HAROLD DEAN SIMPSON

Harold Dean Simpson, age 79, resident of rural Arcadia, died Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, at the Via Christi Hospital in Pittsburg, Kan. He was born Dec. 17, 1932, in rural Crawford County, Kan., the son of Hubert Keeney Simpson and Etta Frances Willets Simpson. Harold graduated from the Arcadia High School in 1950. He married Lela June Toepfer on Aug. 13, 1954, in Rantoul, Kan. Harold was a life-long farmer and performed custom farm work throughout the surrounding area. He was a 57 year member of the Farlington United Methodist Church and had held nearly every church office.

He had served as Past Master of the Arcadia Masonic Lodge and had served as the chairman of the Memory Gardens Maintenance Association for 15 years.

Survivors include his wife, Lela, of the home; his three children, Michael Simpson and wife, Ruth Ellen, Pittsburg, Kan., Bonnie Simpson, Wichita, Kan., and Douglas Simpson and wife, Pat, Fort Scott, Kan.; six grandchildren, Jason Simpson, West Chester, Pennsylvania, Tiffany Welsh and husband, Matt, Des Moines, Iowa, Beth Bradshaw and husband, Adam, Pittsburg, Kansas, Lucretia Simpson, Fort Scott, Kan., Sara Simpson, Amarillo, Texas, and Dacey Simpson, Fort Scott, Kan.; five great-grandchildren, Owen Welsh, Eli Welsh, Marlee Bradshaw, Becca Bradshaw and Isabell Simpson. Also surviving are his six siblings, Roberta Dugan and husband, Duane, Great Bend, Kansas, JoAnn Lyell and husband, Leon, Fairfax Station Virginia, Carol Davenport and husband, Gary, Farlington, Kansas, Rudy Simpson, rural Arcadia, Kan., Sharon Middleton and husband, David, Fort Scott, Kan., and Ronnie Simpson and wife, Cindy, Joplin, Mo. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Rev. Steve Cole will conduct funeral services at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21, at the Farlington United Methodist Church. Burial will follow in the Memory Gardens Cemetery in Fort Scott. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to the Farlington United Methodist Church and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Fort Scott, Kan., 66701.

Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.