Alvin “Al” F. Pfannenstiel    1923 - 2014

LEAWOOD — Alvin “Al” F. Pfannenstiel, 90, formerly of Great Bend and Hays, passed away Sept. 7, at Sweet Life of Brookdale in Overland Park. Born Oct. 20, 1923, in Munjor, he was the son of Joe B. and Pauline (Befort) Pfannenstiel. He graduated from Hays High School in 1942. On Oct. 19, 1949, he married Mildred Staab in Hays. Early in his career, Al was a store manager with Safeway. He then purchased and operated two small grocery and food markets, one in Ellis and a second, Al’s College Market (9 years) in Hays. Following that, he owned and operated the Airliner Motel in Great Bend for 18 years. Al could be referred to as the consummate working man. Work was his hobby, whether as a business owner or in retirement when gardening, maintenance tasks and small building projects kept him busy.
Mr. Pfannenstiel was immediately drafted after graduation, serving in the United States Air Force as a radio operator, but he never went abroad during World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Mildred; a son, Don and daughter-in-law, Mitzi Pfannenstiel of Leawood; two grandchildren, Kenedy and Campbell Pfannenstiel; a brother, Herbert Pfannenstiel of Santa Barbara, Calif.; a sister, Cecilia Davidson, Mountain View, Calif.; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his siblings and their respective spouses, Father Celestine Pfannenstiel, Herman (Nellie) Pfannenstiel, Ignatius (Philomena) Pfannenstiel, Colletta (Gerard) Dreiling, Adelaide (Robert) Bell, Bertie (Frank) Leikam , and Clara (Irvin) Walters. Also preceding Al in death were sister-in-law Betty Lu Pfannenstiel and brother-in-law Richard Davidson.
Funeral Mass will be held at noon on Sept. 12, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Hays. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, and from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, at Brock’s – Keithley Funeral Chapel, 2509 Vine St. A parish vigil will be 6 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, make donations to the Cure of Ars School, c/o Al Pfannenstiel Memorial, 9403 Mission Rd., Leawood, KS. Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or emailed to keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com.

Funeral arrangements provided by
Brock’s Funeral Chapel**
2509 Vine
Hays, KS 67601
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Sept. 10, 2014