Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Irma L. Ireton
1913 - 2005
Irma L. Ireton, 91, died Feb. 2 at Central Kansas Medical Center. She was born June 14, 1913, at Salina, the daughter of Axle and Olive Isaacson. She married
Forrest "Red" Ireton on Feb. 3, 1932, in McPherson. He died April 17, 1982. She was a resident of Great Bend for 64 years. She was a homemaker. She was an avid golfer for many years. She loved to bowl and play cards with her friends. She will be missed. Survivors include one brother, Donald Isaacson of Florida; one grandson, Stephen Knoch, and his wife, Kimberly, of Davenport, Iowa; and one great-granddaughter, Elizabeth Knoche. She was preceded in death by her parents, Axle and Olive Isaacson; her husband, Forest "Red" Ireton; one daughter, Betty Knoche; and two sisters, Vera Mortimer and Verna Coe. Graveside service will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Great Bend City cemetery, with the Rev. Hal Staats officiating. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to noon Friday at the Charter Funerals Chapel in Great Bend. Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society. Funeral arrangements provided by Charter Funerals 2115 Washington Great Bend, KS 67530
Tim L. Petz
1950 - 2005
MIDLAND, Texas - Tim L. Petz, 54, died Jan. 27 at Midland, Texas. He was born Aug. 25, 1950, at Great Bend, the son of Donald and Dolores Kowalsky Petz. He attended school in McCracken. He worked for Permian Petroleum for more than three years. Survivors include his wife, Dee Petz of Midland, Texas; one son, Troy Petz of Hutchinson; one stepson, Dustin Stone of Midland, Texas; one daughter, Mellissa Lee of Great Bend; his mother, Dolores Petz of McCracken; four brothers, Darrell Petz of Bird City, Chris Petz of Wichita, Dan Petz of McCracken and Kirby Petz of McCracken; one sister, Sherry A. Petz of McCracken; and six grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one brother, Gene Petz. Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Janousek Funeral Home Chapel in La Crosse, with the Rev. Charles Mazouch officiating. Burial will be at a later date. Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society. Funeral arrangements provided by Janousek Funeral Home 719 Pine La Crosse, KS 67548
Andrew Kerr Keenan
1978 - 2005
NESS CITY -Andrew Kerr Keenan, 26, passed away Jan. 31 at his home in Lawrence. He had battled GBM brain cancer for the past 22 months. He was born Oct. 11, 1978, in Ness City, the son of Terrence Lee 'Terry' and Gloria Jane Kerr Keenan. He was a cum laude graduate of Fort Hays State University. Andy was recently honored at the Docking Institute for Public Affairs at FHSU with a lab named Keenan Lab. He also received a juris doctor degree from the University of Kansas School of Law. The law school awarded him a one-time Inspirational Award. While battling cancer he organized a fund to help bring awareness and money for brain cancer research. Andy was a charter member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon social fraternity while at FHSU. Survivors include his soul mate, Erica Rachel Brown of Olathe; his parents, of Ness City; a brother, Brett Dale Keenan of Ness City; a sister, Jill Marie Chesterman of Hutchinson; and his grandmother, Elvira Kerr of Ness City. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Pat and Mabel Keenan, and grandfather, Wayne Kerr. A parish vigil will be held at Sacred Heart Church, Ness City, at 7 p.m. Friday. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the church, with the Rev. Henry Hildebrandt presiding. Burial will be in the Sacred Heart cemetery. Friends may call from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City, and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at the church; also Saturday morning at the church until time of service. In lieu of flowers, it was Andrew's wish that donations be made to the Andrew Keenan Memorial Fund for the brain tumor center at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Funeral arrangements provided by Fitzgerald Funeral Home 207 North Pennsylvania Ness City, KS 67560
Vera Kathleen Robbins
1909 - 2005
LARNED - Vera Kathleen Robbins, 95, died Feb. 1 at Larned Healthcare Center. She was born July 16, 1909, at Browning, Mo., the daughter of Edward W. and Alta A. Gooch Phillips. She married
