Obituary for Mary Ellen Foulks
Garden City- Beloved wife, mother, grandmother, Mary Ellen Foulks, 93, died Friday morning,
December 2, 2022 at St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, Kansas. She was born on May 18,
1929 in Dodge City, Kansas, daughter of Donald Edward and Ellen Aleen (Baird) Crane.
Mary Ellen grew up on the farm along with two older brothers and younger sister in Wright,
Kansas. She graduated from Dodge City High School and attended Hutchinson Business College.
On December 21, 1947 she married Harley Milton Foulks in Dodge City, Kansas. They began
married life in a sixteen-foot camper in Fort Collins, Colorado while Harley attended college at
Colorado State University. Upon his graduation they moved back to Dodge City and then on to
Garden City in 1957. They lived in Sublette, Kansas from 1960 to 1965 when they returned to
Garden City.
At age 42 she went back to school and became a Registered Nurse, working at St. Catherine
Hospital, Area Mental Health, and with Dr. Gary Viterise. Mary Ellen was also a Certified
Graphoanalysist. She sang in the church choir, became a Stephen Minister, attended the same
Bible Study for years with dear friends, and was active in UMW Circle. She was unwavering in
her faith and prayers for her family and friends.
In her early years she received her Student Pilots License and flew a Cessna Taildragger. She
and Harley were active in the Experimental Aircraft Association and attended several “fly-ins”.
Summers were spent at the lake water skiing and winters were spent in the mountains snow
skiing. Throughout her life she had a variety of interests and hobbies including gardening,
sewing, playing piano, and oil painting. She played an active and supportive role in the lives of
her children and grandchildren.
She is survived by her husband, Harley Milton Foulks, and four daughters: Nita Aleen (Rudolf)
Bratt of Castle Rock, Colorado; Jane Anne (Rick) Mahaffey of Katy, Texas; Charla Jean Douglass
of Garden City, Kansas and Susan Lynne (Gary) Miller of Garden City, Kansas. She is also
survived by her sister, Marjory Howarter of Garden City, eight grandchildren and 18 greatgrandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Donald and Robert
Crane.
Funeral Service will be at 11:00 am, Friday, December 9, at First United Methodist Church,
Garden City, with Reverend Joel Plisek officiating. Graveside Service will be at 2:00 pm Friday at
Concord Cemetery in Ford County with Mary Ellen’s first cousin, Jerry Burns, officiating.
Memorials may be given to First United Methodist Church in care of Garnand Funeral Home.
Friends may call from 1:00 to 8:00 pm Thursday at Garnand Funeral Home. Condolences may be
posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com
December 2, 2022 at St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City, Kansas. She was born on May 18,
1929 in Dodge City, Kansas, daughter of Donald Edward and Ellen Aleen (Baird) Crane.
Mary Ellen grew up on the farm along with two older brothers and younger sister in Wright,
Kansas. She graduated from Dodge City High School and attended Hutchinson Business College.
On December 21, 1947 she married Harley Milton Foulks in Dodge City, Kansas. They began
married life in a sixteen-foot camper in Fort Collins, Colorado while Harley attended college at
Colorado State University. Upon his graduation they moved back to Dodge City and then on to
Garden City in 1957. They lived in Sublette, Kansas from 1960 to 1965 when they returned to
Garden City.
At age 42 she went back to school and became a Registered Nurse, working at St. Catherine
Hospital, Area Mental Health, and with Dr. Gary Viterise. Mary Ellen was also a Certified
Graphoanalysist. She sang in the church choir, became a Stephen Minister, attended the same
Bible Study for years with dear friends, and was active in UMW Circle. She was unwavering in
her faith and prayers for her family and friends.
In her early years she received her Student Pilots License and flew a Cessna Taildragger. She
and Harley were active in the Experimental Aircraft Association and attended several “fly-ins”.
Summers were spent at the lake water skiing and winters were spent in the mountains snow
skiing. Throughout her life she had a variety of interests and hobbies including gardening,
sewing, playing piano, and oil painting. She played an active and supportive role in the lives of
her children and grandchildren.
She is survived by her husband, Harley Milton Foulks, and four daughters: Nita Aleen (Rudolf)
Bratt of Castle Rock, Colorado; Jane Anne (Rick) Mahaffey of Katy, Texas; Charla Jean Douglass
of Garden City, Kansas and Susan Lynne (Gary) Miller of Garden City, Kansas. She is also
survived by her sister, Marjory Howarter of Garden City, eight grandchildren and 18 greatgrandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Donald and Robert
Crane.
Funeral Service will be at 11:00 am, Friday, December 9, at First United Methodist Church,
Garden City, with Reverend Joel Plisek officiating. Graveside Service will be at 2:00 pm Friday at
Concord Cemetery in Ford County with Mary Ellen’s first cousin, Jerry Burns, officiating.
Memorials may be given to First United Methodist Church in care of Garnand Funeral Home.
Friends may call from 1:00 to 8:00 pm Thursday at Garnand Funeral Home. Condolences may be
posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com