J. Melvin Gleason

J. Melvin Gleason, 83, died Thursday, June 27, 2019 in Kinsley, Kansas. He was born May 26, 1936 to John and Anne Marie (Antone) Gleason. On December 10, 1965, Gleason married the love of his life, Ann Lee (Bolding) Jones in Phoenix, Arizona. She survives.

Melvin Gleason was preceded in death by his parents, his step-father, Jack Miller, a brother, Kenton A. Gleason, and two sons: Scott Melvin Gleason, and J. Marvin Gleason.

As a young man, Gleason was a tall and lean farm boy, and as such, played center for the winning Kinsley Coyote football team during his junior year in high school. He was a proud member of the Kinsley High School Class of 1954. Later, he joined the United State Navy, and actually played football for the Navy while stationed in Japan. He loved the game and enjoyed relaxing and watching the sport on television.

When Gleason returned to the states, he farmed and ranched but eventually left the farm to work a number of feed yards across the United States. With a trained eye for quality animals and as an expert negotiator, Gleason bought and sold cattle for several feed yards, and traded horses. All the while, Gleason was a competitive team roper all through Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

Melvin Gleason was a happy, kind fellow who had many friends, and he will be sorely missed by all but especially by his loving wife, Annie.

Visitation will be held Sunday, June 30, 2019 from noon to 7 pm and on Monday from 9 am to 5 pm at McKillip Funeral Chapel, Kinsley. Vigil Service is 7 pm on Monday evening July 1st, and the funeral mass will be held at 10 am on Tuesday, July 2nd, both at the St Nicholas Catholic Church, 706 East 6th Street, Kinsley, Kansas.