Archive By Section - Obituaries
Muriel Belcher 1934 - 2012
GREAT BEND - Muriel Belcher, 78, died Aug. 14, 2012 at her home in Great Bend.
Jeanette Holopirek 1985-2012
TIMKEN - Jeanette Holopirek, 27, died Aug. 13 at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City. She was born June 22, 1985 at Great Bend, the daughter of Terry and Alice (Penka) Holopirek. She was a longtime resident of Timken. Ms. Holopirek was a member of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Timken and a 2003 Otis-Bison High School graduate. She was active in Rush County 4-H.
Mary Elizabeth “Bette†Kennedy 1918-2012
LYONS - Mary Elizabeth "Bette" Kennedy, 93, died Aug. 14 at Sunflower Estates, Lyons. She was born Sept. 6, 1918 in Guthrie Okla. the daughter of Carl and Hazel Del (Smith Madden). She lived in Lyons since 1940 and is the former owner of Porter Abstract of Lyons.
Vernon K. Bednasek 1927 - 2012
HOLYROOD - Vernon K. Bednasek, 85, died Aug. 14 in Salina. Born June 8, 1927 in Ellsworth County, he was the son of John and Rose A. (Borecky) Bednasek. A lifetime resident of the Holyrood area, he was a retired farmer and stockman. On May 20, 1956, he married Alice Wachs in Ellsworth. She survives.
Junior Raymond Watts 1928 - 2012
EUREKA - Junior Raymond Watts, of Eureka, died at his residence on Aug. 13, at the age of 84. Born in Quincy on Feb. 3, 1928, he was the son of Charlie Otho and Ruby Marie (Crouch) Watts. Junior was raised in Quincy and attended school there. After his schooling, he went to work in the oil fields as a truck driver. His truck driving nickname was "Big Iron." He retired in 1990, due to poor health.
Muriel Belcher
Muriel Belcher, 78, died Aug. 14 at her home in Great Bend. Services are pending with Bryant Funeral Home, 1425 Patton Road, Great Bend.
Kenneth T. Siebert 1927 - 2012
ST. JOHN - Kenneth T. Siebert, 85, died Aug. 11 at South Wind Hospice House in Pratt. Born June 14, 1927 in rural Pawnee County, he was the son of Theodore R. and Mildred (Kerns) Siebert. A graduate of Radium High School and life-long resident of St. John, he was owner of Siebert Automotive since 1969. On June 12, 1951, he married Mildred M. (Steiner) at Great Bend. She survives.
Gerald “Jerry†Willms 1963 - 2012
MEDICINE LODGE - Gerald "Jerry" Willms, 48, died Aug. 12 at his home in Medicine Lodge. Born on Dec. 4, 1963 in Great Bend, he was the son of Dan and Connie (Ginest) Willms. On Dec. 6, 2008 he married Tammy L. Bishop at Medicine Lodge. She survives.
Frances G. (Berger) Ellington 1926-2012
HOISINGTON - Frances G. (Berger) Ellington, 86, died Aug. 12 at Russell Regional Hospital. Born April 14, 1926 at Blanchard, Mich., she was the daughter of Clinton F. and Lucy Viola (DeGroat) Smalley.
Merna Marie Williamson 1926-2012
HOISINGTON - Merna Marie Williamson, 86, died Aug. 10, 2012 at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita.
Morton ‘Dale’ Manwarren 1929-2012
HUTCHINSON - Morton "Dale" Wanwarren, 83, died Aug. 9, 2012 at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center.
Lawrence ‘Larry’ Joseph Drescher 1918-2012
GREAT BEND - Lawrence "Larry" Joseph Drescher, 93, of Great Bend, passed away Aug. 9, 2012.
Kenneth T. Siebert
ST. JOHN – Kenneth T. Siebert, 85, died Aug. 11, 2012 at Hospice House, Pratt.
August W. ‘Gus’ Werhahn 1920-2012
GREAT BEND - August W. "Gus" Werhahn, 92, died Aug. 10, 2012 at Sterling House in Great Bend.
Kenneth H. Praeger 1917-2012
CLAFLIN - Kenneth H. Praeger, 94, died Aug. 10, 2012 at his residence in Claflin.
Articles by Section - Obituaries
Peggy J. Thompson 1953 - 2015
LARNED - Peggy J. Thompson, 61, passed away Jan. 19, 2015 at Via Christi Hospital St. Francis in Wichita. Born July 6, 1953, in Hoisington, she was the daughter of John H. and Marjorie Wagner Niewald. On Dec. 17, 1983, she married Kelly Thompson. They later divorced. A longtime area resident, she worked at the Larned State Hospital for 23 ½ years as a LMHT.
Marilou Axman 1930 - 2015
OLMITZ - Marilou Axman, 84, died Jan. 20, 2015 at Great Bend Health and Rehabilitation Center. Born Nov. 1, 1930, in Odin, she was the daughter of William and Eleanor (Hickel) Linsner. On April 20, 1949, she married Frank W. Axman in Odin. He died on May 17, 1994. A resident of Olmitz since 1949, coming from Odin, she was a retired nurses' aide, working for the Hoisington Hospital.
