Archive By Section - Obituaries
Edwin Lee Anderson 1946 - 2012
NEW STRAWN - Edwin Lee "Ed" Anderson, 66, died June 7 at Newman Regional Health in Emporia. Born Jan. 4, 1946, in Emporia, he was the son of Ernest Otto and Marjorie June (Garrett) Anderson. He grew up on the family farm, northeast of Burlington, and attended Martindale rural school. He graduated from Burlington High School. He then entered the United States Navy, serving aboard the USS Hornet at the end of the Vietnam War.
Jeremy Owen Johnson 1985-2012
HAYS - Jeremy Owen Johnson, 27, died Thursday, June 14, the result of a work accident in rural Ellis County. He was born Feb. 21, 1985 in Great Bend, Kansas to Howard and Carmen (Beck) Johnson. He graduated from Claflin High School in 2003.
​Bernadine Marie Riemann 1925 - 2012
ELLINWOOD - Bernadine Marie Riemann, 86, died June 11 at Country Place Senior Living, Ellinwood. She was born Sept. 20, 1925, at Kansas City, Mo., the daughter of James Walter and Hulda Dorthia Frede Dreyzehner. She graduated from Ellinwood High School. She married Albert Edwin Riemann on June 28, 1942, at Ellinwood. He died in 1991. An Ellinwood resident, she previously lived in Claflin for many years. She was a homemaker.
Elizabeth “Jane†Keil 1928 - 2012
Elizabeth "Jane" Keil, 84, died June 10 at Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, Wichita. She was born Jan. 22, 1928, at Elk Springs, Mo., the daughter of Druard and Ola Mable (Meador) Parish. She married Melvin Keil on May 5, 1951, at Great Bend. A Great Bend resident since 1936, coming from Elk Springs, Mo., she was an operator for Southwestern Bell.
Mollie Martina Beard 1919-2012
ULYSSES - Mollie Martina Beard, 92, died June 7, 2012 at Bob Wilson Memorial Hospital in Ulysses.
Wanda C. Spencer 1916 - 2012
SALINA - Wanda C. Spencer, 95, died June 9, 2012 at the Good Samaritan Society facility in Minneapolis. Wanda was born Dec. 17, 1916, in Great Bend, and lived a fond portion of her life in Stafford county on the farm of her parents, John and Lana Tucker.
Paul W. Hammans 1943- 2012
Paul W. Hammans, 68, died June 9 at Great Bend. He was born Aug. 2, 1943 at Florence, the son of John and Ethel (Roberts) Hammans. He was a 1972 graduate of the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He married Martha Weller June 23, 1973 at Great Bend. They later divorced. He then married Karen Ueckert April 16, 1988 at Great Bend.
Bennie Joe Dills 1943 - 2012
Bennie Joe Dills, 68, died June 9 at Hospice House of Reno County, Hutchinson. He was born Sept. 19, 1943 at Thayer, Mo., the son of Manuel Hayde Mitchel and Winnie Myrtle (Daily) Dills.
Joan P. Voth 1925-2012
Joan P. Voth, 87, died Friday at Woodhaven Care Center in Ellinwood. She was born Feb. 25, 1925 in Ellinwood, the daughter of Milo and Esther Schermuly Voth. She was a longtime Great Bend resident.
Mollie Martina Beard 1919 - 2012
ULYSSES - Mollie Martina Beard, 92, died June 7. She was Born on July 24, 1919 in Seward.
William D. Medlock I 1927-2012
William Dennis Medlock I, 84, of Great Bend, died on June 3 at Via Christi-St. Francis Medical Center in Wichita. Born Aug. 10, 1927 in Jethro, Ark., he was the son of George Leonard and Julia (White) Medlock. He began working on petroleum pipelines moving with his job, coming to Kansas in 1942. He settled in the Great Bend area and had made his home here since, working for Thunderbird Drilling as a cable tool driller for 19 years until his retirement. On Aug. 17, 1978 he was united in marriage to Evelyn Sally (Krestine) Strus at Ozark, Ark.
