Tena Calahan, 84, Iola, died Sunday, Oct. 19, 2014, at Allen County Regional Hospital.
Tena was born March 8, 1930, in Neosho Falls, the daughter of Leo and Ola (Garner) Runnells. On June 9, 1946, she married Rex Calahan and they lived in Colony before moving to a farm near Lone Elm. They left the farm and moved to Kincaid where they lived for 30 years before moving to Iola in 1985.
She graduated from Colony High School and Iola Junior College. Tena received a bachelor of science degree from Emporia State University and a master’s degree along with an education specialist degree from Pittsburg State University. She taught at LaHarpe, Glendale Country School, Moran and Colony. She concluded her 35 years of teaching as a learning disability teacher in Iola and surrounding schools.
Rex preceded her in death on July 7, 2014.
Tena was a member of the Order of Eastern Star and Allen County Regional Hospital Auxiliary.
She is survived by three sons, Robert of Ottawa, Darrel of Colony and Douglas of Brighton, Colo.; one daughter, Nancy Henderson of Olathe; one brother, Hoyle Runnells of Colony; 10 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a son, Larry.
The families will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Waugh-Yokum & Friskel Chapel in Iola.
Cremation will follow the visitation with inurnment at a later date in the Lone Elm Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Shriner’s Hospitals for Children
To sign the guestbook online or to leave a condolence, go to www.iolafuneral.com.
Tena Calahan
