Gareld Clark “Gary” McGhee, 79, rural Colony, died Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016, at the Overland Park Regional Medical Center.
Gary was born April 26, 1936, in rural Colony, the son of Claude Robert and Mary Jane (O’Dell) McGhee. He grew up on the family farm west of Colony and graduated from Colony High School in 1953.
On June 2, 1957, Gareld married Shirley Ann Fooshee at First United Methodist Church in Garnett. They lived and farmed west of Colony. Gary served as swine leader for the Colony High Point 4-H Club, on the Anderson County Fair Board, as an elder at Northcott and Colony Christian Church, and was a long-time member of the Kansas Livestock Association and National Cattlemen Beef Association. He was awarded the Anderson County Conservation Award in 1979.
Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Shirley Ann McGhee; two children, Darren McGhee and wife Cindy, Westphalia, and Vicki Atwood and husband Joe, LaCygne; four grandchildren, Tyler Atwood, Lawrence, Chad Atwood, LaCygne, Derick McGhee, Wellsville, and Rochelle McGhee Smart and husband Dustin, Iola; five siblings, Roberta West, rural Colony, Thelma Haley and husband A.D., Yuba City, Calif., Sharon Kay Voorhees and husband George, rural Colony, Mona Tinsley and husband Jerry, Springfield, Mo., and Jack Ellis and wife Marylyn, Humboldt; sister-in-law, Dorothy McGhee, Iola; brother-in-law, Dale Fooshee, Topeka; sister-in-law, Carol Hicks and husband James, Riverside, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Mikell Diane Stahl, brother Duane McGhee, brother-in-law Robert West and sister-in-law Shirley Ann Fooshee.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at First Christian Church in Iola. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the church, with burial to follow in Colony Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Colony First Responders or Colony Christian Church and may be left with Waugh-Yokum & Friskel Memorial Chapel of Iola, which is in charge of arrangements. To leave a condolence online, go to www.iolafuneral.com.
