Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Betty Smith
MEDICINE LODGE - Betty Smith, 85, died May 24, 2000, at Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital.
She was born Oct. 23, 1914, at Medicine Lodge, the daughter of John C. and Bernice Williams Smith. A lifetime Medicine Lodge resident, she was a housewife and bookkeeper.
She belonged to United Methodist Church, Medicine Lodge.
On Oct. 24, 1936, she married
Charles W. Smith at Arkansas City. He died Dec. 15, 1975.
Survivors include: a son, John C., Medicine Lodge; a sister, Joann Slamal, Medicine Lodge; and three grandchildren.
Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Larrison-Forsyth Funeral Home, Medicine Lodge, with the Rev. Tom Walters presiding. Friends may call from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be in Lake City Cemetery.
Memorials may be sent to the Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital, in care of the funeral home.
Brenda Lee Zeller
FAIRVIEW, Mo. - Brenda Lee Zeller, 36, formerly of Ness City, died May 25, 2000, at Fairview.
She was born April 10, 1964, at Ness City, the daughter of Milton and Reita Bessell Gabel.
Survivors include: her parents; three sons, Travis, Tyler and Terry Peters; six brothers, Ronnie, Donnie and Terry Gabel, all of Ness City, Gary, Great Bend, Kelly, Dighton, and Tim Gabel, Wichita; and two sisters, Debbie Overocker, Garden City, and Sherry Castor, Ness City.
Parish vigil will be at 7 p.m. today at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City. Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Sacred Heart Church, Ness City, with Father Gregory LeBlanc presiding. Friends may call from 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Ness City.
Memorials may be sent to Sacred Heart School, Ness City, in care of the funeral home.
Kathryn Ann Pankratz
INMAN - Kathryn Ann Pankratz, 74, died May 23, 2000, at Hutchinson Hospital.
She was born Oct. 7, 1925, in McPherson County, the daughter of George and Mary Pauls Regehr. She was a lifetime resident of Inman.
She belonged to Buhler Mennonite Brethren Church.
On May 19, 1946, she married
Franklin Pankratz at Inman. He survives.
Other survivors include: five sons, Jim and Lee, both of Hutchinson, Gene, Newton, Keith, Buhler, and Bob, Fresno, Calif.; three brothers, Curt L., Arnold and Art Regehr, all of Inman; two sisters, Sara Thiessen, Inman, and Betty Ediger, Hesston; 14 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a brother, George Regehr; and two sisters, Anna Heidebrecht and Linda Pankratz.
Graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in Buhler Municipal Cemetery. Memorial service will follow at 11 a.m. at Buhler Mennonite Brethren Church, with Pastors Nick Rempel and Brent Warkentin presiding. Friends may call from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. today, with the family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m., both at the mortuary.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Buhler Mennonite Brethren Church for the Youth Mission Scholarship Fund, in care of the Buhler Mortuary.
Lois Moos McDowell
NORTH NEWTON - Ruth Koontz, 79, died May 18, 2000, at Newton Medical Center.
She was born Nov. 18, 1920, at Berne, Ind., the daughter of the Rev. P.R. and Susie Nickel Schroeder. She earned a bachelor's degree from Bethel College, North Newton. A Newton resident since 1968, moving from Hillsboro, she was an accountant at Bethel College for 15 years and at Irv Schroeder Motors, Hillsboro, for 10 years.
She belonged to Bethel College Mennonite Church, North Newton, where she was treasurer, was past president of the Business and Professional Women's Association, Wheatland Homes board of directors, the Kidron-Bethel advisory board and the North Newton City Council.
On Aug. 8, 1944, she married
the Rev. Elbert E. Koontz. He died Dec. 17, 1978.
Survivors include: three sons, Phillip and Richard "Dick, " both of North Newton, and Ted, Elkhart, Ind.; a sister, Vernelle Waltner, North Newton; and five grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two sisters, Celeste Dehnert and Louise Koontz.
Memorial service will be at 7 p.m. Monday at Bethel College Mennonite Church, North Newton, with Pastor Norma Johnson presiding. Friends may call from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday, both at Petersen Funeral Home, Newton. Graveside service will be at 3 p.m. Monday in Haven of Rest Cemetery, rural Hillsboro.
Memorials may be sent to Bethel College or the Western District Mennonite Conference, both in care of the funeral home.
Inez Pearl Dauster
NORWICH - Inez Pearl Dauster, 88, died May 24, 2000 at Florence, Colo.
She was born November 23, 1911, at Turon, the daughter of Edwin and Pearl Parker Ely. A Florence resident since 1998, formerly of California, she had been a waitress.
In 1928, she married
Earl William Richards. He died in 1940.
