Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Richard “Shindig” Schindler
LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. — Mr. Richard “Shindig” Schindler, 39, of Lake Elsinore, Calif., died June 21, 2008. He is
survived by his wife, Setsuko, sons Gage and Gavin, parents Henry Schindler of Great Bend and Bernadine Schultz,
and brother Donald Schindler. He was a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, serving in Special Forces and
recently employed by the Riverside County (Calif.) Sheriff's Department.
He was a 1987 graduate of Great Bend High School and a national champion skydiver.
A memorial service will be held at England Family Mortuary in Temecula at 2 p.m. today. A celebration of life will be
held after the memorial service at Skydive Elsinore. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made
to: Gage and Gavin Reich-Schindler Education Fund at Navy Federal Credit Union in Temecula, Calif.
Funeral arrangements provided by
England Family Mortuary, Inc.
27135 Madison Ave.
Temecula, CA 92590
Joan E. Kephart
1934 - 2008
MACKSVILLE — Joan E. Kephart, 74, formerly of Macksville, moving to Great Bend in 2006, died June 25, 2008 at
Central Kansas Medical Center, Great Bend. Born June 11, 1934, at Macksville, she was the daughter of Joe S. and
Mildred C. (Starke) Waddle. On Jan. 17, 1978, she married Billy Kephart at St. John. He died in 1982. A longtime
resident of Macksville, she was a certified nurse’s aide and past owner of Joan’s Clothing Store in Macksville.
Mrs. Kephart was a member of the Macksville Christian Church, a graduate of Macksville High School in 1952 and
attended Adele Hale Business School in Hutchinson.
Survivors include a daughter, Brenda Brack, Great Bend; two stepdaughters, Lynn Furtaw of Gaithersburg, Md., and
Amy Kephart of Kansas City, Mo.; three stepsons, Patrick Kephart, Hoisington, Michael Kephart of Cumming, Ga.,
and Timothy Kephart of Simi Valley, Calif.; a brother, Conrad Waddle, St. John; 12 grandchildren and 12 great-
grandchildren. She was Preceded in death by both her parents.
Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Macksville Christian Church with Pastor Carey Haner presiding.
Burial will be in Farmington Cemetery, Macksville. Visitation will be from 1 to 8 p.m. today with family receiving
friends from 6 to 8 p.m. at Minnis Chapel, Macksville. Memorials may be given to the Christian Church in care of
Minnis Chapel, Macksville.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Minnis Chapel
205 N. Main
Macksville, KS 67557
Bradley A. Peterson
1961 - 2008
OVERLAND PARK — Bradley A. Peterson, 46, died June 27 at his Overland Park residence. He was born Dec. 10,
1961, in Great Bend, the son of Francis D. and Viola D. (Beck) Peterson. He married Mary Elizabeth Bennett on Oct.
12, 2001, at Leawood. She survives. He was a self-employed attorney and an Overland Park resident since 2000,
coming from Hutchinson and Hoisington.
Mr. Peterson was a member of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church and Knights of Columbus Council No. 1521,
both of Hoisington, and The Church of the Nativity, Leawood. He was active with the American Cancer Society, and
recipient of the Founders Award for his work.
He was a 1980 graduate of Hoisington High School, and a graduate with honors of Fort Hays State University and
Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College, Portland, Ore. He was a member of the Kansas, Washington
and Oregon bar associations.
Brad lived 100 percent every day of his life, never letting his physical limitations stop him. Brad enjoyed hunting,
fishing, the Royals, Chiefs, Jayhawks and spending time with nieces, nephews, and his friends and her children.
Survivors, in addition to his wife, Mary Beth Peterson of Overland Park, include his mother, Viola Peterson, of
Hoisington, and many friends. He was preceded in death by his father, Dail “Pete” Peterson.
A K of C Rosary will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, Hoisington. Funeral service will be at 10
a.m. Wednesday at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Hoisington, with Father Dwight Birket officiating. Burial
will be at St. John Cemetery, Hoisington. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the Midwest Transplant Network or to the St. John Cemetery Fund. A celebration of Brad’s
life will be held at a later date in Kansas City, Kan. Check his care page for details.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home
415 Main/PO Box 146
Hoisington, KS 67544
Julous M. Walton
1933 - 2006
BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. — Julous M. Walton, 72, of Bullhead City, Ariz., and formerly of Great Bend, died Thursday,
Nov. 28, 2006, at the Western Arizona Regional Medical Center in Bullhead.
Julous “Jules” was born Dec. 5, 1933, in Portales, N.M. He was the second-youngest of nine children born to John M.
and Pearl M. (Welchel) Walton.
He grew up and attended school in New Mexico and Oklahoma.
On May 8, 1954, he was united in marriage to Lorraine Dacus in Glasgow, Mont.
Jules lived most of his adult life in the Great Bend and Bullhead City areas.
Great Bend is where they raised their two sons, James M. and Terry L. Walton Jules enjoyed working with his hands as a
arpenter. He worked for a number of years for Marlette Homes before starting his own business.
He owned and operated Walton Construction for 10 years before moving to Arizona.
