Elsworth "Bud" Hoover, died early Sunday morning, March 23, 2008, at the Lone Tree Retirement Center, Meade, Kansas.

He was born on Nov. 7 1923 in Beaver, Oklahoma, was the oldest son of 10 children born to Elza & Elsie Hoover . He always said that one of his proudest roles was being the big brother to his 2 brothers & 7 sisters, even though two of the girls were older than he. Elsworth, who much preferred his nickname, worked his wife's family farm before joining the fight in Europe in 1943. He was captured in the Argonne at the Battle of the Bulge and was a prisoner of war until he was liberated in March of 1945. After months of rehabilitation, Bud and Susie began their family and moved their lives to Liberal, Kansas . They became part of the American Dream that flourished after WWII. He said once that one of the things he was most proud of was having his two children graduate from college and become teachers. Bud retired from Enron Corp. in 1985. He always had a smile for others, was always able to see the good in people and enjoyed the beauty of the American landscape, even after losing his precious daughter and beloved wife to illnesses.
Bud married Dorothy Hoover in 1993. Dorothy had also lost her dear husband, Bud's brother, Richard. Bud and Dorothy blessed each other's lives for the remaining 15 years. His and Dorothy's children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren became the center of their lives and Dorothy's rambling farmhouse became the center of all the family gatherings, with Bud, his twinkling eyes and impish grin, at the head of the table. Bud is preceded in death by Susie, his wife of 52 years, his daughter Marcia Banning, his siblings Richard Hoover, Itha Simmons, Inez Robinson, Marylou Workentine and Nova Dean Phelps. He is survived by Dorothy, his wife of 15 years, his son Martin E. Hoover and his wife Katharine and daughter, Rebecca, his grandchildren Jessica Hoover, Jeremy Banning and Nicholas Banning, his step-daughters, Beverly Kernohan, Marilyn Walter, Sharon Keltner and Jacque Ediger, his siblings Bonnie Headricks, Peggy Cox, Karen Pauls and Roy Hoover, plus 4 great-grandchildren and 9 step-great-grandchildren all who deeply love this wonderful man and will miss his gracious and generous spirit every day. Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 27, 2008, at the United Methodist Church, Meade, Kansas. Friends may call from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, at Fidler-Orme-Bachman Mortuary, Meade. Interment will be at 2:00 p.m. Thursday in the Pioneer Cemetery, Beaver, Oklahoma, with military honors provided by the United States Army.