Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
John Brent Seltman
1947 - 2007
NEKOMA - John Brent Seltman, 60, died
Nov. 9 at his home in rural Nekoma. He
was born Oct. 25, 1947, in Great Bend,
the son of Albert A. and Alice Jean
Daniels Seltman. He married Colleen J.
Hagel at Carrington, N.D., on Jan. 25,
1967. She survives. He was a farmer and
a retired corrections officer for the
Kansas Department of Corrections,
Larned.
He was a member of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church, Larned.
Other survivors include his mother, of
Larned; one son, Brent Seltman, La
Crosse; three daughters, Shelly Hewitt of
Pueblo, Colo., Wendy Gifford of
Cleburne, Texas, and Stacy Franklin, La
Crosse; two brothers, Kent Seltman,
Rochester, Minn., and Scott Seltman,
Larned; one sister, Linda Bryan,
Overland Park; and six grandchildren. He
was preceded in death by his father and
one brother, Alan Seltman.
A graveside service will be at 10:30 a.m.
Tuesday at the Nekoma Cemetery,
Nekoma, with Pastor Jim Martin
presiding. There will be no visitation.
Friends may sign a register from 9 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Monday at Morell Funeral
Home, Larned. Memorials to Union
College may be sent in care of the
funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Morell Funeral Home
1021 Broadway/Box 124
Larned, KS 67550-0124
Alberta “Penny” Louise Johnson
1939 - 2007
Alberta "Penny" Louise Johnson, 68, of
Great Bend, died Nov. 9 at her home.
She was born Feb. 19, 1939, at
Crestwood, Ky., the daughter of Enoch
and Alberta Louise Harris King. Her
father died when she was very young.
Her mother later married Henry R. Geher
and the two raised the children together.
Mrs. Johnson worked in Inventory and
Quality Control for the Fuller Brush
Company until her retirement. She was a
resident of Great Bend for 60 years,
coming from Louisville, Ky. Penny was an
avid gardener, loved to travel, and was a
devoted gourmet cook.
She was a member of Prince of Peace
Parish at St. Patrick and its Altar Society.
She was also a member of the Ladies
Breakfast Club.
Survivors include four sons, Bradley
Eugene Johnson of Port Hueneme, Calif.,
David Scott Johnson and wife Jacqueline
of Johnson City, Texas, Michael Brian
Johnson and wife Victoria of Santa Paula,
Calif., and Mark Alan Johnson and wife
Deborah of Wichita; one daughter,
Natalie Ann Addison and husband Robert,
of Carrollton, Texas; one brother, Wayne
King of Las Vegas, Nev.; two sisters,
Helen Fink of Gardendale, Ala., and Betty
Goetz of Great Bend; eight grandchildren
and two great-grandchildren.
An Altar Society Rosary will be conducted
at 4 p.m. Monday at Bryant Funeral
Home, Great Bend, with a vigil service at
7 p.m., also at the funeral home. Funeral
service will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at
St. Patrick Catholic Church, Great Bend,
with Father Wesley Schawe officiating.
Interment will be in Great Bend
Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9 a.m.
to 9 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.
Donations to a memorial fund for Golden
Belt Home Health and Hospice may be
made in care of the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
Melvadean Polson Francis
1924 - 2007
ROSWELL, N.M. - Melvadean Polson
Francis, 83, died Nov. 8 at Roswell, N.M.
She was born May 2, 1924, in Long
Beach, Calif., the daughter of William
Stephen Panting II and Clara Mae Jarvis
Panning. On Jan. 4, 1942, she married
Raymond Polson at Manhattan. He died
June 26, 1990. On Dec. 10, 1995, she
married Raymond Francis at Lake Tahoe,
Calif. He survives. A resident of Roswell
for the past 10 years, coming from
Modesto, Calif., she was a homemaker.
She was a member of the United
Methodist Church, Rozel, and Burdett
Seniors, Burdett.
Other survivors include three daughters,
Carolyn Whalen and Cheri Kelley, both of
Hutchinson, and Connie Graves of Healy;
four stepdaughters, Susan M. Pahl of
Alamogordo, N.M., Barbara L. Rumpel of
Palm Desert, Calif., Norma R. Rash of
Reno, Nev., and Janice R. Gatz of
Modesto, Calif.; 10 grandchildren, 19
great-grandchildren, seven
stepgrandchildren and seven stepgreat-
grandchildren. She was preceded in
death by a son, Larry Polson, four
brothers and an infant great-
granddaughter.
Funeral will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at
the United Methodist Church in Rozel
with Pastors Curt Edgecomb and Rich
Zimmerman presiding. Visitation will be
from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and from
9 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at Morell
Funeral Home, Larned. Burial will be in
the Garfield Cemetery, Garfield.
