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Della Whitesell

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DELLA WHITESELL

April 20, 1921-April 11, 2015

Visitation: 1-2 p.m. Saturday, April 18, Bland-Hackleman Funeral Home, El Dorado Springs. Service: 2 p.m. Saturday, funeral home. Interment: Wright Cemetery, El Dorado Springs.

Mrs. Whitesell, 93, of Manheim, Pennsylvania, formerly of El Dorado Springs and McPherson, Kansas, died Saturday, April 11, 2015.

She was born in Bates County, the daughter of Grant and Nettie Jackson Black. She grew up in Bates and Cedar county, and graduated from El Dorado Springs High School in 1938.

In 1939, she married J. Paul Whitesell. For most of their married life, they farmed southeast of El Dorado. After her children were gone from home, she worked part-time at Sibley and Thatch in the bakery, and later operated the El Dorado Sale Barn Cafe. She taught dozens of young men and women how to cook during many years of serving as community leader and cooking leader of the Cherry Valley 4-H Club. She also was a volunteer with Cedar County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and the Wayside Museum, both in El Dorado Springs, and The Cedars in McPherson, Kansas. She attended the Park Street Christian Church and Filley Christian Church in El Dorado Springs, the Church of the Brethren in McPherson and the Annville Church of the Brethren in Pennsylvania.

She lived in rural El Dorado Springs until 2002, when she moved to McPherson, where her daughter lived. In 2006, she moved with her daughter and family to Pennsylvania. She was a resident of Pleasant View Retirement Community for six years.

Survivors include a daughter, Kathy Hackleman and husband Ed of, Cornwall, Pennsylvania; a son, John Whitesell and wife Rita of McCune, Kansas; grandchildren, Shari Cooper of Kansas City,  Jeremy Hackleman and wife Emily of Cornwall, Pennsylvania, and Jimmy Whitesell of McCune, Kansas; great-grandchildren, Josh Cooper of Kansas City and Andrew and Tyler Hackleman of Cornwall, Pennsylvania; step-grandchildren, Keeja Andrews of Lawrence, Kansas, and Mahriya Meister, Carthage; and six step-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband; a daughter, Margaret Joan Nelson; a sister, Emma Newcomb; and seven brothers, William Black, Frank Black, Alba Black, Charley Black, Earl Black, Rolla Black and Orville Black.

Arrangements are under the direction of Bland-Hackleman Funeral Home. Memorials are suggested to Wright Cemetery, El Dorado Springs, or Pleasant View Retirement Community, Manheim, Pennsylvania. Online condolences can be made at www.blandhackleman.com.



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