Erma Stephens

Erma Lois (Murray) Stephens was born May 5th, 1937, to Harry C. and Fannie (Goldstein) Murray in Kansas City, Missouri. Erma was the youngest of eight children. Erma passed away at the age of 88 in Prairie Village, Kansas. Her services will be held at Park Lawn Funeral Home on Wednesday the 21st, The visitation will begin at 10:00 AM and the service will begin at 11:00 AM. Graveside will follow directly after.

Erma grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and graduated in 1955 from Central High School. Following graduation, Erma began her career as a telephone operator for Southwestern Bell Telephone, where she worked for two years. In 1957 , she accepted a position as a telephone operator at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, located south of Kansas City. During her time at the base, she met Ernest G. (“Steve”) Stephens, a member of the United States Air Force stationed there. Erma and Steve met in December 1958, and after a courtship of four weeks, they married and spent the next twenty years traveling the world together with the military.

From their union came two children: their daughter, Kathy, born in 1959 in Colorado Springs, Colorado and their son, Grant, born in 1961 at the Hahn Air Base in Germany. After Steve’s retirement from the Air Force, the family settled in Hammon, Oklahoma, where Erma and Steve owned two businesses. They later returned to Kansas City, where both eventually retired.

Erma was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and daughter. She took great pride in maintaining a warm and immaculate home and was a talented cook. She also created many cherished crocheted keepsakes for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Erma loved the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs, March Madness, and, oddly enough, the Denver Broncos. She will be deeply missed by her son and daughter in law, her grandchildren, extended family, and her friends.

Erma is preceded in death by her parents, husband Steve; daughter, Kathy (Stephens) Norman; granddaughter, Sharna K. Norman; and four sisters and two brothers.

She is survived by her son, Grant C. Stephens, and daughter-in-law, Jamie Stephens, of Overland Park, Kansas; her five grandchildren: Stephen (Chessa) Norman of Overland Park, Kansas; Andrew (Hannah) Stephens of Kansas City, Missouri; Amber (Scott) Deering of Elizabeth, Colorado; Conner (Chandler) Stephens of Overland Park, Kansas; and Zachary Stephens of San Diego, California; her great grandson, Ned Norman of Overland Park, Kansas; her son-in-law, Mike Norman of Lee’s Summit, Missouri; her sister, Ruth M. Brown of Belton, Missouri; and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Heart Association.