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Chase County Kansas Obituaries


1863 - 2002



Towle,Francis D

The Honorable Francis D. Towle, 79, died Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2003, at Newman Regional Health in Emporia. The Rev. Pat Ireland officiated at the Celebration of Life service Dec. 27 at the Chase County High School Gymnasium in Cottonwood Falls. Interment followed in the Prairie Grove Cemetery.

Francis Duncan Towle, the son of Francis and Ettawells Duncan Towle, was born April 21, 1924, at Scranton. He graduated from Carbondale High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1946 and served until his discharge in 1948.

He and Lela Mae Wilcox were married Dec. 23, 1948, in Osage City. He served as the Chase County Sheriff for 18 years (1955-1959 and 1963- 1977). He was a judge for the 5th District, with 20 years of service to the Judiciary, from 1977-1997. He was a member and held a state office in the Kansas Sheriff's Association. He had his own law library and spent many hours studying the law. He was chosen to attend the Judicial College of Reno, Nev., and, in 1999, he worked to pass the Juvenile Justice Reform for the children of Kansas. He was instrumental in developing and training sheriffs and deputies. He, served as a volunteer on the fire department and was an Emergency Medical Technician. He was active in 4-H, teaching youth the fine points of woodworking. Some called him the "Matt Dillon of Chase County" He and his wife were known as Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus to many in Chase County.

He is survived by his wife, of the home; two daughters, Frances L. Alexander of Council Grove and Dorothy M. McDonald of Emporia; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a brother, Jim Towle of Osage City; and three sisters, Helen Foresman of Kansas City, Kan., Katy Glynn of Wamego and Peggy Foster of Osage City.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the First Presbyterian Church, Cottonwood Falls or to the University of Kansas Cancer Research in care of Brown-Bennett-Alexander Funeral Home, 201 Cherry, Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845.

Chase County Leader News, Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, Jan 01 2004



Towle, Francis Duncan

LOSS SADDENS MANY IN CHASE COUNTY

Judge Towle earned much respect

BY DEB ZEINER

COTTONWOOD FALLS  For many, the news that Francis Duncan Towle died Dec. 24, 2003, at Newman Regional Health brought both tears and fond memories of the man known variously as Santa Claus and the Matt Dillon of Chase County.

Towle, 79, was born April 21, 1924 in Scranton and was a graduate of Carbondale High School. He served in the U.S. navy from 1946 until 1948 and was married to Lela Mae Wilcox on Dec. 23, 1948 in Osage City.

Towle was the Chase County Sheriff from 1955 to 1959 and from 1963 to 1977  and for 18 of those years, he and his family lived above the store, residing in the historic Chase County Courthouse, where the jail was situated.

In 1977, he became a magistrate judge for the 5th Judicial District; he retired on Jan. 13, 1997.

Towle was legendary for both his sense of humor and his fairness. I think everybody thought they were treated fairly if they showed up in front of him for whatever reason (when he was a judge), said District Judge Lee Fowler.

As a judge, Towle was well-respected. When you walked into a courtroom, he was what you thought a judge should be, Fowler said. He was very well-respected and had a good demeanor about him.

Jim Atkins, retired as major in charge of field operations from the Kansas Highway Patrol in 1980. He first worked with Towle in 1956. You never had to worry about your back when you worked with Francis, Atkins said. He knew what to do and was always there if you needed a backup. I just dont know anybody who didnt think he was a really good lawman.

Atkins said that one of the things that impressed him about Towle was his willingness to do whatever needed to be done, whenever it needed to be done. I worked the turnpike and part of that range was in Chase County, he said. Occasionally Id bring somebody in that Id picked up and hed help in the processing, day or night. He was just a super kind of guy.

Atkins said hed miss Towles sense of humor. He was not above playing a practical joke, if the occasion arose, he said. And he had the good guy/bad guy routine down pretty well. Atkins said there was a particular radio call that Towle used to signify he was taking a break.

Back in those days, the radio procedure was not as strict as it is now, he said. Youd be traveling through Chase County and hear him (on the radio) saying that he was on the way to a bad 10-43. That was just his way of saying he was going to have coffee.

