Archive By Section - Obituaries
Joel Thomas Gray 2010-2011
Joel Thomas Gray 2010-2011 GREAT BEND - Joel Thomas Gray, 5 months, died June 11, 2011 at Great Bend Regional Hospital. He was born December 28, 2010 at Grove, Okla., the son of Jeremiah and Patricia Lynn (Gray) Waterman. Mr. Gray was a Great Bend, Kansas resident. He was a member of Heritage Baptist Church. Survivors include his father Jeremiah Waterman; mother Patricia Lynn Gray, Grove, Okla.; adoptive parents Ken E. Gray and Melissa Dawn ...
Barry “Bernie’ Young 1960-2011
Barry "Bernie' Young 1960-2011 GREAT BEND - Barry "Bernie" Young, 50, died June 10, 2011 at Via Christi St. Francis Regional Medical Center, Wichita. He was born December 24, 1960 at Honolulu, Hawaii, the son of Anthony and Elizabeth (Hikalea) Young. Mr. Young was a Great Bend resident since 1988 coming from Honolulu. He was a cook for the Petroleum Club, Gentlemen's Club and Wendy's. Survivirs include three brothers, Charles Lewis, Eldon Lewis and Adrian ...
Fred W. Meyer
Fred W. Meyer YUMA, Ariz. - Fred W. Meyer, 87, formerly of Ellinwood and Great Bend, passed away June 7, 2011 at his home in Yuma, Ariz. A memorial service will be held in Kansas at a later date. The Yuma Mortuary and Crematory is handling arrangements.
Mary Frances ‘Dolly’ Gabel 1926-2011
Mary Frances 'Dolly' Gabel 1926-2011 WARRENTON, Mo. - Mary Frances "Dolly" Gabel, 84, passed away Jan. 23, 2011 at her residence at Warrenton, Mo. She was the 13th child of Jacob and Agatha (Leiker) Gabel, born July 27, 1926 in Great Bend. When her brothers and sisters saw her they said, "she looked like a little dolly," hence her lifelong nickname. She attended St. Rose Catholic Grade School and Great Bend High School. She then ...
Betty Wondra 1931-2011
Betty Wondra 1931-2011 GREAT BEND - Betty Wondra, 80, died June 9, 2011 at the Great Bend Regional Hospital. She was born April 29, 1931 at Great Bend, the daughter of Henry J. and Lena L. (Hlavaty) Maneth. She married Robert Joseph "Bob," Wondra May 15, 1950 at Great Bend. He died Dec. 19, 2009. Mrs. Wondra, a lifetime Great Bend resident, was a homemaker. She was a member of Prince of Peace Parish at ...
Sister Frances Marie Heitz, OP 1914-2011
Sister Frances Marie Heitz, OP 1914-2011 GREAT BEND - Sister Frances Marie Heitz, 96, died June 10, 2011 in the Dominican Sisters' convent infirmary, Great Bend. She was born October, 5, 1914, in Ost, Kansas, as Thecla Rose Heitz. Sister Frances Marie was the daughter of the late Bert and Mary Robben Heitz. She entered the Dominican Sisters' Community May 27, 1929, and pronounced her first vows August 22, 1932. She celebrated 75 years of ...
Michael C. Gilbert 1951 - 2011
Michael C. Gilbert 1951 - 2011 Michael C. Gilbert, 60, died June 8 at Promise Regional Medical Center in Hutchinson. He was born March 6, 1951 in Redlands, Calif, the son of Jack and Shirley (Fox) Gilbert. He graduated in 1969 from Everett High School in Washington State. On May 29, 1976, he married Tammy (Jones) Gilbert in Great Bend. A resident of Great Bend for more than 35 years, he was employed by the ...
Betty Wondra
Betty Wondra, 80, died June 9 at Great Bend Regional Hospital. Services are pending with Bryant Funeral Home.
