Obituary of Lila Atwell

Lila Marie (German) Atwell

 

Lila Marie (German) Atwell, the daughter of Delmar and Birdie (Neff) German, was born on August 1, 1931, in Glen Elder, Kansas. She departed this life September 15, 2019, at Salina Regional Health Center at the age of 88.

 

Lila grew up on the family farm south of Glen Elder, attended rural Grellet Grade School, and graduated from Glen Elder High School. She received a BS in Home Economics from Kansas State University where she met her future husband, and in 1951, a BS - Registered Nurse from Kansas University Medical Center in 1954.

 

Lila married her husband, Leroy Atwell, on September 7, 1952. To this union were born three children, Linda, Leon and Lance, whom she greatly loved. Lila and her husband moved to Utica, Kansas, in 1954, to join the Atwell farm and ranch operation while Lila worked at the Grisell Memorial Hospital in Ransom, Kansas. In 1961, they moved to the Edgar Williams farm east of Norton. After moving to Norton, Lila worked as a nurse at the Andbe Home. In 1975, she established the Norton County Health Department and later the PRN Home Health Agency administering those agencies for 23 years. Caring for the health of others and her family was a high priority in her life. She always appreciated nature and enjoyed tending to her flower and vegetable gardens and yard.

 

Lila grew up in the Friends Church in Glen Elder, of which her ancestors helped establish. Later she was a member of the Utica Christian Church and the Norton Christian Church where both she and her husband were youth leaders. Lila was a 4-H youth leader and a Farm Bureau leader. She received the Farm Bureau State Health and Wellness Award, Business and Professional's Woman of the Year Award and was nominated for the Nursing Heart of Healthcare Award.

 

Survivors include: daughter, Linda, and husband, Ken Ziegler, of Oakley, Kansas; two sons, Leon, and wife, Treva (LeCount,) of Norton, Kansas, and Lance, and wife, Christine (Nonnweiler,) of Garner, Iowa; five grandchildren, Amber (Russ Wolters,) Brett (Kylie Shoemaker,) Leron, Kallie and Lindsey, and three great grandchildren, Elizabeth, Benjamin and Braxton, along with nieces, nephews and extended family and friends.

 

She was preceded in death by her husband, Leroy, parents, Delmar and Birdie German, nephew, Brian Atwell, brother Max German, parents-in-law, Merritt and Thelma Atwell, Tom and Elita Bentley, Darrell and Agnes Holmes, and nephew, Brian Atwell.

 

Visitation will be at the Enfield Funeral Home in Norton, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Friday, September 20, 2019. Memorial services will be at the Norton Christian Church on Saturday, September 21, 2019, at 11:30 am. Private family interment services will be at the Norton Cemetery.

 

A memorial has been established to the Lila Atwell Memorial Fund in support of the Norton County Health Department.

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