Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Esther B. Schmelzle
Esther Bertha Schmelzle, 87, of St. Benedict, KS, died Sunday, November 27, 2011 at Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca.
She was born on September 20, 1924, on a farm northwest of St. Benedict, the daughter of Joseph and Rose Mary Rennenger Mohrman. She attended District #74 Public School until the 6th grade, then went to St. Benedict School, graduating high school in 1942.
Following graduation, Esther worked in Kansas City, MO, at Western Auto and Russell Stover Candy. She also worked at Farrell’s Dime Store in Seneca before her marriage.
On December 29, 1949, she married
Leo P. Schmelzle at St. Mary’s Church in St. Benedict. They lived on Esther’s family's home place northwest of St. Benedict. They farmed, raised livestock, and operated Leo’s Electric. Esther was also employed by B & B School District #451 in St. Benedict as a lunchroom cook for 23 years.
The couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in December of 1999. They were married
60 years when Leo died on March 31, 2010.
Esther was a member of St. Mary’s Church in St. Benedict, St. Ann’s Altar Society, and was a Hustler’s 4-H Club cooking project leader. She enjoyed baking, cooking and canning; she also loved a good card game.
Survivors are a son Joe (Marcia) Schmelzle of Seneca; a daughter, Joan (Gene) Lierz of Seneca; her sisters, Irene Cairns and Isabelle Schmelzle, both of Kansas City; and five grandchildren, Stacy, Amber, and Caleb Schmelzle, and Jeff and Jason Lierz.
Funeral service will be at 11 AM Wednesday, November 30, at St. Mary's Church in St. Benedict. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Rosaries will be prayed at 2 & 7 PM Tuesday, November 29, at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.
Memorials may be given in Esther’s memory for St. Mary’s Church Restoration Fund, and sent in care of the family.
Francis George "Frank" Schmelzle
Francis G. Schmelzle, 96, of Liberty, Missouri, died Sunday, August 17, 2014.
He was born October 9, 1917 on a farm North East of Emmett, Kansas, the son of George and Katherine Tholl Schmelzle. He attended Halligan County Grade School in Emmett, KS. He worked on the family farm until 1938 when he went to Iowa to do farm work. In 1941 he went to Kansas City, Mo. to attend and graduated from the National School of Aeronautics. During the war he worked in Cuero Texas, Patterson Field Ohio, Dayton Ohio, and in Panama when the war ended. After the war, he worked for the CO-OP Service Station in Seneca, KS for ten years.
On June 29, 1948 he married
Isabel Mohrman in St. Benedict, KS. They were married
65 years. She died March 4, 2014. They lived in Seneca until he took an airline mechanic job for TWA in 1966. He retired from TWA in1981. He also worked diligently as one of the first employees in establishing the company of Western Forms.
He took pride in his cabinetmaking, remolding his basement, and growing tomatoes and red roses. He enjoyed fishing and camping at Roaring River in the Ozarks. He was recognized in the neighborhood as the man on his red scooter—going to the store. He loved to watch the KC Royals baseball on TV while sitting on his front porch. He always had a story to tell to family and friends.
Survivors are his daughters Janet McGuire and Nancy Schelle of Kansas City, MO; a son Alan (Kelly) of Kansas City, MO; a granddaughter Deborah Bond (Stuart) of Gladstone, MO; grandson Desmond McGuire of Gladstone, MO; and great-grandsons’ Mark Anthony Gulotta and soon-to-be baby Bond of Gladstone, MO.
He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, and brother’s Albert, Carl, Leo, and Leonard.
Visitation will be held at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca one hour before the funeral. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Fr. Arul Carasala on Saturday, August 23, 2014 at 10 A.M. at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca with burial in the church cemetery.
Memorials will be determined at a later date and may be sent in care of the family.
Isabel M. Schmelzle
Isabel Mary Mohrman Schmelzle, 91 of Liberty, died March 4, 2014 at Liberty Hospital in Liberty, MO.
She was born November 20, 1922, on a farm northwest of Seneca, KS, the daughter of Joseph and Rose Mary Rennenger Mohrman. She attended #1 Cleveland District Country School for four years and graduated in 1941 from St. Mary’s School at St. Benedict, Kansas.
In 1942 she began employment for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company as an operator in downtown Kansas City, MO; she was employed for six years.
On June 29, 1948 she married
Francis G. Schmelzle at St. Mary’s Church at St. Benedict, KS. They lived in Seneca for eight years before moving to Kansas City, MO in 1956.
