Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Cecil L. 'Cec' Denning
DODGE CITY - Cecil L. "Cec" Denning, 82, died Feb. 15, 2000, at his home.
He was born Nov. 30, 1917, near Oskaloosa, the son of Leonard and Maude Anderson Denning. A longtime resident of Dodge City, he was the owner/operator of Co-Ed Dry Cleaners and Co-Ed Stables, buying, training and showing American Saddlebred horses in national competitions. He had 25 national champion five-gaited and fine harness horses. He later owned and operated Co-Ed Motors. He retired in 1998.
He was a member of First United Methodist Church, Dodge City Country Club and Chamber of Commerce, and was a life member of Howard Gottschall Post No. 1714 Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, serving in the Pacific theater as an infantryman.
In 1980, he married
Linda Williamson Schlichting at Las Vegas. She survives.
Other survivors include: three daughters, Leesa Coffin, Wichita, Barbara Johnson, Valley Center, and Debbie Lambert, DeSoto; and nine grandchildren.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church, Dodge City, with the Rev. Dick Robbins presiding. Friends may call from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to noon Thursday at Swaim Funeral Home, Dodge City. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery, Dodge City.
Memorials may be sent to the church, Hospice of the Prairie or Circle of Hope Cancer Support Group, all in care of the funeral home.
Ruth McFeeters
KINGMAN - Ruth McFeeters, 95, died Feb. 15, 2000, at Life Care Center in Wichita.
She was born Oct. 25, 1904, at Cleveland, the daughter of Frank and Clara Messenger Ramsey. A longtime Wichita resident, she was a former pie baker for Wichita Southeast High School.
On March 23, 1922, she married
Roy C. McFeeters at Kingman. He died Dec. 16, 1976.
Survivors include; two sons, Robert, Tucson, Ariz., and Donald, Wichita; two daughters, Clara Day and Patricia Jordan, both of Wichita; 14 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; and 16 great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a son, Paul Dee; a daughter, Barbara Ruth; five brothers, Dewey, Johns, Frank, Preston and Pete; and four sisters, Imogene and Hazel Fairchild, Margaret Ramsey and Bethel Pierson.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. today at Livingston Funeral Home, Kingman, with Pastor David Lee presiding. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to service time at the funeral home. Burial will be in Walnut Hill Cemetery, Kingman.
Memorials may be sent to Life Care Center of Wichita in care of the funeral home, 1830 North Main, Kingman, 67068.
Hulda K. Smith
MONTEZUMA - Hulda K. Smith, 85, died Feb. 15, 2000, at Bethel Home, Montezuma.
She was born April 19, 1914, at Alvarado, Okla., the daughter of Frank and Lizzie Shultz Buller. A resident of Montezuma since 1938, she lived at Bethel Home since November 1991. She was a reflexologist for 38 years.
She was a member of Church of God in Christ Mennonite, Montezuma.
On June 10, 1931, she married
Barney Albert Smith at Enid, Okla. He preceded her in death.
Survivors include: a son, Maurice Lee, Great Bend; a sister, Jessie Smith, Enid, Okla.; two grandsons; six great-grandchildren; two step-grandsons; two step-great-granddaughters; and a step-great-great-grandson.
She was preceded in death by a sister and a grandson.
Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Church of God in Christ Mennonite, Montezuma, with Ministers Edwin Classen, Ernest Koehn and Charles Schmidt presiding. Friends may call from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Montezuma Funeral Home, Montezuma. Burial will be in Salem Mennonite Cemetery, Copeland.
Memorials may be sent to Bethel Home, Montezuma, in care of the funeral home, Box 421, Montezuma, KS.
Mary Rudd
BUCKLIN - Mary Rudd, 92, died Feb. 14, 2000, at Western Plains Regional Hospital, Dodge City.
She was born Sept. 15, 1907, at New Hampton, Mo., the daughter of William Ellis and Lizzie Walton Melton. A resident of Bucklin since 1909, she was retired. She had been a bookkeeper at the Bolinger Agency in Bucklin.
She belonged to the Christian Church at Bucklin.
On Oct. 25, 1931, she married
Robert Lawrence Rudd at Bucklin. He died April 18, 1969.
Survivors include: a son, Roger, Fairbanks, Alaska; a daughter, Sandra Unruh, Bucklin; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a son, Phillip; three sisters; two brothers; two grandchildren; and a great-grandson.
Memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Minnis Mortuary, Bucklin, with Pastor Jeff Hiers presiding. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at the mortuary. Burial will be in Bucklin Cemetery.
Memorials may be sent to Hilltop House Nursing Home, Bucklin, or Bucklin Public Library, in care of the mortuary.
Ruth E. Novinger Vail Behnke
MEADE - Ruth E. Novinger Vail Behnke, 88, died Feb. 21, 2000, at the Lone Tree Compassionate Care Center, Meade.
