Faye M. Stephens

Faye Mildred Stephens, age 86, of Kincaid, Kansas, died Saturday, April 18, 2009, in Hutchinson, Kansas. Faye was born on March 1, 1923, at Udall, Kansas, the daughter of Howard and Lila (Adams) Stout. The family later moved to the Stout home place southwest of Udall until 1934, when they moved to the Douglass, Kansas community. Two years later they moved near Atlanta, Kansas, then back to the Douglass area. Faye attended High School in Augusta, Kansas. At the beginning of her senior year she met Ira Stephens Jr., and later married him on June 6, 1942. Ira served in the Air Force for almost three years and during this time, Faye followed him to South Dakota, and later to California in 1944, where they lived for 14 months before he left for overseas duty. On July 14, 1944, a baby girl, Casandra, was born in Fresno, California. Ira returned home in May of 1946. The family moved to Oklahoma following his time in the service. They remained in Oklahoma until September 1947, when Ira's work took him to Great Bend, Kansas. In 1948 a son, Ira Stephens III, was born. In 1950 they had a baby girl, Chris Dian, who died at birth. Faye and Ira moved to the farm north and east of Kincaid in 1975, after Ira's retirement. Faye was baptized into the Baptist Church in 1951 and later moved her letter to the Selma Methodist Church. After moving to the farm, Faye joined or transferred her Eastern Star membership from Great Bend to Kincaid where she is still a member of Chapter 455. She was a charter member of the Tuesday Study Club of Kincaid. She always helped at the Fair in the canning department and helped on Saturday with the VFW dinners. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Ira Stephens, Jr.; one sister, Wanda Biehler, and an infant daughter. She is survived by her children and families, son, Steve Stephens and wife Marlene of Kincaid, Kansas; daughter, Casandra Steele and husband Tommy of Pratt, Kansas; five grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren; and one sister Ardell Gimple of Douglass, Kansas. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, 2009, at the Kincaid Selma United Methodist Church in Kincaid, Kansas. Burial will follow in the Kincaid Cemetery in Kincaid, Kansas. The family will be present to greet friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening at the Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel in Garnett, Kansas. Memorial contributions may be made to the Kincaid Selma United Methodist Church and sent in care of the funeral home.