ROYSE, Mary Susan (Lewis) - b. Jan. 29, 1909 - d. Dec. 5, 2011

[Marcia Moore]

Royse, Mary Susan (Lewis), 102, passed away December 5, 2011.  Mary was born on Kansas Day January 29, 1909 five and one-half miles south of Howard, Kansas in Elk County to Orwill & Gertrude Lewis.  She was the oldest of 10 children.

After graduation from Elk Falls High School in 1928, Mary attended Pittsburg Summer School and then taught school for two terms at Cedar Summit, ten miles north of Longton.  When she married Hugh Royse on April 30, 1930, Mary became a homemaker, wife and mother.  In later years, when the three older children were grown and had homes of their own and two children remained in school, Mary worked as a Southwestern Bell operator in Longton and Elk Falls.  In 1956, Mary became the City Clerk of Longton until her retirement in 1981.  Mary lived in and around Elk Falls and Longton until January 2002 when she moved to Andover, Kansas to be closer to her children.

She is survived by siblings Nina Duckett, Lolla Belle Schultz, Ethel Winks, and Orwill Lewis Jr.; children Alvena Spurrier (Boise, Idaho), Mary Lynn Howell (Wichita, Kansas), Joyce Kelly (Neosho, Missouri), and Susan Eppard (Augusta, Kansas); seven grandchildren, seventeen great grandchildren and twelve great-great grandchildren. Mary was preceded in death by her sisters Bea, Gertrude, Adalaide, Lucille, and Evalena; husband Hugh Royse; son Fred Royse; granddaughter Linda Kelly, grandson Roger Howell & great grandson Beau Blake.

Funeral services will be held at Countryside-Zimmerman Funeral home in Howard, Kansas at 1:30 p.m. Friday, December 9, 2011 with Pastor Robin Haines officiating. Viewing will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Interment will be at Grace Lawn Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Alzheimer's Association and may be left with the funeral home. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.countrysidefh.com. Arrangements entrusted to Countryside – Zimmerman Funeral Home.

(taken from the Countryside Funeral Home website)