Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Norma J. Melvin
Norma J. Melvin, 81, of Seneca, Kansas, died Thursday, March 6, 2014 at her home in Seneca.
She was born March 17, 1932, at the Axtell Hospital, Axtell, Kansas, the daughter of Frank J. and Agnes M. Otting Enneking. The family lived on a farm north of Centralia, Kansas, where she started school. She also attended school in Baileyville, Kansas, before the family moved to a farm east of Seneca. After attending a rural school, she went to Sts. Peter & Paul School in Seneca and graduated from high school in 1950. She worked at the Log Cabin Café, Paul’s Place, and Ohlsen’s as a waitress all in Seneca. She also worked at the VFW Club in Seneca.
Norma also worked as the custodian at the Nemaha County Court House, retiring June 1, 1999.
On February 23, 1954, she married
Gerald Bergman at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. They lived in Seneca. He died April 13, 1960.
On December 24, 1968, she married
Bobby L. Melvin at Sts. Peter & Paul Church. Bobby died on June 24, 1984.
She was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church, the Altar Society, the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital Guild, the Earle W. Taylor Post # 21 of the American Legion Auxiliary all at Seneca. Norma was a family orientated individual who always looked forward to spending time with her family.
She was preceded in death by not only her two husbands, but also by her brother, Francis “Gene” Enneking on July 3, 2005.
She is survived by three sons, Steven (Jeni) Bergman of Cassville, Missouri, Terry Bergman, and Troy (Jennifer) Melvin both of Seneca; two daughters, Debra (Randy) Mullins of Tipton, Missouri and Brandi (Dean) Griffith of Seneca; a brother, James “Jim” Enneking of Seneca; three sisters, Lavona Engelken of Topeka, Beverly McClary of Centralia, and Virginia Huber of Seneca; seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
The Mass of Christian burial will be 11 AM Monday, March 10, 2014 at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. The burial will be in the church cemetery. The rosary will be prayed at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca on Sunday at 2 and 7 PM.
Memorials may be given for Sts. Peter & PaulCemeteryand sent in care of the family.
Clara Meyer
Clara Meyer, 104, of Baileyville, died early Wednesday morning May 9, 2007, at Life Care Center in Seneca.
She was born November 24, 1902 in St. Benedict, KS to John and Philomina Haug. She attended St. Mary’s Catholic School in St. Benedict graduating from the 9th grade. She helped on the family farm, and as a young girl did domestic work for area families.
She married
Henry H. Meyer on April 23, 1924 at St. Mary’s Church in St. Benedict. They lived on a farm north of Baileyville, where they raised 10 children, retiring from the farm in 1965. Henry died September 11, 1976.
As a child, Clara played the pipe organ at St. Mary’s Church and accompanied the school children on the piano. She was a proud homemaker, raising a large garden and sewing for her family. She was a rosary leader and a quilter at the church and a rosary volunteer at the nursing home. Clara enjoyed crocheting, quilting, playing cards, Scrabble, Bingo, watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, playing the piano, traveling to every state in the continental United States, and an occasional trip to the casino. She also loved to do mission work. Clara especially cherished her large family and loved having them come and visit. Everyone loved her homemade bread and pastries. She also made a few wedding cakes for family and friends.
She was a member of Sacred Heart Church of Baileyville, the Altar Society, the Benedictine Oblates, the Neighborhood Pinochle Club, and the Ladies Card Club. Clara was politically conscientious and voted in every major election.
She is survived by her four sons, Vernis of Granger, IA, Donald of Axtell, Clarence of Soldier, and Kenny of Baileyville; six daughters, Sister Mary John of Clyde, MO, Elaine Meyer of Baileyville, Marilyn Holthaus of Seneca, Dolores Saggars of Olathe, Kathy Buessing of Axtell, and Jan Tomlinson of Basking Ridge, NJ; a brother, Melvin Haug of Seneca; a sister, Armella Schmits of Seneca; 37 grandchildren; 90 great-grandchildren, and four great-great- grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Mildred in 1934; a great grandson, Bart Steele in April 2000; four brothers, Lawrence, Pete, Aloysius, and Ambrose; and a sister, Ursula Lueger.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 AM Saturday at Sacred Heart Church in Baileyville. Burial will be at the church cemetery. Rosaries will be prayed on Friday at 2 PM at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca, and also at 7 PM at Sacred Heart Church in Baileyville.