George “Bob” Robert Defenbaugh 1926 – 2011
STARK - Bob Defenbaugh, 84, of rural Stark passed away June 7 at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute. Born on Dec. 5, 1926 in Stark, he was the son of George Robert Defenbaugh and Pearle (Kelso) Defenbaugh. He graduated from Grant Township in 1944. On Jan. 2, 1945, he married Ula Wright in Stark. She survives. Bob was a lifelong farmer.
Loretta Margaret Ross 1921 - 2011
RUSSELL - Loretta Margaret Ross, 89, of Russell, died June 7 at the Main Street Manor of Russell. Born Dec. 2, 1921, in Dubuque, she was the daughter of J. Henry and Philomena (Eckart) Casey. She graduated from Bunker Hill High School. On June 15, 1943, she married Leo J. Ross in Dubuque. He died on July 6, 1993. She was employed by Russell Regional Hospital for 19 years in medical records. She retired ...
Matilda J. (Tillie) Schremmer 1918 - 2011
HOISINGTON - Matilda J. (Tillie) Schremmer died June 8 at Woodhaven Care Center in Ellinwood. Born July 5, 1918, in rural Odin, she was the daughter of Fred and Anna (Kirmer) Zorn. On May 23, 1939, she married Walter R. Schremmer at Holy Family Church in Odin. He died March 19, 1980. A longtime resident of Hoisington, coming from the Beaver and Odin area, she was a homemaker. Mrs. Schremmer was ...
Jean Weathers 1927 - 2011
Jean Ann Weathers, 84, of Great Bend, died June 2 at St. John's Hospice in Lakewood, Colo. Born April 17, 1927, in Carthage, Mo., she was the daughter of Joseph and Mabel Bruce. Survivors include her brother, Joseph, of Lincoln, Neb.; daughter Jill Herold, of Lakewood, Colo.; son Bruce Huss of Wichita; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Services will be held Sunday, June 12, at Evergreen Memorial Park in Evergreen ...
Marjorie Ann (Cochrane) Barrett 1922 - 2011
HOISINGTON - Marjorie Ann (Cochrane) Barrett, 88, died on June 1, at Via Christi St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Wichita. Born on Nov. 2, 1922, in Ellsworth, she was the daughter of Joseph Lichen Cochrane and Lillian Alice (Lawson) Cochrane. Marjorie grew up in Hoisington, graduating from Hoisington High School in 1940. She graduated from Chillicothe Business School in Chillicothe, Mo., in 1942 with an Associate Degree in Business. On Nov. ...
Ron A. Radke 1945 - 2011
Ron A. Radke, 66, died June 7 at Cherry Village Nursing Home, Great Bend. He was born March 28, 1945, at Great Bend, the son of LaVerne F. and Beatrice C. (Hull) Radke. He married Jeanie Becker Sept. 11, 1965, at McPherson. A lifetime Great Bend resident, he was owner and operator of Discount Trading. Mr. Radke served in the U.S. Navy. He was a member of First United Methodist ...
Kolita Ann Hullett 1944-2011
LARNED - Kolita Ann Hullett, 66, died June 5 at the Leisure Homestead, St. John. She was born Sept. 27, 1944, in Larned, the daughter of William F. and Viola M. Marlett Kirchgassner. She was a juvenile correctional officer for the Larned Juvenile Correctional Facility. She was a lifetime area resident of Larned.
Articles by Section - Obituaries
Bette M. Billinger 1916 - 2013
HOISINGTON - Bette M. Billinger, 96, died Feb. 28, 2013 at Clara Barton Hospital in Hoisington. Born July 30, 1916, she was the daughter of Fred and Alice Alt. On April 11, 1942, she married Edmund Raymond Billinger in Tacoma, Wash. He died on Oct. 23, 2011. A resident of Hoisington since 2011, she came from Denver Colo., living at Country Place Living. She was a registered nurse, working both in hospitals and private practices ...
Larry J. Vink 1935-2013
Larry J. Vink, 78, Topeka, entered into eternal peace on June 8, 2013 at Lexington Place Care Home. He was born Feb. 22, 1935 to Lloyd and Mary (Grow) Vink in Great Bend. Larry ran heavy equipment for Barton County Hi-way starting at age 16. He ran it for four years. He farmed and worked in oil fields until he started his own business, L-V Excavating in Hoisington. In 1976, he moved his family to ...