Reita Mae Gabel 1938 - 2012
NESS CITY - Reita Mae Gabel, 73, passed away on June 6 at the Rhode Island Suites in Ransom. Born July 4, 1938 in Marion she was the daughter of George and Lorena Kuhn Bessel. On July 4, 1956 she married Milton "Stubby" Gabel in Oak Harbor, Mich. They were divorced and he later preceded her in death in May of 2002. She worked as a nurses' aide for many years.
Michael James "Mike" Keenan 1930 - 2012
Michael James "Mike" Keenan, 81, died June 6 at Clara Barton Hospital in Hoisington. Born Oct. 7, 1930, at Great Bend, he was the son of William Patrick and Flora Belle Ridge (Sargent) Keenan. On Sept. 16, 1951, he married Myrla C. Walter in Great Bend. A lifetime resident of Great Bend, he was a production foreman for Petroleum Management Inc.
Reita Mae Gabel 1938 - 2012
NESS CITY - Reita Mae Gabel, 73, passed away on June 6 at the Rhode Island Suites in Ransom. Born July 4, 1938, in Marion she was the daughter of George and Lorena Kuhn Bessel. On July 4, 1956 she married Milton "Stubby" Gabel in Oak Harbor, Mich. They were divorced and he later preceded her in death in May of 2002. She worked as a nurses' aide for many years.
​ Mollie Martina Beard 1919 - 2012
ULYSSES - Mollie Martina Beard, 92, of Ulysses, died June 7, 2012 at Bob Wilson Memorial Hospital in Ulysses. Garnand Funeral Home in Ulysses is in charge of arrangements.
Articles by Section - Obituaries
Cuma M. Zeltner 1942 - 2015
PRATT - Cuma M. Zeltner, 72, died Jan. 27, 2015 at South Wind Hospice in Pratt. Born on April 16, 1942, in Princeton, Ind., she was the daughter of Charles Max and Gypsy Genelle (White) Vinson. On March 18, 1962, she married James 'Jim' W. Zeltner in Great Bend. He preceded her in death on Sept. 25, 2012. She worked as office manager at Adams Electric in Pratt for 24 years and most recently worked as bookkeeper for Westhoff Plumbing. The avid reader enjoyed making her world famous chocolate chip cookies.
Kenneth "Tiny" Raymond Unruh 1943 - 2015
NEODESHA - Kenneth "Tiny" Raymond Unrein died Jan. 24, 2015, at his home in Neodesha. Born Sept. 21, 1943, in La Crosse, he was the son of Jacob and Abby Unrein. He attended school in La Crosse. He was employed at a packing plant, roofing and construction and was a truck driver at Airosal Inc.
Melvin J. "Mel" Schreiber 1931 - 2015
HAYS - Melvin J. "Mel" Schreiber, 83, died Jan. 25, 2015, at Hays Medical Center. Born Dec. 19, 1931, in Great Bend, he was the son of Fred and Margaret (Mauler) Schreiber. On Sept. 27, 1952, he married Frances L. "Frankie" (Musick) in Hutchinson. She died April 3, 2012. He was director of fleet maintenance for Becker Corporation in El Dorado for 21 years. He also worked 11 years at Thompson Transport in McPherson. In 2008 he moved to Hays from Andover.
Walter L. Graham 1921-2015
EMPORIA - Walter L. Graham, 93, of Emporia, died Jan. 24, 2015, at Emporia Presbyterian Manor. Walter was born Dec. 24, 1921, in Liberal, the son of Logan and Margaret (Bruce) Graham. He attended Pratt Junior College, Independence Junior College and Wichita State University.
Norma Ruth Schaefer - 1926 - 2015
HOLYROOD - Norma Ruth Schaefer, 88, passed away Jan. 25 at the Good Samaritan Society in Ellsworth. She was born June 10, 1926, in Lincoln, to Anna E. (Bahls) and Neils M. Pedersen.