Joseph John Zecha 1925 - 2015
Joseph John Zecha, 89, died Jan. 21, at Great Bend Regional Hospital. Born Oct. 25, 1925, in Claflin, he was the son of Emil R. and Mary Theresa (Kinzel) Zecha. A Great Bend resident for the past year and half, living in Denver, Colo. for 50 years, he was an auto mechanic for Montgomery Ward, retiring in 1990. He was a fine example of charity to almost everyone he met, befriending numerous persons in need throughout his life. He was an animal lover, especially dogs.
Joseph E. Hlavaty
OLMITZ - Joseph E. Hlavaty, 77, died Jan. 19, 2015, at Locust Grove Village, La Crosse. He was born Nov. 8, 1937, the son of Erwin J. and Clara Elizabeth (Riedel) Hlavaty. He married Justina Maneth Oct. 6, 1958, at La Crosse. A lifetime Olmitz resident, he was a dairy farmer and stockman and also the postmaster for Olmitz for 25 years.
Zaden Phillip Lee Finnigan
LA CROSSE - Zaden Phillip Lee Finnigan was delivered and passed on Jan. 18, 2015, at Hays Medical Center.
Matilda P. "Tillie" Hoth 1916 - 2015
SALINA - Matilda Pauline "Tillie" Hoth, 98, formally of Holyrood, died Jan. 18, 2015. Born Aug. 30, 1916, in Ellsworth County, she was the daughter of Fred and Anna (Kempke) Hoffman.
Garry L. Simpson 1954 - 2015
CLAFLIN - Garry L. Simpson, 60, died Jan 19, 2015, at his home in Claflin. Born July 18, 1954, in Columbia, N.C., he was the son of Howard and Beulah (Stevenson) Simpson. A resident of Claflin since 2002, coming from Roper, N.C., he was a nurse, working for Washington County Hospital and Central Kansas Medical Center, and formerly owned and operated Prairie House Flowers and Gifts.
Joseph “Joe” Hlavaty
OLMITZ - Joseph "Joe" Hlavaty, 77, died Jan. 19 at Locust Grove Nursing Home, LaCrosse. Services are pending with Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, Hoisington, Kansas.
Solomon “Sam” Maier 1911 - 2015
Solomon "Sam" Maier, 103, died Jan. 18, at Great Bend Health and Rehabilitation Center. Born June 3, 1911, in rural Barton County, he was the son of Henry Jacob and Anna Marie (Daubert) Maier. On Sept. 24, 1947, he married Betty Jo Mangum in Lubbock, Texas. She died on Dec. 7, 2000. A resident of Great Bend since 1964, coming from rural Susank, he worked for Producers Gas Company, retiring in 1976. He enjoyed fishing, and pheasant, dove and rabbit hunting.
Rose Bryant 1942 - 2015
HOISINGTON - Rose Marie Bryant, 73, died Jan. 17, at Great Bend Health and Rehabilitation Center. Born Jan. 7, 1942, in Chase, she was the daughter of George and Georgia (Moore) Bird. She was a graduate of Lincoln High School in Lincoln. On Jan. 27, 1961, she married Carl Lee Bryant in Lincoln. A longtime resident of Hoisington, she was employed for 17 1/2 years as a CNA on the night shift at Cheyenne Meadows Nursing Home. She and her husband both shared a love of fishing.
Jan Carpenter Sink 1935 - 2015
MCPHERSON - Jan Carpenter Sink, 79, wife, mother and grandmother, died Jan. 16, at Galichia Heart Hospital in Wichita. Born May 12, 1935, McPherson, she was the daughter of Fred D. and Evelyn M. (Sward) Carpenter. In 1953, she graduated from McPherson High School. On Jan. 28, 1956, she was united in marriage to Edwin L. Sink, Jr. in McPherson. He preceded her in death on Feb. 11, 1999. She had worked for State Farm Insurance and Tri-County Special Education Co-op, both in Independence, before retiring from Commerce Bank in Bonner Springs, and relocating to McPherson. She volunteered at Save N ...
Gregory Alan “Greg” Bitter 1959-2015
HOISINGTON - Gregory Alan "Greg" Bitter, 55, died Jan. 19 at Clara Barton Hospital, Hoisington. Born Sept. 6, 1959, he was the son of Harry and Irene (Deutsch) Bitter.
Richard E. Johnson 1937 - 2015
HOLYROOD - Richard E. Johnson, 77, died Jan. 18, at his home. Born Oct. 18, 1937, in West Grove, Pa. he was the son of Samuel H. and Blanche A. Johnson. He grew up in Rising Sun, Md. On Aug. 30, 1958, he married Grace Wilkens Johnson in Lorraine. She survives. A resident of Holyrood since 2005, having moved from the farm 3 miles east of town, he was a farmer and rancher.
Velma V. Stieben 1924 - 2015
OTIS - Velma V. Stieben, 90, died Jan. 17, at Locust Grove Village in La Crosse. Born May 28, 1924, in rural Galatia, she was the daughter of Henry and Anna M. (Koch) Miller. In 1942, she graduated from Otis Rural High School. On Aug. 29, 1943, she married Lester M. Stieben at Otis. He preceded her in death on Nov. 28, 2004. A lifelong resident of Rush County, she was a homemaker.
