G. Darlene Buss

Georgie Darlene Buss, 91 of Leonardville, Kansas, passed away Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at the Leonardville Nursing Home in the presence of her children. She was born on August 2, 1924, the daughter of George and Gladys Fasse, at the family’s home in rural Dickinson County, Kansas. When she was young the family moved to rural Wakefield where she attended school at Sunnyslope and Wakefield High School, graduating in 1942. After graduation, she taught school for two years at the Grandview School, where she taught grades 1 through 8 in a one room school house. It is during this time she met and married Winston Buss on September 30, 1944, and became a full time farm wife. She and Winston farmed together until his death on May 3, 1982, when she and her son continued the family farm. She and Winston were members and actively involved in what is now the Leonardville United Methodist Church, serving in their early married life as youth leaders and later in other capacities. Additionally, Darlene was involved with the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and the United Methodist Women. In addition to farming, her other passions included gardening and family. If she wasn’t out tending her garden or flowers, you could often find her babysitting her grandchildren or attending their many sports and school activities. She also enjoyed traveling with her daughter to meetings and conferences throughout the country. Later in life she began working in the Bakery at the Derby Food Center on the Kansas State University campus. In later years, she developed Cerebellar Ataxia, a hereditary, degenerative disease that began affecting her balance and limiting her ability to walk and her speech. And at age 81 she went through surgery for a dissecting aortic aneurysm, surviving and making it back home after rehab. We feel blessed that we were given these additional ten years with her since that surgery! Four years ago she moved to the Leonardville Nursing Home, where she received the most loving and kind treatment by the staff there. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, one sister, Maxine Yarrow, two brothers, Clifford and Clyde Fasse, two brothers-in-law, Don Yarrow and Leo Hageman, and two sisters-in-law, Mildred and Trix Fasse. She leaves to cherish her memory, one daughter, Brenda Lax and husband Dennis of Kansas City, Missouri, one son, Gary Buss and wife JoDee of Leonardville, Kansas, four grandchildren, Christy Chase and husband Robbie of Keats, Kansas, Stacy Wilcox and husband Myles of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Jacey Buss of Manhattan, Kansas, Matthew Lax of Kansas City, Missouri, one great-grandchild, Nora Chase of Keats, Kansas, one sister-in-law, Eileen Hageman, Riley, Kansas, numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and a host of friends and neighbors. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Friday, April 8, 2016 at the Leonardville United Methodist Church with Pastors Sandy Ferguson and Kevin Larson officiating. Respect calls may be made anytime Thursday at the Anderes-Pfeifley Funeral Home in Riley. The family will receive friends from 7 until 8:00 P.M. Thursday. Burial will be in the Leonardville United Methodist Church Cemetery. Memorials have been established for the Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance and the Leonardville United Methodist Church. Contributions may be left in care of the Anderes-Pfeifley Funeral Home.