Lillian Stanley

VIDEO TRIBUTE - Click Here

Lillian H. Stanley, 94, of Lee's Summit, was born Thursday, September 27, 1917, in Manhattan, Kansas, the daughter of Dr. Charles M. and Lilie (White) Siever. She departed this life at 3:29 a.m. on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, at the John Knox Village Care Center.

Mrs. Stanley was a 1935 graduate of Manhattan High School. She attended one year at Kansas State University but completed her education at the University of Missouri.

She was united in marriage to Raymond E. Stanley on December 3, 1938 in Picher, Oklahoma. They had 67 wonderful years together before he preceded her in death on December 23, 2004.

Raymond and Lillian owned funeral homes in Eskridge, Kansas; Baldwin, Kansas; and Parsons, Kansas prior to acquiring the Stanley Funeral Home in Pleasant Hill in 1954. The Stanley family served the families of Pleasant Hill with dignity, pride and honest service for over 50 years.

Clark and Eugenia Stanley purchased the funeral home in 1977. Lillian and Raymond then retired to Grove, Oklahoma, where they loved to spend time fishing on their pontoon boat under Sailboat Bridge on Grand Lake. They truly enjoyed retirement and were able to travel extensively; they were especially fond of long cruises. She spent the last few years at the Valley View assisted living facility in the John Knox Village complex. She was an excellent bridge player and could do almost anything with her computer.

She was a past Worthy Matron of the Order of the Eastern Star and the P.E.O. sisterhood. She was a Methodist and rarely missed a service at the John Knox Village Chapel. Mrs. Stanley was also preceded in death by a granddaughter, Amy Stiefvater; 3 brothers, and her sister.

She is survived by her daughter Judy Hayes and husband Michael of Cincinnati, Ohio; her son Clark Stanley and his wife Eugenia of Pleasant Hill; three grandchildren Jeffrey Fortune of Vinita, Oklahoma; Blake Fortune and wife Mindy of Olathe, Kansas, and Aaron Stanley and wife Bridget of Pleasant Hill; six great grandchildren William Stanley, Morgan Stanley, Caitlyn Rogers and Nathan, Linus and Maren Fortune. She also leaves her sister-in-law, Joan Stanley of Parsons, Kansas, and her brother-in-law, Bill Strange of Grove, Oklahoma.

Funeral services were held Thursday, June 21, 2012, at the John Knox Village Chapel. Reverend Bev Weddle officiated. Interment was in the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Casket bearers were Blake Fortune, Michael Hayes, Charles Kellogg, Danny McCarty, George Steven McCarty, Art Pinsart, Ronnie Stanley, and Bill Strange.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Home of Hope, c/o Jodi Manning, Box 903, Vinita, Oklahoma 74301 or may be sent in care of the funeral home.