Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Alvin John Fast
REEDLEY, Calif. - Alvin John Fast, 70, died May 20, 2000, at his home in Reedley.
He was born July 22, 1929, in Arena, N.D., the son of Henry and Katherine Fast. A resident of Reedley since 1965, formerly living in Mountain Lake, he was general manager of the Mennonite Aid Plan for more than 14 years, and more recently worked for Mennonite Central Committee as a material resources coordinator.
He was a member of First Mennonite Church in Reedley.
Survivors include: his wife, Doris; two sons, including Greg, Moundridge; a daughter; a brother; two sisters; eight grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a brother and a sister.
Interment and memorial service will be held Friday in Reedley.
Cairns Funeral Home, Reedley, is in charge of arrangements.
Florence K. Steward
Florence K. Steward, 98, died May 23, 2000, at Hutchinson Hospital.
She was born March 5, 1902, at Pretty Prairie, the daughter of Jake and Anna Siebert Krehbiel. A lifetime resident of Pretty Prairie, she had moved to Hutchinson in 1990. She was a graduate of Pretty Prairie High School and attended Fairmount College in Wichita (now Wichita State University). She was a homemaker.
She belonged to New Jerusalem Church, Pretty Prairie, was a member of the Order of Eastern Star, a charter member of the Federated Study Club, and served as a board member for the public library, all at Pretty Prairie.
On Feb. 2, 1921, she married
Burtold R. "Bert" Steward in Pretty Prairie. He died May 14, 1962.
Survivors include: a son-in-law, Duane Goering, Hutchinson; a grandson, Terry Goering, Hutchinson; a great-grandson; and two step great-grandsons.
She was preceded in death by one daughter, Jo Ann Goering.
Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 30, at Elliott Mortuary Chapel, Hutchinson, with the Rev. Eric Zaharias presiding. Friends may call from 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday and Monday, May 29 and 30, at the mortuary. Burial will be in Lone Star Cemetery, Pretty Prairie.
Memorials may be sent to New Jerusalem Church, or Pretty Prairie Public Library, both in care of the mortuary.
Carolyn Marie Eck
GODDARD - Carolyn Marie Eck, 49, died May 22, 2000, at Wichita.
She was born Sept. 15, 1950, at Wichita, the daughter of Roman and Frances Reichenberger Winter. She was a homemaker.
She was a member of St. Mark's Catholic Church.
On May 1, 1971, she married
Kenneth Eck at Andale. He survives.
Other survivors include: her parents, of Andale; two sons, Brian, Goddard, and Keith, Colwich; two daughters, Janet and Julie, both of Goddard; three brothers, Ray and Charlie Winter, both of Andale, and Ted, Wheaton, Md.; two sisters, Marilyn Wetta, Wellington, and Sharon Lies, Andale; and one grandson.
Rosary will be at 7:30 p.m. today at St. Mark's Catholic Church. Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the church, with the Rev. Patrick Mannion presiding. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at Wulf-Ast Mortuary, Colwich. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Memorials may be sent to the St. Mark's Building Fund, in care of the mortuary.
Wilda C. 'Billie' Whitaker
NEWTON - Wilda C. "Billie" Whitaker, 87, died May 21, 2000, at Kansas Christian Home, Newton.
She was born April 2, 1913, at Vanita, Okla., the daughter of William Corwin and Annie Cooper McFadden.
She was a member of Salem United Methodist Church, Eastern Star, and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 971 Ladies Auxiliary, all at Newton.
She married
R.E. Wheeles. He died Dec. 14, 1944. She married
Earl D. Whitaker Jr. on Feb. 4, 1950, in Gravett, Okla. He survives.
Other survivors include: a daughter, Linda E. Burger, Las Vegas.
She was preceded in death by a sister, Imogene Irwin.
Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in Graveside Restlawn Gardens of Memory, Newton, with Chaplain Carolyn Schwarz presiding.
Memorials may be sent to the Kansas Christian Home Fellowship of John, in care of Petersen Funeral Home, Newton.
Orin M. Webster
ELLSWORTH - Orin M. Webster, 88, died May 19, 2000, at Riverview Estates, Marquette.
