Virgil Laverne Sidebottom

Virgil L. Sidebottom, 92, died June 2, 2019. He was born September 22, 1926 in Ransom, Kansas, to Jesse and Rosa (Jaehde) Sidebottom. At 18 he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served for nearly two years in the Philippines and Japan during WWII. Upon his return he resided in Norton, KS, where he managed a drive-in theater for 10 years. In Norton, he met his wife, Jean Ann Ferguson. They married on November 9th, 1952 and celebrated 61 years of marriage, before her death in 2014. In 1962, they moved to Lyons, where they managed the Lyons Drive-in Theater and uptown Theater for 9 years. He then worked as a rural mail carrier for the Postal Service until his retirement. He was a member of the VFW and American Legion Post #0128. Survivors include: a son, Carl Sidebottom (Jean M.) of Hutchinson; daughter, Lee Ann Sidebottom of Lyons; three grandchildren, Sara Sidebottom of Lawrence, KS, Eric Sidebottom of Hutchinson, KS, and Ta Tanlem of Thailand; sister, Daisy Munson (Fred, decd.) of Ark City, KS; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by: his parents; wife; a daughter, Vicki Lynn; brothers, Harold (Bernice), Otis (Betty), Ernie (Leta), Wayne (Joyce); and sister, Opal Hahn. Funeral service will be at 10:00 A.M., Saturday, June 8, 2019 at Birzer Funeral Home, Lyons, with Pastor Phil Green officiating. Military honors will be by the Ft. Riley Honor Guard. Burial will be at 3:00 P.M., Saturday, June 8, 2019 at Ransom Cemetery, Ransom, Kansas. Visitation will be from 2:00 until 7:00 P.M., Friday, June 7, 2019 at Birzer Funeral Home, Lyons, with family present from 5:00 until 7:00 P.M. Memorials may be made to Hospice House of Reno County or a charity of your choice, in care of Birzer Funeral Home, Lyons.

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