Retha Jean (Peel) Crane
June 17, 1927 ~ January 25, 2009
Crane, Retha Jean (Peel) 81, retired Southwestern Bell supervisor of operator services, passed away Sunday, January 25, 2009. Services 10 am Thursday, Downing Lahey Mortuary East; graveside service 2 pm Thursday, Rosedale Cemetery, rural Chanute. Retha was born in Redfield, Kansas on June 17, 1927 to Ethel Cordelia (Crim) Peel and Benjamin Edward Peel. Retha was the eldest of two children. Her parents, husband and nephew, Eugene Page Peel precede her in death. Retha graduated in 1945 from Nevada High School in Nevada, Missouri. She began her career with Southwestern Bell in 1945. She married John Page Crane, January 31, 1948. In May of 1948 she moved with her husband to Wichita, and continued her career as a dedicated employee of Southwestern Bell, totaling over thirty-six years when she retired in 1981. Retha enjoyed sewing, gardening, dancing, playing bridge and traveling. Survivors: brother, Ben E. Peel of Clearwater; nieces, Karen J. Burke and Becky Sue Robinson of Wichita; great-nieces, Regan “Annie” Baldwin and Katherine Bazzelle of Wichita; great-nephews, Jason Burke of Warner Robins, Georgia, and Camron Burke of Saginaw, Texas; nine great-great-nieces and nephews. Memorials have been established with the American Heart Association, 3816 Paysphere Circle, Chicago, IL, 60674 and the Arthritis Foundation, 1999 N. Amidon, S-105, Wichita, KS, 67203.
Graveside service 2:00 P.M. Thursday, January 29, 2009 at the Rosedale Cemetery, rural Chanute, KS.
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Please accept our deepest condolences for your family’s loss.
Retha is my great aunt and some would say that I am as ornery as she was. I will miss her tremendously. I find comfort in knowing that she is no longer in pain and is at peace.
Karen: We were sad to see that Retha had passed away Sunday, but know her suffering is over and she is now in a better place. Let us know if there is anything we can do for you. Charlie and Carol Mishler 14214 E. Brookline Court
I was sorry to hear of Retha’s passing, but know she is in a better place. Retha and I were classmates, graduating in the ‘class of ’45’ from Nevada High School. She was always such a sweet person, and know she will be missed.
Please convey our deepest sympathy to the family of RETHA JEAN CRANE. She was a good friend, sincerely loved by all. Though we did not see often (after Page died) we thought of her warmly and know you will miss her. God Bless, Jack & Connie Hale, Andover, KS