She was born Nov. 27, 1911, at Plains, the daughter of Thomas Benton "T.B." and Essie May Givler Novinger. A lifetime Meade County resident, she was a homemaker.
She belonged to United Methodist Church, Meade and Plains, taught Sunday school at both churches for many years, was a former Kansas District YWCA president, served as district officer at the IOTA Sigma (WCTU), was a member of the Federated Club, all at Meade, and was awarded the Distinguished Citizen Award by the Meade Chamber of Commerce in 1983.
On Dec. 28, 1933, she married
Russell William Vail at rural Plains. He died March 18, 1946. On Sept. 18, 1949, she married
LaVerne Dwight Behnke at Liberal. He died Oct. 1, 1979.
Survivors include; a son, Russell O. Vail, Waterford, Mich.; two daughters, Gloria Ann Fruechting and Joyce F. Knott, both of Plains; a stepson, Donald E. Behnke, Bedford, Texas; a stepdaughter, Karen M. Behnke, Oxnard, Calif.; 11 grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by six brothers, Charles, Vance, Glenn, Howard "Pat, " Henry and Thomas "Mac" Novinger; and a sister, Nell Dufield.
Funeral will be at 1 p.m. Friday at United Methodist Church, Plains, with the Rev. Vernon Maelzer presiding. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Fidler-Orme Mortuary, Meade. Burial will be in Plains Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Meade County Museum, the Lone Tree Compassionate Care Center or to United Methodist Church, Plains or Meade.
Guy H. Studebaker
ELKHART - Guy H. Studebaker, 85, died Feb. 20, 2000, at Morton County Care Center, Elkhart.
He was born Oct. 16, 1914, at LeFores, Texas, the son of William Lawrence and Amanda Elizabeth Dobson Studebaker. A lifetime Elkhart resident, he was a farmer and gasoline station owner.
He belonged to First Christian Church, Elkhart.
On Jan. 10, 1945, he married
Glenna Loyce Reiger at Hugoton. She died May 9, 1993.
Survivors include: two daughters, Crystal Herber, Dalhart, Texas, and Sandy Barnes, Elkhart; a brother, Carl, Rolla, Mo.; a sister, Lora Patterson, Wichita; and four grandchildren.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at First Christian Church, Elkhart, with Pastors Ron Wilson and Jim Cunningham presiding. Friends may call from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Harrell Funeral Home, Elkhart. Burial will be in Elkhart Cemetery.
Memorials may be sent to the Morton County Care Center, in care of the funeral home.
Viola C. Grothusen
SCOTT CITY - Viola C. Grothusen, 93, died Feb. 19, 2000, at Park Lane Nursing Home, Scott City.
She was born April 1, 1906, at Ellsworth, the daughter of William and Christina Winkler Huseman. She graduated from Ellsworth High School in 1923 and attended Kansas Wesleyan University and Fort Hays Teachers College. She moved to Scott City in 1944 from Des Moines, Iowa, and was a teacher and homemaker.
She belonged to First Christian Church, Scott City, was a member and past worthy matron of Order of Eastern Star Chapter No. 44, Kansas State Teachers Association and Kansas Retired Teachers Association, all at Ellsworth.
On Dec. 24, 1937, she married
Ralph Grothusen at Ellsworth. He died July 1, 1997.
Survivors include: two sons, Rex and David, both of Scott City; a brother, Arthur Huseman, Scott City; two sisters, Velma Huseman, Scott City, and Helen Krupp, Ellsworth; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Price & Sons Funeral Home, Scott City, with the Rev. John Warring and Steve Payne presiding. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to noon and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to noon Wednesday, all at the funeral home. Burial will be in Scott County Cemetery, Scott City.
Memorials may be sent to Park Lane Nursing Home, in care of the funeral home.
Robert Burton Ikard
ELKHART - Robert Burton Ikard, 91, died Feb. 20, 2000, at Morton County Care Center, Elkhart.
He was born March 5, 1908, at Clovis, N.M., the son of Robert Emmett and Pearl Burton Ikard. An Elkhart resident since 1980, he was a public schoolteacher and farmer.
He belonged to the Methodist Church, Elkhart, Panhandle State University Alumni Association, the Texas County Retired Teachers Association, and the IOOF Lodge, Boise City, Okla.
On Aug. 7, 1932, he married
Erma O'Neal at Felt, Okla. She died Nov. 1980.
Survivors include: three sons, Charles, Kingfisher, Okla., Robert, Littleton, Colo., and Dr. Tom, Stillwater, Okla.; a daughter, Karen Ferguson, Creede, Colo.; 10 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Harrell Chapel, Elkhart, with Pastor Billy Ramage presiding. Friends may call from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and Wednesday at the funeral home. Graveside service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in Bertran Cemetery, Felt, Okla.
Memorials may be sent to the Morton County Care Center or to a charity of the donor's choice, in care of the funeral home.
