Doris Eileen Bartley

Doris Eileen (Miller) Bartley (Esbon, Kansas) was born January 21, 1921, in Turkey Creek Township, Mitchell County, Kansas, and departed this life July 2, 2009, at the Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems after battling Alzheimer’s disease since 1990. She was the daughter of John Frederick and Fannie Belle (Brown) Miller. Because she grew up during the depression, the family moved numerous times to find work. She attended various schools in Kansas, Colorado, and Oklahoma. She graduated from Ionia High School, Ionia, Kansas, in 1939.

On August 16, 1941, Doris married her high school sweetheart, James Leland Bartley in Mankato, Kansas, and lived south of Esbon in the Westbranch Community for forty-one years before moving to the Esbon Community, where they resided until Doris entered the Mitchell County Hospital Long-term Care Unit in Beloit, Kansas, in 1997. To this union were born five children: Nancy, James Leland, Jr. (Jim), Lois, Janice, and Geneva.

Doris enjoyed people and loved to spend time with family and friends. She loved the outdoors and was the typical farm wife; planting gardens, doing chores, and assisting with planting and harvests. She loved bowling, camping, fishing, listening to country music, and playing bingo. Doris also enjoyed attending the school and summer activities of her children and grandchildren. She devoted two years caring for her father after he was diagnosed with cancer.

Doris is preceded in death by her parents, John and Fannie Miller; her sister Lola Sanders; her brothers, Loren and Richard Miller; and granddaughter, Kimberly Anne Nitsch.

Doris is survived by Leland, her devoted husband of sixty-seven years; four daughters, Nancy and husband, Roger Nitsch of Hunter, Kansas, Lois Weeks of Lawrence, Kansas, Janice and husband, Joe Arneson of Lawrence, Kansas, and Geneva and husband Tom Tucker of Lawrence, Kansas; one son Jim Bartley and wife Kathy of Grand Island, Nebraska. She is also survived by grandchildren, Bradley Nitsch and Tracy Nitsch of Hunter, Kansas, Lance and wife, Rebecca Weeks of Lawrence, Kansas, Laurie (Weeks) and Luke Whittemore of Fairfax County, Virginia, Jeremy and wife Carol (Merrifield) Bartley of Redlands, California, Jessica Bartley, of Lawrence, Kansas, Justin and wife Sheriden Dubas of New Braunfels, Texas, Ryan Dubas of Hastings, Nebraska, and Kaitlin Goodner of Hastings, Nebraska; ten great-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Arlene Fearing and Carol Miller; and a host of family and friends.

A celebration of life services for Doris Eileen Bartley, were held Tuesday, July 7, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. at the Ionia Methodist Church, Ionia, Kansas, with Pastor Tessa Zehring officiating. Music was provided by Mrs. Ann Colson, pianist, and Shelby and Cobyn Broeckelman, vocalists. Pall bearers were: Roger Nitsch, Joe Arneson, Tom Tucker, Brad Nitsch, Lance Weeks, and Eric Nitsch. Honorary bearers were: Jeremy Bartley, Randy Fearing, Gary Sanders, Jerry Sanders, Jim Harris, John Frost, Roger Underwood, and Coke Wright. Interment was in Ionia Cemetery. Memorials may be given to the Esbon Senior Center or the Mitchell County Long-Term Care Activity Department. Melby Mortuary, Mankato, Kansas, was in charge of arrangements.
Doris will be missed by her family and friends. May she rest in peace.