Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Frances Louise Reichuber
1911 - 2008
ELLINWOOD — Frances Louise Reichuber, 97, of Ellinwood, formerly of Bushton, died June 22 at Woodhaven Care
Center in Ellinwood. She was born March 5, 1911, at Bushton, the daughter of Joseph and Louise Oberle Hertach. She
married Arnold J. Reichuber on Oct. 24, 1939, at Bushton. He died Nov. 22, 1976. She was a lifetime resident of Rice
and Barton counties, and an Ellinwood resident for the past 17 years. She was a homemaker.
Mrs. Reichuber was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and Altar Society and a former member of Holy Name
Catholic Church in Bushton.
Survivors include three sons, Arnold Reichuber Jr. and wife Eleanora of Goddard, and Gerald Reichuber and wife
Sharon and Leon Reichuber and wife Marilyn, all of Ellinwood; a son-in-law, George Shields of Ellinwood; five
grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, a daughter, Patricia Shields, and
brothers Frank and Joe Hertach.
An Altar Society Rosary will be at 3 p.m. and a rosary at 7 p.m., both Wednesday at Kimple Funeral Home, Ellinwood.
Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Holy Name Catholic Church, Bushton, with Father Dan Lorimer
officiant. Burial will be at Holy Name Cemetery, Bushton. Visitation will be from 1 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral
home. Memorials are suggested to the Holy Name Maintenance Fund at Bushton.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Kimple Funeral Home
113 North Main
Ellinwood, KS 67526
Janice Dee Joylyn (Steinert) Mai
1932 - 2008
RUSSELL — Janice Dee Joylyn (Steinert) Mai, 76, of Russell, died June 21 at Hays Medical Center, Hays. She was
born May 9, 1932, in rural Galatia, the daughter of Harold Hugo and Ophelia (Michaelis) Steinert. She grew up in the
Galatia area and attended country schools. She graduated from Russell High School in 1950. She was diagnosed with
diabetes at the age of 21 and battled the disease her whole life.
She was united in marriage to Earlin A. Mai on June 1, 1952, at Trinity Bender Hill Church. This union was blessed
with two children, Monty and MeloDee. Before her marriage she worked at the phone company in Great Bend as a
phone operator. After her marriage she was a devoted wife and homemaker for her family.
Mrs. Mai was a member of the Immanuel Lutheran Church as a child, the Trinity Bender Hill Church as an adult until
the church closed, and she became a member of the St. John Lutheran Church of Russell. She was active in the Ladies
Aid and the church choir at Trinity Bender Hill.
Janice was a 4-H leader when her children were active in 4-H. She enjoyed sewing, cooking, trying out new recipes,
doing crafts and attending craft shows, collecting angels, and doing jigsaw puzzles and word search puzzles. Early in
life she loved polka dancing and later in life she loved attending 4-H hog shows that her grandchildren were in all over
the state.
Her surviving family includes her husband of 56 years, Earlin of the home; son Monty Mai and wife Tiffany of Russell;
daughter MeloDee Homeier and husband Gordon of Ellsworth; three grandchildren, Taylor Herbel, Lane Mai and
Braden Mai; and three stepgrandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents.
Celebration of Janice’s Life will be held at 10:30 a.m. today at St. John Lutheran Church of Russell with Pastor Robert
Kreier officiating. Burial will follow at Trinity Bender Hill Cemetery. Memorials have been established with the
American Diabetes Association or the Trinity Bender Hill Cemetery Fund. Contributions and condolences may be left
with Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary
610 N. Maple
Russell, KS 67665
Arnol G. Hackett
BELOIT — Arnol G. Hackett, 100, died June 21, 2008 at the Mitchell County Hospital Long Term Care Unit in Beloit.
Survivors include two daughters, Carol Trickett of Beloit and Kay Melton of Great Bend; five grandchildren, 13 great-
grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the McDonald Funeral Home in Beloit. Burial will be at the Elmwood
Cemetery. Friends may visit from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the Solomon
Valley Hospice or Long Term Care Activity Fund.
Funeral arrangements provided by
McDonald-Roberts Funeral Service
910 N. Campbell
Beloit, KS 67420
Gregory Joseph Birzer
1960 - 2008
ELLINWOOD — Gregory Joseph Birzer, 47, died June 22 at his home. Born Oct. 4, 1960, in Ellinwood, he was the
son of James N. Birzer and Leona Zorn Birzer. A lifetime resident of Ellinwood, he was a farmer/mechanic and general
manager of Trailer Specialties Inc. He married Kim Shultz on May 16, 1992, in Ellinwood.
Mr. Birzer was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus of Ellinwood, Sons of the
American Legion and Kansas Flywheel Association.
Survivors include his wife, Kim Birzer, of the home; a son, Geoffrey Birzer of Hays; two daughters, Audra Kollar and
husband Dusan of Hays, and Kylie Birzer of the home; a brother, Michael Birzer of Ellinwood; a sister, Debora Steinert
of Larned; and his mother, Leona Birzer of Ellinwood. He was preceded in death by his father, James Birzer.
