Joe R. Chalker

Joe R. Chalker, age 77, of Moran, Kansas, passed away on Tuesday, August 23, 2011, at his home. He was born January 18, 1934, in Parsons, Kansas, the son of Joseph Daniel and Ruby Ingram (Hanna) Chalker. After graduation from Parsons High School, he attended Parsons Junior College, Iola Junior College, and graduated from Emporia State Teachers' College. He received his Master's Degree and did post graduate work at Wichita State University. He began his teaching career in Westphalia, Kansas, and went on to teach at Zillah School, Humboldt, Kansas; and Oatville Elementary, Haysville, Kansas. He later served as principal at Campus High School, Haysville, Kansas; Griffith Elementary, Wichita, Kansas; LaCygne Elementary, LaCygne, Kansas; and Crest High School in Colony, Kansas. During this time, he taught adjunct classes for Ft. Scott Community College, Ft. Scott, Kansas, and Butler County Community College, El Dorado, Kansas. Joe was the first director of the ANW Special Education Cooperative, Iola, Kansas, ending his career as Superintendent of Schools at Marmaton Valley, Moran, Kansas. After his retirement, he taught adjunct classes for Allen County Community College, Iola, Kansas. Joe was an elder and Sunday school teacher at the Moran Christian Church for many years. As a young man, he was active in sports and set a scoring record in Kansas collegiate basketball that was unbroken for several decades. Joe loved to travel and recently returned from a cruise to the Bahamas. One of his great joys in his later years was dancing, and he attended many senior dances with his good friend Norma Boss. His family was of great importance to him and he was very proud of his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Joe was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph and Ruby Chalker; his wife, Mary Chalker on June 11, 2007; one sister, Jeanne Griffin; one brother, Hugh Chalker; one sister-in-law, Luella Cochran. He is survived by his son, Steve Chalker and wife Donna of Dallas, Texas; four daughters, Cynthia Jo Chalker of Iola, Kansas; Shirley Wells and husband Michael of Rose Hill, Kansas; Barbara Anderson and husband Stephen of Iola, Kansas; and Linda Chalker Kilgore of Ozawkie, Kansas; one sister, Marie McBride of Garnett, Kansas; one brother, Wayne Chalker and wife Roseann of Wasilla, Alaska; four sisters-in-law, Shirley Chalker of Parsons, Kansas; Marilyn May and husband Bill of Cleveland, Oklahoma; Nancy Chandler and husband Wayne of Moran, Kansas and Ruth Spangler and husband David of Moran, Kansas; seven grandchildren, Benjamin Bockover and wife Leah, Cari Jo Bockover, Rachel Bockover, Elexia Kilgore, Ted Kilgore, Jill Kilgore, and Nate Wells; three great grandchildren, Camri Bockover, Delaney Bockover, and Ava Doyle-Anderson. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, August 27, 2011 at the Moran Christian Church, with burial to follow in the Moran Cemetery. The family will greet friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday evening at the Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel in Moran, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Joe Chalker Memorial Fund to be used to fund education scholarships at Allen Community College, Iola, Kansas.