Obituary of Zella Sears

Sedan - Zella Sears, age 89, of Sedan, Kansas, went home to be with the Lord Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at Pleasant Valley Manor Nursing Home in Sedan. The oldest of four children born to Robert and Effie (Reynolds) Rains, who preceded her in death. Born January 1, 1921 in Dodge City, Kansas, she lived most of her childhood in Caney, Kansas. It was during her teen-aged years that she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior, and was baptized in the Christian Church. Having gone through the Great Depression, the family endured many hardships; Zella's way of helping was selling her mother's home-made doughnuts and bread on the streets of Caney. Following high school, Zella was employed as a cook at the Mullendore Ranch, where she met her future husband Floyd Sears. They lived their entire married life on a farm in Northern Osage County, Oklahoma, where they raised their five children. Zella assumed the role of farmer's wife and mother well, working side-by-side with Floyd on their farm. Following Floyd's death in 1982, she worked at the Emmett Kelley Museum in Sedan, Kansas, which she very much enjoyed until physical disabilities prevented such employment. For several years she has been homebound due to physical restraints. These past months she has been a resident at Pleasant Valley Manor in Sedan. We as a family would like to thank the staff for the wonderful care she received. In many ways she lived life to the fullest that she possibly could until she went to sleep Wednesday morning She is survived by her five children, Darlene Anderson and her husband Burl, Gene Sears and wife Pattie all of Wichita, Kansas; Sue Meyer and husband Delbert of Stilwell, Oklahoma; Cheryl Collins and husband Jerry of Pawhuska, Oklahoma and Steve Sears and wife Lisa of rural Osage County, Oklahoma; fifteen grandchildren: Jeff Anderson, Zanesville, Ohio, Tammy Southards, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Sheila Manion, Joe, Jason and Matt Sears, Valley Center, Kansas, Brian Sears of Wichita, Kansas, Justin Lewis, Mountainburg, Arkansas, and Troy Lewis of Berryville, Arkansas, Chandra Patterson, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Amber Smith, Nowata, Oklahoma, Chelsa Norris, rural Osage County, Oklahoma, Aaron and Clinton Sears, Sedan, Kansas, and Samuel Sears of Overland Park, Kansas; thirty-one great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; her only sister Alpha Fowler of Byron Center, Michigan and sister's-in-law Inez and Marge Rains of Wichita, Kansas. Besides her parents and husband, she was also preceded in death by brothers, Robert, Jr., and Richard. Friends may call from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday, July 2, 2010 at the David W. Barnes Funeral Home in Sedan, Kansas. Graveside Services will be held at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, July 3, 2010 at the Oak Grove Cemetery in Elgin, Kansas with Pastor John Warring officiating. The family has suggested memorial contributions to the Emmett Kelly Museum and these remembrances may be left in care of David W. Barnes Funeral Home, 209 N. Douglas, Sedan, Kansas 67361. David W. Barnes Funeral Home of Sedan is in charge of arrangements. Tagged as: Emmett Kelly Museum, Oak Grove Cemetery