In Memory Of
John N. Persley
1946
1947
John N. Persley
September 27, 1946 — March 11, 1947
John Nell Persley, 75, passed away on Friday, March 11th, 2022 at a Topeka, Kansas hospital.
He was born on September 27, 1946 in Marion, Louisiana, the oldest of 5 sons from the marriage of Boykin & Arneicie Wayne-Persley. He was a 1964 graduate of Eastside High School in Farmerville, LA and attended Grambling College before relocating to Kansas City, KS in 1967.
John worked at the General Motors Fairfax Plant in Kansas City, KS when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1969. He served for 13 months in Vietnam before completing active duty stateside at Ft. Leavenworth and being honorably discharged as a Specialist-4 on April 19th 1972. He lastly moved to Topeka to attend Washburn University where he worked as a corrections officer at the Kansas State Reception & Diagnostic Center. He retired in 2012 after more than 30 years with the U.S. Postal Service.
John was married to Patricia J. Gray on April 22nd, 1984 in Topeka. They shared 36 years of marriage until her death on September 1st, 2020.
He was preceded in death by his mother at a young age, and by his father, step-mothers Dorothy Warren-Persley & Elizabeth Rivers-Persley, 5 step-siblings, half-brother, Alton 'Sam' McElroy, sisters-in-law, Marjorie L. Jones-Gray & Connie S. Billings-Persley; and great-niece, Megan S. Persley.
He is survived by his son, John L. Persley; 4 brothers, Willie E. Persley (Laurcia) of Tulsa, OK, Otis L. Persley (Gerlyn) of Marion, LA, Sylvester Persley of El Dorado, AR, and Boykin Persley Jr. of Marion, LA; one brother-in-law, W. Scotty Gray (Joyce) of Auburn, KS; 3 step-children, Daniel J. Kies of Ruidoso, NM, David J. Kies (Maggie) of Topeka, KS, & Chalen E. Kies-Fricke (Bill) of Tucson, AZ; 6 step-grandchildren; 13 step-great-grandchildren; 14 nieces & nephews and a host of many cousins, relatives, & friends.
Funeral services at Mt. Hope Cemetery Funeral Chapel, 4700 SW 17th Street, Topeka, will take place at 11 a.m., Saturday, March 19th, 2022 with interment following at the cemetery's Veterans Field of Honor. Visitation will be an hour prior to the service. Penwell-Gabel Cremations, Funerals & Receptions in Topeka is assisting the family.
John's services will be livestreamed at the scheduled service time. Click Here to view the service.
To leave a special message for John's family, please visit the guestbook below.
He was born on September 27, 1946 in Marion, Louisiana, the oldest of 5 sons from the marriage of Boykin & Arneicie Wayne-Persley. He was a 1964 graduate of Eastside High School in Farmerville, LA and attended Grambling College before relocating to Kansas City, KS in 1967.
John worked at the General Motors Fairfax Plant in Kansas City, KS when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1969. He served for 13 months in Vietnam before completing active duty stateside at Ft. Leavenworth and being honorably discharged as a Specialist-4 on April 19th 1972. He lastly moved to Topeka to attend Washburn University where he worked as a corrections officer at the Kansas State Reception & Diagnostic Center. He retired in 2012 after more than 30 years with the U.S. Postal Service.
John was married to Patricia J. Gray on April 22nd, 1984 in Topeka. They shared 36 years of marriage until her death on September 1st, 2020.
He was preceded in death by his mother at a young age, and by his father, step-mothers Dorothy Warren-Persley & Elizabeth Rivers-Persley, 5 step-siblings, half-brother, Alton 'Sam' McElroy, sisters-in-law, Marjorie L. Jones-Gray & Connie S. Billings-Persley; and great-niece, Megan S. Persley.
He is survived by his son, John L. Persley; 4 brothers, Willie E. Persley (Laurcia) of Tulsa, OK, Otis L. Persley (Gerlyn) of Marion, LA, Sylvester Persley of El Dorado, AR, and Boykin Persley Jr. of Marion, LA; one brother-in-law, W. Scotty Gray (Joyce) of Auburn, KS; 3 step-children, Daniel J. Kies of Ruidoso, NM, David J. Kies (Maggie) of Topeka, KS, & Chalen E. Kies-Fricke (Bill) of Tucson, AZ; 6 step-grandchildren; 13 step-great-grandchildren; 14 nieces & nephews and a host of many cousins, relatives, & friends.
Funeral services at Mt. Hope Cemetery Funeral Chapel, 4700 SW 17th Street, Topeka, will take place at 11 a.m., Saturday, March 19th, 2022 with interment following at the cemetery's Veterans Field of Honor. Visitation will be an hour prior to the service. Penwell-Gabel Cremations, Funerals & Receptions in Topeka is assisting the family.
John's services will be livestreamed at the scheduled service time. Click Here to view the service.
To leave a special message for John's family, please visit the guestbook below.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of John N. Persley, please visit our flower store.
Service Schedule
Past Services
Visitation
Saturday, March 19, 2022
10:00 - 11:00 am (Central time)
Mt. Hope Cemetery Funeral Chapel
Service
Saturday, March 19, 2022
Starts at 11:00 am (Central time)
Mt. Hope Cemetery Funeral Chapel
Guestbook
Visits: 1
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