Emogene L. Harp

Emogene L. Harp, age 81, passed away on Saturday, November 28, 2015 at the Scott County Hospital in Scott City, Kansas. She was born on April 16, 1934 in Wichita County, Kansas, the daughter of Walter A. and Gladys M. Lehman Wood. A lifetime resident of Wichita County and Scott County, Kansas, she was a homemaker. Emogene grew up in the Pleasant Valley Church, attending with her parents and sisters Alta Mae and Vera Marie every Sunday. She also grew up in the Pleasant Valley 4-H Club and learned to cook and sew there. She attended grade school in Wichita County, Kansas and was the only one in her grade 1-4. Then there were 3 in her grade 5-8. She was salutation in Wichita County and attended high school in Scott City, Kansas. She loved playing her saxophone and play a solo for the annual May Fete. She got a job after school and weekends waitressing at the Airliner restaurant where she met Otto. Otto came into the restaurant, took her home after work and was there every night when she got off work to take her home. She received an engagement ring at Christmas when she was 16. She finished high school and was married 2 weeks later on June 8, 1952 at the First Christian Church in Scott City, Kansas. They were both baptized at the First Christian Church one week before their wedding. Their first home was an upstairs apartment in the old hospital at 901 Court Street. After a couple of moves to rental houses and after one child, Debra Lynne, they purchased a home at 603 Jackson St. Their first born, Debra Lynn, had a burn accident and passed away December 12, 1960. Emogene’s world was gray until they moved to their new home on the farm Memorial Day Weekend, 1971 when it took on a rosy hue. By this time they had three more children, Richard Duane born March 27, 1957, Denise Michelle born December 30, 1960 and Devoe Eugene born on October 1, 1963. Otto drove a truck for Shallow Water Refining Company and was gone or sleeping much of the time . He was always a good provider. After moving to the farm, they again attended Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church. Emogene was a fair weather school bus driver (when the weather was too bad for Otto to work in the field, he drove the bus). The school bus job provided health insurance and groceries for our family. Otto started raising soybeans and Emogene became a volunteer spokesperson for the Kansas Soybean Association. She traveled to various place in Kansas educating people about the many uses for soybeans. Then she opened the SoyBin, a commercial kitchen. Emogene was shipping gift boxes coast to coast. She wasn’t ready to retire when they sold the farmstead and moved to Scott City, Kansas in 1998. Emogene was very active in the community and spent many years volunteering for the Town & Country 4-H Club, Pleasant Valley Boosters 4-H, Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church and the First Christian Church. Emogene and Otto would spend a few winter months in Fredricksburg, Texas and July and August in Salida, Colorado in their motor home and with their many friends. Emogene had a hobby of making quilts until she could no longer see to sew. In 2013 she was diagnosed with Progressive Supra Nuclear Palsy. It is very rare, only 1 in 100,000 get it. No one knows why Emogene is the 1! She quit driving then. Survivors include her Husband - Otto Harp of Scott City, Kansas, Two Sons - Richard & Alicia Harp of Garden City, Kansas, Devoe & Kim Harp of Longview, Texas, One Daughter - Denise & Tim Murphy of St. Charles, Missouri, One Sister - Vera MacArthur of Churubusco, Indiana, Five Grandsons and One Granddaughter. She was preceded in death by her Parents, One Daughter - Debra Harp, One Sister - Alta Mae Yardley and One Infant Sister. Funeral Services will be held at the First Christian Church of Scott City, Kansas at 2:00 p.m. Friday, December 4, 2015 with Rev. Scott Wagner and Steve Payne presiding. Memorials in Lieu of flowers may be given to the First Christian Church in care of Price & Sons Funeral Home in Scott City, Kansas. Interment will be in the Scott County Cemetery in Scott City, Kansas. Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Wednesday and 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Thursday at Price & Sons Funeral Home in Scott City, Kansas.