He was born Sept. 25, 1911, at Ellsworth, the son of Warren M. "Bud" and Bertha DeWitt Webster. An Ellsworth resident since 1979, moving from Brookville, he was a retired farmer and rancher.
He was a member of the Kansas Cattlemen's Association and the Moose Lodge.
He married
Kathryn Bates in 1937 in Oklahoma. She survives.
Other survivors include: a daughter, Mary Larson; a sister, Ida Fay Farrington; and five nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Gordon.
Memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Parsons Funeral Home. There will be no visitation. Private family inurnment will be in Carneiro Cemetery.
Memorials may be sent to the Kansas Lung Association or Riverview Estates of Marquette, both in care of the funeral home.
Bernice L. Ekhoff
Tribune - Bernice L. Ekhoff, 83, died Monday, May 22, 2000, at Greeley County Hospital, Tribune.
She was born Sept. 10, 1916, at Syracuse, Neb.
She was the daughter of Henry William and Flora Stella Gecha Seba. A Greeley County resident since 1940, she was a dietitian at Helmwood Care Home, Tribune.
She was a member of the former St. Paul Lutheran Church, Tribune.
She married
Walter F. Ekhoff at Larned on March 4, 1932; he died June 21, 1979.
Survivors include four sons: Nels, Berthoud, Colo., Neil, Loveland, Colo., Nate, Scott City, and Niles, Tribune; two daughters: Ione Hughan, Shelton, Neb.; and Dawn West, Yorktown, Va.; a brother, Elmer Becker, Chandler, Ariz.; two sisters, Leona Martin, Tribune, and Gladys Ruby, Leoti; 14 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two brothers and three sisters.
Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. M.D.T. Thursday at the United Methodist Church, Tribune, with the Rev. Susan Charest Wickiser officiating. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Price & Sons Funeral Home, Tribune. Burial will be in Greeley County Cemetery.
Memorials may be sent to the Bernice Ekhoff Memorial Fund, in care of the funeral home.
Gerald D. Kingsley
LEAVENWORTH - Gerald D. Kingsley, 68, formerly of Lyons and Wichita, died May 19, 2000, at San Antonio.
He was born Sept. 5, 1931, at Borger, Texas, the son of Z.D. "Zeke" and Pauline Craig Kingsley. He was raised in Lyons and attended Kansas State University. He later earned degrees in education and business administration from Wichita State University. He pursued a military career, joining the United States Air Force in 1954. He retired after 21 years of military service as lieut. col., in 1975.
Survivors include: a son, Jerry, Wichita; a daughter, Lynn Kingsley- Jones, Leawood; a sister, Joan Nugent, Wichita; and five grandchildren.
Graveside service will be in Leavenworth National Cemetery.
Barnett-Larkin-Brown Funeral Home, Leavenworth, is in charge of arrangements.
Dorothy B. Harbin
LEOTI - Dorothy B. Harbin, 63, died May 23, 2000, at her home in Leoti.
She was born Oct. 22, 1936, at Leoti, the daughter of Henry D. and Alice R. Elder Summers. A Leoti resident since 1955, she was a homemaker.
She belonged to United Methodist Church, where she served on the church choir and in United Methodist Women, was a Wichita County High School sports booster and belonged to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary and several bridge clubs, all at Leoti.
On July 5, 1956, she married
Dean Harbin at Leoti. He survives.
Other survivors include: two sons, Mike, Longmont, Colo., and Ted, Oklahoma City; a daughter, Shelly Graff, Leoti; her mother, Leoti; four brothers, Roy, Advance, N.C., Donnie, Lakin, Merle, Blackwell, Okla., and Dude, Garden City; four sisters, Helen Ridder, Leoti, Delora Stites, Midlothian, Va., Beth Brown, Salt Lake City, and Barb Heili, Garden City; and 10 grandchildren.
A remembrance celebration will be at 8 p.m. Thursday at United Methodist Church, Leoti. Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the church, with the Rev. Susan Charest Wickiser presiding. Friends may call from 5 to 9 p.m. today and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at Price & Sons Funeral Home, Leoti. Burial will be in Leoti Cemetery.
Memorials may be sent to the Dorothy Harbin Memorial Fund, in care of the funeral home.
