Archive By Section - Obituaries
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.
Timothy Joseph Miller 1940 - 2012
Timothy Joseph Miller, 72, died June 7 in Great Bend, following a brief struggle with cancer. He was born Jan. 24, 1940, at El Dorado, the son of Cyril W. "Cy" and Frances Cecelia (Muth) Miller. He was a 1957 graduate of Great Bend High School. He married Marilyn Fern Betts at Great Bend. They later divorced. He married Loretta K. Bradshaw on May 25, 1985, at Eureka Springs, Ark. A Great Bend resident since 1946, living briefly in Texas and Southern California, he was owner and operator of Oilfield Manufacturer's Warehouse, Miller Plastics, Miller Ranch, and Charlie's ...
Barbara Jane Emly Jordan 1927-2012
O'FALLON, Mo. - Barbara Jane Emly Jordan, 84, died May 30, 2012 at Meadowlands Retirement Center in O'Fallon, Mo. Her body was donated to the KU Medical Center.
Mildred Kathryn Van Scyoc-Carson 1925 - 2012
HOISINGTON - Mildred Kathryn Van Scyoc-Carson, 86, died June 5, 2012 at Great Bend Health and Rehabilitation Center. Born Aug. 31, 1925 in Gove County, she was the daughter of Ralph and Carrie Mabel (Bailey) Willson. On Sept. 28, 1941 she married Elmo Van Scyoc in Collyer. He died on March 16, 1961. On July 6, 1963 she married James Richard Carson in Hoisington. He died on July 8, 2010. A resident of Hoisington for 65 years, she was a homemaker and co-owner of Carson's Department Store.
Edwin J. 'Fritz' Turner 1925 - 2012
LAWRENCE - Edwin J. "Fritz" Turner, 87, passed away May 28, 2012 at Bridge Haven Memory Care Residence in Lawrence. Born Jan. 11, 1925, in LaCrosse, he was the son of George Walter and Mary Kathryn LaVoney Turner. He grew up in LaCrosse and graduated from LaCrosse High School in 1943, where he lettered in football, baseball and the school band. Edwin married Marilyn Rose Kathleen McCarty Sept. 13, 1953, at Larned. They were married 58 years. She survives. "Fritz" worked for the Kansas Department of Transportation in the construction department and retired in 1987 after 41 years of service.
Michael J. Keenan
GREAT BEND - Michael J. Keenan, 81, died June 6, 2012 at Clara Barton Hospital, Hoisington.
Mildred Kathryn Van Scyoc-Carson 1925-2012
HOISINGTON - Mildred Kathryn Van Scyoc-Carson, 86, died June 5 at Great Bend Health and Rehabilitation Center. Born Aug. 31, 1925 in Gove County, she was the daughter of Ralph and Carrie Mabel (Bailey) Willson.
Wanda Nadine Meyer 1932 - 2012
YUMA, Ariz. - Wanda Nadine Meyer, 80, died March 16 in Yuma, Ariz. Born Jan. 24, 1932, at Great Bend, she was the daughter of Edward and Sarah Etta Keys. A homemaker, she was a longtime resident of Great Bend and Yuma, Ariz. She married Arthur Hejny and later married Fred Meyer, who died in 2011.
Frank A. Meyer 1926 - 2012
ENID, Okla. - Frank A. Meyer, 85, passed away on June 1 at St. Marys Hospital in Enid, Okla. Born June 21, 1926, in Great Bend, he was the son of August and Geraldine Cheney Meyer. He was a 1944 graduate of Great Bend High School. On June 24, 1951, he was united in marriage to Barbara Brown in Great Bend. He was employed in the oil field supply business and retired in 1993 as an oil field engineer. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father and grandfather.
Avery Kaye Belk 2009 - 2012
CHASE - Avery Kaye Belk, 2, died June 1 in Chase. Born Aug. 1, 2009, in Great Bend, she was the daughter of Jimmy C. and Marsha L. Kozel Belk. She was a lifetime resident of Chase.
Edwin A. Habiger 1927 - 2012
DIGHTON - Edwin A. Habiger, 84, died on June 2. Born Dec. 15, 1927, in Barton County, he was the son of Frank Christopher and Sophie Elizabeth (Meyeres) Habiger. On April, 13, 1953, he married Virginia Lee Hobbs at Dighton. Born and raised in Barton County, he graduated from Hoisington High School. After graduation he worked in the oil fields near Hoisington and Beaver. He was a long-time farmer and stockman, farming seven quarters in Wallace County before moving to Lane County where he farmed for the Kuhlman family north of Healy. After their marriage, Ed and his wife lived in ...
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.
