Zola Marie Stalnaker.... Age 91

CREMATION:

VISITATION: 10:00 -10:30 AM  WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2015 LIGHTHOUSE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, PAOLA, KANSAS

SERVICE: 10:30 -11:30 AM WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2015 LIGHTHOUSE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, PAOLA, KANSAS

BURIAL: PRIVATE

MEMORIALS: LIGHTHOUSE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH  and  MIAMI COUNTY CANCER FOUNDATION

Memorials may be sent in care of:
Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home
P.O. Box 430
Osawatomie, KS 66064


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Zola Marie Stalnaker age 91, of Paola, Kansas died Wednesday, June 24, 2015 at the Miami County Medical Center in Paola, Kansas.

Zola was the youngest child of five born to Lee and Cecilia (Rhoades) Kinney on January 19, 1924 in Clarks, Nebraska.

She grew up in Clarks until she was in high school, then the family moved to Grand Canyon, Arizona where she finished school and graduated with the class of 1941.

Shortly after graduation she went to work at the Grand Canyon in the housekeeping department at the famous El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon National Park.  She worked there for about six years and in 1945 returned home to Nebraska, where she settled in Fullerton.

On September 9, 1949 she married Floyd Duane Stalnaker in Scotts Bluff, Nebraska. They made their home in Fullerton and became the parents of four children: Darlene, Nancy, Gary and Randy. They raised their family in Fullerton until 1969 when they moved to California.

Zola worked in a few different occupations while living in Nebraska, a creamery, a drug store and a grocery store. But when she moved to California she went to work as an accounting clerk for a large pharmaceutical corporation where she was employed for twenty years retiring in 1989. She and Floyd then sold their home in California and moved to Kansas. With the hustle of the city life they longed for a slower pace of life and time for camping, fishing, gardening and the beautiful change of seasons.

They bought a small farm just outside of Paola on Hwy 68, Zola moved from there in 2013 to live in the senior apartments in Paola until April of this year when she moved to Country Club Estates in Paola due to failing health.

Zola was a loving wife, mother and grandmother with many talents. Some of which was playing the Harmonica and the Accordion with great proficiency. However her culinary skills were those her family will always remember, many a family holiday or gathering was always celebrated with her famous Chocolate Sheet cake, and a race to be the one to enjoy that last piece in the pan.

She was a member of the Lighthouse Presbyterian Church in Paola, and attended many different bible study groups. Church was always a delight for Zola to attend and she was eager to go at any time.

Zola was preceded in death by her husband of fifty-nine years in 2008, her daughter Nancy Cardenas, son Randy Stalnaker and her four older siblings.

She is survived by her daughter Darlene (Doug) McMullin of Wellsville, KS, son Gary (Jeanne) Stalnaker of Oklahoma City, OK, numerous grandchildren, great- grandchildren along with many other relatives and of course her large church family,  all who will miss her dearly.