Elnora Louise Henness ... Age 87

Visitation: 5-7 PM Sunday, June 4, 2017
Service: 11 AM Monday, June 5, 2017
All at the Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home
Burial: Osawatomie Cemetery

Memorial: First United Methodist Church of Osawatomie and/or Osawatomie Museum Foundation
May be sent c/o:  Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home
P.O. Box 430
Osawatomie, KS 66064

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Elnora Louise Henness age 87 of Osawatomie, KS died June 1, 2017 at Life Care Center of Osawatomie.

Elnora was born June 14, 1929 in Orlando, Oklahoma. She was the fourth of eight children born to Newell Fillip & Nora (Pinnix) Michael and had five half-siblings as well. She grew up in the Orlando and Delaware, OK, area attending grade school at the Potter one room school house and high school in Delaware. After school, she started working as a waitress in Coffeyville, KS riding the train from Oklahoma to Coffeyville to work.

While working in Coffeyville, Elnora met Melvin L. Henness and they were married March 8, 1947 in Independence, KS. The couple moved to Russell for a short time then settled in Osawatomie. Elnora started working for the Osawatomie State Hospital in 1949 as a mental health worker progressing to her long-standing position as physical therapy assistant.  While working and raising her daughters, she attended Fort Scott Community College and earned an Associate Degree in Applied Studies. After 35 years, she retired from the state hospital in 1990.

Elnora was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Osawatomie, the United Methodist Women organizing numerous funeral dinners, the Osawatomie Food Pantry, VFW Auxiliary #6397, Miami County Historical Society, the Osawatomie Museum Foundation, Business Professional Women, NARVE, and Fontana Old Settlers.

In addition to the various organizations she was active in, Elnora loved traveling with Mel.  They purchased a home on Pomme de Terre Lake near Hermitage, Mo and spent countless weekends there with family and friends.  She enjoyed genealogy taking many trips to Salt Lake City and the Truman Library to do research. Elnora’s mother and siblings eventually settled in California, so they made numerous trips with their daughters to visit as well as sightseeing all across western United States.  She and Mel had a close knit group of friends they loved spending time with whether it be traveling, get-togethers for holidays, having a fish fry, Friday night at the Elks Club, or hosting many basement parties.

She was preceded in death by her husband Mel, her parents, brothers Ralph, Rex, Dean, Ted, Clyde, Loyd, and Sherwood Michael and Orville Wood, sisters Stella Desene Portlock, Lavonna and Winifred Michael, brothers-in-law Wayne E. Henness and Doyle B. McQuay and sister in-law Phyllis Henness.

Survivors include daughters Joyce (John) Bumgarner of Osawatomie, KS, Jeanette (Elvin) Troutman of Stillwell, KS, Patty (Mark Marquez) Henness of Osawatomie, KS, and Linda (Jay) Beadle of Olathe, KS, nine grandchildren Lincoln (Heather) Keen of Bevier, MO, Luke Bumgarner, Ottawa, KS, Amy Johnson of Osawatomie, KS, Michelle Marcum of Arlington, TX, James (Shannon) Troutman of Olathe, KS, Tiffany (Matt) Hamblin of Overland Park, KS, Lindsay (Ryan) Russell of Osawatomie, KS, Melanie Troutman Portland, OR, and Haley Beadle of Olathe, KS, thirteen great grandchildren Lynnsey (Ryan) Fletcher, Lathan Keen, Gabe, Lacey, and Christian Hamblin, Aidan and Charlea Atwood, Collin, Bryer, and Rylea Russell, Brayden, Owen, and Ashlyn Troutman, sister Joann McDaniel of Modesto, CA and sister-in-law Merna Kay McQuay of Bolivar, MO, along with numerous nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.