VERNON H. NEWELL

Vernon H. Newell, 87, Valley Falls, died Sunday, Dec. 30, 2007, at Colmery-O'Neil Veterans Hospital in Topeka.
He was born Oct. 23, 1920, northeast of Oskaloosa, the son of James C. and Frances Alice Turner Newell.
He had operated the Sunset Drive-in Restaurant at Valley Falls. He had also worked at the Lawrence Paper Co. and the Sunflower Ordinance Plant. He worked in housing construction and had farmed northwest of Oskaloosa. He was a member of Lakeview Faith Chapel at Holton and a lifetime member of Grahem-Herbers Post 3084, Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Vernon served in the US Army in WW II in North Africa and Italy where he was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medals
He married Lena M. Clanin on Jan. 30, 1950, at Oskaloosa. She died on Dec. 1, 2004. Three brothers, Omer Newell, James Newell and Val Newell, also preceded him in death.
Survivors include a son John Newell, Tallahassee, FL; two daughters, Mary Engel, Lawrence, and Joanne Graves, Holton; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, at Mercer Funeral Home in Valley Falls. Burial with military honors by Grahem-Herbers Post 3084, V.F.W. will be in the Fairview Cemetery northwest of Oskaloosa. Visitation will be from 6:00-8:00 p.m., Wednesday.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Fairview Cemetery Association and sent in care of Mercer Funeral Home, 810 Broadway, Valley Falls 66088.
Online condolences are at www.mercerfuneralhomes.com