George A. Robbins on Sept. 10, 1939. He died Aug. 4, 1963. A longtime Larned resident, she was a retired psychiatric aide at Larned State Hospital and a homemaker. Robbins was a member of the First Christian Church and Christian Women Fellowship, and Li-Ar-Mu Club, all of Larned, and a past member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Survivors include a sister, Bea Flagler of Wichita; two grandchildren and two great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by one daughter, Anne A. English; and three brothers, Kenneth N. Phillips, Kermit Phillips and Paul G. Phillips. Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Morell Funeral Home in Larned, with the Rev. Dan Lundgren officiating. Burial will be at the Larned cemetery. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to service time today, Thursday, at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the church in care of the funeral home. Funeral arrangements provided by Morell Funeral Home P.O. Box 124 Larned, KS 67550
Martha E. Deeds McCune
1919 - 2005
GLEN ELDER - Martha E. Deeds McCune, 85, died Jan. 31 at Ellinwood. She was born Feb. 13, 1919, near Glen Elder. She was a homemaker. Survivors include one son, Bradley E. McCune of Great Bend; three daughters, Betty Lou Lick of Haxtun, Colo., Alice Eileen Tencick of Denver, Colo., and Iverne Faye Wilson of Wichita; one sister, Clara Lemons of Boulder, Colo.; nine grandchildren; seven stepgrandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; 20 stepgreat-grandchildren; and one stepgreat-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her husband, Howard McCune. Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Glen Elder Christian Church. Burial will be at Glenwood cemetery. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. today, Thursday, at the McDonald Funeral Home. Memorials are suggested to Solomon Valley Hospice. Funeral arrangements provided by McDonald Funeral Home 910 N. Campbell Beloit, KS 67420
Joan Marie (Wilkerson) Hunsley
1931 - 2005
RUSSELL - Joan Marie (Wilkerson) Hunsley, 73, died Monday, Jan. 31, 2005, at her home in Russell. She was born March 14, 1931, at Russell, the daughter of Manford Clayton and Grace (Dumler) Wilkerson. She grew up in Russell and attended schools there, graduating from Russell High School in 1949. She attended Fort Hays Kansas State Teachers College and received a bachelor of arts degree in English in 1955. She was a lifelong Russell resident. On Aug. 5, 1956, she was united in marriage to Harry Lee Hunsley III at Russell. They shared more than 48 years of married
life together. They made their permanent home in Russell in 1959. Joan was an English teacher, librarian and journalism sponsor in the Russell area for 30 years, teaching at Claflin, Paradise, Four Corners, Dorrance and Gorham high schools and at Ruppenthal Middle School in Russell. She was a former member of the Otterbein United Methodist Church in Russell. She was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 6240 Auxiliary, Daughters of the American Revolution, Delta Sigma Epsilon sorority, Russell Arts Council and Russell Community Theater. She will be remembered as a gifted teacher and librarian, a friend to the arts, and a seeker of knowledge. She dedicated her life to the growth and education of children, not only in her home but also in her career as a teacher. She had a quick wit and was an intelligent source of information, which proved to be a great asset to her students and friends alike. Joan is survived by her husband, Harry, of the home; two daughters, Stephannie Goerl and her husband, Vaughn, of Great Bend, and Lisa Wheeler and her husband, Pete, of Oklahoma; one son, Mitch Hunsley of Russell; five sisters, Ida Faye Eichman, Julie Ann Hoke and Linda Grace Webster, all of Russell, Kathleen Elizabeth Mai of Great Bend and Carolyn Sue Herber of Dorrance; seven grandchildren and a host of other family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; one sister, Leilah Ruth Sloan; one nephew, David Jay Steinle; and one niece, Jennifer Sloan Fisher. The family will hold a private memorial service at the Pohlman-Heise Mortuary in Russell. A public memorial service and celebration of her life will be held later, in the spring, and will be announced. Memorial contributions may be made to Russell Community Theater or to the Russell Public Library and may be sent in care of the mortuary. Funeral arrangements provided by Pohlman-Heise Mortuary 610 N. Maple St. Russell, KS 67665
