Cecelia Elizabeth Tibbetts

Cecelia Tibbetts, 99, Westmoreland, KS, passed away peacefully in the Westmoreland Care Home on May 4, 2015. She was born December 1, 1915 in Wamego to William H. and Anna Marie Cordts. She married Ralph Tibbetts (d. 1973) in 1938, and they owned and operated a General and Grocery Store in Westmoreland for a decade. They had a son, Kenneth, who resides in Austin, TX with his wife, Sharon. She graduated from Westmoreland Rural High School in 1933, and after attending Teacher’s College in Emporia, KS, she was a school teacher in a one-room schoolhouse near Westmoreland. She often talked of her teaching experiences during the Great Depression and the “dirty thirties,” as well as her experiences with the Wizarde family. Cecelia was also a Medical Secretary in Salina, KS, and helped set up the Pottawatomie County Draft Board at the beginning of WWII. She will also be remembered as the friendly and smiling cashier at Farmers State Bank in Westmoreland, where she retired in 1982. Cecelia served in the Westmoreland Community Service Club and in the Westmoreland United Methodist Church and was always quick to lend a helping hand wherever she could. She was a faithful believer in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and we know that even though she is absent from the body, she is present with the Lord (II Cor. 5:8). In her last days she said, “I’ve always tried to be helpful” and that is how she will best be remembered by her family and friends. She is also survived by a sister: Margaret Good, Westmoreland; two grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by a sister: Anna Marie Pinick; a brother: William Cordts; and two grandchildren. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 12, 2015 at the Westmoreland United Methodist Church. Burial will follow in the Westmoreland City Cemetery. Cecelia will lie in-state from 1:00-5:00 p.m. on Monday, May 11, 2015, with visitation to follow from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Stewart Funeral Home of Wamego. In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested memorials to the Westmoreland United Methodist Church and may be left in care of Stewart Funeral Home, PO Box 48, Wamego, KS 66547. Condolences