Obituaries in Kansas Newspapers (arranged by city)
Rita J. Floersch
Rita J. Floersch, 89, of Seneca, Kansas, died Saturday, February 2, 2012 at the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca.
She was born December 5, 1923 to Frank and Anna Catherine Engelken Wietharn on a farm near Baileyville. She graduated in 1941 from Baileyville High School.
Rita married
Raymond E. Floersch on November 11, 1947 at Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Seneca. The couple farmed two miles east of Baileyville until 1963. In July of 1965, they bought Farrells Grocery Store on Main Street in Seneca. In 1967, they built a new grocery store, where it stands today, called the Seneca IGA and later Ray’s IGA, and currently called Ray's Apple Market. Besides the Seneca location, there are now seven other locations of Ray's Apple Market around northeast Kansas and southeast Nebraska, all owned and operated by Rita and Ray's children. In the fall of 1977 Rita and Ray couple built a new home and moved to Seneca. They celebrated 36 years of marriage before Ray’s death on September 8, 1984.
Rita was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, St. Ann’s Altar Society, and a volunteer for the Hospital Guild and the Mission Center, all in Seneca. She had resided at Country Place Senior Living in Seneca since July 2007.
Rita had a strong faith in God, and believed in strong family values.
Her hobbies were painting and playing cards.
She is survived by four sons, Tom and wife Linda Floersch of Manhattan, Kansas, Mike and wife Nelda Floersch of Clay Center, Kansas, Jerry Floersch and Jeff Longhofer of Highland Park, New Jersey, and Rob and wife Diane Floersch of Clay Center, Kansas; a daughter, Kathy and husband Jerry Strathman of Baileyville; 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Besides her husband Raymond, she was preceded in death by her parents, and siblings, Aloysius Wietharn, Marie Heiman, Edwin Wietharn, Fr. Albert Wietharn, Helen Buser, Francis Wietharn, Fr. Sylvester Wietharn and Clarence Wietharn.
Rosaries will be prayed at 2 & 7 PM on Wednesday, February 6, at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 AM Thursday, February 7, at Sacred Heart Church in Baileyville. Burial will be in Sts. Peter & PaulCemeteryin Seneca.
Memorials may be given in Rita’s memory for Nemaha Valley Community Hospital, and sent in care of the family.
Bertha D. "Peggy" Ford
Bertha D. "Peggy" Clemens Ford, 86, died Wednesday, July 10, 2002, at the Sabetha Residential Care Center in Sabetha, Kansas. She had been a resident there since June 28, 1999.
She was born July 11, 1915, at St. Joseph, Missouri, the daughter of Albert J. and Sylvia Rose Chilcoat Wende. When she was five years old, the family moved to a farm west of Oneida, Kansas. She attended the Oneida School for three years, the Morning Star School southeast of Oneida, and graduated from Oneida High School as valedictorian of her class in 1933. Following high school, she worked in area homes taking care of newborn babies. She also worked in homes in Kansas City, Kansas.
On February 27, 1937, she married
Alvin F. Clemens in Sabetha at the home of her friends, the Reverend and Mrs. Cotton. They farmed southwest of Kelly until they moved into Seneca in 1965. Peggy worked as a cook at several restaurants. She was employed by Dr. Jerome Hermes at his chiropractic clinic in Seneca for ten years and retired in 1976. Her husband Alvin Clemens died May 19, 1975.
On November 18, 1976, she married
Floyd R. Ford at Seneca. They lived in Wetmore. He preceded her in death on June 18, 2000.
She was a member of the United Methodist Church at Wetmore, and a former member of the churches at Sabetha and Seneca. She was a Sunday School teacher at Seneca for many years. She was a member of the United Methodist Women at the churches, and the Seneca Business & Professional Women's Club.
Survivors are a son, Daniel Clemens of McPherson, Kansas; a step-son, Lynn Ford of Topeka; two step-daughters, Virginia Eisenbarth of Liberty, Missouri and Jean Wilson of Salina, Kansas; three brothers, Raymond Wende of Seneca, Kansas, Robert Wende of Spokane, Washington, Donald Wende of Phoenix, Arizona; a sister, Darlene Campbell, of Sabetha; a granddaughter and seven step-grandchildren.
Besides her husbands, she was preceded in death by two sisters, Betty Thieme and Helen Herbstreith, and a brother, William Wende, who died in World War II.