Memorial funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, north of Ellinwood, with
Father Pascal Klein officiating. Burial will be at Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery, north of Ellinwood. Remembrance
service will be at 7 p.m. Friday followed by Knights of Columbus Rosary at St. Joseph’s Church in Ellinwood. Friends
may visit from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday at Kimple Funeral Home in Ellinwood. Memorials are suggested to St. Joseph’s
Living Legacy Fund or Sts. Peter and Paul Repair Fund.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Kimple Inc. Funeral Home
113 N. Main
P.O. Box 246
Ellinwood, KS 67526
Dorothy Lucille Wyrill Behnke
1923 - 2008
LYONS — Dorothy Lucille Wyrill Behnke, 85, a retired teacher and homemaker, died June 24 at the Hutchinson
Hospital, Hutchinson. Born Jan. 21, 1923, in Kirwin, she was the daughter of John Bruce and Angie Scott Wyrill. She
graduated from the Kirwin Consolidated High School in 1940. She married Marvin O. Behnke on Oct. 18, 1941, in
Phillipsburg. He died on Jan. 31, 1998. She received her bachelor of science degree from Sterling College in 1959, her
master’s degree from Emporia State Teachers College in 1970 and her Ph.D from Walden University in Naples, Fla., in
1974. She became a Rice County resident in 1946. She spent 30 years in the teaching profession, first in a one-room
rural school in Phillips County, then as a junior high school teacher in Lyons. She then was a primary teacher in a two-
teacher rural school in Rice County, a high school teacher at Lorraine and Claflin and eventually a professor of English
at Sterling College and an adjunct professor for McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. After retiring from
teaching, she served one year with the Lyons Good Samaritan Center as a Human Resources director.
Mrs. Behnke was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Bushton and a hospice volunteer.
Survivors include two sons, Howard and wife Crystal of Lyons and Lance and wife Ramona of Mercer Island, Wash.;
two daughters, Angela and husband Monte Linton of Great Bend and Rosalie and husband Richard Stewart of Valley
Falls; a daughter-in-law, Cindy Behnke of Sterling; a sister, Beth Jantz of Dodge City; eight grandchildren and four
great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, a daughter, Carolyn Jean Behnke, a son, Scott Alan
Behnke, a brother, John Bruce Wyrill, II; and a sister, Lois Harkness.
Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Birzer Funeral Home in Lyons with the Rev. David Bolz officiating.
Friends may visit from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the church or to Sterling
College, all in care of the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Birzer Funeral Homes
214 West Ave. South
P.O. Box 89
Lyons, KS 67554
Freda Evers
1912 - 2008
Freda Evers, 95, of Great Bend, died June 24 at Woodhaven in Ellinwood. She was born Aug. 25, 1912, in Barton
County, the daughter of John and Johanna Ekhoff Evers. A lifetime Barton County resident, she was a homemaker.
Ms. Evers was a member of the Peace Lutheran Church, Albert, and was associated with activities of her church.
Survivors include many nieces and nephews; locally, two nephews, James Nairn, Great Bend, and Melvin Thompson,
Arlington; three nieces, Sandy Haun, Larned, Linda Slavik, Pawnee Rock, and Nancy Lee Crook, Hutchinson. She was
preceded in death by 10 brothers, J.F. (Ferd), Edward, Herman, Gerhard, August, Hillert, Arend, Christian, George and
Alfred, and six sisters, Catherine Kitch, Mathilda Weaver, Martha Nairn, Margaret Guthals, Elizabeth Neemann and
Marie Boese.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Peace Lutheran Church, Albert, with Vicar David Rosales presiding. Friends may
sign the register from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. today at Beckwith Mortuary Chapel, Larned. Burial will be in the church
cemetery. Memorials may be sent to Peace Lutheran Church, Albert, in care of Beckwith Mortuary, Inc.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Beckwith Mortuary, Inc.
916 Main/P.O. Box 477
Larned, KS 67550
Ruth Hodges Hermes
1921 - 2008
OVERLAND PARK — Ruth Hodges Hermes, 86, Overland Park resident, died June 23 at her home.
The family will greet friends at 9 a.m. today at Trout Funeral Home in Ponca City, Okla. The service will follow at 10
a.m. in the Trout Chapel with the Rev. David Bigger officiating. Burial will be in the Grandview Cemetery in Kaw
City, Okla.
Ruth Virginia Hodges, the daughter of Virgil and Ruth Hodges, was born on Dec. 17, 1921, in Yale, Okla. She
graduated from Kaw City High School in 1939. On March 14, 1942, Ruth married Loren Hermes in Great Bend. They
lived in several towns throughout the Midwest before settling in Kansas. Ruth worked as a legal secretary and also a
school secretary for several years. Ruth also worked alongside her husband when they owned and operated the Ben
Franklin Store in Kiowa, Kan.
She enjoyed church activities and spending time with her friends and family. Family members surviving include her
husband, Loren, of the home; three sons, Steve Hermes and wife Kathleen of Leawood, Jerry Hermes and wife Mary
Sue of Sterling, Va., and Kent Hermes and wife Alissa of Kansas City, Mo.; one brother, Kenneth Hodges of Ponca
City, Okla.; one sister, Sherill Jones of Douglass; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. She was preceded
in death by six siblings. Memorial contributions may be made to the Kansas City Hospice, 10100 W. 87th St., Suite
100, Overland Park, KS 66212.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Trout Funeral Home
505 W. Grand Ave.
Ponca City, OK 74601