Julous is survived by his two sons, James Walton and wife Denise of Stafford and Terry Walton and wife Linda of Russell;
five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Those who preceded him in death are his wife Lorraine, their three infant
sons, his parents, four brothers and three sisters.
A celebration of his life will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at the King United Methodist Church in Great Bend.
Burial will be at a later date at the Scobey, Mont., Cemetery. Cremation has preceded the services.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary
610 N. Maple
Russell, KS 67665
Kenneth E. McConnell
1925 - 2007
LARNED — Kenneth E. McConnell, 81, died Jan. 30, 2007 at the Hutchinson Hospital.
He was born April 9, 1925, in Waurika, Okla., the son of Francis Marion and Mary Melissa Fraysher McConnell.
A Larned resident since 1945, moving from Hutchinson, he was a master plumber and former owner of M & F Plumbing.
McConnell was a member of the United Methodist Church, a retired captain for the Larned Fire Department, and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, all of Larned.
He was a past mayor for the City of Larned.
He was a member of the National Rifle Association, Pheasants Forever and Ducks Unlimited, and served on the USS Los Angeles.
On Feb. 22, 1960, he married Evelyn Lea Lawrence in Tucumcari, N.M.
She died March 26, 1999.
Survivors include two sons, Richard “Dickie Joe” McConnell, Arizona, and Michael McConnell, Hutchinson; five daughters, Sandy Zwick, Sterling, Nancy McConnell, Hutchinson, Sabrina Rahe, Parker, Colo., Dell Rina Stout, Larned, and Shon Meadows, Houston, Texas; a nephew, Richard McConnell, Purcell, Okla.; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a son, Dennis, a brother, Francis, and two grandchildren, Doug and Brandon Rahe.
Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the United Methodist Church, Larned, with the Rev. Tim Ault-Duell presiding.
Burial will be in the Larned Cemetery with military graveside rites.
Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and Thursday at the Beckwith Mortuary Chapel in Larned.
Memorials may be sent to the St. Labre Indian School, Ashland, Mont., or the VFW in care of the mortuary.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Beckwith Mortuary, Inc.
924 Main
P.O. Box 477
Larned, KS 67550
Pam Ellis
1961 - 2007
NESS CITY – Pamela Sue Ellis, 46, died Jan. 29 at the Ness County Hospital in Ness City.
She was born Jan. 12, 1961, in La Crosse, the daughter of Ronald F. and Josephine E. Dechant Robinson.
Raised in Ness County, she attended Ness City Elementary and Bazine High School and graduated from Barton County Community College.
She married Jason Ellis in September 1991 in Denver, Colo.
She returned to Ness City 10 years ago to raise her sons.
A dietitian for the Ness County Hospital and Long Term Care, she also worked part-time at the Super Mini-Mart.
Mrs. Ellis was a member of the United Methodist Church and the USD 303 Board of Education, both of Ness City.
Survivors include: two sons, Erik Ellis and Charles Ellis, of the home; a brother, John Robinson, Jacksonville, Fla.; and four sisters, Wanda Roehl, Wichita, Betty Oberhelman, Ness City, Nancy Pink, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Rhonda Robinson, Kansas City, Kan.
She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers Edwin Leon Robinson and Ronald Joseph “Bud” Robinson Jr.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the church, with the Rev. Darlene Nonhof officiating.
Burial will be in the St. John’s Cemetery in Bazine.
Friends may call from 2 to 9 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at Fitzgerald Funeral Home in Ness City.
Memorial contributions are suggested to the Erik and Charles Ellis Educational Fund, in care of the mortuary.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Fitzgerald Funeral Home Inc.
P.O. Box 96
207 N. Pennsylvania
Ness City, KS 67560
Aurelia Hammerschmidt
1917 - 2007
Aurelia Hammerschmidt, 89, died Jan. 27 at St. Joseph Village in Manhattan.
Born Oct. 27, 1917 at Catherine, she was the daughter of Edward and Elizabeth Pfifer Stabb.
She married Anselm Joseph Hammerschmidt in May, 1940, in Walker.
He died Feb. 15, 1975.
A resident of Great Bend since 1950, coming from Russell, she was a homemaker.
Mrs. Hammerschmidt was a member of Prince of Peace Parish at St. Patrick Church, the Altar Society and Daughters of Isabella.
Survivors include two sons, Samuel L. Hammerschmidt of Lewisville, Texas, and Roger A. Hammerschmidt of Manhattan; one daughter, Rita M. Hunt of Leawood; one brother, Bob Stabb of Catherine; two sisters, Pauline Nuss of Dallas, Texas, and Lydia Sander of Hays; five grandchildren, Ashley Hammerschmidt, Brian Hammerschmidt, Holly Hammerschmidt, Rachel Dennis and Graham Dennis; and one great-grandchild, Branden Hammerschmidt.
She was preceded in death by three brothers, Eddie Stabb, Al Stabb and Francis Stabb; and two sisters, Stella Guy and Margie Rush.
Rosary will be at 3:30 p.m. and Vigil Service will be at 6:30 p.m., both today at Bryant Funeral Home, Great Bend.
Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at St. Patrick Catholic Church with Father Charles Mazouch officiating.
Burial will be at Great Bend Cemetery.
Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to Catholic Charities of Great Bend.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
