Stories from Friday, October 8, 2021

William Ray Mason, age 36, a former resident of Fort Scott, Kan., and more recently of Joplin, Mo., passed away Friday, Oct. 1, 2021, in Joplin. Rev. Roger Harris will conduct funeral services at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 12 at the Cheney Witt Chapel. ...

Gwendolyne “Gwen” Jewel Lancaster, 65 of Fort Scott, Kan., passed away Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021 at Citizens Memorial Hospital in Bolivar, Mo. Gwen was born July 5, 1956 in Fort Scott, Kan., to Bob and Winnie (Leek) Daly. She graduated Fort Scott High School class of 1974. ...

Velma Jean (VJ) Stevens, 97, formerly of Prescott and most recently of Anamosa, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Oct. 7, 2021, in Anamosa. She was born on April 2, 1924, in Stotesbury, Mo. She lived in Prescott for much of her life but later moved to Rogers, Ark., Olathe, and Arlington, Texas. ...

Patricia Maley Belkham, 77, a resident of Valrico, Fla., died Sept. 29, 2021. She was born on Jan. 23, 1944, in Sandusky, Ohio to Eileen Murphy. Pat is survived by her husband of 31 years, Ernie Belkham, three children, Michael Maley (Diane) El Cajon, Calif., Marty Maley Spanaway, Wash., Kevin Maley (Krista) Pittsboro, N.C., and six grandchildren...

A check presentation ceremony was held Tuesday on the west side of Skubitz Plaza where the city plans to construct an entry pavilion and walkway leading to the Lunette Blair Block House. Funding for the project will come from a $50,000 Hometown Grant from T-Mobile...

The work of Fort Scott native Gordon Parks continues to inspire today’s artists, as evidenced by a presentation Thursday evening at Fort Scott Community College. Doug Barrett, a photographer and videographer based in Manhattan, shared some of his work and Aileen Wang, curator at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art at Kansas State University discussed an exhibition at the museum which features several of Parks’ photos, as well as some of Barrett’s work...