Obituary of Mersedith Lee Whitney

Mersedith Neva Gouldin Lee Whitney, 93, passed away peacefully on March 28, 2012, in the Chapman Valley Manor Nursing Home, Chapman, Kansas. She was born on a farm northeast of Barnard, Kansas, on December 29, 1918 to Robert and Lydia Gertrude Gouldin. Out of six siblings, she was next to the youngest. Her mother named her Mersedith after a Spanish princess she had seen written about in the newspaper. She attended the Third Creek School and graduated with the class of 1936 from Barnard High School. She married Cecil W. Lee June 28, 1940 in Salina, Kansas, and they raised their 4 children in Salina and Lindsborg where she was a homemaker and helped keep the books for his welding business. Cecil died October 30, 1963, shortly after the family had relocated to Florida in hopes the climate would improve his health. Mersedith found herself single-parenting and returning to work as a secretary to make ends meet. Her strength and determination were life long, as was her tremendous faith in God, her sense of humor and sunny disposition. She married Guy F. Whitney later in life (March 1971) and was able to travel with him and his family which she greatly enjoyed. Mersedith was an extremely gifted seamstress and fashioned many of her own clothes and created beautiful embroidery often incorporating bead work. She was also a fabulous letter writer and communicated her love to her extended family and friends through regular correspondence most of her life, until she was no longer able to see the last several years. As Mersedith's health began deteriorating, she decided to return to Kansas in 1996 and resided in Chapman. She was a member of the Chapman United Methodist Church. Her favorite response when asked how she was doing in the last year was, "I just rock with the waves". Mersedith is survived by her son, Larry D Lee, Wathena, KS, and daughter, Linda D. Linkous of Leesburg, Florida, Son-in-law, Harold Oakleaf, Chapman, Kansas, 11 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and a nephew, Rodney Gouldin, of her family farm in Barnard, Kansas. She was preceded in death by her husbands Cecil Lee and Guy Whitney; her parents, Robert Berton Gouldin and Lydia Gertrude Markley Gouldin; siblings, Gladys Mckee, Joseph Gouldin, Charles Gouldin, Opal Woodard, and Robert Gouldin; Her daughters, Joyce E. Oakleaf and Clara Jean Miller, and infant granddaughter, Tonja S. Oakleaf. A graveside service will be held at 11:00am Monday, April 2 at Elmwood Cemetery, Lindsborg, KS. Memorials may be designated for Chapman Valley Manor Nursing Home or State Library of Kansas - Kansas Talking Books in care of Christians Funeral Home 103 N. Washington PO Box 386 Lindsborg, KS 67456. Online condolences at www.ChristiansFuneralHome.com