Obituary

Robert. J. Hanna, 86, retired mortician for DeVorss Flanagan-Hunt Mortuary, passed away Saturday (Feb. 13, 2010.)

It was Halloween evening, 1923, and metal trash containers were rumbling down the street in Old Halloween style. There was a light burning on the maternity floor of Bethel Hospital where Mrs. Ida Hanna was giving birth to a son who would be named Robert John and later called by his initials, R.J.

He grew up in Newton and attended St. Mary’s grade school and Newton High School where he sang first tenor in the high school chorus and Boys’ Glee Club, receiving a gold music pin his senior year.

As World War II was raging, he entered the Army in March 1943. After training, he was a member of the Sixth Armored Division, which was part of Gen. George Patton’s Third Army, which fought in Normandy and five major battles during the war in Europe.

After the war, he attended Saint Benedict’s College in Atchison and the University of Mortuary Science of Kansas City, Kan., receiving his Kansas state mortuary license in April 1950. R.J.’s first employment was with the Arnold-Kirby Funeral Home in El Dorado. A young man by the name of J. Roy Holder was staying there in his room while attending El Dorado Junior College. His sister, Evelyne, came to see him often, and that is where R.J. met her. Evelyne was a college graduate majoring in home economics.

Evelyne and R.J. began dating and eventually were married in June 1949. Their first child was a boy they named David. David passed away as a baby, just one day after birth. After that, they were blessed with six daughters and one son who are grown. They have numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren to carry on their heritage.

R.J. had a membership with Knights of Columbus and was a past Grand Knight.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Ida; brothers, William, Tom and Terence; sister, Delia; and son, David.

He is survived by his wife, Evelyne; his son, Patrick; daughters, Rebecca Anne Hanna-Kerschen and husband, Jerry, Nan Lloyd and Jane Garcia, of Wichita, Susan Hakala and husband, Gerald, of Stanwood, Wash., Pam Marceca, of Pasadena, Calif., and Lucy Hanna, of Berkley, Calif.; sisters, Mary Jane Bell, of Houston and Flo Hanna, of Newton; 15 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Stations of the Cross is at 6 p.m. Friday, with a rosary immediately following at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Wichita.

A funeral mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, with burial to follow at 2 p.m. at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Newton.

Memorial contributions may be made to the St. Joseph Catholic Church School Fund, 145 S. Millwood, KS 67213, or St. Mary’s Catholic School Fund, 101 E. Ninth St., Newton, KS 67114.

Condolences may be offered at www.devorssflanaganhunt.com.