Memorials may be given for the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital, and sent in care of the family.
Donald J. Meyer
Donald J. Meyer of Axtell, Kansas, died peacefully on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 at his home surrounded by his family.
Donald John Meyer was born on October 2, 1928 at the family home north of Baileyville, Kansas. He was the second of 10 children born to Henry and Clara Haug Meyer. He graduated from Baileyville High School in 1947.
He was drafted into the U.S. Army on April 11, 1952 and served in the Korean War until March 4, 1954. He was awarded the Korean Service Medal with two bronze service stars, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal and the Overseas Bar.
Don married
Marcelline "Marcy" Hulsing on February 20, 1954 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in St. Benedict, Kansas. They had just recently celebrated their 59th anniversary.
Don was an avid, successful farmer and cattleman in Marshall and Nemaha Counties. They lived in rural Axtell until moving into Axtell in 2000.
Don had a deep love for his wife, family, faith and farming. He enjoyed “snow-birding” in Laughlin, Nevada and volunteering at Holy Trinity Monastery in St. David, Arizona for many years during his retirement.
His community involvement included 4th degree Knights of Columbus, American Legion, Axtell school board, St Michael’s church council and school board.
Besides his wife Marcy, survivors include his nine children, Jim (Julie) Meyer of Axtell, Jackie (Shawn) Aday of Wichita, Mary Jo Erdmann of Lincoln, Nebraska, John Meyer of Axtell, Jerry (Kristi) Meyer of Pawnee City, Nebraska, Julie (Damon) Putnam of Hoyt, Kansas, Steve (Velda) Meyer of Valley Center, Kansas, Donna (Jeff) Nider of Pawnee City, and Diane (Duke) Dutton of Augusta, Kansas; 27 grandchildren, Bridget Crow, Carrie Alcon, Travis Meyer, Carla Strathman, Adam, Aaron and Allison Aday, Melissa Beeck, Andrew and Dustin Erdmann, Luke and Evan Meyer, Hayden, Hannah, Henry and William Meyer, Macy and Megan Putnam, Abby, Emma, Heidi and Connor Meyer, Austin, Savannah and Mallory Nider, Ciara and Sage Dutton; nine great-grandchildren; two brothers, Clarence (Joann) Meyer of Soldier, Kansas and Kenny (Alice) Meyer of Baileyville, Kansas; six sisters, Sr. Mary John, OSB of Clyde, Missouri, Elaine (special friend Jean Placke) Meyer of Baileyville, Marilyn (late Dennis) Holthaus of Seneca, Delores (late Steve) Saggars of Olathe, Kathy (Richard) Buessing of Axtell, Janice (Tom) Tomlinson of Sarasota, Florida; and a sister-in-law, Thelma Meyer of Granger, Iowa.
He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant sister, Mildred; a brother, Vernice; and daughter-in-law, Sharis.
Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10:30 AM Saturday, March 9, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Axtell. Rosaries will be prayed at 2 & 7 PM Friday, March 8 at St. Michael’s Church. Burial will be in churchcemeterywith military honors.
Memorial contributions can be given for St. Michael’s Church and/or School, and sent in care of the family.
Hamlin H. Miller
Hamlin H. Miller, 77, of Seneca, Kansas, died Friday, May 23, 2003, at Country View Estates in Seneca.
He was born August 18, 1925, at Topeka, Kansas, the son of Orman and Helen Haskell Miller. He grew up on the family ranch three miles east of Onaga, KS. He attended Onaga schools and graduated from high school in 1943. Hamlin worked on the family ranch for several years. He raised cattle and horses specializing in quarter horses. In 1960 he had a farm sale and moved to Topeka to further his education. Hamlin played the piano, organ, and had a good singing voice. He shared his talents by playing and singing for churches and other events in the community.
In 1965 he graduated from Washburn University with a degree in history. After graduating from the Central Baptist Seminary in Kansas City in 1971, he served as the pastor at the Congregational Church in Muscotah, KS, for seven years. He also was a pastor at Junction City, KS, the Community Church at Wiggins, Colorado, and at Nogales, AZ. He was pastor at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Seneca two different times and helped to build a fellowship hall at the church. Later he served at churches at Thedford, Trenton, and Ainsworth in Nebraska. He retired from full time ministry in 1989, but continued to serve churches on an interim basis. He moved to Seneca in October of 1998 and entered Country View Estates in 1999 because he had Alzheimer’s Disease.
