The family of Emma Florence Kortman of Plano, Texas is saddened to announce her
passing on September 21, 2023, at the age of 104 years.
Emma was preceded in death by her father Max Paul Theodor Kortman on
December 3, 1930, and mother Dora (Ely) Kortman on December 11, 1993. She
was also preceded in death by her five brother and sisters, Max Theodore, Donald
Ely, Lela Lee, Erma Byrdene, and Dwight Arthur.
Emma was the eldest daughter of the six children, and was born on April 24, 1919,
in Glen Elder, Kansas. Her father died when Emma was just 11 years old. Her
widowed mother raised her six children alone in a one-bedroom house with no
indoor plumbing. The bathroom was a two-seat outhouse. Also, her mother
believed that a college education and driving cars were only for boys, so Emma
never learned to drive. During her life she either walked or used public
transportation. She also never married, had no children, and perhaps these things
were the key to her longevity. After graduation from high school Emma moved to
the "big city" of Chicago for her first job as a live-in housekeeper for a well-to-do
family. Over the years Emma worked for various manufacturing companies such
as Boeing Aircraft, in Wichita, Kansas where she built autopilot units for aircraft
used in WWII, and MCI in Richardson, Texas.
She is survived by 11 nieces and nephews, 6 great nieces and great nephews, and 7
great-great nieces and nephews. Two in particular were her primary helpers during
the later years of her life: Diane Casillo (niece) and Ron Van Iderstine (Rhonda)
(nephew).
Emma was a good Christian woman who loved to read the Bible and had a strong
faith in God. She attended church on a regular basis and was always there to help
family and friends. She experienced growing up in the dust bowl, during the
depression, and contracting and surviving "dust pneumonia". She lived through
and witnessed two pandemics, several Wars that included WWII, Korean, the Cold
War and Vietnam…not to mention all the changes in technology that evolved.
Because of her strong will and stubbornness, she survived a heart attack in
February of 2022 at 102, COVID in November 2022 and surgery in February of
2023 at 103, right before she turned 104, to repair a broken femur. One of her
other greatest joys was playing games: Mexican dominoes, Rummikub, Skip-Bo,
or Uno. Another joy was chocolate! She referred to herself as a "chocoholic" and
when she had some she would say "Oh Boy!"

Visitation and funeral services will be at Old Mission Wichita Park Cemetery,
3424 East 21 st Street, Wichita, Kansas 67208. Visitation will from 4:00 PM to 8:00
PM on Thursday, September 28, 2023 and funeral services will be held at 10:30
AM on Friday, September 29, 2023.
"Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left-hand riches and honor."
Proverbs 3:16.
"So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will
rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." John 16:22