Gayla Day Kanaga Slemp, 90, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Oct. 12, 2024, at her daughter’s home near Minneapolis, KS. She was born Jan. 2, 1934, in her parents’ farmhouse near Arnold, KS, to Charles and Bessie Bennett Day. When she was nine, Gayla went to live with her Uncle Jake (Aunt Frankie) Funk in Ness City.
In 1953, she married Dudley Kanaga at First Baptist Church, Ness City, and they farmed together. To this union, six children were born: Estie Grubbs, Hugoton, Mary (Gary) Schuler, Marion, Rosie (Brett) Prochaska, Ada, Joseph John, stillborn, Rebecca Hunt (Lino Mendoza), Houston, TX, and Christy (Mickey) Scholes, Omaha, NE.
She went to college to become an LPN at 45 years old and worked as a nurse for about 10 years. In 1997, she was married to John R. (Bud) Slemp for 17 wonderful years. They lived in Frontenac near Pittsburg.
Gayla was a cabin counselor at Camp Christy, near Scott City, for many years when her kids were campers, and later, camp nurse a few summers. She hiked down into the Grand Canyon four times with family or friends. From 2017 to 2020, Gayla helped lead Grief Share group sessions three times each year.
She was preceded in death by her husband, one son, and one granddaughter, and two great grandsons.
She is survived by 5 daughters, 13 grandchildren, and 23 great grandchildren, one great-great grandson.
The celebration of life will be Saturday, Nov. 2, at 11 a.m., at the Antioch Baptist Church in Ada, KS. The family would like memorials to go to Camp Christy, in care of Wilson Family Funeral Home, P.O. Box 166, Minneapolis, KS 67467.
