Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Margaret A. Droge Kirk
Margaret A. Droge Kirk, 87, of Sabetha, Kansas, formerly of Riverside, California, died Thursday, March 29, at the Sabetha Manor Care home in Sabetha. She had recently been diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
She was born February 3, 1914, on a farm southwest of DuBois, Nebraska, the daughter of Henry and Gertrude Berdau Droge. Later in 1914 the family moved to Valley County, Montana, to homestead 320 acres of land. They moved back to Kansas in 1917 to live on the Conrad Droge homestead in northern Nemaha County, now the Leslie Droge farm. She attended the rural Prairie Grove School and the Bern High School, at Bern, Kansas. Following high school she worked in Kansas City and St. Louis, before moving to California. She was a model in California for tall women's clothes. Later she was employed by Pacific Bell as a telephone operator. She retired and lived at Riverside, California. In the fall of 1999 she returned to Kansas and lived at the Sabetha Assisted Living Home until she became ill.
She was married
to John Kirk and together they operated a restaurant in Newport Beach. They were divorced.
Margaret was a member of the Frieden's United Church of Christ at Bern and the Rebecca Lodge at Riverside.
Survivors are six brothers, Emil and Leslie Droge of Seneca, Kansas, Charles Droge of Snohomish, Washington, Arden Droge of Leawood, Kansas, Harry Droge of Council Grove, Kansas, and John Droge of Morningside, Maryland.
She was preceded in death by two sisters, Helen Roads and Eleanor Duello, and two brothers, Leonard and Clarence Droge.
Memorial services will be Saturday, April 7, at 10 A.M. at the Frieden's United Church of Christ. The inurnment following the services will be in the Frieden's Cemetery.
Memorials may be given for Frieden's United Church of Christ.
Iver A. "Bill" Knudson
Iver A. "Bill" Knudson, 77, of Seneca, Kansas, died Tuesday, June 5, 2001, at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka. He was injured Friday June 1, 2001, in a car accident at the corner of US Highway 36 and 6th Street in Seneca and transferred from the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca to Topeka the same day.
He was born September 9, 1923, at Zearing, Iowa, the son of Ingebret and Alma Tullberg Knudson. When he was ten years old, the family moved to Poplar, Wisconsin. He attended school in Iowa and in Wisconsin. During World War II, on May 26, 1943, he was inducted into the US Army. He was discharged February 16, 1946. He served in the U.S. as an airplane engine mechanic.
On July 23, 1946 he married
Vera Phillips at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca, Kansas. She survives of the home in Seneca. They lived in the Seneca area and Bill worked at the Gambles Store in Seneca. In 1968 they moved to Washington, KS, where they owned and operated a Gambles Store until 1976. They returned to Seneca because of his ill health and built a home at Lake Nemaha south of Seneca. They moved into Seneca in the spring of 1998.
He was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church, the St. Joseph Society at the church, the Knights of Columbus #1769, the Earle W. Taylor Post #21 of the American Legion, and the Seneca Memorial Post #7458 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, all in Seneca. Bill enjoyed fishing, big band music, and had a collection of small trains.
Survivors besides of wife, Vera, are four sons, Gary Knudson of Mayetta, Kansas; Robert Knudson of Belleville, Kansas; Tom Knudson of Augusta, Kansas; and Eugene Knudson of Seneca; two daughters, Sandy Feldkamp of Aurora, Colorado and Diane Morton of Salina, Kansas; a brother, Adrian Apple of Poplar, Wisconsin; two sisters, Edna Riveland of Fortuna, North Dakota and Inez Carlson of Poplar, Wisconsin; thirteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a brother Curtis Apple.
The mass of Christian burial will be 10 A.M. Friday at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Seneca. The burial will be in St. Bede's ChurchCemeteryat Kelly, Kansas. The rosary will be prayed at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca at 7 P.M. on Wednesday and Thursday evening, He will lie in state at the funeral home after 4 P.M. Wednesday.
Memorials may be given for Sts. Peter & Paul Church and sent in care of the family.
Cynthia Koch
Cynthia Mary Feldkamp Koch, 97, of Baileyville, died Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at Midland Hospice House in Topeka.
She was born March 22, 1917, on a farm southwest of Seneca, the daughter of Frederick and Dorothea Olberding Feldkamp. She attended the Sherman Country School and completed the 8th grade. As a young girl she helped neighboring families.
On April 20, 1938 she married
Firmin Koch at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Seneca. In 1962 they moved to home in Baileyville. Firmin passed away on October 25, 1974.
