Steve E. Tatum

Steve Edward Tatum, age 68, of Greeley, Kansas, passed away on Thursday, September 27, 2018. He was born at Millington Naval Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee on March 10, 1950, to Jack and Anne (Polley) Tatum. With Jack being in the Navy, Steve was a world traveler at an early age, living in Japan (age 3 to 5) and Hawaii (age 9 to 11) and finally moving to Lawrence, Kansas. Steve graduated from Lawrence High School in 1968. He used to say that he took a senior trip to Vietnam. Steve was a veteran of the Vietnam War, serving from July 1970 to July 1972. He was a Navy Gunfire Control Technician on the USS Decatur before being Honorably Discharged. He received the National Defense Service Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal with a Bronze Star. After leaving the military, Steve returned to Lawrence. He later worked at Tolar Cabinets in Lawrence as a cabinetmaker and installer. He worked at Tolar for over 30 years until his retirement in 2010. Steve thoroughly enjoyed woodworking as a trade. In 1996, he met the love of his life Karen and they were married January 16, 1999 at the St. Boniface Church in Scipio, Kansas. Steve never had children of his own, but with his marriage to Karen, he gained two young step-daughters, Abby and Nicole. Steve enjoyed teaching the girls sports, cooking, swimming and how to hunt and fish. Above all, he loved to pass his gardening knowledge, learned from his Papa Polley at a young age, to the girls but mostly to his grandchildren, Reese "Buddy" and Lauryn "Buddette". He was preceded in death by his father, Jack Tatum; and his infant nephew Michael Cameron Meyer. Steve is survived by his wife, Karen of Greeley; his mother, Anne Tatum of Loveland, Colorado; his two step-daughters, Abigail Bollinger and husband Nick of Ottawa, Kansas and Nicole Crismas of Greeley, Kansas; four grandchildren, Emma, Reese, Bryce and Lauryn; his sister, Kathy and husband Bob Meyer of Loveland, Colorado; niece, Shannon Meyer of Loveland, Colorado; nephew Travis Meyer and wife Tara of Monterey, California. Steve will be remembered and missed by his many friends and family for the amazing man he was and for all the wonderful knowledge, he has left behind. Graveside services with Military Honors will be held at 11:00 AM, Tuesday, October 2, 2018 at the Greeley Cemetery. The family will greet friends from 6:00-8:00 PM, Monday evening at the Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel, Garnett. Memorial contributions may be made to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and left in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com .