Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Louis B. Van Meter
1919 - 2006
BURDETT - Louis B. Van Meter, 86, died March 28 at the Larned Health Care in Larned where he had resided since moving from his home in Burdett in January 2005. He was born June 15, 1919, at Burdett, the son of David N. and Sarah Jane Smith Gowdy Van Meter. He married
Ella F. Fagen on Jan. 1, 1945, at Burdett. A lifetime Burdett resident, he retired after 26 years with Northern Natural Gas Company and Enron. Van Meter was a member of the Mary C. Norris Methodist Church in Burdett, where he served as chairman of the Administrative Board, Lions Club 50 year member, American Legion Post 280, all of Burdett; past President and board member of the Santa Fe Trail Association, Wet and Dry Routes of the Santa Fe Trail Association, Larned. He was a recipient of the prestigious 'Silver Beaver Award' from the Boys Scouts of America and was a scoutmaster for 22 years. His scouting memorabilia is on display at the Central Scout Museum in Larned. Survivors include his wife, Ella; two sons, David L. Van Meter of Larned and John F. Van Meter of Newton; one daughter, Jane A. Orton of Gig Harbor, Wash.; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one sister, Ruth Van Meter Dugan, infant brother Fredrick; two stepbrothers, Loren and Henry Gowdy; and one step-sister, Charlotte Gowdy Lewis. Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the church with the Rev. Mary Ohlmeier officiating. Burial will be at the Browns Grove cemetery in Burdett. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Beckwith Mortuary Chapel in Lamed. Memorials are suggested to the church or the Central States Scout Museum in care of the mortuary. Funeral arrangements provided by Beckwith Mortuary P.O. box 477 Lamed, KS 67550
Cara Lea Stephens
Cara Lea Stephens died March 27. Arrangements are pending with Charter Funerals in Great Bend.
Richard "Dick" Stremel
1919 - 2006
Richard 'Dick' Stremel, 86, of Great Bend, died March 25 at Central Kansas Medical Center in Great Bend. He was born Oct. 18, 1919, at Loretto, the son of John R. and Susan Haberkorn Smith. He married
Ada Smith on Aug. 8, 1971, at Great Bend. He was the owner of Dick Stremel Welding Service, retiring in 1978. He was a resident of Great Bend most of his life, coming from Loretto. Stremel was a member of the Catholic Community of Great Bend at St. Patrick, Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie No. 646, Sunflower Polka Club, and lifetime member of American Legion Post No. 180, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 3111, all of Great Bend. He was a World War II Army veteran serving in the South Pacific War Theatre. Survivors include his wife, of the home; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by five brothers and four sisters. Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Bryant Funeral Home in Great Bend with the Rev. Reginald A. Urban officiating. Burial will be at the Hillcrest Memorial Park in Great Bend with military honors by Fort Riley Honor Guard. Visitation will be Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with family to receive friends from 7 to 8 p.m., all at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested the Catholic Community of Great Bend or the Great Bend Senior Center. Funeral arrangements provided by Bryant Funeral Home 1425 Patton Rd. Great Bend, KS 67530
David T. Evans
1927 - 2006
BELPRE - David T. Evans, 78, died March 25 at Central Kansas Medical Center in Great Bend. He was born Oct. 30, 1927, in Junction, Texas, the son of Gilford and Rachel L. Smith Evans. He married
Geneva D. Hale on Nov. 26, 1994, at Belpre. A resident of Belpre since 1962, he was a retired carpenter. Evans was a member of the Christian faith. Survivors include his wife, of the home; one son, Richard Evans of Larned; one daughter, Cathy Ivy of Wichita; two brothers, Paul Evans of Temple, Texas, and Damon Evans of Jacksonville, Texas; four sisters, Lottie Cabler of Waxachie, Texas, Mamie Dickens of Springfield, Mo., Nina Lyde of Canton, Texas, and Linda Williams of New Mexico; and one grandchild. He was preceded in death by one brother, Stuart Evans. Evans requested no service. Cremation has taken place. Memorials are suggested to the donor's choice, in care of Morell Funeral Home in Larned. Funeral arrangements provided by Morell Funeral Home P.O. Box 124 Larned, KS 67550
Robert David O'Connor
1916 - 2006
