Lyla Marie (Jantz) Killfoil
October 24, 1920 – October 6, 2021
Daughter of Andrew B. Jantz and Martha Marie (Buller) Jantz. Lyla was born October 24, 1920 in Goltry, Oklahoma.
She was married on November 7, 1937 to Fred Elton Killfoil in Lankin, Kansas. Lyla and Fred had 7 children, 19 grandchildred, 39 great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great grandchildren.
Lyla grew up in western Kansas where she loved school. She was always a teacher’s helper, especially when it came time to help with Plays or other activities.
Lyla was creative and an artist. She would make many of the background scenes for the plays at school. Lyla liked ceramics and drawing, later in her Golden Years she loved to color things. She taught herself to play any musical instrument she could put her hands on. Lyla played piano, organ, accordion, guitar, banjo, mandolin, steel-guitar and xylophone. She also taught others to play music. All of her children are artists and/or musical singers.
Lyla was an excellent cook. She was in charge of the family kitchen at age 10 because her father and mother had to work in their farm fields all day long. Lyla also had to take care of the house and her 2 younger sisters. At age 15 she worked on a ranch cooking and baking for a large group of workers to help support her family. Lyla was a self-taught seamstress and made her children nice homemade clothes. She lived in Newton, Kansas for 75 years. Lyla played the Church piano at Church of God of the Firstborn on S. Kansas for 73 years. She lived the last 4 years of her life at Asbury Park, now Paramount Community Rehab Center where she passed on to Heaven the 6th of October, 2021, 17 days short of reaching 101 years old. Lyla is preceded in death by her mother, father, two sisters, daughter, son, 2 grandsons, 2 granddaughters and 2 great-granddaughters.
Children are:
Jerry Killfoil of Newton, Kansas.
Shirley O Neil of Newton, Kansas.
Jane and Thomas Carrell of Newton,Kansas.
Carolyn and Stanley Smith of Crestview, Florida.
James and Judy Killfoil of Grand Forks, North Dakota.
A visitation will be from 5PM to 9PM, Monday, October 11th at Petersen Funeral Home. A graveside service will be at 2PM, Tuesday, October 12th, at God of the First Born Cemetery, off of ridge road in Newton, Kansas.
Memorial contributions in Lyla’s name may be made to Caring Hands Humane Society in care of Petersen Funeral Home, 215 N. Main, Newton, KS 67114.
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