Ivan W. Ross

Ivan W. Ross, age 73, of Parker, Kansas, died Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at Royal Terrace Nursing and Rehab at Olathe, Kansas. He was born on January 4, 1935 in Linn County, Kansas, the son of Charlie Walter Ross and Marilla Zene (Carpenter) Ross. He graduated from Parker High School, Parker, Kansas with the Class of 1954. Ivan was married to Shirley (Honn) Ross from 1955 to 1980, at Osawatomie, Kansas. This union was blessed with four children. They later divorced. He then married Paula (Jackson) Ross on October 20, 1984 at Basehor, Kansas. She precedes him in death on March 2001. He worked for Taylor Forge at Paola, Kansas from 1954 to 1981 as an inspector, later moving to a Supervisor position as the Machine Shop Foreman. Ivan was then drafted in the Army and served from 1958 to 1960. He loved the swamp where he spent countless days fishing the Marias Des Cygnes river catching catfish with family and his best friend Clay Gander. He and his brother Kenny spent many years together coyote, pheasant and quail hunting. He also loved to travel, going to almost every state. He spent time in Alaska where he fished for Halibut and watched the local wildlife. He loved to garden and loved to take long walks. Ivan was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie and Marilla Ross; two brothers, Wilfred Ross; Dennis Ross; two sisters, Dorothy Gillespie and Doris Ross; and one grandson, Derek Cooper. He is survived by two sons, Daniel Ross and Peggy of LaCygne, Kansas; Dennis Ross and Brian of San Francisco, California; two daughters, Sheri Johnson and Lonnie of Marysville, Kansas; Brenda Cooper of Osawatomie, Kansas; two step children, Ronald Jackson and Karen Moon; nineteen grandchildren and fifteen great grandchildren.