MACKSVILLE - Robert David O'Connor, 89, died March 24 at Cimarron Point Care Home in Mannford, Okla. He was born Nov. 10, 1916, at rural Macksville, the son of Edward John and Edith Bernilla (Eckart) O'Connor. He attended Kansas State University for one year. He married
Eva Christine Abrahamson on April 17, 1938, at Macksville. A lifetime resident of the Macksville area, he was a farmer/stockman. O'Connor was a member of Macksville Christian Church, Farmington Township board, Stafford County Council on Aging, and the VIP Center, and was a 4-H worker. Survivors include his wife, of the home; three sons, Michael Kent O'Connor of Greenville, Texas, Nicholas David O'Connor of Waco, Texas, and Lance Robert O'Connor of Luling, La.; one daughter, Rebecca Diane Trentman of Hominy, Okla.; one sister, Marjorie Smith of Wichita; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one brother, Edward J. O'Connor; and two sisters, Frances Potts and Elizabeth O'Connor. Funeral was held at 2 p.m. March 27 at the church. A private burial will be at the Farmington cemetery in Macksville. There will be no visitation. Memorials are suggested to the church or Cimarron Point Care Home, both in care of Minnis Chapel in St. John. Funeral arrangements provided by Minnis Chapel, Inc. 526 E. 4th St. John, KS 67576
Jack Henry Barger
2002 - 2006
LARNED - Jack Henry Barger, 3, died March 24 at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Larned. He was born June 18, 2002, at Great Bend, the son of Clint Arthur and Mary 'Lynn' Krusenklaus Barger. He was a lifetime Larned resident. He was a member of the United Methodist Church, Larned. Survivors include his parents and a brother, Alex A. Barger, of the home; grandparents, Bill and June Barger, Larned, and Jack and Dorothy Krusenklaus, Overland Park; and great-grandparents Warren and Jean Inskeep, Cawker City. Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the church, with the Rev. Tim Ault-Duell officiating. Burial will be at the Garfield cemetery in Garfield. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at the Beckwith Mortuary Chapel in Larned. Memorials are suggested to Sunflower Early Education, in care of the mortuary. Funeral arrangements provided by Beckwith Mortuary Inc. P.O. Box 477 Larned, KS 67550
Grace O. Keller
1903 - 2006
LARNED - Grace O. Keller, 103, died March 22 at the St. Joseph Memorial Hospital, Larned. She was born Jan. 28, 1903, in Ringwood, Okla., the daughter of Herman Henry and Margaret Elizabeth Welch Henning. She married
William J. Keller on Aug. 22, 1928, at Sharon Springs, Colo. He died January 11, 1980.She was a teacher and taught in several school systems including, Macksville, Minneola, Belpre and Montezuma. Keller was a member of the Belpre Woman's Federated Club, and was the first to receive the 4-Star-Book award. She was also a member of Belpre's Woman's Club, Rachel Fellowship, Larned, Moose Lodge, Dodge City, Order of the Easter Star 458, Ensign, The Affiliated Rose of Sharon 356, Macksville, and the Belpre Beautiful Prairie EHU. Survivors include, two sisters, Dora L. Bowman and Christobelle Huck, both of Larned. She was preceded in death by two brothers, David and Mark Henning; and four sisters, Mabel Storey, Augusta Bowlus, Emma Holland, and Clara G. Buhrer. Funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Beckwith Chapel in Larned with the Rev. Tim Ault-Duell officiating. Burial will be at Belpre cemetery in Belpre. Friends may call today from noon to 8 p.m., and 9 a.m. until service time Saturday at the mortuary. Memorials are suggested to Larned United Methodist Church, or Larned Emergency Medical Service, in care of the mortuary. Condolences may be left and this notice viewed at www.beckwithmortuary.com. Funeral arrangements provided by Beckwith Mortuary P.O. Box 477 Larned, KS 67550
Norman Herbert Rodie
1927 - 2006
RUSSELL - Norman Herbert Rodie, 78, died March 21 at the Galicia Heart Hospital in Wichita. He was born July 5, 1927, in Rush County, the son of Peter and Amalia (Dreith) Rodie. He attended rural Otis elementary schools and graduated from High School at Otis. He married
