Alberta Louise (York) Correll

Alberta Louise (York) Correll, of Ottawa, Kansas, went home to be with her Heavenly Father at age 82, in Olathe, Kansas, at the Olathe Medical Center’s Hospice House, December 3, 2014. Cremation is planned. Memorial services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, December 6, 2014, at Dengel & Son Mortuary. Alberta was born June 30, 1932 in West Plains, Missouri, to Roscoe Albert “Shorty” York and Gertrude Louise (Lyster) York. She attended elementary through high school in both West Plains and Peace Valley, Missouri, graduating from West Plains High School with the class of 1950. She worked diligently to earn higher education and attended the following colleges: Baptist Junior College at West Plains, Missouri and Southwest Baptist College at Boliver, Missouri, where she received her AA; then continued further at Baptist College at Poplar Bluff, Missouri and Mary Harden Baylor College of Texas where a BA in Education was conferred in 1955. In the spirit of lifelong learning, Alberta took many continued education teaching courses at Southwest Missouri State College of Springfield, Missouri. In 1957, Alberta served in California as a Southern Baptist missionary. While there she met John Christopher Correll, Sr. at the Goldengate Seminary and they were married in December 1957 through 1963. She lived in several locations throughout her life including, Missouri, Texas, California, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida and Kansas. She worked many years as a public school teacher and later as a private Christian school teacher. She loved reading and specialized in teaching remedial reading, thereby encouraging reading habits in many children throughout her lifetime. A meaningful highlight of her 30 year teaching career was a year she spent in Arizona teaching native children to read. She retired from her teaching career in 1990. Alberta was most recently a member of the Cherry Street Wesleyan Church of Ottawa, Kansas and prior to that community of faith she spent many years worshipping in Assembly of God churches in Florida and Southern Baptist churches in Missouri, California and Arkansas. Alberta will be especially remembered for her creations of many beautiful ceramic dolls (some were caricatures of family members) and her gift of sewing clothing for family, friends, herself and doll clothes for her granddaughters. She also loved antiques: refurbishing them and browsing antique stores. In her senior years she loved playing Bingo and she made numerous puzzles, some of which are framed at Ottawa Retirement Village, Ottawa, Kansas. She also loved the outdoors, hiking, camping, gardening and cultivating potted plants and flowers. Alberta also loved to sing in church and in her years at Ottawa Retirement Village she frequently joined in gospel sing alongs. A dedicated follower of Jesus Christ, Alberta loved to study her bible and even though living with several health handicaps she belonged to a prayer chain via postal mail. Survivors include her three sisters, Lucretia Mae White of Bland, Missouri, Dorothy Webb of St. Charles, Missouri and Joan Jacobs of Poplar Bluff, Missouri; two children, Delena Elizabeth Correll Knight and husband Gordon of Clermont, Florida and John Christopher Correll, Jr. and wife Kim Crable-Correll of Bentonville, Arkansas; five grandchildren, Amanda DeeAnn Grayham and husband Chad of Dardanelle, Arkansas, John Caleb Correll of Ottawa, Jacob Christopher Correll of Bentonville, Bethany Kay Anderson and husband Kirk of Ottawa, and Rebecca Rae Moore and husband Ryan of Clermont, Florida; three great grandchildren, Logan Coda Grayham, Ryan Wesley Grayham and Aiden Riley Grayham of Dardanelle, Arkansas; Alberta was a loving aunt to many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews. Additionally, for five years Alberta cared for three stepchildren in California: Douglas, Cindy and Gordon Burba. Alberta was preceded in death by her father, Roscoe Albert “Shorty” York deceased in 1956; mother, Gertrude Louise Lyster York deceased in 1982, who are both buried at Doniphan, Missouri; ex-husband, John Christopher Correll, Sr. deceased in 2011, who is buried in Greensboro, North Carolina; and two brothers-in-law, Bill Webb and Bill Jacobs. The family would like to express their sincere thanks to Dr. Takeshi Seto, M.D. of Ottawa; all the staff at Ottawa Retirement Village; Pastor Scott Dickinson; Pat Atchison; and the hospice volunteers and staff at Olathe Medical Center’s Hospice House of Olathe, Kansas, for their amazing gracious help and support. The family suggests memorial contributions to Olathe Medical Center’s Hospice House c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory, Ottawa, Kansas 66067. Family and friends are encouraged to leave their condolences and memories on Mrs. Correll’s Celebration Wall at www.dengelmortuary.com.