Melvina Mary Francis 1928 - 2013
Melvina Mary Francis, 85, died June 10 at Catholic Care Center in Bel Aire. Born Feb. 7, 1928 in Liebenthal, she was the daughter of Adam and Mary (Gaube) Kreutzer. On Sept. 14, 1948, she married Thaine "T.C." Francis in Great Bend. A resident of Great Bend for 48 years, she was a homemaker.
Daniel James “Danny” Otipoby 1975 - 2013
ELLINWOOD - Daniel James "Danny" Otipoby, 37, of Ellinwood, died Monday, June 10, 2013 at Great Bend Regional Hospital, Great Bend, from injuries received in a motorcycle versus deer accident, two miles east of Great Bend.
Betty June Dewey
Betty June (Mrs. Devon) Deey, 89, died on Sunday following an automobile accident in Colby. Survivors and arrangements are pending and will be announced by Kimple Funeral Home in Ellinwood.
Michael Wayne Kirkman 1950 - 2013
Michael Wayne Kirkman, 62, died June 7 at his home in Midwest City, Okla. Born Nov. 6, 1950 in Great Bend, he was the son of Wayne and Carolyn (Nowles) Kirkman. On Aug. 12, 1972, he married Gail Broadbooks in Great Bend. They later divorced. A longtime resident of Great Bend and Pratt, residing in Midwest City, Okla. for three years, he was an oilfield salesman for W.L. Kirkman, Inc., until his retirement.
Gladys Voos - Service correction
HOISINGTON - Gladys Voos, 86, died June 6 at the Kansas Medical Center in Andover. A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, July 20, at the First United Methodist Church in Hoisington. A full obituary will appear at a later date.
Melvin L. Krom 1930 - 2013
ELLINWOOD - A celebration of life memorial gathering for Melvin L. Krom will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the First Southern Baptist Church in Great Bend with Pastor Doyle Smith officiating. Military honors will be presented by the Fort Riley Honor Guard. A lunch for family and friends will be served at 1 p.m. before services.
Melvin L. Krom 1930 - 2013
ELLINWOOD - Melvin L. Krom, 83, died June 6 at the Good Samaritan Center in Lyons. Born March 24, 1930 in Galatia, he was the son of Conrad H. and Nima Schafer Krom. On Nov. 6, 1953 he married Bessie Weber in Galatia. They later divorced. A resident of Great Bend, formerly longtime Ellinwood resident, he worked as an oil field supervisor for Stevens Well Service and maintenance supervisor for Grove Park Golf Course in Ellinwood.
Lela May Urban 1936-2013
GARDEN CITY - Lela May Urban, 77, died June 7, 2013 at Homestead Health & Rehabilitation Center in Garden City. No services are planned at this time.
Michael Wayne Kirkman
MIDWEST CITY, Okla. - Michael Wayne Kirkman, 62, died June 7, 2013 at Midwest City, Okla. Services are pending with Bryant Funeral Home, 1425 Patton Road, Great Bend.
Amy K. Zielke
LARNED - Amy K. Zielke, 68, died June 6, 2013 at Diversicare of Larned. She was born Dec. 12, 1944 at Laredo, Texas, the daughter of Bernard and Alice Wallace Weller. A lifetime area resident, she was an office assistant for the Department of Corrections.
Carlos Salvador Torres Reyes 1989 - 2013
Carlos Salvador Torres Reyes, 23, died June 6 at his home in Great Bend. Born June 7, 1989 in Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico, he was the son of Salvador and Luz Elena (Reyes) Torres. A resident of Great Bend since 2000, coming from Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico, he was an assembly line worker.
Mantord Edwin Dellinger
LARNED - Mantford Edwin Dellinger, 85, passed away June 7, at Hays Medical Center. Arrangements are pending with Beckwith Mortuary in Larned.