Martha Ann Cruse on Feb. 5, 1950, at Otis. He worked in the oil fields and worked on a fishing tools rig for many years. At the time of his retirement in 1996, he was superintendent for Graham-Michaelis in the Russell area. He had been a resident of Russell since 1982, coming from Great Bend. Rodie was a member of St. John Lutheran Church at Russell. Survivors include his wife, Ann of the home; four daughters, Diania Miller of Hutchinson, Sue Ellen Bennett of Mayetta, Lisa Lovins of Scott City, and Amy McCormick of Andale; one brother, Walter Rodie of Colorado Springs, Colo.; 15 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one son, Alan. Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Monday at St. John Lutheran Church. Burial will be at the Great Bend cemetery. Visitation will be from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday and from 9 a.m. to noon Monday, both at the Pohlman-Heise Mortuary. Memorials are suggested to the church in care of the mortuary. Funeral arrangements provided by Pohlman-Heise Mortuary 610 N. Maple St. Russell, KS 67665
Chris L. "Bratty" Bruce
1980 2006
RUSH CENTER - Chris L. 'Bratty' Bruce, 25, of Rush Center, died March 22 at Central Kansas Medical Center in Great Bend. He was born Aug. 5, 1980, at Zumbrota, Minn., the son of Robert William Bruce Sr. and Kathleen Marie (Kennedy) Bruce. A resident of Pawnee and Rush counties since the age of 6, Bruce was a 1999 graduate of Pawnee Heights High School. He received his Certified Nurses Assistant degree in 2002, and had been a CNA at the Rush County Memorial Hospital, La Crosse, since 2005. Survivors include his parents; brother Robert 'Bobby' Bruce Jr., Rush Center; four sisters, Helen Brown, Paris, Calif., Linda Walker, Paris, Calif., Tina Sisson, Bemidji, Minn., and Betty Bergman, Kooski, Idaho; maternal grandmother Lela Kennedy, Pine Island, Minn., and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Robert Kennedy, and his paternal grandparents, William Henry and Henrietta H. (Hoakimer) Bruce. Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Janousek Funeral Home Chapel in La Crosse. Bruial will be at Pine Island cemetery, Pine Island, Minn. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the funeral home, with the family receiving friends from 10 to 11 a.m. Memorials are suggested to the Christopher L. Bruce Memorial Fund, in care of the funeral home. Funeral arrangements provide by Janousek Funeral Home 719 Pine - P.O. Box 550 La Crosse, KS 67548
Annabelle Brewington
1939 - 2006
Annabelle Brewington, 66, died March 16 at Wichita. She was born Oct. 22, 1939, at Great Bend, the daughter of Eugene and Vera Grace (Brown) Wilson. She was a resident of Great Bend. Brewington was a member of First Bible Baptist Church, Senior Companion and Foster Grand Parent, all of Great Bend. Survivors include three sons, Donald Craven of Oregon, Russell Craven of Sterling, and Kevin Brewington of Rush Center; two daughters, Tracy Zahnter of Great Bend, and Lisa Drake of Wichita; one brother, Eugene Wilson, Jr. of Salina; two sisters, Wynona McMullen of Oregon, and Debbie Horton of Missouri; 14 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at First Bible Baptist Church in Great Bend with the Rev. Darrell Grimm officiating. Memorials are suggested to the church, Arrangements where provided by All Faiths Funeral Service, 3717 W. Central Ave., in Wichita.
The Rev. Earl F. McGinness
1915 - 2006
LYONS - The Rev. Earl F. McGinness, 90, died March 22 at the Good Samaritan Center in Lyons. He was born Oct. 10, 1915, at Aulne, the son of William and Nancy Larsen McGinness. He was a graduate of Marion High School, Southwstern College and Garrett Evangelical Seminary in Chicago. He married
Katharine Dayton on Dec. 20, 1942, at Haviland. She died May 24, 1998. A retired Methodist Minister, he was a resident of Lyons for two years, formerly of Great Bend, Newton and Bushton. McGinness was a member of United Methodist Church in Pomdeterre Lake, Mo.; Ministerial Alliance of Barton and Rice counties; and Kansas United Methodist Conference. Survivors include two sons, Michael McGinness of Maxwell, Iowa, and Clare McGinness of Tulsa, Okla.; three daughters, Betty Braker of Arlington Heights, Ill., Trish Frees of Bushton, and Ina McMullen of Portales, N.M.; one brother, Edward McGinness of Aulne; nine grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by one sister, Dorothy Steinert. Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the United Methodist Church in Aulne with the Rev. Bethann Black officiating. Burial will be at the Peabody cemetery in Peabody. Memorials are suggested to the Alzheimer's Foundation in care of Sillin Funeral Home. Funeral arrangements provided by Sillin Funeral Home 214 West Ave. South Lyons, KS 67554
Ronald F. Batchman
1941 - 2006
ELLINWOOD - Ronald F. Batchman, 64, died March 21 at his home in Ellinwood. He was born July 27, 1941, in Great Bend, the son of Ernest E. Batchman and Mary L. (Bonnie) Baxter. He married