Funeral services will be 10 A.M. Saturday, July 13, at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca. The burial will be in the Seneca City Cemetery, Seneca, Kansas. The family will meet with friends from 6 P.M .to 8 P.M. on Friday at the funeral home, where she will lie in state after 8:30 A.M.
Memorials may be given for the United Methodist Church in Seneca, Wetmore, or Sabetha and sent in care of the family.
Patrick W. Frad
Patrick W. "Pat" Frad, 21, of Humboldt, Nebraska, died February 12, 2002, at Falls City, Nebraska.
He was born May 23, 1980, at Seneca, Kansas, the son of Timothy W. and Carolyn McAuliffe. He attended Seneca Grade School. After moving to Humboldt, he attended a year at Humboldt High School. Later he earned his G.E.D. "Pat" lived in Wichita where he worked for MCI and in Great Bend where he worked at a packing plant. In March of 2001 he returned to Humboldt and was employed in construction.
Survivors are his wife, Kim Frad, two sons Jonathan Frad, Justice James Frad, two daughters, Jenna Frad and Joey Elizabeth Frad, all of the home in Humboldt; his mother, Carolyn Mc Auliffe of Humboldt; a sister, Tela Frad of Humboldt; his grandmothers, Darlene McAuliffe of Holton, Kansas and Berniece Brown of Atchison, Kansas.
He was preceded in death by his father in 1995.
Funeral services will be 1 P.M. Saturday, February 16, at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca where he will lie in state after 8:30 A.M. Friday.
Memorials may be given for the Frad Children's Educational Fund.
Daniel F. Frehe
Daniel F. Frehe, 60, of Seneca, died Thursday, January 20, 2005, at his home. He had been a long time fixture of Seneca as a barber at the Main Street and 5th crossroads of Seneca. His loss was due to ill with a lung condition.
He was born November 18, 1944, at Sabetha the son of Fred F. and Elizabeth C. Lackey Frehe. He grew up on the family farm southeast of Seneca and graduated from Sts. Peter & Paul High School 1962. After working in Topeka at a gas station, he entered the U.S. Army National Guard, Seneca Unit. Dan served several months before he was given a medical discharge.
In 1963 he graduated from Capital City Barber School in Topeka. He came back to Seneca and after a year of apprenticeship with a cousin, Tom Graney, barbered with Lyle Johnson in Seneca. On January 1, 1966, Dan bought the barbershop from Lynn Northcott, which he owned and operated until his health caused his retirement in October of 2004.
On January 8, 1966, he married
Nancy Brinker at Sts. Peter & Paul Church at Seneca. They lived in Seneca and in 1977 built their present home on the Frehe homestead southeast of Seneca.
He was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church, the St. Joseph at the church, the Kansas Barber’s Association, and the Seneca Chamber of Commerce. Dan was in a bowling league, liked fishing, hunting, and took part in demolition derbies in northeast Kansas and Nebraska. In his spare time at the shop, he liked to repair clocks which he sometimes found while attending auctions. Having a large garden and sharing produce with friends was another hobby of his.
Survivors besides his wife include two sons; Eric Frehe, El Sobrante, CA, and David Frehe, Seneca; two daughters, Laura Haverkamp, St. George, KS, and Jennifer Nordhus, Omaha, NE; a brother, Edward Frehe, Seneca; and two sisters, Patricia Gonzales and Marilyn Flott, both of Topeka; and 5 grandchildren.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Donald, on
September 13, 2001.
Mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 A.M. Saturday at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The rosary will be prayed at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca on Friday at 2 and 7 P.M.
Memorials may be given for Midland Hospice of Seneca and sent in care of the family.
Thomas D. Garber
Thomas Daniel Garber, 24, of Centralia, Kansas, died Thursday, August 3, 2000, shortly after arrival at the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca, Kansas.
He was born July 1, 1976, at the Sabetha Hospital in Sabetha, Kansas, the son of Thomas G. and Phyllis Glissman Garber. He grew up in Oneida, Kansas, graduated from Nemaha Valley Grade School and from the high school in 1994. He had been employed by the Big B Grocery Store and Industrial Mill Work both in Seneca. He had also been employed by Luckeroth Masonry in construction at Centralia.
On August 21, 1997, he married
Amber Luckeroth. They lived in Seneca until December of 1999 when they moved to Centralia.
He was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church at Seneca.
