Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Joseph Henry Cox Jr.
Thursday, Aug 14, 2008
Joe H. Cox Jr., 73, of Abilene died Monday, Aug. 11, 2008, at Memorial Hospital in Abilene.
He was born May 26, 1935, in Dickinson County, the son of Joseph H. and Gladys (Shane) Cox Sr. He moved to Hope as a child, attended Hope schools and graduated in 1953 from Hope High School.
He married Joyce Sinclair on Dec. 26, 1954, in Hope.
He went to work at the Gambles store in Salina following graduation and worked for the company in Salina, Abilene and Arkansas City, eventually purchasing the Abilene Gambles store in 1973. He retired after 25 years at the Abilene store and more than 40 years with the Gambles company.
He served as president of the Herington Hoe Downers square dance club.
Survivors include his wife, Joyce, of the home; one son, Gregory Joe Cox of Abilene; three daughters, Kelle Jo Enger of Talmage, Kimberly Jo Hicks of Hope, and Kathy Jo Chaput of Salina; two brothers, Dan Cox of Salina and Gary Cox of Abilene; one stepbrother, Max Wendell of Herington; 14 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and other relatives.
Memorial services will be at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14 at the Martin-Becker-Carlson Funeral Home, 414 N.W. Third, Abilene. Pastor Joan Thayer will officiate. Inurnment will be in the Hope City Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. tonight at the funeral home where friends may call until time of service.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation and left at the funeral home.
Titus Wingerd
Thursday, Aug 14, 2008
Titus M. Wingerd, 79, of Abilene, died Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008, at the Alterra Sterling House II, Abilene.
He was born May 18, 1929, in Hope, the son of Asa and Ruth (Bowers) Wingerd. He attended Ramona Grade School and graduated from Jabbok Bible School in Thomas, Okla., and Messiah College in Grantham, Pa.
His first wife, Fannie, preceded him in death. On Jan. 29, 1966, he married Mary Arlene Hess. They moved to Hope in 2003 to make their home.
He owned a plumbing business in Los Lunas, N.M. Following retirement, he traveled with the Mobile Missionary Assistance Program for 14 years, working on 130 projects, including two months in Africa. He was a foster parent for 15 children.
He was a member of the Zion Brethren in Christ Church in rural Abilene.
Survivors include his wife, Mary, of the home; one son, Nelson Wingerd of Albuquerque, N.M.; one daughter, Melina Ridley of Belen, N.M.; four brothers, Dale Wingerd of Ramona, Eldon Wingerd of Ontario, Calif., Roy Wingerd of Albuquerque, N.M., and Edgar Wingerd of Westminster, Calif.; four sisters, Edna Hart of Upland, Calif., Cora Schultz of Northfield, Minn., Carol Hastings of Des Moines, Iowa, and Miriam Kruger of Ontario, Calif.; four grandchildren and other relatives.
He also was preceded in death by a son, Nathan Wingerd, his brother, Paul Wingerd, and an infant brother, Glenn Wingerd.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 16, 2008, at Martin-Becker-Carlson Funeral Home, 414 N.W. Third, Abilene, with Pastors Pete Wilms and Shane Britt officiating. Burial will be in the Rosebank Church Cemetery, rural Hope.
The family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, where friends may call until time of service.
Memorial contributions may be made to His Way Ministries, Williamsburg, Kan., and left at the funeral home.
Bruce Neill
Thursday, Aug 14, 2008
EMPORIA — Bruce A. Neill, 49, of Emporia, died Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008, at his home.
Born Oct. 28, 1958, in Beloit, he was the son of Kenneth L. and Joann M. (Moser) Neill.
He married Cindy M. Davis on April 29, 1979, in Abilene. She survives.
He was manager of the Neenan Company in Emporia.
Survivors include one son, Kory A. Neill of Phoenix, Ariz.; daughters, Katie J. Bam of Phoenix, Ariz. and Kari Neill of Overland Park; father, Kenneth L. Neill of Scottsdale, Ariz.; brothers, Richard Neill of Cave Creek, Ariz, and Kent Neill of Scottsdale, Ariz.
Josephine Riffel
Saturday, Aug 16, 2008
HOPE — Josephine Riffel, 84, of Hope, died Aug. 11, 2008, at Via Christi St. Francis Hospital in Wichita.
She was born Jan. 25, 1924, in Beverly, the daughter of Walter and Viola (Frink) Brouhard.
She married Benjamin Riffel on Dec. 14, 1945. They made their home and farmed in the Hope area.
She was a homemaker and drove school buses for the Navarre and Chapman schools for 28 years.
Mrs. Riffel was a member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church, Shadybrook, Herington, and the Lutheran Women’s Mission League.
