Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Ethel E. Dresie
JETMORE - Ethel Elizabeth Dresie, 90, died Dec. 26, 2004, at Presbyterian Manor, Salina.
She was born Dec. 12, 1914, at Carlton, the daughter of Joseph and Cora Livonia Parker Boyce. A lifetime resident of Jetmore, she was a teacher and a farmwife.
She belonged to Presbyterian Church and United Presbyterian Women and was an Elder of the church. She was a member of the Extension Home Unit and the American Cancer Society and was a 4-H Leader, all at Jetmore.
On July 15, 1935, she married
Charles F. Dresie at Jetmore. He died Nov. 29, 1998.
Survivors include: three sons, Nathan, Portales, N.M., Carl, Rochester, N.Y., and George, Salina; a daughter, Karen Simpson, Kansas City; a brother, Frank Boyce, Inman; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a brother, Thomas; and two sisters, Sara York and Frances Stubbs.
Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at United Presbyterian Church, Jetmore, with the Rev. Brad Hanson presiding. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Beckwith Funeral Home, Jetmore. Burial will be in Fairmount Cemetery, Jetmore.
Memorials may be sent to the church or to the American Cancer Society, both in care of the funeral home.
Ed Kilgore
SHAFTER, Calif. - Ed Kilgore, 34, died Dec. 12, 2004, at Bakersfield, Calif.
He was born Oct. 11, 1970, at Liberal, the son of James and Sue Schweitzer Kilgore. A resident of Shafter, Calif., he was in the trucking industry. He attended schools in Liberal and Richland, Calif., and graduated from Shafter High School in 1989.
Survivors include: a grandmother, Doreen Schweitzer, Ashland.
Funeral was at 2 p.m. Dec. 17, 2004, at Greenlawn Memorial Park, Bakersfield, Calif.
Myatt Funeral Home, Ashland, is in charge of arrangements.
Jobe D. Tate
MEDICINE LODGE - Jobe Douglas "Doug" Tate, 74, died Dec. 26, 2004, at Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital, Medicine Lodge, after a lengthy battle with cancer.
He was born April 3, 1930, at Parsons, the son of Charles and Grace Patton Tate. He graduated from Parsons High School in 1947 and Labette County Junior College in 1949. In 1954, he went to work for General Acceptance Corporation, Parsons, who transferred him to Medicine Lodge from Coffeyville in 1961. On Aug. 1, 1966, he joined the team at First National Bank heading up the installment loan department, retiring in 1992.
He belonged to the First Presbyterian Church, Medicine Lodge and the U.S. Army Reserves serving from 1950-1954. Doug called Medicine Lodge "home" and was involved in numerous community activities through his life including Lion's Club, Boy Scouts, Peace Treaty and the Leisure Center. He delivered meals for the hospital and played a major role in getting affordable housing for the elderly.
On May 31, 1951, he married
Allece Ann Merwarth at Parsons. She survives.
Other survivors include: a son, Mark and his wife Naomi, Austin, Texas; a daughter, Jolece and her husband Al, Brush, Colo.; a sister, Evelyn High, Bartlesville, Okla.; three granddaughter Hilary, Austin, Texas, Traci, Littleton, Colo., and Tara, Fort Collins, Colo.; a grandson, Drew, Boulder, Colo.; two nephews and their families; and a sister-in-law, Margaret Merwarth, Wylie, Texas.
He was preceded in death by his parents; an infant sister, Dorothy June; and two brothers-in-law.
Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church, Medicine Lodge with Dr. Thomas Sutter presiding. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery.
Memorials may be sent to Leisure Time Center or Lincoln Library Children's Department, both in care Larrison Funeral Home, Medicine Lodge.
Linda A. Rupp
NORTH NEWTON - Linda Anne Balzer Rupp, 92, died Dec. 28, 2004, at Kidron Bethel Health Care, North Newton.
She was born May 9, 1912, at rural Inman, the daughter of Peter B. and Lizzie Siemens Balzer. A lifetime area resident, graduating from Bethel College in 1932, she was a school teacher.
She belonged to Bethel College Mennonite Church, North Newton.
On May 25, 1935, she married
Weldon J. (Bun) Rupp at Buhler. He died Dec. 27, 1986.
Survivors include: two sons, Tim, Lima, Ohio, and Mark, Moundridge; and a daughter, Berneil Mueller, North Newton.
She was preceded in death by three sons, William, Robert and Glenn; two brothers, Menno and Edward Balzer; a sister, Elizabeth Balzer; and a granddaughter.
Graveside service will be at 9 a.m. Saturday at Hebron Cemetery, rural Buhler, followed by memorial service at 11 a.m. at Bethel College Mennonite Church, North Newton, with Pastors Heidi Regier Kreider and Norma Johnson presiding. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday at Moundridge Funeral Home, with family present from 6 to 8 p.m.
Memorials may be sent to Bethel College, Bethel College Mennonite Church, or to Kidron Bethel Village, all in care of the funeral home.
Elma Huxman
HESSTON - Elma "Blondie" Huxman, 83, died Dec. 28, 2004, at Newton Medical Center.
She was born Feb. 16, 1921, at Colorado Springs, Colo., the daughter of Benjamin B. and Elizabeth Stucky Krehbiel. A lifetime Moundridge area resident, she graduated from Moundridge High School in 1939. She was a homemaker.