Hazel "Alberta" Crone - 1925 - 2015
PAWNEE ROCK - Hazel "Alberta" Crone, 89, died Jan. 24, at her home in rural Pawnee Rock. Born July 12, 1925, in Anderson County, she was the daughter of George Albert and Hazel Olive (Colgin) Payne. On June 26, 1942, she married Francis "Roy" Crone in Iola. He died on Nov. 19, 2007. A resident of Barton County most of her life, she was a dedicated mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Gloria K. Zamarripa 1948 - 2015
HOISINGTON - Gloria K Zamarripa, 66, died Jan. 24, 2015, at Clara Barton Hospital, Hoisington. She was born July 14, 1948, the daughter of Fred Ray and Alice (Rohr) Kincaid. Gloria married Frank Zamarripa April 4, 1964 at Great Bend. He died May 6, 1989.
Charley Hoffsmith 1947 - 2015
Charley Hoffsmith, 67, died Jan. 24, 2015, at Great Bend Regional Hospital, after a long battle with colon cancer. He was born July 4, 1947, at Dighton, the son of Benjamin Franklin and Marie (Orten) Hoffsmith. A long-time resident of Great Bend, he was the owner and operator of Charley's Tree Service.
Hazel Crone
PAWNEE ROCK - Hazel Crone, 89, died Jan. 24, 2015 at home in Pawnee Rock, Kansas. Services are pending with Bryant Funeral Home, 1425 Patton Road, Great Bend.
Sue Elizabeth Ballantine 1947 - 2015
ELLINWOOD - Sue Elizabeth Ballantine, 67, died Jan. 22, 2015, at Via Christi St. Francis in Wichita. She was born on Feb. 28, 1947, to Donald H. and Violet Ann (Schartz) Ballantine. Sue was a resident of Wichita for 35 years and formerly of Ellinwood, KS. She retired from Boeing in 1998 where she worked for 20 years.
Gary Lee Campbell 1941 - 2015
Gary Lee Campbell, 73, died Jan. 22, 2015, at Great Bend Regional Hospital. Born Nov. 26, 1941, in St. Elmo, Illinois, he was the son of Emerson and Mildred Louise (Koberlein) Campbell. On April 4, 1961, he married Margaret Rose Debes in Great Bend. She died on July 31, 2013. A Great Bend resident since 1958, he worked in the oilfield and then was a fabricator for Doonan Trailer.
Sue Elizabeth Ballantine
ELLINWOOD - Sue Elizabeth Ballantine, 67, died Jan. 22, 2015 at St. Francis Medical Center in Wichita. Services are pending with Minnis Chapel in Ellinwood.
Gary Lee Campbell
Gary Lee Campbell, 73, died Jan. 22, 2015, at Great Bend Regional Hospital. Services are pending with Bryant Funeral Home, 1425 Patton Road, Great Bend.
JoAnn Hlavaty 1927 - 2015
BELLA VISTA, Ark. - JoAnn Hlavaty, 87, died Jan. 15, at Mercy Hospital in Rogers, Ark. Born Sept. 25, 1927, she was the daughter of Francis and Eveline Barland. On Oct. 14, 1967, she married Donald Hlavaty of Olmitz. JoAnn and Donald lived in the Olmitz area until 1982 when they retired and moved to Bella Vista, Ark.
Verlin E. “Buster” Humphrey 1947 - 2015
RUSSELL - Verlin E. "Buster" Humphrey, 67, passed away Jan. 19, at the Hays Medical Center. Born April 12, 1947, in Great Bend, he was the son of Kenneth "K.D." and Ruth (Pearce) Humphrey. He graduated from Russell High School and attended Kansas State University. On April 24, 1980, he was united in marriage to Linda Harmon in Salina. He was employed by Southern States Oil Company, later known as Lasmo Oil Company, as a pumper and made his way up to Regional Production Manager. He then worked for over 13 years for the Kansas Lottery, retiring in 2011 as ...
