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Obituaries

Memorial Services for Herschel E. “Tony” Spurgeon, 93, will be at 12:30 PM, April 25, 2012, at D.W. Newcomer’s Sons Johnson County Chapel, 11200 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, Kansas. Visitation will be held one hour before the service. Inurnment with military honors provided.
Mr. Spurgeon was born February 9th, 1919 in Bolivar, Missouri, Polk County, the son of Harlan E. and Elizabeth Gretchen Spurgeon. He attended Bolivar High School where he excelled in the athletic programs. He had a life-long passion for sports. Herschel married his beloved wife, Devota Maxine Mayse, on March 28, 1937 in Buffalo, Missouri. She preceded him in death December 29, 2011.
Mr. Spurgeon served in the 80th Blue Ridge Division, 319 infantry with the U.S. Army during WWII. He served in three European campaigns, Rhineland, Ardennes and Central Europe in Patton’s Third Army including the Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded the Bronze Star and was a member of Dorsey Post No. 14 in Lawrence, Kansas.
Mr. Spurgeon moved to Kansas in 1951 and worked in construction at the Hercules Powder Plant and in later years worked as a line foreman at the plant. Later he returned to construction and then worked nine years at the Johnson County Community College before he retired in 1981.
Beside his parents Mr. Spurgeon is preceded in death by four brothers, Hobart, Roy, Carl, Harold and five sisters, Lena, Violet, Mary, Lyla and Evelyn.
Survivors include a son, Barrett Chris Spurgeon (Connie) of Gladstone, Mo.; daughters, Lanna Jane Spurgeon (Gene) of Lexington, Mo., and Ginger Chance of Lawrence, Ks.; former son-in-law Clarence Chance of DeSoto; eight grandchildren, Patrick Spurgeon (Megan), Kimberly Baker (Robert), Brent Wyatt (Ryan), Wendy Matousek (Roman), Matthew Rios, Tony Rios, Perry Chance (Kirsten), Dana Chance (Mike Warner, grandson-in-law) four great-grandchildren, Cody and Colton Baker, Hannah Hagan and Brett Chance.
The family suggests memorials to Dorsey Post 14 in Lawrence, Kansas.