Survivors include: two sons, Lee, Florence, Colo., and Alva, Rhonda, N.C.; a brother, Russell Ely, Kingman; two sisters, Edith McBurney, Kingman, Flossie Spears, Wichita; 17 grandchildren; and many great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Graveside service will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Upchurch Cemetery, Norwich. Friends may call from 5 p.m.
to 8 p.m. today at Livingston Funeral Home, Kingman.
Frances L. Gleason
LINDSBORG - Frances L. Gleason, 84, died May 24, 2000, at Bethany Home, Lindsborg.
She was born Jan. 11, 1916, at Stanton, Iowa, the daughter of Axel and Hilma Lindahl Tiren. A Lindsborg resident since 1991, moving from Wichita, she was the former secretary of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Wichita.
She belonged to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Wichita.
On June 12, 1939, she married
Cecil M. Gleason at Stanton, Iowa. He survives.
Other survivors include: a daughter, Sharon Fairbank, Lees Summit, Mo.; and two grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a son, Dennis; and two brothers, Thorsten and Merlin Tiren.
Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Wichita, with the Rev. Don Hawk presiding. Friends may call from 3 to 9 p.m. Monday at Hays Funeral Home, Lindsborg, with the family receiving friends from 7 to 8 p.m. Graveside service will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Lakeview Cemetery, Wichita.
Memorials may be sent to the church in Wichita, or to Bethany Home, Lindsborg, both in care of Hays Funeral Home.
Pearl Carey
MEADE - Pearl Carey, 100, died May 25, 2000, at her home in Meade.
She was born December 31, 1899, at Norman, Okla., the daughter of Giles R. and Eliza Carolyn Brown Rountree. A Meade resident since 1931, she was a homemaker and owned the Meade Globe Press with her husband, retiring in 1971.
She belonged to United Methodist Church and the American Legion Auxiliary, both at Meade.
On May 14, 1928, she married
George H. Carey at Dodge City. He died December 6, 1979.
Survivors include: three daughters, Norma Daeschner, Dodge City, Marjorie Zimbelman, Lodi, Calif., and Karen Carey, Mesa, Ariz.; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by four brothers, two sisters and a grandson.
Funeral will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Fidler-Orme Mortuary Chapel, Meade, with the Rev. Chuck Mattix presiding. Friends may call from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and Monday, both at the mortuary. Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery, Meade.
Memorials may be sent to the Meade United Methodist Church or Hospice of the Prairie, both in care of the mortuary.
Joseph W. 'Joe' Winders
NICKERSON - Joseph W. "Joe" Winders, 66, died May 24, 2000, at Hutchinson Hospital.
He was born Dec. 13, 1933, at Hutchinson, the son of Ruben J. and Marie Jordan Winders. A longtime Nickerson resident, he was a retired heavy-equipment operator for the Reno County Department of Public Works.
He served in the U.S. Air Force.
On Dec. 27, 1974, he married
Margaret Christensen at Nickerson. She survives.
Other survivors include: six stepsons, Clyde Bussard, Sterling, Gary, Nickerson, Michael, Maysville, Okla., Edwin, Eastland, Texas, Lince, rural Nickerson, and Terry Bussard, Kansas; three sisters, Darlene Spain, Hutchinson, Norma Frye, Manhattan, and Faye Bruce, Seattle; and a half sister, Lucille Koestel, Nickerson; 12 step-grandchildren; and five step-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Harold and Leonard.
Graveside service will be at 2:30 p.m. today in Memorial Park Cemetery, Hutchinson, with Pastor Tim Adrian presiding. Friends may call from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at Heritage Funeral Home, Hutchinson.
Memorials may be sent to the American Cancer Society, in care of the funeral home.
Davis Ray Johnson
DODGE CITY - Davis Ray Johnson, 54, died May 25, 2000 at Western Plains Regional Hospital, Dodge City.
He was born February 10, 1946, Burlington, the son of Ralph Leonard and Genevie Brady Johnson. He graduated from Burlington High School. He was a meat packer, and worked for the Excel Corp., Dodge City.
He belonged to Howard Gotschall American Legion Post No. 1714 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, both at Dodge City. He served in the U.S. Army.
Survivors include: two brothers, Lyle, Dodge City, and Ralph, Oklahoma City; four sisters, Alma Bussart, Wichita, Twila Conrad and Lila Cook, both of Dodge City, and Mary Ann Shults, Humbolt.
Funeral will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Swaim Funeral Home, Dodge City, with the Rev. Kim Engelking presiding. Friends may call 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery, Dodge City.
Memorials may be sent to The Shepherd's Center, Cimarron, in care of the funeral home.
