Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Francis B. Wietharn
Francis B. Wietharn, 91, of Seneca, Kansas, died late Saturday evening, March 17, 2007, at the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca.
Francis was born on April 13, 1915 at the Wietharn homestead family farm northeast of Baileyville, the son of Frank and Anna Catherine Engelken Wietharn. He attended the Wooden Shoe Country School located on their farm, as well as Sacred Heart School in Baileyville. He loved helping on the family farm, and later took over the operation.
On October 14, 1940, he married
Laura Lierz at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. They spent 58 wonderful years of marriage, until her death on November 29, 1998. They lived and farmed on the Wietharn family homestead all of their married
life, and raised four children.
Francis loved the farm and appreciated the beauty of nature. He often said there was no better place on earth than the farm. Even though he loved living in the countryside, he retired in 1998 and moved to Seneca.
Francis was a member of Sacred Heart Church in Baileyville, the Knights of Columbus #1769 in Seneca, Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca, and was a recipient of a Soil Conservation Award, in recognition of all the conservation practices he implemented on his farm for many years. Francis established the Francis & Laura Wietharn Memorial Fund in 1999 through the STEP Foundation, for the benefit of Sts. Peter & Paul Church and Sacred Heart Church.
Survivors include three sons, Dwight of Kansas City, Clarence of Overland Park, and Frank of Topeka; a daughter, Betty Rottinghaus of Overland Park; a sister, Rita Floersch of Seneca; nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Besides his wife Laura he was preceded in death by five brothers, Edwin, Aloysious, Clarence, Father Sylvester and Father Albert; and two sisters, Helen Buser and Marie Heiman.
Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 AM Wednesday, March 21, at Sacred Heart Church in Baileyville. Burial will be in Sts. Peter & PaulCemeteryin Seneca, where he will be laid to rest next to his wife, Laura. Rosaries will be prayed at 2 & 7 PM Tuesday at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.
Memorial contributions may be given for the American Heart Association, and sent in care of the family.
Johnnie F. "Fred" Wilcher
Johnnie F. “Fred” Wilcher, 74, Venice, FL, died November 11, 2004, at his home. He had been ill with a chronic lung disease.
He was born July 7, 1930, at Shallowater, TX, the third of nine children of Emery and Jetty Gross Wilcher. The family migrated from Oklahoma and Texas to Porterville, CA, during the “Dust Bowl” era in the 1930s.
In 1947 he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He was married
to Carolyn Woltkamp in 1949. He served in Korea from 1951 to 1952, at Castle AFB, CA, and in Chateroux, France where his family accompanied him for three years. He had been in supplies, but after attending IBM computer school at Offutt, Omaha, NE, he was able to fulfill a dream and work on supply systems and computers. This network knowledge earned him the U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal for service as an analyst supervisor. In 1963 the family moved with him to Guam and he served during the Vietnam War.
He retired from the Air Force in 1968 and accepted a position with Dade County Schools Systems in Miami, FL. He worked in supply for the third largest school district in the U.S. In 1993 he retired and he and Carolyn moved to Venice.
Survivors are his wife, Carolyn of the home; a son, John, Venice, FL; daughters, Betty Wolfer, Venice and Catherine Briggs, Portland, OR; brothers Earl, Visalia, CA, Robert and Dick, Kingman, AZ; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a son Dennis in November of 1992, and a sister Leota Johnson.
Graveside inurnment services with military honors will be 1:30 P.M. Friday, May 20, 2005, at Sts. Peter & Paul Cemetery, Seneca, KS. Full military honors will be provided by Whiteman AFB of Knob Noster, MO, the American Legion Earl W. Taylor Post 21, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Seneca Memorial Post 7458.
Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca is in charge of arrangements.
Lester J. Wilhelm
Lester J. Wilhelm, 80, Seneca, died late Saturday evening, February 7, 2004, at the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca. He was transferred there from Crestview Manor where he had been a resident since March of 2000.