Daniel Robert Ballantine
1954 - 2005
HAYS - Daniel Robert Ballantine, 50, died Jan. 28 at his home in Hays. He was born June 30, 1954, at Great Bend, the son of Donald H. and Violet Ann Schartz Ballantine. He was a resident of Hays for the past two years, formerly of Ellinwood, Wichita, and Long Beach, Calif. He was a bartender/cook. Ballantine was in the U.S. Marines. Survivors include his father, Donald Ballantine of Byers; two brothers, Daryl Ballantine of Byers and David Ballantine of Odessa, Texas; and two sisters, Sue Ballantine of Wichita and Donna Scott of Hoisington. Altar Society Rosary will be at 3 p.m. Thursday at Kimple Funeral Chapel in Ellinwood. Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral chapel, with the Rev. John Maes officiating. Burial will be at Lakin-Comanche District cemetery in Ellinwood. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. until service time Friday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the Daniel Ballantine Memorial Fund. Funeral arrangements provided by Kimple Inc. Funeral Home 113 N. Main Ellinwood, KS 67526
Alvina Wittman Wilhelm
1913 - 2005
BAZINE - Alvina Wittman Wilhelm, 91, died Jan. 30 at the Ness County Long Term Care Center in Ness City. She was born April 16, 1913, at Hoisington, the daughter of Jacob and Christina Rau Wittman. She married
Elmer Wilhelm at Medicine Lodge on Jan. 6, 1934. He died Jan. 20, 1994. She was a homemaker and had been a Bazine community resident since 1964, moving to Ness City in 1997. Mrs. Wilhelm was a member of the United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women, of Bazine. Survivors include one brother, Richard Wittman, Riverview, Fla.; one sister, Jeanette Holmes, Fort Worth, Texas; and her longtime caretakers, Dan and Patty Wittman of Bazine. She was preceded in death by four sisters, Lenora, Irene, Velma and Violet, and three brothers, Wilbert, Clarence and Harold. Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the church, with the Rev. Deb Harvey officiating. Burial will be at the Bazine cemetery. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and Thursday at Fitzgerald Funeral Home in Ness City, and Friday until service time at the church. Memorials are suggested to the church, in care of the funeral home. Funeral arrangements provided by Fitzgerald Funeral Home Box 96 Ness City, KS 67560
Dorothy Bolinger
1914 - 2005
CHENEY - Dorothy Bolinger, 90, died Feb. 1 at Cheney. She was born June 18, 1914, at Anness, the daughter of Charles Enoch and Ida Mae Hessel Rearey. She married
Lawrence E. Bolinger on Oct. 29, 1937, at Wichita. A resident of Cheney, she was a homemaker. Survivors include two sons, Charles L. Bolinger of Cory, Colo. and J. Douglas Bolinger of Cheney; four daughters, Judith Claar of Cimarron, Deanie Bolinger of Shawnee Mission, Lyndal Bolinger and Susie Bolinger, both of Cheney; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Trinity United Christian Church in Cheney, with the Rev. Pat Nixon officiating. Burial will be at Mt. Pleasant cemetery in Norwich. Memorials are suggested to the 4- H Foundation, Trinity United Christian Church or the Salvation Army. Funeral arrangements provided by Wulf-Ast Mortuary 911 Biermann St. Garden Plain, KS 67050
Vivian H. Anschutz
1914 - 2005
DORRANCE - Vivian H. Anschutz, 90, died Jan. 31 at Great Bend Health & Rehabilitation Center. She was born May 16, 1914, at Dorrance, the daughter of John P. and Ida Garrett Thielen. She married
Louis G. Anschutz in August 1935 at Russell. He died Feb. 5, 1994. A lifetime Dorrance-area resident, she was a nursing assistant. Mrs. Anschutz was a member of St. Joseph's Church and St. Joseph's Alter Society, both of Dorrance. Survivors include a son, Norman Anschutz, of Russell; three daughters, Joyce Baker and Eileen Keenan, both of Great Bend, and Ellen Spaulding, of Andover; nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the church, with the Rev. David Metz officiating. Burial will be at St. Joseph's cemetery in Dorrance. Friends may call from noon to 8 p.m. today and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Foster Mortuary in Wilson. There will be a parish vigil at 7 p.m. Thursday at the mortuary. Funeral arrangements provided by Foster Mortuary Inc. 610 24th Street Wilson, KS 67490-0205
