Dorrene Menefee

Dorrene Menefee, 88, passed away August 7th, 2013 at Country Club Estates. Dorrene Frances Lee Menefee was born February 25, 1925 in Louisburg, KS to Don Frederick Lee, Sr. and Bertha Maude Whitaker Lee and went home to be with her Savior, husband, two sons, and many other family members and friends on August 7th, 2013. Dorrene led a long, full, eventful life. During the Great Depression, Dorrene traveled the country, working with her family; they harvested peas in Idaho, hops, and apples in Washington state while living on an Indian reservation, plums in Oregon, and cotton in California. She married Wilbur Debow Menefee on July 25th, 1942 in Paola and began her long career as a farm wife. She and Wilbur ran a dairy, hog, cattle, sheep, and row crop farm. Their first son, Chuck, was born in 1943, followed by Jim in 1952 and Max in 1960. Although Chuck was killed in a car crash at age fifteen, Web passed unexpectedly in 1988, and Jim died in 2011, Dorrene persisted in her faith, believing the Lord had a plan. She frequently reminded her loved ones that "it"ll all work out like the good Lord intends." As a volunteer with the Foster Grandparents program for five years, she touched the lives of many children at Sunflower Elementary in Paola, and said "the greatest blessing of all was to see I made a difference in some of the kids" lives." After that she worked as an assistant secretary for ECKAN in Paola. However, she wrote, "the very best positions I held were wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother." Dorrene was involved in American Baptist Women"s ministries, Currier Circle, and numerous other activities as a member at the First Baptist Church of Paola. She enjoyed serving and volunteering in many capacities, but especially cherished her time with youth through her leadership in the Busy Beavers 4-H club. Her love of youth programs carried on into the boys" years in FFA at Paola High School and beyond as she continued to support the program as an alumna. Dorrene"s legacy lives on in her son, Max Menefee and his wife Michelle of Paola, daughter-in-law Malisha Menefee of VanZant, MO, and Jan Cook of Paola; grandchildren Jennifer Lamb and husband Bryan of Houston, TX, Jeff Menefee and wife Autumn of Paola, Jamie Ennett and husband Jeff of Houston, TX, John Menefee of Paola, Morgan Chesbro and husband Grant of Manhattan, KS; great-grandchildren Maddie, Jordan, Hannah, Mika, Nathan, Grace, and Sam; and in the lives of so many others she was blessed to call friend. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Paola or the Paola FFA Alumni. First Baptist Church 207 E. East Wea St. Service: Monday, August 12, 2013 at 10:00 AM Visitation: Sunday, August 11, 2013 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM