Joe “Pete” Erie, age 82, a resident of rural Ft. Scott, Kansas, passed away Thursday, May 16, 2019, as the result of a fire at his home. He was born May 29, 1936, in Stotesbury, Missouri, the son of Henry John “Skeet” Erie and Winifred Marie Sheehy Erie. Pete married Nina Lou Buck on September 9, 1956, at the Buck family home in Dadeville, Missouri. Pete was employed by Key Industries for twenty-three years. He later worked as maintenance supervisor for the U-234 School District for twenty-thee years. Pete was instrumental in founding the Bourbon County Rural Fire Department; he remained active with the fire department for many years. He also maintained his own cattle herd.
Survivors include his son, John Erie, and wife, Terry, and his daughter, Sondra Ruhl, and husband, Nick, all of Ft. Scott; seven grandchildren, Brian Bolin, Ron Bolin (Brooke), Dawn Bryant (Micheal), Wendy Budd (David), John Erie, Jr. (Stephannie), Anita Vaugh (Daniel) and Bethany Thompson (Ray); and thirteen great-grandchildren, Codee Budd, Caden Bolin, Andy Bryant, Coree Budd, Aleana Erie, Dylann Bolin, Mia Bryant, Koby Erie, Alex Thompson, Raegan Bolin, Payton Bowling, Willow Vaughn, and Kanyon Vaugh with two more great-grandchildren on the way. Also surviving are two sisters, Peggy Cowan, of Ft. Scott, Pat Hoskins and husband, Frank, of Hillsboro, Missouri; a sister-in-law, Edna Erie, of Ft. Scott, and several nieces and nephews. His wife, Nina, preceded him in death on November 26, 2017. He was also preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Mike Erie, and a brother-in-law, Gene Cowan.
Rev. Virgil Peck will conduct funeral services at 10:30 A.M. Thursday, May 23rd at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 P.M. Wednesday at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the Scott Township Fire Department or the Ft. Scott Church of the Nazarene and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.
