Obituary of Julia A. Killion

Coffeyville - Julia Amanda "Judy" (Maxwell) Killion died peacefully in the presence of her children and family on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011, in Lenexa,Kansas. The family welcomes friends and loved ones to a visitation with them from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8, at the David W. Barnes Funeral Home in Coffeyville. Friends may call at the funeral home on Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Funeral services are 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 9, at the First Baptist Church. Burial will be in Restlawn Memorial Park in Coffeyville. Judy was born Nov. 16, 1923, to Charles Thomas Maxwell and Nellie H. (Moore) Maxwell in rural Chetopa,Kansas. She attended school in Chetopa until the family moved to Coffeyville in 1937 where she completed her education, graduating from Field Kindley High School in 1941. She married Wayne Melvin Killion onMay 24, 1941. Two children were born to this union: Cindy Lou and David Wayne. Her husband preceded her in death on Feb. 18, 1997, after 55 years together. Also preceding her in death were her mother, father, stepfather Harry Blue, and sister, Irene (Maxwell) Johnson. She was employed at Coffeyville Air Base, Exener Dodge and Acme Foundry. She retired from Acme Foundry in 1988 after 37 years. After retirement and traveling, she was employed at First Baptist Church as church secretary; she also worked part-time for the Ford-Wulf-Bruns Funeral Home, Blake's Glass and Muffler and David W. Barnes Funeral Home before retiring again in 2007. She was a member of the First Baptist Church, holding various committee positions and Daughters of the Nile, Azrim Temple #81,Pittsburg, for which she served as Queen on two different occasions. She also had a dual membership with El Maat #120 in Mission, Kansas. She was a member of the VFW Auxiliary in Coffeyville, Kan. and the First Baptist Church in Overland Park, Kan., serving as church clerk until becoming ill. Judy also was past president of the Coffeyville Daughters of the Nile Club; Eastern Star #112,Coffeyville; past member of Beta Sigma Phi sorority. When Wayne was still alive, the two traveled extensively to nearly every state in the U.S., including Alaska. They visited Canada and took a cruise to the Caribbean for her retirement in 1989. Her travels: since 1999 included India, Norway, Iceland, Estonia, St. Petersburg, Russia, Moscow, Antarctica, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Hawaii. She is survived by Dr. Cindy Killion and her partner (Beth Cherne) of Fountain City, Wis.; David and wife Robin Killion, Lenexa, Kan., and one grandson, Jake Miller of Lenexa, Kan.; a niece, Debbie (Johnson) Hopper, of Havasu Lake City, Ariz.; a nephew Ronald Johnson of Dallas, Tex; and several others including Joyce Adair,Janet Morgan, Carl Killion of Coffeyville, Kan.; Tom Leonard of Federal Way, Wash.; Jim Leonard of Odessa, Tex; Tony Killion of Joplin, Mo.; Larry Killion of Tulsa, Okla.; and Perry Vannest of Hammond, Ind. Memorials can be sent to the First Baptist Church, P.O Box 474, 300 W. Ninth St., Coffeyville, Kan., 67337 or to Olathe Hospice House, 20333 W. 151st, Suite 301, Olathe, Kan., 66061-5350.