St. Clair County Obits

WALTER FRANKLIN WARD

St. Clair County Courier
7 July 2006
Walter Franklin Ward, 67, of rural Independence, Kan., died June 28, 2006, at St. John's Medical Center in Tulsa, Okla.
Mr. Ward was born on Sept. 1, 1938, near Collins to Charley and Ellen Gardner Ward. He had livd in southeast Kansas for the past 40 years. He first married Mary Emmons, and they divorced. He married Laura Swenson on Dec. 9, 1993, in Neodesha, Kan., and she survives.
Mr. Ward was employed by the Montgomery County Public Works Department for 26 years, serving as a supervisor for 18 years before retiring. He and his wife were co-owners of the 75 Auto Sales in Neodesha, Kan.
At age 17, Mr. Ward received the Carnegie National Hero Medal for rescuing a woman from a fire, in which he was severely burned.
He is survived by three sons, James, David and Bobby Ward, all of Caney, Kan.; two daughters, Linda Ward of Peru, Kan., and Connie Ward of Niotaze, Kan.; two stepsons, Ray Judge of Lawton, Okla.; and Jay Browning of Neodesha, Kan.; and stepdaughter Susan Mishier of Chanute, Kan. He had three brothers, Charles Ward of Blue Springs,;Curtis Ward of Arkansas and Bill Ward of Mansfield; a half sister, Mollie Famulliner of Garden City; 10 grandchildren; three great grandchildren, cousins, nieces and nephews and many friends.
Graveside services were held Monday, July 3, in the Harrisonville Cemetery near Bolton, Kan., with the Rev. Mike Morris officiating.
Memorials are suggested to the WA Rankin Memorial Library and may be left at the funeral home.