Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Florence H. Pearson
Florence H. Pearson, 88, of Seneca, Kansas, died Saturday, October 27, 2012 at Crestview Manor care home in Seneca.
Florence was born November 1, 1923, on a farm north of St. Benedict, to Henry J. and Johanna Bergman Engelken. She attended St. Mary’s School at St. Benedict and later obtained her GED. As a young woman, she helped area families in their homes cleaning and taking care of their children.
On July 4, 1950, she married
Lyle R. Pearson at Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Seneca. They operated the Sunset Café west of Seneca for several years. Lyle and Florence opened their own plumbing shop, which they operated from their home until 1967, when they purchased a building on Main Street in Seneca. In the late 1960s they operated the American Legion Club Room. In 1980, they purchased the Village Motel on Highway 36.
She was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, the Altar Society, and the American Legion Auxiliary, all in Seneca.
She enjoyed cooking, playing bingo, and watching soap operas. She loved babysitting for her grandchildren.
Survivors are four daughters, Helen Niehues of Corning, Janet Rettele of Topeka, Marilyn Stallbaumer of Centralia and Lisa Studer of Seneca; a brother, Kenneth Engelken of Topeka; a sister, Mary Ann Armstrong of David City, Nebraska; 13 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Lyle on May 30, 1989; two sons, Ray D. on November 16, 2002 and Daniel J. on August 24, 1956; a granddaughter, Jenny Marie Stallbaumer; four brothers, Cletus Engelken on January 27, 1953, Alfred Engelken on May 17, 1996, Aloysius H. “Wishy” Engelken on January 11, 2004 and Bernard Engelken on October 29, 2006; and two sisters, Rosalita Mace on February 26, 1956 and Leona Koelzer.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 AM Tuesday, October 30, at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca. Rosaries will be prayed at 2 & 7 PM Monday at the funeral home. Burial is in Sts. Peter & Paul Cemetery.
Memorial beneficiary will be designated at a later date; memorials may be sent to the family.
Ray D. Pearson
Ray D. Pearson, 47, of Seneca, Kansas, died Saturday, November 16, 2002, as a result of a car accident at Seneca.
He was born December 1, 1954, the son of Lyle D. and Florence Engelken Pearson at the Axtell Hospital in Axtell, Kansas. He grew up in Seneca where he lived with his family. He graduated from Sts. Peter & Paul Grade School and from Nemaha Valley High School in 1972. He helped in the family business, Pearson Plumbing, while he was growing up. Ray attended Highland JC in Highland, Kansas for two years and two years at Kansas Technical Institute in Salina, where he studied electronics and graduated in 1976.
Ray worked in Lees Summit at Unity Village and in Flagstaff, Arizona, for several years. He returned to Seneca in 1985 where he managed the Village Inn for his mother. In March of 2002, his sister, Lisa, took over the motel and he retired due to health problems.
He was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church and the Seneca Chamber of Commerce. Ray enjoyed attending Legion baseball and was a scorekeeper for the games. He loved spending time with his nieces and nephews and visiting with the hunters who came to Seneca. Concerts were also a pleasure to him and his favorites were BJ Thomas and Neil Diamond.
Survivors are his mother, Florence Pearson of Seneca; four sisters, Helen Niehues of Corning, Janet Rettele and Lisa Studer, both of Seneca, and Marilyn Stallbaumer of Centralia, Kansas.
He was preceded in death by his father, Lyle Pearson on May 30, 1989 and a brother, Daniel Joseph Pearson on August 24, 1959.
The mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 A.M. Tuesday 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 at 7 P.M. Monday.
Memorials may be given for Sts. Peter & PaulCemeteryand sent in care of the family.
Marion "Lawrence" Potter
Marion "Lawrence" Potter, 99, of Seneca, KS, died Monday, February 20, 2012 at Crestview Manor care home in Seneca.
Lawrence was born on January 3, 1913, to Marion and Oklahoma Ballard Potter. They farmed a homestead 2-1/2 miles south of Vermillion, KS. Lawrence graduated from Vermillion High School in 1931. He lived for a short time during his senior year with Ed and Ethel Ballard-LaCour in Tulsa, OK. Ethel Ballard-LaCour was his aunt; both Ethel and Ed preceded him in death.
