Obituary

Blanche Garlow Small, 81, Wichita, former Halstead Resident, died Monday, October 5, 1998. She was born January 1, 1917 at Elkhart, Kansass, the daughter of James Bolton and Velora Elizabeteh Schnaufer Garlow. She received her bachelors degree in history from Kansas State College in Fort Hays in 1940. An honor student, she also was elected homecoming queen, serving as only the second homecoming queen at Hays. While they were still in college, she and Herbert John Small eloped and were married in August 1939 in Pueblo, Colorado. He received his degree in 1940 also.

They lived in Elkhart for awhile and then she moved the family to Halstead, bringing her two youong daughters to stay with relatives while her husband was in the service during the war. While livinng in Halstead, she worked in the Halstead Hospital business office and at the Chesky Insurance Agency. She was active in several organizations in Halstead and served as one of the paid extras in the movie Picnic.

At the age of 45, she returned to college and earned her masters degree in library science from Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia. She retired several years ago as assistand professor emeritus at the Wichita State University library.

Her husband died February 22, 1979 and she moved from Halsted to Wichita in 1981.

Survivors: two daughters, Susan Ryerson, Adelphi, Md., and Nancy Small-Wang, Katy Texas; sister, Ruth Garlow-Leas, Hays; brother, Maurice Garlow, Lawton, Oklahoma; four grandchildren.

A service was held October 10 at East Heights United Methodist Church Chapel in Wichita. Graveside services were held that afaternoon in the Halstead Cemetery.