Doris "Doe" Terrell, 93, of Overland Park, KS, passed away Friday, October 17, 2025 at the University of Kansas Hospital Hospice Unit. The visitation will be from 9:30-10:30 a.m. with the funeral service at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 22 at the Porter Funeral Home, 8535 Monrovia, Lenexa, KS. Graveside services will be held at 12:45 p.m. at the Fairview Cemetery, Sweet Springs, MO.
Doris was born August 29, 1932, in St. Joseph, MO, the daughter of Rufus and Viola (Welch) Rose. She attended nursing school at Kansas City General Hospital before moving to Sweet Springs, MO to help open a new medical practice. Shortly after arriving, she met Grant B Terrell, the handsome young town veterinarian (and most eligible bachelor) and they married a few months later. Doris and Grant moved to Kansas City where she returned to General Hospital as head nurse in surgery. During this time, she assisted in the first heart transplant surgery performed west of the Mississippi River.
An opportunity for Grant took them to Highland, Illinois, where she worked as a public health nurse and had her first child, Grant David. The next move took them to Macomb, IL where she had her second child, Linda, and began working for Western Illinois University at the student health center. A doctor shortage caused the university to seek candidates to attend one of the very early programs to train nurse practitioners. She was selected and became the first of two adult care nurse practitioners in Illinois, along with her lifetime friend, Mary Logsdon. The next move took Doris and her family to Geneva, IL, where she began working at the student health clinic at Northern Illinois University. Upon her retirement in 1995 she and Grant embarked on many motorhome journeys across the U.S. and Canada, including enjoying their annual winter stays in Bluewater Key, Florida.
She was preceded in death by her husband Dr. Grant B Terrell, son Grant David Terrell, father Rufus Rose, mother Viola Welch Cregger, stepfather Irvin “Blackie” Cregger, sister Darline (Cregger) Burchett; sister Nadine Cregger Williams, sister Betty Cregger Green, and sister-in-law Betty (Lincoln) Cregger. She is survived by brother Robert Cregger, daughter Linda Terrell Mazan and son-in-Law Paul Mazan, daughter-in-law Regina (O’Connor) Terrell and grand-children Jillian Terrell, Emily Terrell, Grant Mazan, Brent Mazan and his wife Jessi (Ricks) Mazan. And nieces Kimberly Terrell, Terri (Cregger) Martin and Paula Cregger.
The family suggests memorial contributions be made to Harvesters or The Greater Chicago Food Depository.