Buckley Lee 'Buck' Sloan, 77, of Hutchinson, died Thursday, June 21, 2018, at Hospice House, Hutchinson. He was born in Sterling, KS to Floyd and Hazel (Charter) Sloan.

He attended Sterling High School. Buckley loved the Hutchinson Public Library and Dillon Nature Center.

Buckley is survived by: daughters, Beverly Sloan of Lyons, Lisa Boyd of Afton, OK, and Melissa Sloan of Hutchinson; son, James Sloan of Lincoln, NE; grandsons, Leonard Thurman, Curtis and Dusty Blackwell, and Quinton, Bryce and Benjamin Sloan; and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by: his parents; brother, Jerry Sloan; and sisters Anita Southards and Donna Turner.

A memorial service will be 2 p.m. Monday, July 9, 2018, at Hester Chapel held at Trinity United Methodist Church with Rev. Dr. Kim Biery officiating. Burial will take place at Sterling Community Cemetery. Friends may sign the book Sunday through Tuesday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m at Elliott Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Dillon Nature Center or Hutchinson Public Library in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501.

Backyard Cookout
By: Melissa Sloan
Cool mid-summer Saturday evening-
crickets chirping,
smell of fresh cut grass mixing
with sultry summer heat
rising in steamy waves.
Part of newspaper in hand,
legs tingle from being pierced
by the cinderblocks which
encircle the pit.
The usual ritual performed-
strips of paper torn and wadded,
small, then medium twigs placed
on top, quarter-sized sticks
weighing them down.
A section of tree branch
skillfully thrown from
log stack to pit.
A wooden match struck
on a cinderblock,
set to the paper.
A small flame emerging
spreads rapidly from
paper wad to paper wad.
A few small twigs catch,
fire enlarges, engulfs the pile.
Dad and I sit silent,
with pure amazement,
observing the orange, yellow,
and blue flames flickering.
I sip on my Pepsi longing
for the taste of grilled hamburgers.