Elsie Hemphill Obituary

Elsie Fern Hemphill

Funeral serivces for Elsie Fern Hemphill, 92, Lawrence, will be held at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 27, 2013 at Trinity Lutheran Church. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery in Lawrence, KS. She died Friday, August 23, 2013 at St. John's Hospital in Leavenworth, KS.

Elsie was born March 30, 1921 in Gridley, KS the daughter of Sam and Lydia Bahr.

She grew up and attended grade school thru high school in Gridley, KS.

She worked for Boeing in Wichita, KS and Las Angeles, CA during WWII.

Elsie met Thornton Hemphill in Lawrence and they were married in Roanoke, VA in 1945, where Thornton was stationed in the Navy during World War II.

Elsie was a sixty plus year member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Lawrence. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and Eight and Forty continuously since 1948 and held an office each year of her membership up to holding the office of Le Chapeau National in 1991 of Eight and Forty.

One of Elsie's fondest activities was being a director of and supporting the Sunflower Girls State annual event held at Kansas University for 20 years. This was an American Legion Auxiliary sponsored week-long event for young women to educate them to the inner workings of government.

Elsie was continuously busy with Trinity Lutheran Church, La Sertoma, bridge clubs, bible study, PTA and similar activities up until the last year of her life. She took a very active role in her husband's apartment and house rental business for many years.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Thornton Hemphill; brothers, Lester Bahr, Kiowa, KS, Sylvan Bahr, New Strawn, KS, Rudolph Bahr, Franklin Bahr, and David Dale Bahr, all of Gridley, KS; sisters, Dorothy Brown, Kiowa, KS and Ann Greiner, Wichita, KS.

She was survived by sisters, Emma Miller, Ed Dorado, KS, Jakie Herr, Green Valley, AZ; sons, Richard Hemphill, De Soto, KS, Roger Hemphill, Overland Park, KS, David Hemphill, Lawrence; stepson, James Hemphill, Lawrence; stepdaughter, Charlene Fritzel, Lawrence; grandchildren, Andrea Hemphill, Overland Park, KS, Jonathan Hemphill, Lawrence, Kylee Lashley, Eudora, KS, Jay Hemphill, Silver City, NM, Kevin Thomas, Overland Park, KS; and seven great grandchildren.

The family will greet friends from 6 - 8 p.m. Monday, August 26, 2013 at Warren-McElwain Mortuary in Lawrence.

The family suggests memorials in her name to Trinity Lutheran Church or a charity of donor's choice and may be sent in care of the mortuary.

Online condolences may be sent to www.warrenmcelwain.com.

Please sign this guestbook at Obituaries.LJWorld.com.