Archive By Section - Obituaries
Blanche Mary Fern Courtney
LARNED - Blanche Mary Fern Courtney, 94, died Nov. 28 at her daughter's home in Sumter, S.C. She was born Dec. 20, 1915, in Franklin County, the youngest child of Charles and Clara Curtis Adams. A former resident of Larned, moving from Gove in 1956, she retired in 1978 from Larned State Hospital where she was a psychiatric aide. She completed a year of college at Emporia State Teachers College and then taught school in western Kansas.
Orval Otte
Orval Otte, 97, died Nov. 30 at Central Kansas Medical Center, Great Bend. Born Sept. 13, 1913, at Great Bend, he was the son of W.C. and Georgia Mae (Miller) Otte. He married Helen Genevieve Taylor on Aug. 16, 1936, at Great Bend. She died April 17, 1970. He married Edra Mae (Brown) Hudnall on Oct. 29, 1971, at Great Bend. She died Sept. 8, 2007. A lifetime resident of Great Bend, he was a farmer and stockman.
Phillip D. Chapman
HOISINGTON - Phillip D. Chapman, 70, died Nov. 28 at Promise Regional Medical Center, Hutchinson. He was born Dec. 17, 1939, at Crescent, Okla., the son of Oras Virgil and Cecil (Tabler) Chapman. He was a resident of Hoisington for 65 years, moving from Crescent, Okla.
William V. "Bill" VanSkike
William V. "Bill" VanSkike, 87, of Great Bend, died Nov. 29 at Via Christi St. Francis Regional Medical Center, Wichita. He was born May 21, 1923, in rural Arkansas City, the son of Harry and Mary Anna (Bossi) VanSkike. He married Grace Ellen Dickson on Sept. 3, 1950, at El Dorado. He was Barton County Extension 4-H Club agent for Kansas State University from 1956 to 1989. He was a Great Bend resident since ...
Harry "Rudy" R. Louis
CIMARRON – Harry "Rudy" R. Louis, 68, died Nov. 28 at the Shepherd's Center, Cimarron. He was born Dec. 29, 1941, at Wichita, the son of Harry Edward and Madge Alberta Stone Louis. He received his Specialty Degree from UCLA. He taught school for six years in Pratt and in 1974 developed the middle school in Hugoton. He was a school administrator for 32 years, serving as high school principal in Holcomb and Cimarron, and retired in June 2002.
Sister Coletta Masterson
Sister Coletta Masterson, 90, died Nov. 29 in the Dominican Sisters' convent infirmary, Great Bend. Born Sept. 19, 1920, in Clonmel, as Magdalen Ellen Masterson, Sister Coletta was the daughter of the late Frank and Theresa Marx Masterson. She entered the Dominican Sisters' Community on Aug. 31, 1935, and pronounced her first vows Aug. 17, 1938. She celebrated 70 years of religious profession in 2008.
Irene C. Boos
ELLIS - Irene C. Boos, 90, of Ellis, died Nov. 26 at her home. She was born Jan. 14, 1920, in Pfeifer, to Anton and Barbara (Unrein) Leiker. She married Paul P. Boos on Aug. 9, 1938, in Hays. He preceded her in death on Oct. 18, 2004. Irene lived most of her life on a farm south of Ellis where she was a homemaker and a partner with her husband working on the family farm.
Barbara Olene Keeley
Barbara Olene Keeley, 78, died Nov. 28 at Great Bend Regional Hospital. Born Sept. 6, 1932, in Geneva, Neb., she was the daughter of Edgar B. and Lettie (Peugh) Foster. She graduated from North Platte High School in Nebraska and received her RN license from St. Luke's Hospital in Denver, Colo. She later attained her Bachelor of Science degree from Fort Hays State University. She served in many capacities as a nurse for more ...
Marcella Stitt
HUTCHINSON - Marcella Stitt, 94, died Nov. 28 at Wesley Towers, Hutchinson, after a lengthy illness. She was formerly a resident of Ellinwood.
Delores V. Waggoner
Delores V. Waggoner, 79, of Great Bend, died Nov. 27 at Central Kansas Medical Center, Great Bend. She was born Dec. 12, 1930, at Great Bend, the daughter of Edward and Eva Mae (Cole) Raab. A homemaker, Mrs. Waggoner was a lifelong resident of Great Bend.
Linda S. (Monroe) Schlegel
HOISINGTON - Linda S. (Monroe) Schlegel, 57, died Nov. 28 at Promise Regional Medical Center, Hutchinson. She was born May 31, 1953, at Hoisington, the daughter of Glen Robert and Rosemary (Chambers) Monroe. She married Denton Schlegel on Oct. 27, 1972, at Hoisington. She was the owner of Schlegel Realty and a lifetime Hoisington resident.
Adelaida Viegra Perez
LARNED - Adelaida Viegra Perez (Lile) (Abby), Larned, died Nov. 26 after a long and courageous battle with illness. Born in Garfield on Dec. 16, 1940, to Pasqual and Basilia Vieyra, Abby was a 1958 graduate of Garfield High School and lived all of her adult life in Larned.