Lawrence married
Lydia Pearl Adams on April 5, 1934 after a three-year courtship. The couple made their home on the Potter homestead. Besides farming, Lawrence worked at a rock quarry to supplement their income. In March 1937 because of drought, they moved to Sacramento, CA to work for Del Monte and Libby’s canning operations.
After Lawrence contracted sleeping sickness, the couple moved back to live with Rachel and Charlie Adams, Lydia’s brother and wife, near Frankfort, KS in 1939. Shortly, thereafter, they moved to a farm southwest of Centralia. In 1941, their daughter Ethlyn Gail Potter was born. In 1944, they moved to the farm within the Swiss/French community Neuchatel on French Creek in the southwest corner of Nemaha County, where they farmed for 39 years. In 1946, their daughter Mary Charlene Potter was born.
In 1973, they retired to a 22-acre farm near Vermillion, where they continued to pasture cattle. In 2004, they moved to Seneca to be closer to family. In December of 2007 they moved to Crestview Manor care home.
In April 2011, the couple celebrated 77 years of marriage.
Lawrence was a member of the United Methodist Church of Seneca; he enjoyed fishing with his nephews and family, watching sports, bowling, playing cards, and horseshoe in his younger years.
Besides his wife Lydia, he is survived by two daughters, Mary Charlene Potter of Omaha, NE and Ethlyn Gail Deckert of Glen Ellyn, IL; grandsons, Bradford and Doug Deckert; a great-grandson, Wyatt Murphy-Deckert; and brother-in-law, Jack Cox.
He was preceded in death by an infant brother, Cecil Edward Potter, and his sister, Evelyn Louise Potter Cox.
Services will be held at 2 PM Saturday, February 25, at the Vermillion Methodist Church in Vermillion; burial will be in the Vermillion Cemetery. There will be a visitation from 3 to 5 PM on Friday, February 24, at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be given in Lawrence’s memory for the American Cancer Society or the United Methodist Church of Seneca.
Helen E. Quinlan
Helen E. Quinlan, 100, of Seneca, Kansas, died Tuesday, December 5, 2000, at Country View Estates Care Home in Seneca. She had been a resident there since 1998.
She was born October 28, 1900, southeast of Fidelity, Kansas, the daughter of Michael and Anna Casey Banks. Helen attended a country school and graduated from Sabetha High School. She taught in local schools until her marriage.
On May 11, 1921, she married
Michael B. Quinlan at St. Augustine's Church at Fidelity. They lived south of Seneca for three years, in Dawson, Nebraska for three years, and on the Quinlan farm southwest of Seneca. They moved into Seneca in 1945. She worked with her husband in the Quinlan Ford Agency from 1953 until they sold it to their son, Bernard. Helen and her husband started a juke box business in the early days of their marriage and later started a vending machine business. Her husband, Michael, died July 24, 1966. She sold the vending machine business to their son, Wilfred and his wife, Norma, in August of 1966. She celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends on October 28, 2000.
She was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church, the St. Ann's Altar Society at the church, the Loyal Christian Benevolent Association, the Earle W. Taylor Post #21 of the American Legion Auxiliary, and the Seneca Memorial Post #7458 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, the Better Homes Extension Club, and the Thursday Afternoon Pitch Club.
Survivors are two sons, Bernard Quinlan of Leavenworth, Kansas, and Wilfred Quinlan of Seneca; two daughters Marguerite Strathman of Seneca and Anna Mae Ice of Centralia, Kansas; 22 grandchildren; 45 great-grandchildren; 11 great great grandchildren.
Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by an infant son; a daughter, Esther Feldkamp on February 13, 1985; and three grandsons, infants Ralph Quinlan and Joseph Feldkamp and Daniel Schmits on May 4, 1970.
The mass of Christian burial will be 1:30 P.M. Saturday at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. The burial will be in the church cemetery. The rosary will be prayed at 3 P.M. Friday and a vigil prayer service will be at 8 P.M. Friday at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca. She will lie in state at the funeral home after 4 P.M. Thursday.
