Mina S. DeBerry

Mina Susan DeBerry, 76, died Monday, April 20, 2026, at Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Mo. Born in Duncan, Okla., on October 17, 1949, she was the eldest daughter of Joseph S. and Rita M. (Parsons) Relph. For her early education, Mina attended Catholic schools, including St. Rose of Lima in Great Bend, St. Phillip Neri in Midwest City, and Sacred Heart in Fredonia through Grade 8 before transferring to USD 484 public schools. She graduated from Fredonia High School with the class of 1967. During high school. Mina was a skilled debater and forensics performer, a member of the National Honor Society, editor of the student newspaper, the Reflector, and the yearbook. She attended the University of Kansas, majoring in journalism, and was a writer for the University Daily Kansan. On September 12, 1970, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Fredonia, she married Kirk R. DeBerry, of Great Bend. The couple had a son, Stephen Kirk DeBerry, born in Fredonia on July 23, 1972, and a daughter, Elizabeth Carter DeBerry, born in Groton, Ct., on Feb. 19, 1979. Mina was a Navy wife, and made comfortable and beautiful homes for her family in California, Idaho, Kentucky, Virginia, and Connecticut, moving 14 times in 16 years. She honed her cooking and baking skills through entertaining as a “Ward Room Wife,” earning a reputation as a top-notch hostess. While living in Connecticut, she was a member of Julie Singers, a traveling ladies’ chorale group. She returned to Fredonia in 1986 and became managing editor of the Wilson County Citizen until health issues forced her retirement in 2024. Her column, “Checking It Out,” was a reader favorite for more than 40 years, and showcased Mina’s sharp wit and sense of humor. A voracious bookworm, Mina especially enjoyed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Tom Clancy, Leon Uris, and true crime books. She loved the “Little House” books, and often made reference to particular passages. Mina also loved music, and watching crime/mystery programs on television. In addition to covering innumerable meetings for the Citizen, Mina served on the Fredonia Regional Hospital board of directors, was a member of the Wilson County Republican Women, and enjoyed sponsoring local events and organizations, such as the fair and rodeo, Homecoming, Sausage Fest, and the Fredonia Arts Council. Her support of fundraisers included many years of offering the “Pie of the Month” prize for the Fredonia Regional Health Care Foundation, earning thousands of dollars for that organization. Mina also served as the mistress of ceremonies at the Fredonia Business Women’s annual Homecoming pageant for many years. Before her health made it difficult to travel, Mina thoroughly enjoyed her Saturday “cruises,” often to her favorite Chinese restaurant, and then “taking the long way home” to see what was happening in Wilson County. Mina was preceded in death by her parents, Joe and Rita Relph; her brother Joseph Stephen Relph II (Steve); her son, Stephen Kirk DeBerry; brothers-in-law James L. Johnson, Roger D. Gross, and Phillip W. Odell; as well as several aunts, uncles, and cousins. She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth Carter DeBerry (Sarah Stonehocker) of San Francisco; her former husband Kirk DeBerry, Hanover, Penn.; sisters Patricia Relph Gross, Fayetteville, Ark., Virginia Relph and Meredith Relph Odell of Fredonia; brother Ross S. Relph (Josie), Lenexa; sister-in-law Laura (Roger) Fitzmorris; nieces Rebecca Relph and Emily Relph Lynn (Garrett), Lenexa, Jillian Johnson, Fredonia, and Stephanie Wilson, Independence; great-nephews Giovanni Johnson, Fredonia, and Fletcher Lynn, Lenexa, and great-niece Mina Lucia Johnson, Fredonia. A celebration of Mina’s incredible life will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, May 1, 2026 at Countryside Funeral Home in Fredonia. 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race.” “I work on the premise that the language in American newspapers is English — not jargon. I think that newspaper readers want and deserve both good grammar and good taste, along with good information.”— John Bremner, KU jounalism professor and Mina’s go-to source for word style.

Mina S. DeBerry

October 17, 1949 - April 20, 2026