Survivors are his wife, Amber Garber and a daughter, Arian, both of the home in Centralia; his mother, Phyllis Glissman of Seneca; his father, Thomas G. Garber of Axtell, Kansas; a brother, Jarod Garber of Seneca; his grandmothers, Georgina Glissman of Seneca and Betty Funk of Oneida.
The mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 A.M. Monday at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. The burial will be in St. Bede'sCemeteryat Kelly. There will be a prayer service Sunday at 7 P.M. at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca where he will lie in state after 4 P.M. Saturday.
Memorial contributions may be given for the Arian Garber Educational Fund and sent in care of the family.
Mary K. Gilbert
Mary K. Gilbert, 87, of Seneca, KS, died Friday, September 14, 2001, at Memorial Hospital, Abilene, KS.
She was born December 11, 1913, on a farm east of Billings, OK, the daughter of Oswald B. and Katherine O. James Taylor. At an early age, she moved with her family to a farm at Pratt Center near Tonkawa, OK. She attended grade school in Pratt Center and graduated from University Preparatory School in Tonkawa in 1929. She attended Northern Oklahoma Junior College in Tonkawa for a year and Phillips Academy in Enid, while teaching in rural schools in the area. In 1940 she graduated cum laude from Oklahoma State University at Stillwater, OK, where she also served as a dormitory consulor. Following graduation, she taught fifth grade in Blackwell, OK during the wartime boom. She later worked for the Continental Oil Company in Ponca City, OK.
On May 29, 1944, she married
Dr. J. Howard Gilbert at Tonkawa. While her husband served overseas as a flight surgeon with Air Evacuation in the Army Air Corps, she taught school at Lamont, OK. In 1946 following Dr. Gilbert's discharge from the service, they moved to Seneca where he practiced as a family physician until retirement in 1982. Dr. Gilbert died March 1, 1991.
Mary returned to teaching with the Seneca school system in the late 1960's, initially as a substitute and later on a full-time basis. In July 1973, she was appointed Municipal Court Judge in Seneca, which she presided as until her retirement in 1996. She also served ten years on the Kansas Municipal Court Manual Updating Committee.
Mary was an active member of the United Methodist Church, where she taught Sunday School, sang in the church choir and served on the church board. She was a member of the Kansas and American Medical Association Auxiliaries and was a parliamentarian for the Kansas Auxiliary for many years. She was board member for the Seneca Public Schools during the challenging time of its unification as District #442.
Her many other community activites include co-chairing the Bicentennial Committee and being instrumental in the founding of the Nemaha County Training Center, KANZA Mental Health & Guidance Center and the Nemaha County Historical Society. She was also a member of the Seneca Woman's Club, Chapter EH of the PEO, the Heritage Club, the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital Guild and the American Legion Auxillary, all in Seneca.
Survivors are three sons, Dr. John H. Gilbert of Topeka, KS, Paul A. Gilbert of New York City, and Dr. Frank J. Gilbert of Salina, KS; a sister, Ella Ligon of Oklahoma City; and six grandchildren.
Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Rodney and Frank Taylor, and a sister, Leta Walker.
Funeral services will be 2 pm Monday at the United Methodist Church in Seneca. There will be a visitation from 2 to 4 pm at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca. Burial will be in the Seneca City Cemetery.
Memorials may be given for the United Methodist Church, the STEP Foundation or the cause fo the donor's choice.
Winston W. Glaze
Winston W. Glaze, 68, of Seneca, Kansas, formerly of Carthage, Missouri, died Wednesday, June 6, 2001, at Crestview Manor Care Home in Seneca. He had been in ill health since 1970 and a resident at the care home since 1977.
He was born December 22, 1932, at Carthage, Missouri, the son of Ralph and Anna Jackson Glaze. He graduated from Carthage Senior High School in 1951. After graduation he went to work for the National Geophysical Company in Great Bend, Kansas. In 1953 he joined the United States Navy where he served in the military police. He was stationed at Guantanamo, Cuba, until he was honorably discharged in 1956.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church at Carthage.
Survivors are a sister, Patricia Minkler of Carthage; a brother, Leland Glaze of Lansdown, Maryland; two nieces and three nephews.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Evelyn Glaze and Katherine Glaze and a half sister, Margaret Osborn.
Graveside services with full military honors will be conducted at 1 P.M. Monday, June 11, at Park Cemetery, Carthage, Missouri.
Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca, Kansas, is in charge of arrangements.
