Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Clyde Victor Merckle
Clyde Victor Merckle, 92, of Great Bend, died Jan. 1, 2008. Arrangements are pending with Bryant Funeral Home, Great
Bend, and will be announced.
Verlyn “Chop” Unruh
1932 - 2007
LOS ANGELES — Verlyn “Chop” Unruh of Los Angeles, Calif., passed away at home on Dec. 24, where he’s resided
for the past 48 years. He was born Dec. 21, 1932, in Larned, the son of Ralph and Pearl Unruh. He married Mary Ann
Hall, of Seward, on June 6, 1959. Verlyn was a computer systems consultant. He was a graduate of Great Bend High
School and Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia.
Mr. Unruh was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean Conflict and served from 1950-1953. He was an active member of
the German United Methodist Church in Glendale, Calif.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Ann; two daughters, Carla Linneman of Littleton, Colo., and Telsa Unruh of
Alpharetta, Ga.; grandsons William and Michael Linneman; sisters June Butts of Thomson, Ga., and Barbara Unruh
and Charlotte Vaughn, both of Great Bend. He was preceded in death by one brother, Richard.
Funeral services were held Jan. 2 at Gates, Kingsley, Gates in Santa Monica, Calif., and burial was at Holy Cross
Cemetery in Culver City, Calif.
Carole Ellen (Nuss) Dorsch
1944 - 2007
LAWRENCE — Carole Ellen (Nuss) Dorsch, 63, died Dec. 28 at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. She was born Dec. 10,
1944, in Great Bend, to Raymond and Elsie Kelpe Nuss. She attended St. John’s Junior College in Winfield, where she
received her Associate of Arts degree. From there she attended Valparaiso University in Indiana, and received her
Bachelor of Science degree. Carole later returned to school at the University of Kansas and became licensed as an
alcohol and drug abuse counselor, which she practiced for 21 years.
She is survived by her partner and best friend Caitlin D. Matthews; one son, Daxon of California; one daughter, Chane
of Concordia; four grandchildren; her brother, Morrey Nuss of Mayfield Heights, Ohio; and her sister, Una (Nuss)
Durheim of Dodge City.
A memorial visitation was held Wednesday. Memorials may be made to Lawrence Humane Society in care of the
Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, Box 1260, Lawrence, KS 66044.
Eugene “Gene” Zorn
1945 - 2008
Eugene “Gene” Zorn, 62, of Great Bend, died Jan. 4 at Central Kansas Medical Center in Great Bend. He was born
March 1, 1945, at Great Bend, the son of William E. and Frances Jenisch Zorn. He married Arlene M. Lamatsch on
Sept. 28, 1968, in Odin. She survives. He was an accountant for Harper Construction Company for 37 years, and also
engaged in farming. He was a resident of Great Bend since 1968, coming from Odin.
Mr. Zorn was a member of Prince of Peace Parish at St. Patrick, The Perpetual Adoration Chapel and the American
Diabetes Association.
Survivors include his wife, of the home; two daughters, Julie M. Smith and husband Spencer, Houston, Texas, and
Carrie A. Rueger and husband John, Lenexa; two sisters, Leona Birzer, Ellinwood, and Eleanor Zecha, Claflin; one
grandson, Alexander Rueger; one step-grandson, Reagan Smith; four nephews, Greg Birzer, Mike Birzer, Jason
Haberman and Jeremy Combs; and two nieces, Debbie Steinert and Sharon Koerperich.
Vigil and Rosary service will be at 7 p.m. today at Bryant Funeral Home, Great Bend. Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m.
Monday at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Great Bend with Father Marvin Reif and Father Wesley Schawe officiating.
Interment will be at 2:30 p.m. in Holy Family Cemetery in Odin. Visitation will be from 1 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral
home. Memorial donations to the Holy Family School Endowment or Sister Aquinata Nursing Scholarship Fund may
be made in care of the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
Doris June Anthony
1936 - 2008
LARNED – Doris June Anthony, 71, died Jan. 4 at Ellsworth Hospital. She was born July 21, 1936, at Dalhart, Texas,
to James and Nancy Maudie Green Merwin. She married Miles E. Anthony in April of 1956 at Great Bend. He died
Dec. 31, 1984. A longtime resident of Russell, she was a cook at the Russell Inn.
Mrs. Anthony was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary of Russell.