He was born July 9, 1923, at Kelly, KS, the son of Anthony and Elizabeth Heinen Wilhelm. He grew up there and attended school. He was inducted into the U.S. Army on February 10, 1945, and served in the Pacific theater during World War II. He was discharged on October 28, 1946. After returning to Seneca, he worked for Ray Droge Construction and for Francis Zelfer on his farm. In 1948 he moved to Woodlawn, where he farmed and worked at the Oneida Elevator. In February of 1968 he began employment at the Farmer’s Elevator, later called Seneca Elevator, where he worked 30 years until his retirement in June of 1998.
On January 3, 1945, he married
Virginia M. Lehmkuhl at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. They lived south of Seneca most of their married
life. They were married
for 56 years before her death on January 4, 2001.
He was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church, the St. Joseph Society, the Knights of Columbus #1769 for over 50 years, and a lifetime member of the Seneca Memorial Post #7458 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Lester enjoyed playing cards at the Knights of Columbus clubroom and visiting with his friends.
Survivors are four sons, Wayne of Junction City, Robert “Bob” of Barryton, Dale of Seneca, and Thomas of Hiawatha; a daughter, Charlene Collom of Topeka; two sisters, Gladys Forst of Wamego and Elda Rose Koch of Marysville; fourteen grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Besides his wife, he was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Lori Collom, on January 19, 1998.
The mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 A.M. Tuesday at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. The burial will be at the church cemetery, with full military honors by the 190th Air Refueling Wing, which is the unit of Lester's son Bob, presently serving in Iraq, and by the VFW and the American Legion of Seneca.. The rosary will be prayed at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca on Monday at 2 and 7 P.M.
Memorials may be given for Sts. Peter & Paul School and sent in care of the family.
Virginia M. Wilhelm
Virginia M. Wilhelm, 74, of Seneca, Kansas, died Thursday, January 4, 2001, at the Hiawatha Community Hospital, Hiawatha, Kansas.
She was born February 27, 1926, at Kelly, Kansas, the daughter of Joseph B. and Gertrude Waller Lehmkuhl. She attended St. Augustine's School at Fidelity and later the Oak Grove School east of Seneca.
On January 3, 1945, she married
Lester Wilhelm at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. Lester, her husband of 56 years survives of Seneca. They lived south of Seneca most of their married
life. She was a homemaker, worked at the Gilford hotel for ten years, cooked at the Prairie Lounge in Seneca for a number of years, and also had cared for elderly people in their homes.
She was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church, St. Ann's Altar Society at the church, the Loyal Christian Benevolent Association, the Nemaha County Historical Society where she was a former board member, all at Seneca. She volunteered her services at the Mission Center also in Seneca.
Survivors beside her husband are four sons; Wayne Wilhelm of Junction City, Kansas, Bob Wilhelm of Topeka, Kansas, Dale Wilhelm of Seneca, and Tom Wilhelm of Hiawatha; a daughter, Charlene Collom of Topeka; a brother Kenneth Lehmkuhl of Seneca; two sisters, Mildred Hermesch of Seneca and Jeanette Barkley of Uhrichsville, Ohio; fourteen grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a grandchild Lori Collom on January 19, 1998; two brothers, Donald Lehmkuhl and Elmer Lehmkuhl; and two sisters, Delores Haler and Jane Gay.
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. The rosary will be prayed on Saturday at 7 P.M. and a vigil prayer service will be conducted at 7 P.M. Sunday at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca where she will lie in state after 3 P.M. Saturday.
Memorials may be given for Sts. Peter & Paul School or for the Mission Center, both in Seneca, and sent in care of the family.
Donald J. "Donnie" Winkler
Donald “Donnie” J. Winkler, 98, of Seneca died on Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at Crestview Nursing & Residential Living.
