Vada Earleen Packard..... Age 80

Visitation: 10-11 am Saturday June 24, 2017 followed by
Service: 11 am Saturday all at the Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home
Burial: Miami Memorial Gardens, Paola, KS

Memorial: USD 367 Alternative Program
May be sent c/o:  Eddy-Birchard Funeral Home
P.O. Box 430
Osawatomie, KS 66064

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Vada Earleen Packard age 80 of Osawatomie, KS died Sunday June 18, 2017 at Olathe Medical Center.

Earleen was born August 19, 1936 in Louisburg, KS. She was the fifth of seven children born to Earl & Ruth Pauline (Breckenridge) Zuel. She grew up in Paola, Kansas where she attended school. She graduated with the Paola High School class of 1954.

After high school, Earleen married Franklin Packard in 1955. Frank was in the military so they moved for a while where he was stationed until moving back to settle back into Miami County. Together they had six children, Franklin, Ruth, Marjorie, Mark, Michael and Scott. The marriage later ended in divorce.

Earleen was a homemaker until her children were old enough to go to school. She worked as the teacher of the Head start Program in Paola. Then she worked at the Willard’s IGA store and sold Avon. In 1976, Earleen started as a mental health tech at Osawatomie State Hospital. She worked with the children on the Rush unit at the hospital. She worked her way up to LMHT Level 4, which is the highest level. In 1998, Earleen retired from the Osawatomie State Hospital. She then started with the foster grandparents program. She spent most of her time in the Alternative Program at the Osawatomie High School but then moved to the Adult Education Program until she had to stop due to health problems.

Her hobbies include genealogy, crocheting and tatting. Earleen loved KU basketball! She had to have the special TV package to make sure she didn’t miss any of the KU games. She was easy to buy for because anything KU she would love. Earleen was very supportive to all of her grandchildren’s activities and go to everything that she could.

She is preceded in death by her parents, infant son Mark Thomas, grandson Matthew Noblet, brothers Robert, Claude and James Zuel and sister Pauline Creese.

Survivors include children Franklin (Vicki) Packard of Andover, KS, Ruth Rand of Osawatomie, KS, Marjorie (David) Oliver of Paola, KS, Michael (Julie) Packard of Osawatomie, KS and Scott (Aimee) Packard of Rogersville, MO. Eleven grandchildren, Rebecca (Sebastian) Franitza, Jennifer (Michael) Beeson, Susan (Michael) Wellman, Casey Kelley, Sarah (Kennan) Grosdidier, Mark (Raymona) Folsom, Jordan Packard, Bailee Howard, Theodore Packard and Charles Packard. Five great grandchildren, Acacia and Justus Kelley, Trey Folsom, Reagan Grosdidier and Sabrina Wellman. Two brothers, Leslie (Patricia) Zuel of Pleasanthill, LA and Donald (Ellie) Zuel of Osawatomie, KS, two sisters-in-law, Ella Mae Zuel and Barbara Zuel both of Osawatomie, KS. Along with other family and friends.