Survivors include one daughter, Sandra Thompson, Russell; one son, John H. Anthony, Larned; two brothers, Jerry Lee
Merwin, El Dorado, Texas, and Donald Keith Merwin, Larned; six grandchildren, John Anthony, Jeff Anthony, Jackie
Anthony, Brandon Thompson, Tyler Thompson and Kyle Thompson. She was preceded in death by a son, James
Anthony, and four brothers, Gene Merwin, Ernest Merwin, James Merwin and Samuel Merwin; and a sister, Margie
Richie.
Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Bryant Funeral Home in Great Bend with the Rev. Don Paden officiating.
Interment will be at the Great Bend Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday and 9 a.m. until service
time Tuesday at the funeral home. Donations to the Doris June Anthony Memorial Fund may be made in care of the
funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
Clyde Victor Merckle
1915 - 2008
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Clyde Victor Merckle, 92, died Jan. 1 at his home in Surprise, Ariz. Born April 25, 1915, at Fly,
Ohio, he was the son of Samuel J. and Blanche Hissom Merckle. He married Margaret Evelyn Lehman on Dec. 28,
1936, at Newton. She died on June 2, 1971. He was a retired drilling contractor for D.R. Lauck Oil Company. After
working for the D.R. Lauck Company as a driller and toolpusher, he became a partner in 1956 of the Lauck Drilling
Company, a position he held for the next 22 years. The Halliburton Oil Producing Company hired him in 1977, but a
year later, he assembled a new rig and commenced operating as the Merckle Drilling Company. After five more years,
he sold the rig and went to work for Sam Mays Petroleum Services for several years. In 1987 Merckle built the wooden
derrick for the Mid-America Oil and Gas Show, which still stands at the Expo Building west of Great Bend. He was a
resident of Surprise, Ariz. since 2002, coming from Great Bend, where he had been a resident since 1941.
Mr. Merckle was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Great Bend, BPOE, all Masonic bodies in Great
Bend and Isis Temple and Salina Consistory, both of Salina, KIOGA and the Great Bend Petroleum Club.
Survivors include a daughter, Karen Clarke, of Surprise, Ariz.
Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday at the First United Methodist Church in Great Bend with the Rev.
Gary Brooks officiating. Burial will be at the Great Bend Cemetery. Friends may visit from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday
with family receiving friends from 7 to 8 p.m. at Bryant Funeral Home. Memorials are suggested to Shriner Children’s
Hospital in care of the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
Daniel C. Stejskal
1935 - 2008
LA CROSSE – Daniel C. Stejskal, 72, died Jan. 3 at Hays Medical Center. Born June 5, 1935, at Timken, he was the
son of Ralph and Clara Zimmer Stejskal. A lifelong resident of Rush County, he was a truck driver in the oil industry
before his retirement.
Mr. Stejskal was a U.S. Army veteran, serving in Panama for two years.
He was a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Timken, and American Legion Post No. 106, Larned.
Survivors include his fiancée, Marilyn Ewing, of La Crosse; three daughters, Therese Thompson, Charleston, S.C.,
Tracy Myers, Hutchinson, and Tammy Pugh, Great Bend; one sister, Evangeline “Vangie” Anderson, Great Bend;
seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
A memorial Mass of Resurrection will be held by the family at 10 a.m. Monday at the church in Timken, with the Rev.
Rene Labrador officiating. Cremation has taken place. Donations may be made to the Daniel C. Stejskal Memorial in
care of Janousek Funeral Home, La Crosse.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Janousek Funeral Home
719 Pine
La Crosse, KS 67548
Robert C. Schaeffer
1950 - 2007
LARNED – Robert C. Schaeffer, 57, died Dec. 17 at his home in Larned. He was born Oct. 9, 1950, at Great Bend, the
son of Leo L. and Inez Ann Slansky Schaeffer. A lifetime resident of Larned, he was a retired Social Security Aid at
the Larned State Hospital.
Mr. Schaeffer was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Larned.
Survivors include one aunt, Lou Slansky, Stockton, and several cousins.
Memorial service will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the church in Larned, with the Rev. Bernard Felix officiating.
Cremation has taken place. Burial will be at a later date in the Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery, Plainville. Donations
may be sent to the Robert Schaeffer Memorial Fund in care of Morell Funeral Home, Larned.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Morell Funeral Home
P.O. Box 124
Larned, KS 67550-0124