In 1960, he married
Evelyn Long at Topeka. She died May 16, 1990, while he was serving a church in Ainsworth, NE.
Hamlin was a charter member of the Nemaha County Historical Society. He wrote “Regis Loisel and Seventy Years of Kansas Land Claims” which was published in the Trail Guide, a quarterly historical publication.
He is survived by a brother, Mansfield Miller of Olathe, KS.
Funeral services will be 1:30 P.M. Tuesday at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca. The burial will be in Rochester Cemetery, Topeka, Kansas.
Memorials may be given for the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Seneca.
Charlene M. Mohlman
Charlene M. Mohlman, 89, of Seneca, KS, died after midnight March 21, 2004 at the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca.
She was born December 4, 1914, on a farm south of Seneca, the daughter of Harry and Rose Block Wichman. She attended Sts. Peter & Paul Schools in Seneca where she sang in the school choir, and graduated from high school in 1932. Following high school, she worked for the Charles Richard family in the Ford Community.
On January 14, 1936, she married
Joseph B. Mohlman at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. They lived and farmed southeast of Seneca in the Ford Community. They operated a dairy, farmed, and raised livestock. Charlene was very much involved in the operation of the farm with her husband. In May of 1981 they retired from farming and moved into Seneca. They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1986. Her husband, Joseph, died October 5, 1993.
She was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church, St. Ann's Altar Society, and the quilting group at the church. Charlene was also an over 50-year member of the QAF Club, bowled, and played in several card clubs. She especially enjoyed her family, the family holiday gatherings, and cooking.
Survivors are two sons, Gerald Mohlman of Baytown, TX and Leonard “Lenny” Mohlman of Bonner Springs; two daughters, Marilyn Ronnebaum of Seneca and Doris Childers of Independence, MO; a brother, Regis Wichman of Colorado Springs, CO; two sisters, Henrietta Pavlin of Boise, ID and Marian Crandall of Morrison, CO; 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Maurice Wichman and Leonard Wichman, and two sisters, Dorothy Lierz and Cathryn Lierz.
The mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 A.M. Wednesday at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. The burial will be in the church cemetery. The rosary will be prayed at 2 and 7 P.M. Tuesday at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca where she will lie in state after 8:30 A.M. on Tuesday.
Memorials may be given for Sts. Peter & Paul School and sent in care of the family.
Ivan R. Montgomery
Ivan R. Montgomery, 73, of Sabetha, Kansas, died Thursday, July 6, 2000, of an apparent heart attack at a Phoenix, Arizona hospital. He and his wife, Mary, were visiting their daughter, Marie Haywood, when he suddenly became ill.
He was born January 22, 1927, at Sabetha, the son of Robert and Ione Trees Montgomery. He graduated from Sabetha High School in 1945 and attended Baker University at Baldwin, Kansas for a year. He served in the US Army in post-World War II Germany. Besides farming, he was employed at the Bern Meat Plant, Meyer Lumber in Seneca, the Case Dealership in Centralia, and CR Industries at Seneca, Kansas, as a mold hiker for 19 years. He retired in 1998 from CR and continued to do some farming.
He was married
to Mary Meyer on August 8, 1948 at Sabetha. They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1998. She survives of the home. After their marriage, they went to college at Baker for a year before returning to farm south of Oneida for two years. They moved to a farm south of Bern where they lived and farmed for 48 years. They moved to Sabetha in February of 2000.
He was a member of the United Methodist Church at Bern. He was a member of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 100A, Unit 800. In the late 1960's he worked several years to help establish and maintain the Bern Rural Water District #1.
Survivors beside his wife, Mary, of the home are: a son, Paul Montgomery of Topeka, Kansas; a daughter, Marie Haywood of Glendale, Arizona; two brothers, Aurel Montgomery of Sabetha and Carol Montgomery of Loveland, Colorado; a sister, Ruth Hankins of Raytown, Missouri; and two grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a stillborn granddaughter, Emily Montgomery, on August 22, 1985.
Private funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. Monday at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca, Kansas. He will lie in state at the funeral home after 2 P.M. on Sunday. The burial will be in the AlbanyCemeteryat Sabetha, Kansas.
Memorial contributions may be given for the Seneca Library and sent in care of the family.