Mary Louise Matthews
Mary Louise Matthews, 73, of Great Bend, died Nov. 23 at her home. She was born Oct. 9, 1937, at Chetopa, the daughter of Henry Clinton and Rosie (Busick) Powell. She married Donald Henry Matthews on Jan. 22, 1957, at Great Bend. She was a homemaker and a former maid for the Holiday Inn. Mrs. Matthews was a Great Bend resident since 1951, coming from Chetopa and Parsons. She was a ...
George Joseph Gorsline
George Joseph Gorsline, 90, of Great Bend, died Nov. 23 at Cherry Village Nursing Home, Great Bend. He was born Dec. 27, 1919, at Flushing, N.Y., the son of Walter and Stella (Bafalska) Gorsline. He married Lillian Elizabeth Alger. She died Jan. 11, 1976. He married Margaret Elizabeth Bender Dec. 16, 1978, at Great Bend. He was a truck driver for Davis Van Lines and Baroid and a delivery man for McCurdy's ...
Terry Dean Brown
SMITH CENTER - Terry Dean Brown, 48, died Nov. 20 at his home in Smith Center. He was born Aug. 23, 1962, to Jack Dean and Henrietta Jane (Karnatz) Brown. He is survived by three brothers, Rick Brown of Beloit and Jeff Brown and Frank Trimmer, both of Great Bend; five sisters, Vickie Larson Will of Concordia, Billie Cline-Smith of Beloit, Lisa Brown of North Newton, Kim Craig of Smith Center ...
Articles by Section - Obituaries
William “Bill” Berryman 1944-2013
William "Bill" Berryman, 68, died May 12 at his home in Great Bend. Born Oct. 31, 1944, he was the son of William Golden "Bo" and Molly Nelvina (Hill) Berryman. On March 9, 1965, he married Victoria Kay Shoemaker at Newton,
James E. “Jim” Giebler 1927 - 2013
HAYS - James E. "Jim" Giebler, 85, died May 10, at home with family present in Hays. Born June 26, 1927 in Severin, he was the son of James F. and Virginia (Koerner) Giebler. On Sept. 4, 1950, he married Theresa Marie Dinkel in Emmeram.
Christine M. Suchy 1920 - 2013
WICHITA - Christine M. Suchy, 93, died May 9th. A former resident of Great Bend, she was a retired Assistant Manager for Payless Shoes. Christine was an avid gardener and crafter. Her true love was Iris. In 2006 she had an Iris introduced in her honor. Her tenacity for getting through any struggle was her finest quality.
Nettie Alverna (Kittle) Ochs Deines Humburg 1920 - 2013
CALDWELL - Nettie Alverna (Kittle) Ochs Deines Humburg, 92, Caldwell, passed away May 11, at Anthony Community Care Center, after a brief battle with cancer. Born May 23, 1920, in rural Alexander, she was the daughter of John R. and Olive (Buzzard) Kittle. Alverna was a 1939 graduate of Alexander High School. On Sept. 1, 1940 she married Floyd Edward Ochs in Otis. They made their home northwest of Otis. He preceded her in death ...
Arthur Lewis Mostrom 1925 - 2013
BURDETT - Arthur Lewis Mostrom, 88, died May 8 at Larned Healthcare Center. Born March 16, 1925, in Spearville, he was the son of Clarence H. and Merion E. North Mostrom. On Aug. 17, 1952, he married Faye Schadel in Alexander. She survives. A longtime resident of Burdett, he was a retired mechanic and custodian.
Norma Lea Curry Shafer-Yancey 1928 - 2013
LAWRENCE - Surrounded by her four children at her home, Norma Lea Curry Shafer-Yancey, 84, peacefully passed away on May 4th. Born on Christmas Day in 1928, to Leslie and Glenda Curry in Burlington, Wash., Norma Lea Curry and her family moved to Great Bend, before her second birthday. Shortly after her graduation from high school, Norma met Ted Shafer at a picnic dance. They were married in 1948, and had four children. Shafer's position ...
Sylvia M. Wagner 1927 - 2013
LAWRENCE - Sylvia M. Wagner, 86, died on May 2, at Brandon Woods in Lawrence. Born Feb. 24, 1927, in Chicago, Ill., she was the daughter of John and Marie (Wollert) Schmidt. On Nov. 17, 1946, she married Duane Wagner in Ellinwood. He preceded her in death on Aug. 13, 1991. She was a housewife and bank teller. She was an avid reader and enjoyed needlepoint.
Charles L. Curtiss 1951 - 2013
LAWRENCE - Charles L. Curtiss, 61, concluded his battle with cancer May 6, at his home. Born on July 30, 1951, in Lawrence, he was the son of Earl and Oma Lee (Coleman) Curtiss. In 1983, he married Debra Nichols. They divorced in 1994. He was an employee of Hallmark Cards in Lawrence for 38 years, retiring in 2007. Charles was intensely interested in genealogy tracing his own family back hundreds of years and also ...
Robert (Bob) Raymond Ewald 1931 - 2013
BILLINGS, Mo. - Robert (Bob) Raymond Ewald, 81, passed away on May 2, in Billings, Mo. He was born on July 30, 1931 in Great Bend. On June 4, 1954, he married Shirley Joan Ewald (Wolfe) in Ellinwood. He worked at Blount Industries for 20 years.
