LARNED — A gardening guru and a special lover of herbs, Thelma Row died June 4 in Great Bend at River Bend Assisted Living.
She was the daughter of Roy S. and Ethel Smith Bayless and was born on January 16, 1920 in Fayetteville, Ark. Her family, including brothers Roy and Max, moved to Kansas in the 1930’s, and she graduated from Great Bend High School in 1938.
In that year, she married Edward E. Arnold and then attended Salt City Business College in Hutchinson. Thelma then worked as a legal secretary for many years.
For more than 25 years she was an enthusiastic member of the Herb Society of America and was a source of information for friends and neighbors. Furthermore, Thelma enjoyed being in the Larned Garden Club.
She was a member of the Presbyterian Church since birth and actively participated in the local church, providing flowers each Sunday morning.
She and her husband, Ted McClurg, moved to Larned to be close to her daughter, Anita Arnold Feldt, and grandchildren Amy (Jeff) of Overland Park; Brian (Jennifer) and their children Morgan, Michelle and Max of Hood River, Ore.; and Gina Griffen (Patrick) and son Patrick of Boynton Beach, Fla.
Very creative and industrious, Thelma was an avid seamstress, sewing for her family. Other interests included the Fort Larned Historical Society and book clubs. She loved to cook and entertained beautifully.
After her husband’s death in 1988, she married Gene Row in 1991. He preceded her death in 1994, and she enjoyed her final years gardening and traveling. Her constant companion, Bogey, a shih tzu, will greatly miss Thelma, along with her family and community. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Memorials are suggested for the Presbyterian church, Larned Music Club, Fort Larned Historical Society or the donor’s choice.

Funeral arrangements provided by
Beckwith Mortuary
916 Main St.
Larned, KS 67550
The Great Bend (Kans.) Tribune, June 6, 2018