Survivors include two sons, Merlin Riffel of Enterprise and Leland Riffel of Stanley; six daughters, Lela Mae Trent of Wichita, Connie Davis of Tulsa, Okla., Linda Donnelly of Elmo, Bonnie McGilbra of Owasso, Okla., Debbie Middleton of Tulsa, Okla., and Becky Lang of Burlingame; three brothers, Raymond Brouhard of Texas, Clayton Brouhard of Kenville, N.J., and Jerry Brouhard of Waterloo, Iowa; four sisters, Betty Frobenius of Lincolnville, Elsie Riffel of Herington, Clara McCoonse of Overland Park and Carol Humphreys of Frontenac; 16 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren and five great-great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Benjamin; a sister, Ora Beckel and two grandsons.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Aug. 18, 2008, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Shadybrook, rural Herington. The Rev. John Riebhoff will officiate. Burial will be in Shadybrook Church Cemetery.
A prayer service will be from 7 to 8 p.m. Sunday with visitation following at the Carlson-Becker Funeral Home, Hope. Friends may call at the funeral home until time of service.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Elsie Brooks Cancer Memorial Fund or the Harry Hynes Hospice of Wichita and left at the Carlson-Becker Funeral Home, 106 N. Second Street, Hope, KS 67451-0355.
Lucille Marie Loader
Saturday, Aug 16, 2008
Lucille Marie Loader (Courtesy photo)
JUNCTION CITY — Funeral Services for Lucille Marie Loader, 82, of Junction City, Kan., will be 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug 16, 2008, at the Penwell-Gabel Johnson Funeral Chapel 203 N. Washington Street, in Junction City. Pastors Kim and Greg Rea will officiate.
The family will receive friends one hour prior to service time on Saturday. Burial will follow the service at Highland Cemetery.
Mrs. Loader died at Salina Regional Health Care Center on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008, with her daughters Janet and Barbara by her side.
Memorial contributions may be given to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Mid America Chapter 6811 W. 63rd Street, Suite 202 Shawnee Mission, Kan. 66202.
Lucille Prost Loader was born in Osage County, Kan., on December 29, 1925, to Marcel and Irene (Goodnight) Prost. She graduated from Chapman High School in 1943. After high school, she taught in rural schools in Dickinson County. She then stopped teaching to be a homemaker and start a family. She earned a B.S. in Elementary Education and later worked as a case worker and food stamp worker for the Department of Social Services.
She attended the Alida Zion Methodist Church in the Alida Community. She lived most of her adult life in Junction City. She was most proud of her family and the accomplishments of her children and grandchildren.
She married Lyle Knisely Loader May 8, 1943, in Manhattan, Kansas. They were blessed with 63 years of marriage. Lyle passed away December 25, 2006.
Lucille is surived by her two daughters, Janet Rowland of Junction City and Barbara Janssen and her husband David of Salina, Kansas; three sisters, Mrs. Jack (Billie) Mosler of Grove, OK., Mrs. Jesse (Nadine) Russell of Oswego, Kan. and Mrs. Gerald (Edith) Ellis of Cherryvale, Kan. She is also survived by six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Lillian Fritz
Saturday, Aug 16, 2008
FARGO, N.D. — Lillian D. Fritz, 90, died Thursday, August 7, 2008 in Rosewood on Broadway, Fargo, N.D.
Lillian Dorothy Weisenburger was born July 3, 1918, at Greenway, SD, to Emmanuel and Thusnelda (Klaudt) Weisenburger. She grew up and attended school at Greenway. She moved to Fargo around 1945.
She married Vernon Levos April 20, 1947. They lived near Harwood, N.D. for a year before moving to Chaffee, N.D. in 1949, where they owned and operated the Chaffee Bar & Cafe. Mr. Levos died in 1962.
Lillian also sold Fuller Brush products for 30 years. She married Morris Fritz on December 3, 1965, and they lived in Chaffee. Morris died in 1988. In 1994, Lillian moved to the High Rise in West Fargo, N.D., where she lived until going to Rosewood on Broadway in Fargo in November 2005.
Lillian was a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church, rural Leonard, N.D. since 1949.
She is survived by a son, Mark (Linda) Levos and daughter, Judy (Warren) Ausk, both of North Dakota; five siblings, Ted (Idella) Weisenburger, S.D., Louise Dockter, N.D., Ruth (Theophil) Tesky, MT, Gladys (Elmer) Geyer, N.D. and Lloyd (Shirley) Weisenburger, M.N.; six grandchildren, Tom (Brenda) Levos, Kari (Joe) Dooley, Jim (Trisha) Levos, Tammy (Wayne) Holub of Abilene, Tina (Drew) Miller and Tanya Ausk; and 10 great-grandchildren, including Adrianna and Taylor Holub of Abilene.
She also was preceded in death by two brothers and a sister.
Funeral services were at 10 a.m., Tuesday, August 12, 2008, St. Peter Lutheran Church, rural Leonard, N.D. Burial was in Watson Cemetery, rural Leonard. West Funeral Home, Casselton, was in charge of services.
Arthur Bruce Halsey
Saturday, Jun 28, 2008
Arthur Bruce Halsey, 53, died June 17, 2008, in Missouri following a battle with cancer.