Survivors are her husband of 65 years, Francis Schmelzle of Liberty, MO; daughters, Janet McGuire and Nancy Schelle both of Kansas City, MO; a son, Alan (Kelly) Schmelzle of Kansas City, MO; granddaughter, Debbie Bond (Stuart) of Gladstone, MO; grandson, Desmond McGuire of Kansas City, MO; and great grandson, Mark Anthony Gulotta of Gladstone, MO.
Isabel was preceded in death by sisters, Irene Cairns of Kansas City, MO and Esther Schmelzle of St. Benedict, KS.
The family will visit with relatives and friends one hour before the Mass, at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca. Funeral Mass will be offered at 2 PM Saturday, March 8, 2014, at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Memorials will be designated at a later date.
Leona M. Schmelzle
Leona Schmelzle, 88, Seneca, Kansas passed away Tuesday, June 17, 2014 at Crestview Nursing and Residential in Seneca.
She was born in St. Benedict, Kansas on July 20, 1925, the daughter of William and Mary (Harpenau) Lackey. She attended school at St. Benedict, Kansas.
She married
Albert Schmelzle on February 22, 1944. They lived, farmed and raised cattle in the Ford Community southeast of Seneca for 20 years. After the death of Albert in 1964 she moved to Seneca where she resided until her death.
She worked for a time at Campbell Soup Company and twelve years for Bern Extrusion. She retired in 1987. She was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, St. Ann’s Altar Society and the QAF Club. She enjoyed needlework, especially crocheting and quilting, playing cards and bingo.
She is survived by two sons, Lawrence (Pat) of Esterbrook, WY and Kenneth (Peggy) of Peck, KS, one daughter, Katherine of Overland Park, KS, five grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, two brothers, Leonard and Vincent Lackey and eight sisters, Rose Mary Woolsey, Rita Anna Heinen, Frances Lackey, Eileen McQueen, Bertha Trudell, Aurelia Fangman, Wilhelmina Koch and Anna Bockerstette.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10AM Friday, June 20, 2014 at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Seneca. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The rosary will be prayed at 7 PM on Thursday, June 19th at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.
Memorials will be designated at a later date.
Albert J. Schmits, Jr.
Albert J. Schmits, Jr., 88, of Seneca, Kansas, died Friday, April 6, 2001, at the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca. He was transferred there from Country View Estates Care Home in Seneca where he had been a resident for three years.
He was born February 13, 1913, on a farm southwest of Seneca, the son of Albert and Mary Burdick Schmits. He attended the Sherman School District #89 southwest of Seneca. Albert farmed southwest of Seneca until he entered the US Army on August 2, 1942. As a member of the 348th Engineering Combat Battalion, he landed at Normandy where he was involved in the invasion. He served in Germany until the end of World War II and was discharged in 1945. After returning home, he was a farmer and a stockman southwest of Centralia, Kansas. In 1992 he moved to Seneca where he lived until his health required nursing home care.
He was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church and the St. Joseph Society at the church at Seneca and the Armstrong-Moyer Post #219 of the American Legion at Centralia. Albert enjoyed fishing and playing cards. He liked dogs and cats.
Survivors are a brother, Leonard Schmits of Seneca and a sister, Rose M. Macke of Eugene, Oregon.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by three brothers, Norbert, Francis, and Regis Schmits, and two sisters, Leona Schmits and Mary Keegan.
The mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 A.M. Monday at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. The burial will be in the church cemetery. A prayer service will be conducted at 2 P.M. and the rosary will be prayed at 7 P.M. on Sunday at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.
Memorials may be given for Sts. Peter & Paul Church or for the Knights of Columbus and sent in care of the family. .
Ambrose Schmitz
Ambrose Schmitz, 83, of Seneca, Kansas, died Monday, May 28, 2012 at Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka.
Ambrose was born on July 3, 1928, on the family farmstead, north of St. Benedict, the son of John L. and Mary Oenbring Schmitz. He attended St. Mary’s Grade School in St. Benedict and graduated from 8th grade. After school he helped on the family farm.
In 1952, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He served from July to November, when he was called home to take over the family farm. The family farm held great meaning to Ambrose, and he lived there 83 years of his life.
Ambrose married
Mary Ann Boeckman on February 14, 1953 at St. Bede’s Catholic Church in Kelly. After marriage they lived on the Schmitz family homestead north of St. Benedict where they farmed and raised their family. In the fall of 2011 they moved to Seneca where they had built a home. Ambrose and Mary Ann celebrated 59 years of marriage.
