Buddy Gene McDaniel

Buddy Gene McDaniel, 81, passed away at 8:15 a.m. Thursday (Aug.19, 2010).

He was the son of Bud Earnest and Lillian Loewen McDaniel of Newton. Buddy was born on July 12, 1929, in Newton. He attended grade school and high school in Newton. The home of his early life was the Merchants Hotel in Newton, run by his parents and later, after the death of his father due to an auto accident, by his mother. He was employed early in life at the Fox Theater in Newton, where he acquired an interest in music, movies and movie memorabilia.

During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army and was stationed at Fort Riley. After moving to Wichita, he was employed at Macy’s, where he worked in the music department. He also worked at KAKE and sang with the studio orchestra for a period of time. He became an avid collector of music and movie memorabilia, and later, he began a business of selling memorabilia to customers around the world. He made trips annually to shops in Europe, making purchases that would satisfy his customers’ needs. He also attended most of the estate sales in the Wichita and Newton area, searching to add to his collection. He possibly had one of the greatest collections of this type of merchandise than anyone in the state, maybe the country. Buddy continued in this business until medical problems caused him to slow down, then stopped when it became impossible for him to continue.

He was an only child. His survivors are aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; and his stepfather, Harold Mosier.

Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Friday at Petersen Funeral Home in Newton. Graveside services for Buddy will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Greenwood Cemetery in Newton.
A memorial has been set up for Murfin Animal Care: Humane Society.