Florence Evelyn Orten Smith, 87, Class of 1940, passed away in Quinter, KS at the Long Term Care Facility on Monday, July 12, 2010. She was born December 10, 1922 in Grainfield, KS, the fifth of six children of George R. and Eva Alice Weekly Orten.
Florence married Roderick “Rod” Smith on November 22, 1941, in Shields, KS, at the home of their pastor’s parents. Rod passed away April 30, 1984.
Other deceased members of the class of 1940 include James Mattern, Dr. Joseph Mattern, Horace Shaw, Virgil Martin, Don Gillespie, Mary Hartman Struble, and Raymond Houser.
Vera Roberts, 91, class of 1938, died Monday, June 10 at 1:00 P.M. at the Long Term Care Facility in Quinter, Kansas. Vera was born October 12, 1918 at Jerome, Kansas, to George and Eva Alice Weekly Orten. She married Delmar Roberts from rural Gove, Kansas on August 18, 1938 and lived on their farm east of Gove. During her high school days she worked as bookkeeper at the elevator in Grainfield and also at the soda fountain at a station there. She played violin and performed at her graduation and at a Memorial Day service. In athletics, she played basketball. Vera and Delmar raised Herefords on their Roberts Hereford Ranch. They also grew crops of wheat, milo and alfalfa. In 1952, they moved to Quinter starting the Skogmo’s store. In school, she attended the Grainfield Methodist Church, the church in the Prairie View School while living in the country and later joined the United Methodist Church in Quinter. Other deceased members of the class of 1938 include George Ziegler, Ben Prewo, Virginia Gillespie Thomson, Pius Hartman, Lawrence Chapman, Harold Yowell, Francis Sutcliffe Watson, Dean Robertson, and Joy Gillespie Coberly.
