Elmer Tankersley, age 94, of Rantoul, Kan., died Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, at his residence. He was born Thursday, Feb. 11, 1915, at his home in Rosedale, Kan., the son of John Watson and Ann Mabel (Ackerman) Tankersley.

He grew up in Rosedale and drove his first car at age 9. He was charged with getting ice and water daily from the ice house in Rosedale. He lived in Rosedale until his marriage to Goldie L. Hester July 24, 1935, when they eloped to Leavenworth, Kan. After marriage, they purchased Goldie’s parents’ home and moved to Merriam, Kan., in the late 1930s, where they lived until the summer of 1968 when he and Goldie built their home on a farm in Rantoul.

Elmer graduated from Rosedale High School in Kansas City, Kan. In the mid 1950s, he and Goldie attended Calvary Bible College in Kansas City, Mo.

Elmer developed a love for trains during his childhood, and he fulfilled this love through working as an engineer for Frisco Railroad for 34 years, covering the Kansas City to Fort Scott line. He once said that the only thing he every wanted to do was “drive” an engine. He did so.  

Following retirement from Frisco and the loss of his wife, he filled his days working at Country Mart in Ottawa since 1990. He was a member of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen of Kansas City.

Second to his love of trains was his passion for traveling. He and Goldie and their children enjoyed camping out with a canvas tent, sleeping bags and a two-burner Coleman stove. They traveled to just about every national park in the nation. They made it to Yellowstone 18 times before Goldie passed away in 1990.

In 1948, Elmer and Goldie accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal savior and lived their faith in front of their children, grandchildren and friends. He was a faithful member of the Merriam Bible Church and helped build it. Upon relocating to the farm, Goldie and he attended Ruhamah Baptist Church.

He is survived by his son, Gary Tankersley, and his wife, Glenda, of Salem, Mo.; a daughter, Sharon Fiola, and her husband, Fred, of Reno, Nev.; seven grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Goldie.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, at Dengel & Son Mortuary in Ottawa.

Friends may pay their respects to Mr. Tankersley after 9 a.m. Friday at Dengel & Son Mortuary, where the family will meet with friends from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Interment will be at Ruhamah Cemetery, near Rantoul, Kan.

Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through dengelmortuary@sbcglobal.net.

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