She belonged to Hoffnungsau Mennonite Church, rural Inman.
On April 5, 1941, she married
John L. Huxman at Moundridge. He died May 23, 1983.
Survivors include: a son, John B., Hesston; a daughter, Jody L. Huxman, Andover; a brother, Ben B. Krehbiel Jr., Moundridge; a sister, Linda Goering, Moundridge; and two grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by four sisters, Viola Krehbiel, Marie Kauffman, Edna Voth and Mildred Wedel.
Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Hoffnungsau Mennonite Church, rural Inman, with Pastor Willmar Harder presiding. Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Moundridge Funeral Home, with family present from 6 to 8 p.m. Burial will be in West Zion Mennonite Church Cemetery, Moundridge.
Memorials may be sent to Hoffnungsau Church or to West Zion Mennonite Church, both in care of the funeral home.
Ellis Mitchell
LAKIN - Ellis Mitchell, 86, died Feb. 1, 2005, at his home, Lakin.
He was born Nov. 20, 1918, at Kingman, the son of Charles Ralph and Effie Gertrude Padfield Mitchell. He attended schools in Kingman County. A resident of Lakin since 1997, he was a farm manager in Kingman County for Greenleaf Ranch and Callihan Ranch. He also had worked for Beach Aircraft, Wichita, for 10 years.
He belonged to Presbyterian Church, Kingman.
On March 19, 1940, he married
Jean McCandless at Iola. She survives.
Other survivors include: a son, Terry, Ulysses; a daughter, Sue Henning, Kansas City, Mo.; a half sister, Wilma Wharton, Graham, Texas; four grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Lester; and a half brother, Virgil Mitchell.
Graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Friday in Walnut Hill Cemetery, Kingman, with the Rev. John Schmitt presiding. Visitation will be from 1 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Garnand Funeral Home, Lakin.
Memorials may be sent to the Alzheimer's Association, in care of the funeral home.
Vera K. Robbins
LARNED - Vera Kathleen Robbins, 95, died Feb. 1, 2005, at Larned Healthcare Center.
She was born July 16, 1909, at Browning, Mo., the daughter of Edward W. and Alta A. Gooch Phillips. A longtime Larned resident, she was a retired psychiatric aide at the Larned State Hospital and was a homemaker.
She belonged to First Christian Church, Christian Women Fellowship and Li-Ar-Mu Club, all at Larned, and was a past member of Daughters of the American Revolution.
On Sept. 10, 1939, she married
George A. Robbins at Larned. He died Aug. 4, 1963.
Survivors include: a sister, Bea Flagler, Wichita; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a daughter, Anne A. English; three brothers, Kenneth N. Phillips, Kermit Phillips and Paul G. Phillips.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Morell Funeral Home, Larned, with Pastor Dan Lundgren presiding. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to service time Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Larned Cemetery.
Memorials may be sent to the church, in care of Morell Funeral Home, P.O. Box 124, Larned, KS 67550-0124.
Philip R. Tommer Jr.
KINSLEY - Philip R. Tommer Jr., 89, died Feb. 1, 2005, at Hospice House, Hutchinson.
He was born Dec. 25, 1915, at Frankfort, the son of Philip R. Sr. and Christene Mentgen Tommer. A Kinsley resident since 1952, he worked for Kansas Power and Light from 1935 to his retirement in 1980.
He belonged to St. Nicholas Catholic Church Knights of Columbus, Rotary was a past school board member and a past hospital board member, all at Kinsley.
On June 27, 1938, he married
Laura Marie Williams at Frankfort. She died April 10, 2004.
Survivors include: a son, Richard, Lyons; three daughters, Connie Hagler, Rolla, Christine Smith, St. Marys, and Mary Beth Lubbers, Yoder; a brother, James, Frankfort; and a sister, Arvilla Poindexter, Albuquerque, N.M.; 12 grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Francis and Mathias; two sisters, Loretta Cherbonneau and Mary Buck; and three grandchildren.
Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Nicholas Catholic Church, Kinsley, with Father Nicanor Ferangco presiding. Vigil service will be at 7 p.m. Friday at the church. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at McKillip Memorial Funeral Home, Kinsley. Burial will be in St. Nicholas Cemetery, Kinsley.
Memorials may be sent to the St. Nicholas School Endowment Fund, in care of the funeral home.
Francis Z. Dean
Francis Z. Dean, 79, died Feb. 2, 2005, at Golden Plains Health Care Center, Hutchinson.
He was born Feb. 28, 1925, at Riverton, Neb., the son of Frank and Ruth Dean. A resident of Hutchinson, formerly of Great Bend, he was a farm hand, working for Harms Farm until he retired.
He attended Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witnesses, Great Bend.
On Dec. 23, 1967, he married
Ruby I. Browning Lea at Great Bend. She died Aug. 19, 1994.
Survivors include: a stepson, Melvin Lea, Great Bend; a stepdaughter, Norma Gray, St. John; 10 stepgrandchildren; and eight stepgreat-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by three brothers, Gilbert, Floyd and Don; and two stepchildren, Jimmy and Marvin Lea.
Cremation has taken place. Memorial service will be held at a later date.
Memorials may be sent to the American Cancer Society, in care of Penwell-Gabel Funeral Home and Crematory, 300 East 30th, Hutchinson, KS 67502.
