that stemmed from the incident in May 2023. According... [More]
Tanglewood seeks clarification, aid from county

During the April 21 meeting, Linn County Commissioner Jason Hightower reported to his fellow board members that he had met with the Tanglewood Lake board president and a resident the previous week and noted that they wanted a resolution or motion that clarified if the roads are... [More]
More News
- Commission workshop hears of justification for SEKMHC CEO $600,000 salary
- La Cygne police get automatic plate readers
- Notice
- Public comment results in allegations of unethical behavior
- Parker reinstates local policing
- Two charged following vehicular incident in Parker
- Pleasanton approves zoning request
- La Cygne leaders talk future street improvements
SPORTS
Jayhawk track wins the Pleasanton Invitational

The Jayhawk Linn track team traveled to Pleasanton on April 15 for the Pleasanton Invitational. The Hawks did very well as both the boys’ and girls’ teams won the meet. The girls won with a score of 188 points while the boys won with a score of 127 points. There were... [More]
Pleasanton track places in top three at home invitational

The Pleasanton track team hosted their home invitational on April 15. The Jays did well as both the boys’ and girls’ teams placed in the top three out of nine teams. The boys were second with 92 points while the girls were third with 107.5 points. “It was... [More]
More Sports
- Jayhawk baseball earns first victories of the season
- Pleasanton boys’ and girls’ track teams win Oswego Invitational
- Prairie View softball falls in league contest to Iola
- Prairie View softball drops close games against Santa Fe Trail
- Pleasanton baseball falls to Southeast Cherokee and Marmaton Valley
- Jayhawk softball splits against Central Heights
- Prairie View softball starts season 3-1
- Pleasanton baseball opens season 2-2 against Oswego and Crest
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Call Barbara at 913-352-6235 or e-mail linncountynewsreporter@gmail.com