He was born on April 26, 1916 to John and Della Aziere Winkler on a farm south east of Seneca, he was the youngest of their four sons. He grew up in the old Kamper Switch neighborhood on the family farm close to Kelly, Kansas. He attended Old Lincoln School, where he completed the 8th grade; and he attended St. Bede’s Church in Kelly. Don’s family was musical and during the Depression the family formed a band and played in a band for extra money Don was thirteen when he played the saxophone at his first dance; he played at many more dances from 1930-1937. He helped his family at the farm and worked at Kampers Drug Store. He also worked for Halderman Construction Company for a couple of years driving dump trucks and helping to build the “new” highway 36 east of Seneca, and in LaJunta Colorado the construction of air runways.
He was drafted into the Army in 1942; Don served his country in Europe during World War II as a Corporal Medical Tect. in Northern France and Central Europe. Don was in the battle of the Bulge, upon discharge he was decorated with four Bronze Stars, he returned to Nemaha County in 1945. On October 29, 1947 he married
Lucille Osterhaus at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in St. Benedict. The couple made their home in Seneca where they raised their daughter, Connie, and celebrated 66 years of marriage. Donnie operated Winkler Truck Line for 25 years, and also co-managed Winkler Liquor Store from 1971 until they sold the store in 1981.
Don was a member of Sts. Peter and Paul Church and the St. Joseph society. He was a active member of the Earle W. Taylor Post #21 of the American Legion for 69 years and a lifetime member of the and Veterans of Foreign War. He served as a past commander of the Seneca Memorial Post #7458 of the VFW. For many years he was “Santa” for the city of Seneca, posing for pictures and listening to the children’s wish lists. He enjoyed playing cards and telling jokes.
He is survived by a daughter, Connie Winkler of Seneca.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lucille; and his three brothers, Francis, Lawrence and Wilfred.
Rosaries will be at Lauer Funeral Home on Friday, November 7th at 2 &7 PM. Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday, November 8th at 10 AM at Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Seneca. Burial will be in Sts. Peter & Paul Cemetery, with full military honors.
Memorials may be left in Donnie’s memory to Seneca Veterans Wall and or Sts. Peter and Paul Church.
Linus E. Winkler
Linus E. Winkler, 77, Oneida, died Thursday, November 04, 2004, at Life Care Center in Seneca.
He was born June 30, 1927, south of Kelly, the son of Eugene and Philomena Kongs Winkler. Linus attended Kelly Grade School and helped on the family farm. When he was 17, he started driving a truck for the Sabetha Creamery, which he continued until 1950, and then did substitute driving for several years. Linus farmed his whole life and enjoyed working outdoors.
On April 28, 1951, he married
Lucille Dick at St. Mary’s Church, St. Benedict. She survives of the home near Oneida.
He was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church and the St. Joseph’s Society at the church. Linus served on the Nemaha Valley School Board of Education from 1969 to 1974, with the Nemaha County Sheriff’s Reserve from 1978 to 1992, and on the Board of Directors of the Citizens State Bank in Seneca. Linus was a tall quiet man with a big heart, always willing to lend a hand. He took great interest in his family, farming, neighbors, and community.
Survivors besides his wife Lucille of the home are three sons, Wayne of Seneca, Chris of Oneida, and Lynn of Hutchinson; five daughters, Karen Brown and Joyce Holthaus of Axtell, Sarah Kohake of Olathe, Carol Winkler of Oneida, and Amy Burgess of DuBois, Nebraska; three brothers, Albert of Kelly, and Marvin and LeRoy of Seneca; a sister, Eleanor Hermesch of Goff; 18 grandchildren; 2 step grandchildren; 5 great grandchildren; and 2 step great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a son, William “Bill” Winkler on March 11, 1998.
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. The rosary will be prayed at 2 P.M. and a prayer service will be at 7 P.M. Sunday at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca, where he will lie in state after 8:30 A.M on Sunday.
Memorials may be given to the Midland Hospice in Topeka or to Sts. Peter & Paul School in Seneca and sent in care of the family.
