MC NOWN, Donald Lee - b. September 11, 1931 - d. July 16, 2008

[patyrn]

Donald Lee McNown, 76, of Towanda, Kansas, died July 16, 2008 at his home  He was born September 11, 1931 at Wauneta, Kansas to Jay B. and Myrtle Alta (Lee) McNown.  He began school at Sedan and graduated from high school at Moline, Kansas.  During the Korean War, Don served four year in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Eversol, a destroyer, earning the Korean Service Medal with two stars, National Defense Service Medal, China Service Medal, and the United Nations Service Medal.

Don married Ruth Davis, his high school sweetheart, at the Moline Methodist Parsonage on July 18, 1953.  He worked for the Kansas Gas Service Co. for several year and was self-employed in a small construction business.  He served the Towanda Boy Scout Troop 232 as scoutmaster and was a member of the Masonic Lodge.

He is survived by his wife, Ruth of the home; his sons, Mike McNown of Valley Center, Kansas and David McNown of El Dorado, Kansas; his sisters, Lorene Runyon of Sedan, Kansas, Alta Ehrlich of Delaware, Oklahoma, Louise Seward of Lexington, Nebraska, and Peggy Ward of Wichita, Kansas; and five grandchildren.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 19, 2008, at the Towanda United Methodist Church of Christ.  The Rev. Denise Sawyer will officiate.  Burial will be at 3:00 p.m. at the Moline, Kansas Cemetery.  The Rev. Mark Davis will officiate.

Memorials have been established with the Towanda United Methodist Church of Christ and the Good Shepherd Hospice of Wichita, Kansas.  Contributions may be left with Zimmerman Funeral Home of Howard, Kansas.

(published in the Winfield Daily Courier 7/18/08)

[flo]

wonder if that shouldn't be Wuaneta Oklahoma? Never heard of a Wuaneta Kansas.

[W. Gray]

Wauneta, Kansas, is or perhaps was on US 166 this side of Sedan in Chautauqua County.

[patyrn]

My grandmother was born in Wauneta, Kansas.  It is down in the Sedan/Cedar Vale area in Chautauqua County.  I'm not sure what is left there, but it used to be a community.

[frawin]

It is Wauneta Kansas, The last time I was by there there was remnants of the old station that was there, it is on Hwy 166 Southwest of Sedan Between Sedan and the Hewins turnoff.. When the Yates family left Howard in the 50s they moved to Wauneta and ran the station. In my lifetime there was never any other business there. Donald McNoun was a cousin to me, his GreatGrandmother was a Sister to my Grandfather.
Thanks Karen for posting that I wanted it for my Genealogy files.

[Marcia Moore]

     The Wauneta Post Office closed in 1961.  I can barely remember it (I was only 7 years old).  There was a gas station across the street from the post office, but it later closed.  There was also a lady who lived about a mile north of Wauneta that used to fix hair, and Ruth Call lived on the south side of the highway and reupholstered furniture.  The Methodist Church at Wauneta is still active.
    I guess I never met Donald Lee McNown, but I knew his sister, Lorene Runyon, and her husband, Paul, very well.  They were our neighbors in Sedan for over 25 years.  Lorene is over 90 years old now.

[patyrn]

I found this interesting--the Towanda Methodist Church is named Towanda United Methodist Church of Christ.  I have never seen a Methodist Church with the "of Christ" at the end or anything else put on the end of the title after United Methodist Church.  I checked the Towanda church website, and that is not a misprint.  It just sounded like a Church of Christ denomination was a part of it to me.  Very unusual..........................

[Marcia Moore]

I am not familiar with the Methodist Church at Towanda.  The Methodist Church at Wauneta is a United Methodist Church.  I've never heard of a United Methodist Church of Christ either.

[Catwoman]

Was this gentleman related in some way to little Mrs. McNown, who lived across from Moline Elementary?

[frawin]

Catwoman, I don't know who the McNown was that you are referring to, but Donald was related to the late Ivan McNown from the Moline area.
Frank