Louise Fanning

Louise Darl Fanning, 92, passed away at the Sabetha Community Hospital, Sunday, February 8, 2009. She had been a resident at the Sabetha Manor since August 2007.


She was born February 6, 1917 at rural Fairview, Kansas to Harry Fanning and Nettie Schmitt Fanning. She attended rural grade school and graduated in 1935 from the Fairview High School. When in Fairview she attended the Delaware Baptist Church.


Louise worked in Washington, D.C. during World War II. Came home and worked and lived in Kansas City, Kansas for many years. She owned a beauty shop on the Plaza for several years and later went to work for the IRS in Kansas City. She went to Florida to work for the IRS for a couple of years.


Louise spent a lot of time working with her flowers in the yard when she was able and enjoyed many varieties. She loved her cats and brought several up from Kansas City when she moved here. You may remember Leaine writing about taking care of them. She still has one cat in her home which has been taken care of by Rolland.


Louise loved music and often spoke of the years she sang in the Presbyterian Church Choir in Washington, D.C. She always told of many other Fairview folks singing in this choir as they were working for the Armed Services also. This was the time when W.P. Lambertson was in office and Louise often sat with Mrs. Lambertson in church if she wasn't up to singing. She sometime worked all night and was too tired to sing.


She celebrated her 92nd birthday last Friday at the Sabetha Manor with residents, staff and many friends. She loved to hear Shane Spangler play the piano and he and a friend, Martell Spagnolo, came especially to play and sing for her. They knew how she liked operettas so Martell sang a number from Madam Butterfly and a request from her, "How Great Thou Art".


She was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Letha Fanning on November 3, 1994, who left her the Cozy Cafe and Leaine Fanning on May 9, 1994, who left her the Fairview Enterprise. The Cozy Cafe was sold to Linda and Bob Lehmkuhl on November 5, 2005. The Fairview Enterprise was her pet. Louise loved editing the Enterprise and sending it to friends. She owned it until her death and operated it the past 14 years with the help of her cousins and friends.
Louise is survived by the Fairview Enterprise, many cousins, extended family and friends. She loved Fairview and will always be remembered. She loved to talk about the past, way past. We have lost a good historian.


Memorial services will be Friday, February 13, 2009 at 2:00 P.M. at the Delaware Baptist Church in Fairview. A family visitation will from 1:15 to service time at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to the Terry C. Johnson Center for Basic Cancer Research or the "People in Need" at the Fairview Farmers State Bank sent in care of the Popkess Mortuary in Sabetha.