Jean Davis

Jean Marie Davis, born Feb. 8, 1935, peacefully passed away April 17, 2026, at Smith County Memorial Hospital in Smith Center, Kansas. Her children, Fawn, Alan, Cindy, and Todd, were with her.

Jean’s early years were spent with her parents, Hurshel and Grace Walker, and brother Joe, in the Kansas City area. The family relocated to Bonner Springs, Kansas in 1941, and Jean graduated from Bonner Springs High School in 1953 as Valedictorian.

She was off to Kansas State University in the fall of ’53 and it wasn’t long before her life changed forever thanks to Bud Linn, a Bonner Springs classmate who also enrolled at KSU. Bud introduced Jean to his roommate, Vaden Davis, Jr, a tall farm boy from rural Jewell County. City girl and country boy hit it off. Vaden and Jean were married May 20, 1956. Vaden was an Air Force officer, and his military service over the next three years led the newlyweds to stops in Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

Vaden left the Air Force in 1959 and moved to the Davis family farm north of Esbon. It was on the Davis farm where Jean and Vaden raised their family. Vaden passed away from ALS on April 20, 2001. Jean lived on the farm for another 20 years until moving to Sun Porch in Smith Center in 2021.

Jean had many talents. A skilled seamstress, Jean’s beautiful quilts are treasured by her family and friends who through the years have received them. For a city gal, Jean grew to love the farm. She took special pride in her yard and continued to mow her lawn well into her 80s. Jean loved her farm “kitties” that never failed to surround her when she stepped outside. Birds made her smile and it’s beyond dispute she made the best chocolate chip cookies in the world!

Jean’s faith guided her throughout her life. A longtime member of Union Chapel Methodist Church, Jean had extensive knowledge of the Bible and loved sharing her faith with others.
Jean was preceeded in death by her parents, Hurshel and Grace Walker; a brother, Joseph Walker; and her husband, Vaden Davis, Jr.

She is survived by her children: Fawn (Terry) Hoit of Red Cloud, NE.; Alan (Kim) Davis of Esbon, KS; Cindy (Joe) Birney, Tulsa, OK; and Todd Davis, Esbon, KS; eight grandchildren; Danyel (Drew) Hoffman, McPherson, KS; Blake (Ana) Davis, Esbon, KS; Will (Hannah) Birney, Kiefer, OK; Ben (Katherine) Birney, Tulsa, OK; Annie Birney, Lenexa, KS; Patrick (Angie) Hoit, Beatrice, NE; A.J. Davis, Lincoln, NE; and Grant (Kimberly) Davis, Esbon, KS; and 10 great-grandchildren: Addison, Colt, Brody, Selene, Audrey, Luke, Uriah, Bo, Davis, Colbie, and her 11th great-grandchild who will arrive this summer.

The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at Sun Porch and the Smith Country Memorial Hospital for all they did for Jean. Memorials are suggested to the Smith County Hospital, the ALS Keith Worthington Chapter, or Sun Porch of Smith County and may be sent in care of Williams & Kuehn Funeral Home, 241 West 4th Ave., Red Cloud, NE 68970.