Francis Wayne Ecclefield

Wayne Ecclefield, age 89, of Garnett, Kansas, passed away on Thursday, February 23, 2017, at St. Luke's South in Overland Park, Kansas. Francis Wayne Ecclefield was born on August 18, 1927, in Welda, Kansas, the son of Robert and Mattie (Skillman) Ecclefield. Wayne grew up in Welda, attending grade school and high school there, where he played basketball and football. After graduation, he went to work for Cities Service Gas Company in Welda, where he worked for 40 years, becoming a class A Repairman. In 1945, he was drafted into the US Army and shipped off to Fort Ord in California, where he trained truck drivers and enjoyed a number of sightseeing adventures in San Francisco and Monterey. Once back home in Welda, he met the love of his life, Arlene Erma Hosier, and they married on July 9, 1948, at the First Christian Church in Garnett, Kansas. This union was blessed with three children. They spent some time in Ulysses, Kansas, with Cities Service, but Welda would be their permanent home. In Welda, they raised their family and owned an Antique Shop. Wayne's pastimes were fishing, hunting, restoring antiques, and classic cars. In 1968, he and Arlene built a new home in Welda. After the kids left home, they proceeded to travel, camp, and play golf. Wayne retired early from Cities Service in 1985, allowing them to travel. Their journeys took them from coast to coast, the Florida Keys, Niagara Falls, Carlsbad Caverns and The Smokey Mountains, just to name a few destinations. In 2004, Wayne and Arlene moved to Garnett, Kansas, where they continued with their love of travel, gardening, and bird watching. Wayne was active in the Anderson County Historical Society and was a frequent volunteer at the museum. He was also a member of the Fuller-Thompson American Legion Post #48. Wayne was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Arlene Ecclefield on April 26, 2013; brothers, Thomas and Vincent Robert "Bobby"; and sister, Elaine. He is survived by his companion, Phyllis Callahan of Garnett; his three children, Bonnie Gorrell and husband, Jim of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Gary Ecclefield and wife, Cindy of Garnett, and Vivian Ecclefield and husband, Stuart Duncan, of Irvine, California; seven grandchildren, Jordan Ecclefield, Erica White, Ashley Williams, Shawn Rule, Jeff Rule, Ken Duncan and Riley Duncan; nine great-grandchildren; and one sister, Lorna Belle Corder of St. Joseph, Missouri. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM, Monday, February 27, 2017, at the Welda United Methodist Church, Welda, Kansas. Burial will follow in the Welda Cemetery. Family will greet friends from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. on Sunday evening at the Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel, Garnett, Kansas. Memorial contributions may be made to the Welda United Methodist Church and left in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com .