Fern Cress

Fern Evelyn Cress, 98, of Humboldt, Kansas, died Saturday, November 28, 2009, at Arrowood Lane Residential Care Facility in Humboldt. Fern was born July 5, 1911, the daughter of John Oliver and Mary Ethel (Blythe) Tomlinson on the family farm east of Humboldt in the Jeddo school district. When she was 5, the family moved to a farm 7 1/2 miles southeast of Humboldt where she attended Prairie View School for 8 years and graduated from Humboldt High School in 1930. On May 28, 1933, Fern married Millard B. Cress at her parent's home. They farmed southeast of Humboldt in Neosho County a year before moving to a farm near her parents. In 1942, they moved to a farm 2 1/2 miles north of Humboldt. In 1955, they purchased land west of Humboldt, built a house and moved there until moving into town in 1975. While on the farm, she raised chickens and would deliver fresh dressed chickens ready to cook to neighbors. She also sold eggs and cream. She took in washings and loved to cook and entertain and could set an elegant table for any number of guests. She often took a three course lunch to the field for hungry farm hands. Fern and Millard enjoyed camping and spent 16 winters in Texas where she gleaned the fields to get the food they used including oranges, grapefruit, cabbage, lettuce and carrots. She was a member of the Humboldt United Methodist Church where she had served as Sunday School and Bible School Superintendent and sponsored the Senior High Youth Fellowship, the United Methodist Women having served as President, the Mutual Benefit Society for farm women north of Humboldt of which she had served as President, Willing Workers Club for farm women west of Humboldt and South Logan Extension Unit. She did babysitting for the Robert Sharp and Larry Brock families and often kept nieces, nephews, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Millard and Fern celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary on May 28, 2008 with a public reception before his death on October 25, 2008. SURVIVORS: 1 Son: Maynard Cress & his wife, Jeanice of Humboldt, Kansas 1 Son-In-Law: Coy Allen & his wife, Jane of Wichita, Kansas 2 Grandchildren: Karl Allen & his wife, Jill of Humboldt, Kansas and Brenda Hicks & her husband, Ross of Winfield, Kansas 4 Great Grandchildren: Kyler & Kolbyn Allen and Sam & Isaac Hicks She was preceded in death by a daughter, Gayla Jo Allen, 2 brothers, Johnnie and Ralph Tomlinson and by 5 sisters, Velva Tomlinson, Minnie Strack, Winnie Palmer, Dorothy Murrow Cook and Katherine Oliphant. VISITATION: 7:00-8:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 2, 2009, at the Humboldt United Methodist Church. FUNERAL SERVICE: 2:00 p.m., Thursday, December 3, 2009, at Humboldt United Methodist Church with the Rev. Debby Dick officiating. BURIAL: DeWitt Cemetery west of Humboldt, Kansas MEMORIAL CHOICES: Arrowood Lane Residential Care Facility or Humboldt United Methodist Church. Memorial gifts may be left with the Waugh-Yokum & Friskel Memorial Chapel of Iola, which is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences for the family may be left on this website, www.iolafuneral.com .