Obituary - Shelly Lynn Merrick

Shelly Lynn Merrick age 54 of Adrian, Missouri departed this life Wednesday, October 18, 2023.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held 7:00 p.m. Monday, November 6, 2023 at Dickey Funeral Home, Harrisonville, Missouri with Inurnment at Mt. Olivet cemetery, Kansas City, Missouri at a later date.

Visitation will be held 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Monday, November 6, 2023 at Dickey Funeral Home, Harrisonville, Missouri.

A complete obituary will be posted once that information becomes available.

Thank you!

The Bates County Sheriffs Office would like to say thank you to Brent and Maria Kelso for providing a pulled pork lunch for all of the employees today! It is much appreciated and everything was delicious!

 

Obituary - Danny Eugene DeLancey

Danny Eugene DeLancey was born May 19, 1961, in Kansas City, Missouri, to parents Billy Morrice and Elvina Ruth (Anderson) DeLancey. He passed away at his home on October 22, 2023, at the age of 62.

Dan graduated from Lee’s Summit High School in 1979 and then received a Purchasing Degree from Rockhurst College. He retired from Spire Energy in 2019.

Dan loved music and was recognized nationally and internationally as an accomplished guitar player in the Flatpick style. His many accomplishments include State Titles in Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arizona as well as winning the Steve Kaufman Acoustic Competition in Maryville, Tennessee. In 1998, he won the prestigious Rocky Grass Flatpick Competition of Colorado.

Dan went on to serve as a judge in many guitar competitions including the National Flatpick Competition held annually in Winfield, Kansas. His widely admired master arrangements for guitar have been published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc., and Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. Dan and his wife Linda enjoyed 40 years of performances across the United States and in Europe. Together they shared billing with many performers including Byran Sutton, David Grier, Norman Blake, and Doc Watson.

Those who knew Dan well will remember him for his gentle heart and his sensitivity and empathy for the feelings of others. He loved all animals and rescued many. In addition to his passion for music, his hobbies included woodcarving, kayaking, camping, and hiking in the Rocky Mountains. Dan was an ardent supporter of the Rocky Mountain National Park Conservancy.

Dan was a member of the Old Mission United Methodist Church in Fairway, Kansas, where he and Linda served on an usher team until Dan’s health became prohibitive. Upon hearing of his diagnosis of ALS shortly after his retirement had just begun, Dan said, “Maybe God has another plan for me.”

Dan was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Linda of the home, brothers Lonnie (Jan) DeLancey and Ronnie (Janet) DeLancey, all of Lee’s Summit, MO, brother-in-law Joe Bush of Walker, MO, nephew Derek DeLancey and nieces Julie Delancey Rudolph (Brian), Kristen DeLancey Walthers (Michael), and Becky Cooper (Eric), great-nieces Brooklyn DeLancey and Janalee Rudolph, great-nephews Graham Walthers, Connor Walthers, Tyler Cooper (Courtney) and Jake Cooper, and great-great nephews Deric Cooper and Ben Cooper. Also surviving are cherished cousins, many wonderful friends, and his beloved cat Shadow.

Graveside services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Dederick, MO, with Rev. Nancy Pauls officiating.

Memorials may be made in Dan’s name and memory to Rocky Mountain Conservancy in care of Ferry Funeral Home.

Obituary - Wiley Leon Wyckoff

Wiley Leon Wyckoff, 82, Nevada, MO passed away suddenly on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, in Springfield, MO. Wiley was born April 10, 1941, in Arcadia, KS to Lawrence M. and Zora Annabelle (Dunbar) Wyckoff. He married Sharon Sue Frazier on April 8, 1967, at the First Baptist Church in Nevada and she survives of the home.

Wiley was raised in Deerfield, MO and attended school there until the eighth grade, at which time he moved with his family to Bronaugh. He attended high school in Bronaugh where he graduated with the Class of 1959. Wiley worked 45 years at the Nevada State Hospital retiring as Store Keeper. He also served in the Missouri National Guard for 31 years. Wiley enjoyed spending time on the Bill Wyckoff farm, cutting wood, harvesting pecans, and cleaning up the pecan grove. He was known for his ’74 green Chevy pickup. Wiley was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church in Nevada.

In addition to his wife Sharon, he is survived by one son, Jason Wyckoff, Springfield; two sisters, Wanda Haley, Ft. Scott, KS, and Ronda Bailey (Roger), Ft. Scott, KS; and a brother, Weldon Wyckoff (Diane), Louisville, KY; Ft. Scott, KS; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; stepmother, Maxine Klinefelter Wyckoff; one sister, Wilma Carpenter; three brothers, Bill Wyckoff, Willard Wyckoff and Wayne Wyckoff; a sister-in-law, Dixie Thompson; three stepbrothers, Maynard Thompson, Dwayne Thompson, and Edward Thompson.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 28, 2023, at the First Baptist Church in Nevada with Dr. Kevin Daugherty and Dr. Bill Cox officiating. Interment with Military Honors will follow in Newton Burial Park in Nevada. The family will receive friends from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. prior to the service at the church.

Memorials are suggested in his name to the First Baptist Church c/o Ferry Funeral Home in Nevada.

Thanks for the generosity

Heidehedel (Heidi) Todd is a generous soul. The Rich Hill resident likes to make diamond art images and has generously given dozens of them to BCMH healthcare workers. Her gifts grace the walls of many of our departments in offices, break

rooms and clinics. Pictured with Heidi are just a few of the employees (and volunteer) with the framed art she has gifted them. 

We love that they remind us of the beauty of humanity and how blessed we are to care for each of our patients, many of whom are family, friends or neighbors. Thank you, Heidi, we love you!

Laura Campbell, RN, Surgery
Mandy Brockman, RN, Surgery
Kelly Stark, Auxiliary Volunteer
Josh Sullins, RRT, Imaging Services
Gay Keene, Registration Clerk, Patient Access
Ashlyn Van Voorst, Registration Clerk, Patient Access
Gabrielle Fletcher, Registration Clerk, Patient Access

Cass County Citizen’s Academy graduates!

We would like to congratulate the  Cass County Citizen’s Academy graduates!

They attended a class each week for eight weeks to learn about different responsibilities at the Sheriff’s Office. It was capped off with a ceremony last night. The Sheriff awarded them with a certificate and commemorative coin.

 
From everything to dispatch to court to the jail, this course has given them a sense of how we keep Cass County safe.

Now, they’re eligible to become members of the Cass County Sheriff's Auxiliary.

The Auxiliary allows the Sheriff's Office to extend services that it provides to the community without expanding the budget. This course will be available again in the spring. 

If you want to participate in the next Citizen’s Academy, sign up here:
https://cassmosheriff.org/m/citizen_applicaiton.aspx

Big chill on the horizon!

A hard freeze is possible for the entire area by Sunday and Monday. These temperatures are a sharp change over the 70s we have seen this week. 

It's time to dig out those winter hats and gloves, especially since many are not acclimated to these bitterly cold fall temperatures.

Butler Elementary STEAM Night!

Join us next week for Butler Elementary STEAM Night! Please note the time change.