Corrine M. Bieberle on Jan. 20, 1962, in Ellinwood. A lifetime resident of Ellinwood, he was a retired parts manager working at Stueder Contractors Inc. for seven years in Great Bend and had also worked at Big A Auto Parts in customer service for 13 years. Batchman was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Ellinwood. He attended St. Joseph's Catholic School and Ellinwood High School. Survivors include his wife, Corrine of the home; one son, Darin Batchman of New York City, N.Y.; one daughter, Brenda Watson of Aurora, Colo.; his mother, Bonnie Batchman of Ellinwood; two brothers, William Batchman of Bushton, and Ed Batchman of Otis; and one grandchild. Altar Society rosary will be at 3 p.m. today followed by a vigil service at 7 p.m., both at Kimple Funeral Home in Ellinwood. Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the church with the Rev. Charles Mazouch officiating. Burial will be at the LakinCommanche District cemetery in Ellinwood. Friends may call today from 1 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the church or Golden Belt Home Health and Hospice. Funeral arrangements provided by Kimple Funeral Home 113 N. Main Ellinwood, KS 67526
Laura Geralyn Buckman
1958 - 2006
LARNED - Laura Geralyn Buckman, 47, died March 21 at Via Christi St. Francis Campus in Wichita. She was born April 2, 1958, in Larned, the daughter of LeRoy P. and Frieda Ann Hipp Hammeke. She married
Chris Eugene Buckman on April 20, 1985, at Larned. A resident of Conway Springs, moving from Larned two and a half years ago, she was an administrative assistant for Kansas Wealth Management in Larned. Buckman was a member of the St. Peters Catholic Church in Schulte; Sunflower EHU, and Sacred Heart Catholic Church Altar Society, both of Larned. Survivors include her husband, Chris; two brothers, Joe A. Hammeke of Belpre, and Steve Hammeke of Bonner Springs; four sisters, Diane Green of Alvarado, Texas, Cathy Beaman, Janet Horton of Pratt, and Amy Froetschner of Garfield. Vigil service will be at 7 p.m. Friday at the Beckwith Mortuary Chapel in Larned. Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Larned with the Rev. Bernard Felix officiating. Burial will be at the Larned cemetery. Visitation will be today and Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the mortuary. Memorials are suggested to the Larned Sacred Heart Catholic Church or the American Heart Association in care of the mortuary. Funeral arrangements provided by Beckwith Mortuary P.O. Box 477 Larned, KS 67550
Dorothy Frances Hemken
1922 - 2006
OTIS - Dorothy Frances Hemken, 83, died March 19 at Clara Barton Hospital in Hoisington. She was born Oct. 14, 1922, at the family farm near Albert, in Rush County, the daughter of Herman Fredrick Rankin and Margarate Talka (Folkerts) Rankin. She married
Ronald Kaiser on Sept. 2, 1945, at Albert. He preceded her in death on July 23, 1949. She married
William 'Pete' Peters on Jan. 13, 1952, at Otis. He died Dec. 9, 1979. She married
Melvin 'Mel' Hemken on Oct. 9, 1983, at Otis. He preceded her in death on Nov. 23, 2000. She was a Grocery Store owner and lifetime resident of Rush County. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Otis; W.E.L.C.A., church organist, past president of Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary; Treasurer of Otis Senior Citizens; former member of the Otis Library board; and writer of Otis News for the Rush County News in La Crosse. Survivors include one son, Douglas Kaiser of Austin, Texas; two daughters, Janice Higgason of Horseshoe Bay, Texas; and Linda Kenyon of Otis; seven grandchildren, Laura Wallace, Sarah Kaiser, John Highfill, Katy Hayden, Ann Kenyon, William Kenyon, and Kara Kenyon; and 10 great-grandchildren, Cameron and Christian Wallace; Brianne Highfill, Taylor Van Highfill and Rowan Highfill; Meron Hayden and Gage Hayden; Maxwell Percy; and Ava Kenyon and Lela Kenyon. She was preceded in death by three sisters, Anna Tammen, Marie Bartel and infant Elfrieda Rankin. Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Otis with Pastor Bruce Adamson officiating. Burial will be at the Lutheran cemetery in Otis. Visitation will be today from 1 to 9 p.m., with the family receiving friends from 7 to 9 p.m., at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home in Hoisington, and Thursday from 9:30 a.m. until service time at the church. Memorials are suggested to Trinity Lutheran Church in care of the funeral home. Funeral arrangements provided by Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home 415 N. Main / P.O. Box 146 Hoisington, KS 67544
