The death of Willa Dean Kerns Creager, age 77, of Pleasanton, Kan., means the passing of a wonderful Irish mother. Willa was born at La Cygne, Kan., on Aug. 21, 1937, the younger of two daughters born to Jess and Bessie McGinnis Kerns. She graduated from La Cygne Rural High School in the Class of 1956.
She was united in marriage to William H. Hampson on Oct. 20, 1956. They were blessed with four beautiful daughters. Willa and Bill raised their four daughters on a farm west of Paola, Kan. She then worked in the health care industry.
Real heroes are people who do ordinary things extraordinarily well. Willa loved taking care of her family on the farm. She kept an immaculate and well decorated home. Her family was fed delicious and nutritious meals from gardens, orchards and their own beef, chickens and dairy cows. She raised her children in the church, playing the organ and singing with her beautiful angelic voice. With only one arm, the other weakened by polio as a child, she accomplished being a farmer’s wife, mother of four children and so much more. She was known for her culinary skills, fruit cobblers, homemade bread and her beautiful smile. After raising her children, she became an accomplished clogger, line dancer and oil painter.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her premature son RonaldLee Hampson in 1957; her grandson Jeremy Sherman Moody in 2004; and brother in law Gene Rockwell.
She is survived by four daughters: Nancy Player and husband Jim, Marsha Windisch, Lanette Silvey and husband Dale, Billie Jo Knowles and husband Danny; one sister Esther Rockwell; 20 grandchildren, Lisa Lenzen, Emily Brown, Joy Davila, Kyle Windisch, Kristina Sulivan, Greg Windisch, Joseph Windisch, Shawn Windisch, Wesley Windisch, Jessica Diskson, Allyssa Knowles, Meagan Knowles, Dylan Knowles, William Knowles, Laura Knowles, Luke Knowles, Cierra Knowles, Chloe Knowles and Matthew Knowles; 16 great-grandchildren; and cousins John McGinnis, Shirley Gomerdinger, Dorothy Presson, Don, Loren and Dick Stewart and Barbara Bensen, Rosetta Beard, Gary and Marvin Creager and Glenda Borgelt.
Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Saturday, July 11, 2015, at the Schneider Funeral Home and Crematory, La Cygne Chapel. Burial will be in the Oak Lawn Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until service time at the Chapel. Contributions are suggested to Mercy Hospice. Online condolences for the family may be left at www.schneiderfunerals.com. Arrangements: Schneider Funeral Home and Crematory, La Cygne Chapel.
OBITUARIES
Burton Clyde Brownback ~ 05-21-1953 to 07-13-2025

Linn County News Published July 16, 2025 Burton Clyde Brownback, age 72, Tri-Ko resident in Osawatomie, Kan., passed away Sunday, July 13, 2025. He was born on May 21, 1953, in Kansas City, Mo., the son of Clyde and Shirley Drake Brownback. He graduated from Prairie View... [More]
Ruth Ann Antrim ~ 05-21-1951 to 07-07-2025

Linn County News Published July 16, 2025 Ruth Ann Antrim, formerly Hueston, passed away July 7, 2025, after bravely battling cancer for many years. Ruth Ann was 74 years old. She lived and worked in the Mound City and Fort Scott, Kan., areas her... [More]
Helen Maxine Wright ~ 05-28-1939 to 06-19-2025

Linn County News Published July 16, 2025 Helen Maxine Wright, age 86, formerly of Blue Mound, Kan., passed away at her home in Abbyville, Kan., on Thursday, June 19, 2025. Funeral service was held at 11 a.m., Monday, July 7, 2025, at the Community... [More]
More Obituaries
- Kelly Kehl ~ 03-25-1938 to 06-28-2025
- Kandi Kay Cruse ~ 03-29-1958 to 06-27-2025
- Jessica Cae Pritchett ~ 08-30-1981 to 06-26-2025
- 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
NEWS
Commissioners vote to exceed revenue neutral

Set public hearing for Aug. 25 Near the end of the July 14 meeting, the Linn County Commissioners opened a discussion on the 2026 proposed budget with Commissioner Jim Johnson attending only this portion of the meeting via telephone and budget consultant Scot Loyd... [More]
Mulberry Limestone CUP approved by P & Z

A conditional use permit to form a rock quarry at 2400 and Valley Roads in March of 2024 has once again come before the Linn County Planning & Zoning Commission Tuesday night. The quarry, projected to be 48 acres to produce high-grade limestone qualified for use in both... [More]
SPECIAL: Benefits question an issue for county employees

A poll sent to Linn County employees mid-week asking which benefit they would prefer to lose has created a spark of animosity among those who received it. One person anonymously shared it to a Mound City-oriented Facebook page as a screen shot along with their comments highlighting... [More]
More News
- Commissioners discuss various budgets
- City learns of fire gear condition
- La Cygne leaders discuss food truck follow-up
- special: SCOTUS agrees to hear Women's Sports Case
- SPECIA;: Schmidt Votes to Cancel Massive Tax Hike, Secure Border, and Lower Federal Spending
- NOTICE:
- Pleasanton awarded $617,000 KDOT street grant
- Commissioners discuss development zoning appeals
SPORTS
Pleasanton trapshooting team shows grit at National Championship

Eight members of the Pleasanton Trapshooting Team traveled to Mason, Mich., last week to compete in the USA Clay Target League National Championship. Five members participated in the team event, and all eight competed individually. The team was among 264 qualified teams competing... [More]
Blue Mound softball earns second place at Crest

The Blue Mound girls’ coach pitch team 1 places second at the TRL girls’ coach pitch tournament at Colony. The tournament took place from July 7 to July 9.
More Sports
- Nobodys wins Blue Mound co-ed softball tournament
- Pleasanton 12-14 baseball wins championship
- Gratton at Nationals
- Summer Ball Tournaments
- Summer Ball Tournaments
- Pleasanton/Jayhawk trapshooting team places seventh at State, Wallace earns State championship
- Joey Ewalt impacting youth wrestling here and abroad
- Prairie View trapshooting competes at State
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Call Barbara at 913-352-6235 or e-mail linncountynewsreporter@gmail.com