Cynthia worked at B&B School in the dietary department for twenty nine years and retired in the spring of 1992.
She was a member of the Sacred Heart Church and the Altar Society, and a member of the Benedictines Oblates. She was very active in pro-life activities. She enjoyed quilting, sewing, gardening, embroidery and crocheting.
Besides her husband she was preceded in death by two sons, Galen Koch on April 4, 2008 and Marvin Koch on June 1, 2013; a grandson Jeffrey Dalinghaus on December 24, 1997; two great-granddaughters, Melissa Cook on January 20, 1986 and Ashlee Michalek on May 5, 2006; and siblings, Leander Feldkamp on September 12, 2008, Conrad Feldkamp on December 3, 2003 and Lloyd Feldkamp on May 28, 2010, a sister Carmelita Koch on January 24, 1997.
She is survived by her two sons, Cletus (Barbara) Koch of Marion, Texas, and Daniel (Anne) Koch of Gladstone, MO; four daughters, Dorothy (Don) Kramer of Marysville, KS, Betty Ann (Rick Weber) Dalinghaus of Seneca, Elaine Mock of Yorba Linda, California and Arlene (Jim) Cafarelli of Valley Center, California; three brothers, Raymond Feldkamp of Manhattan, Elmer Feldkamp and Richard Feldkamp both of Baileyville; 22 grandchildren, 49 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 AM on Monday, March 31, 2014 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Baileyville. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Rosaries will be prayed at 2 & 7 PM Sunday at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.
Memorials may be given in Cynthia’s memory for Sacred Heart Cemetery.
Eric M. Koch
Eric M. Koch, 29, Beattie, died Wednesday evening, October 13, 2004; his death was the result of a pickup truck accident on a rural road between Waterville and Blue Rapids.
He was born December 30, 1974, at the hospital in Marysville, the son of Frank and Delores Spielman Koch. He attended Beattie Elementary School and Marysville Junior and Senior High School, where he graduated in 1993. He moved to Wichita and went to Wichita Technical College to study aircraft maintenance for two years. Eric returned to Beattie and worked for Travelrite Trailer in Waterville as a welder. The company was bought out by Titian Trailer Manufacturing in Waterville where he presently worked as a welder.
Survivors are a daughter, Trinity Koch, Beattie; his father, Frank Koch, Beattie; six brothers, Terry of Marysville, David of Summerfield, Richard and Ronald, both of Beattie, Lynn of Conway Springs, and Timothy of Wichita; five sisters, Carol Moore, Shari Koch, and Connie Bramlage, all of Topeka, Joyce Nietfeld of St. George, and Laurie Cammel of Riley; and nieces and nephews.
Eric liked motor sports and had a drag racing car and performed in demolition derbies. He also enjoyed hunting.
Mass of Christian burial will be 2:30 P.M. Monday at St. Malachy’s Church in Beattie. A prayer service will be at 2 P.M. and a rosary will be at 7 P.M. Sunday at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca. The burial will be in St. Patrick’sCemeteryin Beattie.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials may be given for the Trinity Koch Education Fund or St.Patrick’sCemeteryand sent in care of the family.
Freda F. Koch
Freda F. Koch, 71, of St. Benedict, Kansas, died Saturday, July 7, 2001, at her home west of St. Benedict.
She was born January 17, 1930, on the Koch homestead, the daughter of Edward A. and Rose C. Deters Koch. She grew up there, helped on the family farm, and graduated from St. Mary's High School at St. Benedict in 1948. She remained on the farm and helped with farming and livestock. Later she cared for her elderly parents until their deaths. For 30 years she was employed as the custodian at St. Mary's Church.
She was a member of St. Mary's Church at St. Benedict and the St. Ann's Altar Society at the church.
Survivors are three brothers, Lawrence Koch of Baltimore, Maryland, Adrian Koch of Holton, Kansas, Victor Koch of Lincoln, Nebraska, and a sister, Thelma Olberding of Falls City, Nebraska.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, Cyril Koch and a sister, Emma Olberding.
The mass of Christian burial will be offered at 10 A.M. Wednesday, July 11, at St. Mary's Church in St. Benedict. The burial will be in the church cemetery. The rosary will be prayed at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca on Tuesday at 2 P.M. and at 7 P.M.
Memorials may be given for St. Mary's Church and sent in care of the family.