Memorials may be given for Sts. Peter & Paul School and sent in care of the family.
Marjorie M. Reeder
Marjorie Reeder, 75, of Seneca died late Thursday evening, June 3, 2004, at the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca.
She was born May 17, 1929, near Pawnee City, NE, the daughter of Nathan and Noma Richardson Curtis. Marjorie attended the Barker School and Pawnee High School. She worked in the healthcare industry as a nurse’s aid at the Pawnee Hospital, Nemaha Valley Community Hospital, Crestview Manor and Country View Estates. After she retired from nursing, she was employed by Jimco, the company operating a microfilming business out of the old Seneca Hospital building, and as a telemarketer and babysitter. She also was a greeter at the Pony Express Museum in Seneca.
On January 1, 1947 she married
Ab Christensen at Pawnee City. They lived there and at Burchard. They were later divorced. On July 9, 1965, she married
Benjamin J. Reeder at Plattsmouth, NE. They moved to Seneca in 1967. He preceded her in death on August 12, 1996.
She attended the United Methodist Church in Seneca. Marjorie was always a friendly, helpful person. Her favorite time was when she was with her family. She enjoyed crocheting and decorating her home.
Survivors are three sons, Scott Reeder of Topeka, John Reeder of Seneca, Douglas Christensen of Pawnee City, NE; a daughter, Lynda Stallbaumer of Pawnee City; a brother, John Curtis of Springfield, MO; two sisters, Dora Wissler of Pawnee City, and Mary Reist of Seneca; 4 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
Besides her husband, Ben, she was preceded in death by three sons, Roger Christensen on June 30, 1964, and infant twins, William and Curtis Reeder on September 25, 1969.
Funeral services will be 10 A.M. Monday at the United Methodist Church in Seneca. Burial will be in the Seneca City Cemetery. The family will meet with friends from 6 to 8 P.M. Sunday at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.
Memorials may be given for the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital or the United Methodist Church, and sent in care of the family.
Teresa J. Reicherter
Teresa J. Reicherter, 92, Seneca, died Tuesday, January 04, 2005, at the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca.
She was born June 13, 1912, on a farm north of St. Benedict, the daughter of Frank and Margaret Mitchell Skoch. She attended school at St. Benedict and then high school at St. Michael’s in Axtell, where she lived with the nuns. Following school, Teresa did domestic work and helped take care of newborn infants in private homes.
On April 19, 1933, she married
Leo J. Reicherter at St. Mary’s Church, St. Benedict. They farmed southwest of Lillis until 1944 when they moved to a farm southwest of Seneca. Her husband, Leo, died October 9, 1990. Teresa continued to live on the farm with her son, Charles. He also preceded her in death on April 8, 1998. After she fractured her hip in January of 2000, she lived with some of her children. In June of 2001, nursing home care became necessary, and she entered Crestview Manor.
She was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church, St. Ann’s Altar Society, and the Quilting Group at the church. Teresa enjoyed making many quilts for the church and her family. She was a good seamstress and also liked embroidery and other hand sewing. She used to bake pies for Duazell's Steak House & McDonnell's Cafe, both in Seneca. For many years she kept a big garden and worked hard on the farm, especially during the Great Depression years.
Survivors are a son, Douglas of Mayetta; four daughters, Norma Bennett, Rossville, Mary Ellen Fangman, Silver Lake, Margaret Feldkamp, Seneca, Connie Kroemer, Bern; a sister, Nell Schmidt, Dunlap, IA; 20 grandchildren; 34 great grandchildren; 6 great-great-grandchildren; 2 step-great-grandchildren; 2 step-great-great-grandchildren.
Besides her husband and son she was preceded in death by two grandsons, Randy Bennett and Dennis Bennett; a brother, Francis Skoch; and 3 sisters, Mary Stallbaumer, Kate Stallbaumer, and Rose Brady Dodd.
Mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 A.M. Thursday at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The rosary will be prayed at 2 and 7 P.M. Wednesday at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca where she will lie in state after 10:30 A.M. Wednesday.
Memorials may be given for the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital, and sent in care of the family.