Memorials may be sent to the United
Methodist Church or Burdett Seniors in
care of the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Morell Funeral Home
1021 Broadway/Box 124
Larned, KS 67550-0124
Lawrence (Larry) Vincent Wirtz
1932 - 2007
DENVER - Lawrence (Larry) Vincent
Wirtz, 65, died Oct. 26. He was born
June 21, 1932, in Ellinwood, to Anna and
Frank Wirtz. He graduated from
Ellinwood High School and attended St.
Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City.
After serving in the Army, he attended
Kansas State University and studied
engineering. He courted and married
Sybil Mohn in 1960. Larry and Sybil have
resided in Denver since 1963, where
they reared two children, Eric and
Jennifer.
Larry started his own business, "Wirtz
Window Service," in 1985. He loved
football, which he played in both high
school and college and followed
throughout his life. He enjoyed jigsaw
puzzles, and grilling outdoors on the
weekends with his family.
Larry passed away at home after a
serious illness. He is survived by his wife
Sybil, his son Eric and daughter Jennifer,
and one brother and two sisters.
Interment will be at Fort Logan National
Cemetery, Denver.
The family requests that, in lieu of
flowers, donations may be made in his
name to the Hospice of St. John, 1320
Everett Court, Lakewood, CO 80215.
Funeral arrangements provided by
All Veterans Burial & Cremation
3200 Wadsworth Blvd.
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
Ethel (Doll) Lake
1911 - 2007
Ethel Marie (Doll) Lake, 95, died Oct. 11
in Buffalo, Mo. Born Dec. 6, 1911, in
Ellinwood, she was the daughter of Frank
Doll and Sophia Koett.
Survivors include two brothers, Homer
and Lucian Doll, both of Wichita. She was
preceded in death by her husband, Ralph
Lake; stepdaughter Margie Simpson; and
siblings, Clarence, Angeline, Charlotte,
Estella, Leander, Roger and Mildred.
Graveside service will be at 1 p.m. on
Nov. 17 at the Canton Cemetery in
Canton.
Herman Adolph Steimel
1920 - 2007
SALINA — Herman Adolph Steimel, 87,
died Nov. 7. Born Aug. 27, 1920, in
Spearville, he was the son of Adolph and
Anna (Durler) Steimel. He grew up in
Spearville and graduated from Spearville
High School in 1938. He served in the
United States Army in the China-Burma-
India Theatre during World War II. After
serving 3 1/2 years in the service, he
married Waneta Vogel from Wright, on
Jan. 15, 1946. Initially making their
home in Dodge City and working for the
Colorado Flour Mills, he moved his family
to Claflin to continue his work for the
company. From their marriage, Herman
and Waneta had six children, three sons
and three daughters. Herman and his
wife lived in Claflin for nearly 50 years.
They owned and operated S&H Lumber
Company and retired in 1984. They
moved to Salina in 1999.
Mr. Steimel was a member of St.
Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in
Salina, a lifetime member of Knights of
Columbus, a lifetime member and past
commander of the VFW in Claflin, was a
parish council member at the
Immaculate Conception Church in Claflin,
and was a member of the Claflin Housing
Board. He loved gardening, sports, card
playing and family gatherings.
Survivors include his wife, Waneta A., of
the home; two sons, Robert Steimel and
his wife, Lorene of Concordia, and Lyle
Steimel and his wife, Barbara of
Cincinnati, Ohio; three daughters, Carol
Ahlvers and her husband David of Salina,
Sharon Steimel and her husband Steve
Thomas of Hays, and Rose Steimel of
Salina; two brothers, Alfred Steimel of
Wright and Raymond Steimel of
Washington, D.C.; two sisters, Teresa
Barragree of Dodge City and Bertha
Woodward of Wichita; 14 grandchildren,
Rodella Strait and her husband Jay, Pam
Weiderholt and her husband Scott,
Deborah Clair and her husband Joe,
Charles Steimel and his wife Sarah,
Carrie Beth Steimel, Leslie Amick and her
husband Andrew, Nolan Ahlvers, Jessica
Smith, Adam Steimel, Kimberly Steimel,
Daniel Sieimel, and Kelly Giebler and her
husband Trevor, Eric Thomas and Drew
Thomas, and 12 great-grandchildren. He
was preceded in death by a son, Glenn
Steimel, in 1999 and his daughter-in-
law, Maridell Steimel, in 1996.
A vigil and rosary service will be at 7
p.m. this evening at the St. Elizabeth
Ann Seton Catholic Church in Salina.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30
a.m. on Saturday at the church, with
Father Frank Coady officiating. Burial
with military rites by Fort Riley will follow
in Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Salina.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
today at the Ryan Mortuary, 137 N. 8th
in Salina, and from 6 to 8 p.m. today at
the church. Memorials are to the church.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Ryan Mortuary
137 N. 8th
Salina, KS 67401