To the children of Chase County, Towle was known as Santa Claus. The Towles had dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Claus as part of the Chase County Christmas festivities for many years, including this year. A video recording of them patiently listening to area childrens wishes at the Chase County Senior Center has been shown repeatedly on the Chase County Cable News channel since Thanksgiving weekend.

He will be missed, Fowler said. Hes the kind of guy who was the rock of the community.

Emporia Gazaette, Emporia, Kansas, Dec 26, 2003 (pp. 1 and 3)

Obituary (p. 2)

Francis D. Towle, Veteran

COTTONWOOD FALLS-- Francis D. Towle of Cottonwood Falls, former magistrate judge for Chase and Lyon counties, died Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2003, at Newman Regional Health. He was 79.

Sometimes called the Matt Dillon of Chase County, he was the Chase County sheriff for 18 years, from 1955 through 1959 and from 1963 through 1977.

He was a judge for the 5th District, with 20 years of service to the judiciary, from 1977 to 1997. He was chosen to attend the Judicial College in Reno, Nev., and in 1999, he worked to pass the Juvenile Justice Reform for the children of Kansas.

He had his own law library and spent many hours studying the law. He helped train sheriffs and deputies.

Francis Duncan Towle, the son of Francis and Ettawells Duncan Towle, was born April 21, 1924, in Scranton. He graduated from Carbondale High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1946 and served until his discharge in 1948.

He married Lela Mae Wilcox on Dec. 23, 1948, in Osage City. Mr. Towle was a volunteer with the Chase County Fire Department and was an emergency medical technician. He also was active in 4-H.

He is survived by his wife; two daughters, Dorothy M. McDonald of Emporia and Frances L. Alexander of Council Grove; a brother, Jim Towle of Osage City; three sisters, Peggy Foster of Osage City, Katy Glynn of Wamego and Helen Foresman of Kansas City, Kan.; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

A service to celebrate his life will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in the gymnasium of Chase County High School in Cottonwood Falls. The Rev. Pat Ireland will conduct the service.

Burial will be in Prairie Grove Cemetery. The family will meet friends from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. today at the Brown-Bennett-Alexander Funeral Home in Cottonwood Falls. Friends also may call until 8 p.m. today at the funeral home and at the school after 10 a.m. Saturday. Memorial contributions to the First Presbyterian Church in Cottonwood Falls or the University of Kansas Cancer Research Fund may be sent in care of the funeral home, 201 Cherry St., Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845.

Emporia Gazaette, Emporia, Kansas, Dec 26, 2003 (p. 2)

A GOOD MAN OF RARE QUALITY

IT WAS A PLEASURE to watch Francis Towle at work in the courtroom. As magistrate judge, he took no nonsense and he gave none back. He was tough, fair and direct. He was harsh when necessary, compassionate when possible. He could see in the same glance the pain and the humor in human folly.

On the bench, he did not wrap himself in the majesty of the law and pronounce judgment from on high. The law spoke for itself. He just delivered the message, as gently and as courteously as a case might warrant.

After 18 years as Chase County sheriff, Towle was acquainted with all of the shades of gray that shadow the world. He knew that people could make terrible messes of their own and others lives and that  sometimes  people could change and lives be put back in order. He was a clear-eyed optimist, blessed with uncommon common sense. He knew the world was flawed but that every day brought a new chance to put things right.

A few minutes with Francis Towle would brighten anybodys day, but it was with children that he could truly give free rein to all of the love and kindliness that welled up within him.

Every Christmas for many years, he and his wife, Lela, stood in for Mr. and Mrs. Claus for the children of Chase County  or wherever else Santa might be needed.

In Cottonwood Falls, after the Christmas lights on the courthouse were lit, children and their parents would flock to the little storefront where Santa was holding his jolly court, like a happy grandfather surrounded by dozens of beloved grandchildren.

Francis Towle, who left us on Christmas Eve, was a good man who gave the best of himself to everyone he met. By doing that, he made the world better, as he knew it could be.

Patrick S. Kelley,
Editorial Page Editor

Emporia Gazette, Emporia, Kansas, Dec 29, 2003, p. 4





Chase County Death Notices and Obituaries,
compiled and abstracted from the Chase County Courant and Chase County Leader Newspapers
by Lorna Marvin
Please submit your obituaries and death notices.



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