Dwight Edward Cornwell

Dwight Edward Cornwell, 87, of Luray, Kansas, passed away September 15, 2021, at Stoneybrook Memory Care Center in Manhattan, Kansas. Dwight was born in Codell, KS on February 12, 1934, to Floyd and Ruie Edith (Byerley) Cornwell. The family moved to Luray when he was a young boy. He graduated from Luray High School. After high school, he worked for the city of Russell as an electrician and started a plumbing and electrical business in Luray with Harry Luder. Dwight served in the Army and then the National Guard from 1956to 1962. He was stationed in Missouri, Texas, Germany, and then deployed to Beirut, Lebanon, as part of Operation Blue Bat in support of the Eisenhower Doctrine during the Cold War. On the side, he played the bugle for the Army, and the trumpet and drums in a band that performed on weekends on the base. He received multiple awards including the Defense Service and Good Conduct Medals. Dwight married Katherine Lee Luder of Waldo, KS on August 6th, 1961. They settled and raised a family in Luray. Dwight was a farmer and rancher. He farmed wheat, milo, and other crops, and raised cattle and hogs (briefly), later specializing in calving. He was a cowboy at heart. Dwight and Kathie received the Kansas Bankers Association Award for Soil Conservation in 1994. In the mid-1960s, Dwight was a Marshall for Luray and Deputy for Russell County and Luray. He was a member of the Luray Lions Club, VFW, Luray United Methodist Church, and various civic organizations such as Booster Club and the Historical Society. He volunteered to help with community events such as the annual Luray UMC Fish Fry and Luray Friendship Day in addition to performing electrical maintenance on the church building when needed. He served on the volunteer fire department and the city council. He loved music. He had a beautiful tenor voice and sang in several church choirs, including cantatas and madrigals. He enjoyed dancing and was in the Sunflower Polka Club. He was a sobriety recruiter and spent many years trying to help others overcome addiction. Dwight is survived by his daughters, Jeanette (Mark) Schuler of Manhattan, KS, and JoAnn (Mike) Masters of Cedar Rapids, IA; grandchildren, Jessica (Casey) Klinge of Overland Park, KS, Jeffrey Schuler of South Lake Tahoe, CA, Kendra (Luke) Engelman of Roeland Park, KS, Allison Masters of Ames, IA, Madeline Masters of Carlsbad, CA and Sophie (Kevin) Simons of Ankeny, IA; great-granddaughter Susannah Klinge; sister, Jessie Lee Britt of Alamogordo, NM; nieces, Sue (Ken) Moore of Alamogordo, NM, and Linda (Joe) Dolton of Luray, KS and; nephews, Alan (Jan) Britt of Farmington, NM, and Dennis Cornwell of Luray, KS. He was preceded in death by his wife, Kathie, his parents, and his brother, Keith. The visitation will be held at the Luray United Methodist Church on Thursday, September 23, 2021, at 10:00 a.m., followed by the funeral at 11:00. The church will serve lunch after the funeral. The burial will be at the Osborne Cemetery at 2:00. Funeral arrangements are by Carlson’s Irvin-Parkview Funeral Home of Manhattan. Please contact them for floral delivery options. Memorials may be made to the Luray United Methodist Church.