Wyona Dee O'Connell daughter of James William Houdek and Delphene Olive Lahodny was born August 25, 1939 in
Belleville
,
KS
. She passed from this life on December 6, 2010 at the Mitchell County Hospital Health Systems,
Beloit
,
Kansas
at the age of 71. She graduated from
Cuba High School
,
Cuba
, KS in 1957. She continued her schooling and received her LPN license from
Neosha
County
Community College
,
Chanute
,
KS
. Wyona worked for many nursing home facilities across the plains and retired from Jewell County Long Term Care Facility in January of 2010 to babysit her great-grandchildren. Wyona was blessed with 5 children Buck, Jan, John, Jay and Tim. She enjoyed working with the elderly and loved caring for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. One of her hobbies was crocheting and she lovingly hand made many blankets and gifts for her family; she enjoyed reading, watching WWF wrestling and old westerns. Many years were also spent working beside her Dad, known to many as Grandpa Houdek, raising horses and feeding bucket calves. Wyona was preceded in death by her parents. She will be missed by her family and friends and always remembered by her children Buck and wife Kim Beam of Narka, KS; Jan and husband John Kemmerer of Jewell, KS; John and wife Deb of Beloit, KS; Jay and wife Lynette Beam of Cuba, KS and Tim Davis and Heather of Jewell, KS; her grandchildren, Amanda, Jake, Joel, Justin, Lynae, Josh, Jarrod, Jessie, Dustin, Taylor and her 11 great-grandchildren and other relatives and friends. Funeral services will be Thursday December 9, 2010 at 2:00PM at Jewell Christian Church in
Jewell
,
KS
. Memorials may be made to the Mitchell County Regional Medical Foundation. There will be no burial as Wyona chose to donate her body to research at KU Medical Center.
