Sheldon Caudell

Sheldon Caudell, age 78, of Colony, passed away Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, at St. Luke’s Hospital, Kansas City.

Neil Sheldon Caudell was born in Buffalo to John Thomas and Wilma Moffitt Caudell on Aug. 16, 1942. His grandparents were Tom and Bessie Caudell and Wallace and Mildred Moffitt. Sheldon graduated from Altoona-Midway High School with the class of 1960.

Following graduation, he began working for his uncles, Jack and Buck, in their trailer factory in Neosho, Mo. The following year Sheldon went to work at Walton Foundry in Iola before taking a job with Buffalo Brick in Buffalo. In June 1963, Sheldon began working for the Kansas Department of Transportation in Garnett. Over the following 41 and a half years, Sheldon worked as area supervisor in Iola from 1984 to 1988, and area superintendent in Garnett and Iola from 1988 until retiring in 2004. Sheldon also enjoyed raising cattle and farming.

In 1961 Sheldon met Bettie Culler, and they were married on March 24, 1962. Sheldon and Bettie made their home in Colony, where they raised their four children: Kathy, Nancy, Vicky and Terry. In 2005, Bettie lost her battle with cancer. Sheldon later met and married Ruth Wools. Their marriage blessed Sheldon with an extended family.

Sheldon was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents; wife, Bettie; son, Terry Sheldon Caudell; great-grandson, Brayden Lee Yocham; two brothers, Bill Pennington and JT Caudell; and his sister, Elaine Brooks.

He is survived by his wife, Ruth, of the home; three daughters, Kathy Holloway (Garry) of Kincaid, Nancy Ellington (Ed) of Colony, and Vicky Hermreck (Dennis) of Modesto, Calif.; 17 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; brother, Charles Caudell (Nancy) of Hillsboro; sister, Shirley Driskell (Milford) of Neodesha; and extended family, John Wools (Karen) of Iola, Teresa Smith (Jeff) of Yates Center, and Tim Wools (Virginia) of Iola.

Funeral services will take place at 2 p.m., Wednesday, at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, 1883 US Hwy 54, Iola. Burial will follow in Colony Cemetery. The family will greet friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday evening at the funeral home in Iola. Memorial contributions may be made to the Colony First Responders and left in care of the funeral home. Condolences to the family may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.