Helen B. Koch
Helen B. Koch, 84, of Axtell, Kansas, died Sunday, January 27, 2002, at Country View Estates Care Home in Seneca, Kansas. She had been a resident there since April of 2001.
She was born August 17, 1917, on a farm north of Baileyville, Kansas, the daughter of John G. and Mary Barbara Jordon Hulsing. She grew up there, attended Sacred Heart School and helped on the family farm.
On January 19, 1937, she married
Vincent P. Koch at Sacred Heart Church in Baileyville. They lived and farmed north of Baileyville until 1958 when they moved to a farm northwest of Axtell. In 1968 they moved into Axtell where she and her husband were custodians at St. Michael's Church from 1968 to 1983. They were also custodians for St. Michael's School from June 1974 to June 1990. Helen and Vince celebrated their 50th and 60th wedding anniversaries and had been married
64 years when he died March 26, 2001.
She was a member of St. Michael's Church and the St. Michael's Guild at the church in Axtell. She was a former member of Sacred Heart Church at Baileyville.
Survivors are seven sons, John Koch of Baileyville, Francis Koch of Holton, Kansas, Ralph Koch, Leroy Koch, Carl Koch, Roger Koch, all of Axtell, and Michael Koch of Lindsborg, Kansas; seven daughters, Verita Schmitz of Baileyville, Edna Lackey, Alice Porting and JoAnn Porting, all of Axtell, Kansas, Mary Kramer of Grand Junction, Colorado, Barbara Korte of Goff, Kansas, and Sharon Skalla of Beattie, Kansas; two brothers, Anthony "Tony" Hulsing of Seneca, and John Paul Hulsing of Baileyville; a sister Rosemary Schmitz of Seneca; 47 grandchildren, several stepgrandchildren, 53 great-grandchildren, several step-great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren.
Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by a three-month-old daughter, Cecelia Koch on December 19, 1947; a grandson, Bradley Koch on March 10, 1985; three brothers, Raphael, Nicholas and Francis Hulsing; and a sister Barbara Deters.
The mass of Christian burial will be 10 A.M. Thursday, January 31, at St Michael's Church at Axtell. She will lie in state at the church for one hour before the services. The burial will be in Sacred HeartCemeteryat Baileyville. The rosary will be prayed at 2 P.M. and at 7 P.M. Wednesday at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca where she will lie in state after 3 P.M. Tuesday.
Memorials may be given for St. Michael's Church or St. Michael's School and sent in care of the family.
Kenneth M. Koch
Kenneth M. Koch, 81, of Seneca, Kansas, Texas, died Sunday shortly after arrival at the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital. His death was caused by a series of strokes.
He was born September 23, 1918, at Summerfield, Kansas, the son of John and Marcella Cook Koch and one of 14 children. He moved with his family to Frankfort, Kansas, where he attended schools. He went to Freeport, Texas in 1939 where he was a hoisting engineer for various contractors. In 1965 he became business manager for International Union of Operating Engineers, Local Union No. 450, in Freeport, Texas, for 14 years. In 1979, three days before his planned retirement, he suffered a massive stroke and aneurysm.
He served in the 3rd Armored Division of the US Army in Central Europe as a half-track tank driver from March of 1943 to November of 1945. He was in the Battle of the Bulge, Normandy, and Ardennes. He was wounded in action December 18, 1944, and received a Purple Heart.
On March 29, 1941, he was married
to Marjorie Zettle of Seneca at Orange, Texas. They lived in Freeport and Van Vlick, Texas until her death March 17, 1992. He and his wife owned and operated a restaurant-steakhouse "Ken-Mar" on highway 35 in Freeport. In 1944 he sold all his property and moved to Seneca to live with his wife's sister, Hazel Hoffman.
He was a member of the Catholic Church at Bay City, Texas. He was a member of the Earle W. Taylor Post #21 of the American Legion and the Seneca Memorial Post #7458 of the Veteran's of Foreign Wars both at Seneca.
Survivors are three sisters, Leona Keiffer of Marysville, Kansas, Thomasine Cope of Thornton, Colorado, Kathryn Thomson of Wichita, Kansas, and his sister-in-law, Hazel Hoffman of the home in Seneca.
The mass of Christian burial will be Wednesday June 14 at 10:30 A.M. at Sts Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. The burial will be in the Seneca City Cemetery. There will be a Prayer Service at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca on Tuesday at 7 P.M.
Memorial contributions may be given for Sts. Peter & Paul School, Seneca, Kansas 66538.
