Fern L.(Will) Rhoten

Fern L. Will Rhoten, 89, Olathe, Kan., formerly Syracuse, died Monday, Aug. 31, 2009, at Aberdeen Village, Olathe, Kan. She was born Feb. 8, 1920, at Silver City, Iowa, daughter of William Henry Maddocks and Eva Sophia Hort. She married Frank S. Will Dec. 6, 1947, at New York City. He died March 6, 1962. She then married Carlton Rhoten April 25, 1965, at Syracuse. He died Jan. 9, 1968.

Rhoten lived 54 years at Syracuse, three years in Nebraska City, 31 years in Iowa and five years at Olathe, Kan. She was a registered nurse in medical, surgical, obstetrics and geriatrics at Syracuse Community Memorial Hospital and the Syracuse Good Samaritan Center. Rhoten was a member of Massie-Richards American Legion Post No. 100, Mid-County Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post No. 5547, both Syracuse; Syracuse United Methodist Church and the church's women's group. Rhoten served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a registered nurse.

Surviving are her children, Fredrick (Fred) W. Will and wife Joyce, Minden, Neb.; Roger A. Will and wife Jeanie, Lincoln; and Eva M. Will Fees and husband Jym, Olathe, Kan.; stepchildren, Elberta Porter and husband Jim, Omaha; Carlton (Bud) Rhoten and wife Kathy, Papillion; Kathleen Westerfield and husband Claude (Wes), Farragut, Iowa; and Larry Rhoten and wife Bonnie, Columbus, Neb.; sister, Edna (Maddocks) Wolph, Waverly; 15 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and many relatives and friends.

Besides her husbands, Rhoten was preceded by her parents; two brothers, Ralph Maddocks and Wayne Maddocks; and three grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be: Ian and Eric Will, Joseph Fees, George Teixeira, Randy Wolph and Nathan Martin.

Honorary pallbearers will be Klaus Huber, Jim Porter, Delton Eisenhauer and Richard Steinhoff.

Full military rites will be conducted by members of Massie-Richards American Legion Post No. 100, Mid-County VFW Post No. 5547, both Syracuse.

Memorials are suggested to: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Veterans of the Iraq War Forty & Eight Nursing Scholarship at Southeast Community College, Lincoln.

Visitation is Wednesday, Sept. 2, and Thursday, Sept. 3, from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. at Fusselman-Wymore Funeral Home.