Bessie June Minden...Age 88

IN STATE AFTER 1PM TUESDAY, AUGUST 27TH

VISITATION: 6-8PM TUESDAY, AUGUST 27TH - EDDY-BIRCHARD CHAPEL

SERVICE: 10AM WEDNESDAY AUGUST 28TH - EDDY-BIRCHARD FUNERAL HOME

BURIAL: OSAWATOMIE CEMETERY, OSAWATOMIE, KANSAS

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Bessie June Minden age 88, of Paola, Kansas formerly of Osawatomie, died Saturday, August 24, 2013 at the Life Care Center of Osawatomie in Osawtomie, Kansas.

Bessie was born June 1, 1925 in Miami, Oklahoma the youngest of six children to Roy Earl and Cora Alice (Summers) Vanatta.

By the time Bessie was two years old her parents had divorced. Her mother married Andrew Streeter and the family moved to Prescott, Kansas. The family grew and Bessie had five younger half siblings. Her family now was that of eleven children. Bessie’s father also remarried and there were nine more half siblings added to her large growing family.

Bessie grew up in Prescott and attended both a country school and the Prescott High. School She did not graduate but later acquired her GED.

On August 29, 1946 she married Melvin Martin Minden at the Methodist Church in Butler, Missouri. They made their home in Osawatomie and became the parents of four children. The family stayed in Osawtomie until 1971 when they moved to their present home in rural Paola. Bessie and Melvin would have had their 67th wedding anniversary in four more days.

Bessie was a seamstress and worked for the Mode-O-Day in Osawatomie, she also worked in Paola at a sewing factory making caps. For a short time she helped out at the Cow Palace in Osawatomie and her last position was a bank teller at the 1st National Bank of Osawatomie.

She was quite a seamstress; she even made her daughter Diana’s wedding dress. Bessie enjoyed gardening and she would can the vegetables and strawberries she grew, she would make the best pickles you ever ate. Bessie liked to play Bingo and bowl she was even on a bowling league. When her children were young she was a den mother for the boy scouts.

Bessie was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary Post 156 of Paola, Kansas and a member of the First Lutheran Church of Paola.

Bessie was preceded in death by her grandson Mathew Armstrong, four sisters: Viola Boden, Opal Armstrong, Mary Hutchinson and Josephine Miller of Paola, her brother John Vanatta, four half brothers: Leo Streeter, Edward Vanatta, Jackie Vanatta, Frankie Vanatta, two half sisters: Shirley Polk and Eva Perry.

She is survived by her husband Melvin of the home, her four children: Diana (Alvin) Simon of Falls City, Neb., James M. (Janie) Minden, Dennis (Brenda) Minden and Randy Minden all of Osawatomie, KS, two half sisters: Alice Hazelbaker of Redfied, KS, Rosetta Chenault and six half brothers George Streeter of Tonaska, WA, Jim Streeter of Fort Scott, KS, Ed Streeter of Nevada, MO, Jerry Vanatta of Tonasket, WA, and twins Roy Vanatta of Welch Oklahoma and Ray Vanatta of Mt. Pleasant, Arkansas.
Eight grandchildren: Regina McMahan, Jimmy Minden, Jered Minden, Jason Minden, Jeff Minden, Karie Mayo, Ashley Minden and eighteen great grandchildren.