He was the son of Reata May Halsey.
Mr. Halsey was an interstate trucker. His body was donated to the University of Kansas Medical Center.
He is survived by his daughter, Angela; two sisters, Patricia Boothe and Mary Warhurst; and several grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his mother and one sister, Joyce Halsey.
Vera Reitz
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008
Vera I. Reitz, 91, died Saturday, Aug. 16, 2008, at the Chapman Valley Manor.
She was born July 4, 1917, at Ottawa, the daughter of William David and Laura Belle Alterton Briscoe. She grew to womanhood in Lincoln. She graduated from John Brown Academy in Siloam Springs, Ark.
She married Richard Reitz on Jan. 8, 1939. Their married life was spent in Abilene where they owned and operated Reitz Greenhouse until 1962.
She was member of the First United Methodist Church, the Order of the Eastern Star and the Kansas Quilters.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard, on June 2, 2005; one son, Richard Reitz Jr., on Jan. 6, 2008; eight brothers and one sister.
Survivors include one daughter, Judy Hettenbach, of Woodbine; one son, Dale Reitz of Abilene; nine grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and seven great-great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the First United Methodist Church, Abilene, with the Rev. Jim Edwards officiating. Interment will be in Abilene Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Danner Funeral Home, 501 N. Buckeye, Abilene.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Dickinson County Historical Society and left at or sent in care of the Danner Funeral Home, P.O. Box 758, Abilene, KS 67410.
Wilma Plummer
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008
Wilma T. Plummer, 91, died Friday, Aug. 15, 2008, at Presbyterian Manor in Salina.
She was born May 25, 1917, in Abilene, the daughter of Leon H. and Nettie Alzona Burnworth Towne. She grew to womanhood in Abilene and graduated in 1935 from Abilene High School. She also attended Brown-Mackie Business College in Salina.
She was employed by the State of Kansas, mostly in Topeka. She retired in 1990 and moved to Salina to make her home.
Survivors include one sister, Donna Holman of Huntsville, Ala.; eight nieces and nephews, Sammie Wormbacher and David M. Towne, both of Salina, Karen Richards of Huntsville, Ala., Mark Holman of California; Hedy Saccone, Robert Towne, Thomas J. Towne and Alice Beck, all of Alaska; and one cousin, Orville Gasswint of Abilene.
She was preceded in death by one sister, Mary Catherine Towne; and three brothers, Verl, Raymond and David B. Towne.
Graveside inurnment services will be at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Abilene Cemetery with the Rev. Mike Keating officiating. The Danner Funeral Home, Abilene, is in charge of arrangements.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Abilene Public Library and sent in care of the Danner Funeral Home, P.O. Box 758, Abilene, KS 67410.
Brittney Hajny
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008
STRONG CITY — Brittney M. “Boo” Hajny, 15, formerly of Solomon, died Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008, as a result of a vehicular accident in rural Chase County.
She was born Nov. 3, 1992, in Salina, the daughter of Vincent R. and Andrea K. McCalla Hajny. She attended kindergarten through fourth grade at Solomon and was homeschooled in fifth grade.
She was a sophomore at Chase County High School, a member of the youth group at Bel-Aire Baptist Church and a Girl Scout.
Survivors include her mother, Andrea McCalla of the home in Strong City; father, Vince R. Hajny of Salina; one sister, Ashley Hajny of Salina; maternal grandparents, Katherine and Jerry McCalla of Lake Kahola; paternal grandmother, Gene-vieve, and paternal stepgrandfather, Alan Grigsby of Salina.
She was preceded in death by her grandfather, Harold Robert Hajny.
A celebration of life service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home, with Pastor Kirk Striker, Bel-Aire Baptist Church in Salina, officiating. Interment will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Roselawn Cemetery, Salina.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at Brown-Bennett-Alexander Funeral Home, Cottonwood Falls. Visitation will be from noon to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home and from 9 a.m. to service time Tuesday.
Memorial contributions may be made to H. Dale Buck Animal Welfare Memorial Fund in care of the funeral home, 201 Cherry, Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845.
Leona Smith
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2008
GYPSUM — Leona I. Smith, 87, Gypsum, died Saturday, Aug. 16, 2008.
She was born July 1, 1921, in Topeka, the daughter of Joseph and Lena (Anderson) Marlow. She was a homemaker, formerly employed at Consolidated Printing and Beech Aircraft.
Survivors include two daughters, Judy Hagen of Gypsum, and Dannella K. Sadler of Abilene; one sister, Murial Armstrong of Topeka; six granddaughters; 21 great-grandchildren; and six great-great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Elbert Woodrow Smith, in 2001; and two brothers, Gene and Melvin Marlow.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008, at Roxbury United Parish, Roxbury. Burial will be in Gypsum Valley Cemetery, Gypsum.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Christians Funeral Home, Lindsborg, where family will receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Salina or the church, in care of the funeral home.
