Arthur Vance "Buck" Conner

Arthur V. “Buck” Conner of Osawatomie, KS was called home to be with the Lord unexpectedly on Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at Olathe Medical Center at the age of 89. Buck was born on June 29, 1934, in a two room farmhouse on the Conner homestead in Ellis County, Oklahoma. He was the second born to Myrtle J. White-Conner and James Eldon Conner.

As a young man, Buck attended Gage High School in Gage, Oklahoma. After attending school, he worked on a nearby ranch working cattle and breaking wild horses. While doing that job, he found himself riding bareback broncs in the rodeo where he earned his nickname “Buck”. During his rodeo time, he was drafted into the Army in 1956 and was honorably discharged in 1958. He was united in marriage to Shirley Ann Boswell in the mid-1950’s. To this union, they had a daughter, Jenny Lynn Conner. After his time in the military, Buck did some over the road trucking, traveling through almost every state. Later on he started up a small construction company (Conner Construction) and worked side by side with his little brother Jerry in and around the Olathe, KS area. In the early 1970s, Buck opened up a small Bar called J&B Lounge where he enjoyed sharing laughter, whiskey, and card games with many friends and family that would stop by. In February 1980, he married his second wife Gladys Hite. Buck, Gladys, and kids Debbie, Sheri, and Chuck all remained living in Olathe until moving to Osawatomie in the mid 80s. In the mid 2000s, and after almost 50 years of framing houses, Buck semi retired and began to only install septic systems and do dirt work. He always had a hard time sitting still and not having a project of some kind to be working on, so you could always find him out in his garage or shop tinkering on something, playing with his dog Buddy, and spending quality time with his grandsons Jake and Luke and great grandkids Jamie Lynn, Josie Grace and Justin Arthur whom he cherished immensely.

Buck is preceded in death by both of his parents, siblings James, Jerry, and sister Helen Kellogg-Swearingen, First wife Shirley Boswell-Conner, and second wife Gladys Hite-Conner.

Surviving is his daughter Jenny Lynn Conner, stepchildren Debbie Nanninga-Doherty, Sheri (Rick) Randel, and Charles Nanninga, grandchildren Jake (Stephanie) Conner, Luke Wilson, Brent (Brandi) Randel, Dustin (Kara) Doherty, and Paige (Sam) Leach, and 11 great grandkids and numerous family and friends

Visitation will be Tuesday, September 12, from 9:30-10:30, with services following at 10:30 at the Dengel and Son Mortuary Paola Chapel. Burial will be at the Osawatomie Cemetery.