Johnie Esther Davis

Johnie Esther Davis passed away August 31, 2008 at age 92. She died peacefully at the home of her youngest son Ancil Ted Davis in Wichita, KS with members of her family present.

She is preceded in death by parents John Clarence and Margaret Ann Carter, husband Ancil Huber Davis, daughter Betty Jo Crepps and three brothers: Clarence Hall, James Thomas, and Don Fulton Carter.

She is survived by her sons John Wilber Davis of Worthington, IN – Ted, and sister Anne Marie Francis of Temple, TX. Also surviving are her grandchildren Dorie Crepps of Melbourne, FL, Jim Crepps of Fullerton, CA, Tami McCullough and Brett Davis of Wichita, Jack Davis and Betty Louanna Richter of Sitka, AK, Andy Davis of Worthington, IN, and Matt Davis of Haines, AK. She has 14 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren.

Back row L to R: Matt Davis, Andy Davis, Jim Crepps, Brett Davis. Front Row L to R: Betty Davis, Dorie Crepps-Ahnert, Tami McCullough, Jack Davis

 

The funeral service will be held in Belle Plaine, KS at the Methodist Church at 1:00 PM on Monday September 8, 2008, with visitation on Sunday at the Smith- Hatfield funeral home in Belle Plaine from 1:00 until 8:00 PM. (Family members will be present from 5:00 to 7:00 PM)

In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established at the Belle Plaine Church of Christ, Maude Carpenter Children’s Home, and Know Your Bible at Northside Church of Christ in Wichita.

Seated L to R: Dorothy Marcus, Vikki Fuller, Selah Marcus, Missy Dossey, Cydnee Dossey, Brooklynn Dossey, Matt, Carter, Buddy, Rhoda, Tiane, Andy, Joanna, Jennifer, Joy, Jack, Jessica, and John Davis.  Standing Row 1 L to R: Margie Carter, Diane Davis, Craig Dossey, Lindsay Kingsley, Sandra, Cameron, and Riley Davis, Dorie Crepps-Ahnert, Karen and Anne Marie Francis, Peggy Davis, Betty Richter. Back Row L to R: Ted Davis, Clayton & Tami McCullough, Kelby Kingsley, Brett Davis, Jim Crepps, John & Percy Francis, John Davis, and Cliff Richter.

Grandma’s Viewing

We went to the viewing in Belle Plaine last night at a local funeral  home. 

The funeral home is remarkably similar to the one that we used for Grandma and Grandpa Hinds back in Worthington, Indiana and also perhaps similar to funeral homes across the country.  This is the town we always headed for when we went to visit Grandma and Grandad Davis.

 

 

There was a handful of classmates of my father and uncle Ted’s there at t he home to pay their respects.  The Family moved to Belle Plain from Wichita in the summer of 1954.  The bought the farm before that, then fixed up the house and moved there later.  Dad lived there for a year before graduating in 1955, Betty Jo graduated from HS in Wichita before they moved and Ted graduated from Belle Plaine in 1957.

One thing about the palor of death in the reclined position is that the skin doesn’t hang downwards.  This was something I didn’t notice myself but was point out to me. 

It’s difficult to imagine that the lifeless body there was my grandma for all those years except that she looks much the same in so many ways.  And it’s difficult to imagine that one day my mother and father will have a similar service that I will probably attend, and then, one day, my lifeless form will perhaps lie in a similar box and my children will perhaps gather around in a similar way. 

Mortality.  It’s quite a creepy thing. Holly has always told me that she doesn’t want to be embalmed, but to just cremate her. 

The Casket is nicely made and the slide show was nice too.  There was no real program at the viewing.

I rode down to Belle Plaine with John & Karen Francis, stopping by Harbor Freight along the way to pick up some galvanized shims so I can align my engine on the boat.

The Funeral is this afternoon and everyone is getting ready for it now.