He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in St. Benedict, St. Mary’s Parish Council, the St. Joseph Society at the church, and the Knights of Columbus Council #1769 in Seneca. In addition, he was on the Board of Trustees for the Clear Creek Township for many years and for eight years served on the USD 451 School Board.
Ambrose loved to play cards and watch KU basketball and KC Royals baseball games. He took pride in restoring family antiques, collecting toy tractors, fishing, and making homebrew and wine. However, one of his greatest pleasures was watching his grandchildren in their activities.
Survivors are his wife Mary Ann of the home; a son, Leonard of Seneca; five daughters: Jody and Stephen Niehues of Topeka and their children, Brad (Jamie) and Aaron and their great-grandchildren, Grant and Morgan Niehues; Grace and Alan Knott of Omaha, Nebraska, and their children, Ashley and Zachary Knott; Monica and Len Marousek of Omaha, and their children, Jake and Sammi Marousek; Armella and Stephan Tangeman of Olathe and their children, Alex and Joey Tangeman; and Mary Ellen Conroy (fiancé Steve Bowhay) of Pawnee City, Nebraska and her children Dustin Holthaus, Corey Holthaus and Sarah Conroy; and a sister, Rosella Bergman of Seneca.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by seven brothers, Vincent, Paul, Silverius, Ed, Virgil, Francis and John Schmitz; a sister, Mary Reinecke; and a granddaughter, Emily Dawn Tangeman.
Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10:30 AM Friday, June 1, at St. Mary’s Church in St. Benedict. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Rosaries will be prayed at 2 & 7 PM Thursday, May 31, at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.
Memorials may be given in Ambrose’s memory for St. Mary’s Church in St. Benedict.
Dolores M. Schmitz
Dolores H. Schmitz, 70, of Axtell, Kansas, died Monday morning, July 1, 2002, at her home in Axtell. She had bravely fought cancer.
She was born August 7, 1931, on a farm north of Baileyville, Kansas, the daughter of Anthony and Barbara Hulsing Deters. In 1933 the family moved to a farm south of Baileyville where she grew up, attended Sacred Heart School at Baileyville, and helped on the family farm. As a young woman, she helped in local homes doing domestic work and childcare, especially helping families with newborn babies. She worked in Seneca, Kansas, in the home of Savilla and Elmer Winterscheidt.
On May 2, 1953, she married
Norbert Schmitz at Sacred Heart Church in Baileyville. They lived north of Seneca a year and then south of Baileyville until 1961 when they moved to a farm south of Axtell. They farmed, raised livestock, and operated a Grade-A Dairy. Dolores also raised chickens. In 1990 they retired and moved into Axtell.
She was a member of St. Michael's Church, St. Michael's Guild, the quilting group at the church and the American Legion Auxiliary, all at Axtell. She was a former member of Sacred Heart Church at Baileyville. Among her special interests were crocheting, embroidery, gardening, and canning.
Survivors are her husband Norbert of the home; six sons, David A. Schmitz of Holton, Kansas, Lawrence "Larry" Schmitz of Reading, Kansas, James "Jim" Schmitz of Frankfort, Kansas, William J. "Bill" Schmitz of Newton, Kansas, Fr. Dennis Schmitz and Joseph G. "Joe" Schmitz, both of Axtell; a daughter, Janet A. Ronnebaum of Axtell, Kansas; three brothers, Clarence Deters of Ozawkie, Kansas, Linus Deters of Seneca, and Leonard Deters of Baileyville; a sister, Rita Schmitz of Horton, Kansas; and nineteen grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a daughter, Mary Kay Schmitz, on December 18, 1965; a granddaughter, Stacy Schmitz, on September 29, 1990; four sisters, Henrietta Deters (infant), Evelyn Olberding, Dorothy Cain, and Elizabeth "Betty" Kramer.
The mass of Christian burial will be 10 A.M. Thursday, July 4, at St. Michael's Church at Axtell. She will lie in state at the church for an hour preceding the mass. The burial will be in the church cemetery. The rosary will be prayed on Wednesday at 2 P.M. and at 8 P.M. at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca, where she will lie in state after 4 P.M. on Tuesday.
Memorials may be given for St. Michael's Church or for St. Michael's School or for the donor's choice, and sent in care of the family.
