Announcements

Esther Middendorf

Chapel Oaks Funeral Home Hiawatha

Hiawatha , KS

Esther L. Middendorf, 93, of Hiawatha, went to be with her Lord Wednesday, December 7, 2016, at Hiawatha Community Hospital.

She was born on a farm south of Troy, December 6, 1923, the eighth of nine children born to Charles and Martha Kiehnhoff Ruhnke and was a northeast Kansas resident her entire life. 

Esther attended rural schools K-8 near Troy.  She worked as


James W. Rieger

Dorr and Clark Funeral Home of Falls City

Falls City, NE

James W. Rieger, 90, of Falls City passed away December 6, 2016. He was born on October 9, 1926 to the late John and Mary (Dodds) Rieger.

James married Ann Stednitz on October 14, 1951 at Falls City. She later passed away on November 17, 2006.

James was raised on the family farm and attended Falls City High School. When married, the couple established their home on the


Mary Ellen Frazee

Wherry Mortuary of Pawnee City

Summerfield, KS

Mary Ellen Frazee passed away, going to her heavenly home, on December 6, 2016 at Pawnee County Hospital after a long battle with Addison’s and Multiple Myeloma.   

Mary Ellen Loch Frazee was born to Sterling and Jesse North Loch on February 26, 1935 in Pawnee City, NE.   She was raised on a farm northeast of Summerfield, KS with her parents and her o


Louise Kneisel

Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Hiawatha

formerly of Wetmore, KS

Louise L. Kneisel, 86, formerly of Wetmore, with her family by her side, went to be with her Lord, Monday, December 5, 2016, at Oakley Place in Topeka.

Louise was born and raised in Kismet and later served as Postmaster there 18 years prior to serving as Postmaster at Wetmore before retiring.

She married Harold Kneisel in 1979. They made Wetmore home and enjoyed their l


Leone Maye Elkins

Dishon- Maple-Chaney Mortuary in Horton

Horton, KS

Leone Maye Elkins, 76, of Horton, Kansas passed away on December 5, 2016 at the Mission Village Living Center in Horton, Kansas.

She was born on October 5, 1940 in Hiawatha, Kansas the daughter of Samuel L. and Evelyn L. (Crowner) Potter.

Leone worked as a Day Care Provider raising many children, prior to going to work for the City of Horton as a Clerk and the Knudson&#


Mildred " Nadine" Stephenson

Mercer Funeral Home in Holton

Holton, KS

Mildred “Nadine” Stephenson, 89, of Holton, KS passed away Tuesday, December 6, 2016 at Stormont Vail Hospital. She was born September 24, 1927 in Archie, MO the daughter of Earnest L. and Sarah E. (Duncan) Hawkins.

Nadine graduated in 1945 from high school in Harrisonville, MO. She had lived in Holton since 1958 and previously in Harrisonville, MO, Carthage, MO and Top


Albert Stanley Hay

Chapel Oaks Funeral Home in Onaga

Wamego, formerly of Onaga , KS

Albert Stanley Hay, 80, of Wamego, formerly of Onaga, died Sunday, December 4, 2016 at the Westy Community Care Home in Westmoreland.   He was born May 18, 1936 at Soldier, the son of Albert S. Hay, Jr. and Flora Downey Hay.  He graduated from Onaga High School in 1954 and had served in the Army National Guard.   Stan was a farmer and a stockman. 


George B. Blodig

Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home in Atchison

Atchison, KS

George B. Blodig, 86, Atchison, Kansas died Sunday, December 4, 2016 at Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Mass of Christian burial will be Friday, December 9, 2016 at 10:30 A.M. at St. Benedict’s Church with Rev. Jeremy Heppler, OSB as celebrant. Interment will follow in the Mt. Calvary Cemetery. A Parish rosary will be recited on Thursday, December 8, at 6:00 P.M. at


Joyce J. Nitz

Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home in Atchison

Atchison, KS

Joyce J. Nitz, 64, Atchison, Kansas died Saturday, December 3, 2016 at her home following a lengthy illness.

Funeral services will be Saturday, December 10, 2016 at 2:00 P.M. in the chapel of Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Lancaster Cemetery, Lancaster, Kansas. Visitation with the family will be Saturday, December 10th from 12:30 until service time at the f


Wayne “The Beard” Robert Albers

Becker-Dyer Stanton Funeral Home in Atchison

Bendena, KS

Wayne “The Beard” Robert Albers, 77 of Bendena, KS passed away Monday, December 05, 2016, at Highland Healthcare & Rehab Center, Highland, KS.

Funeral service will be 10:00 AM Thursday, December 8, 2016 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Bendena, KS with Rev. Jennifer Obermueller officiating.  Burial will follow at Moray Cemetery, Bendena, KS.&


Diana Wendtlandt

Dorr & Clark Funeral Home of Falls City

Falls City, NE

Diana L. Wendtlandt, 67, of Falls City passed away December 4, 2016. She was born January 23, 1949 to the late Leonard and Lucille (Aue) Shefferd.

Diana married Ronald Dishong September 7, 1966 at Falls City. He later passed away on August 29, 1996. She then married Henry Wendtlandt, Sr. on September 6, 2001.

Diana grew up in the Stella, NE area and attended school ther


Clarence Rottinghaus

Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca

Wetmore , KS

Clarence W. Rottinghaus, 93, of Wetmore, KS passed away Sunday morning, December 4, 2016, at Crestview Nursing and Residential Living in Seneca, KS.

He was born on July 7, 1923 on a farm north of Corning, KS, the son of Henry & Magdalen Steinlage Rottinghaus. Clarence was one of ten children. Clarence went to school at Corning for a few years then went to St. Bede’s


Dorthea Peterson

Dishon-Maple-Chaney Mortuary in Horton

Horton, KS

Dorthea Irene Peterson, 87, of Horton, Kansas passed away on Thursday, December 1, 2016 at the Horton Community Hospital in Horton, Kansas.

She was born on February 4, 1929 in Whiting, Kansas the daughter of Irving and Grace Dykeman Peterson.

Dorthea graduated from Whiting High School in 1947. She then went to work for the United Telephone Company as a telephone operato


Henry " Hank" Hulsing

Kevin Brennan Family Funeral Home in Topeka

Topeka, KS

Henry Nicholas “Hank” Hulsing, 79, Topeka, passed away suddenly Wednesday, November 30, 2016, at Stormont-Vail Health Center, comforted with love as he was surrounded by his family.

Hank was born to Henry Joseph and Ida Josephine Gelhaus Hulsing in Axtell KS on March 6, 1937. He graduated from St. Mary’s High School in St. Benedict KS in 1955. He was married to Ri


Helen Bergman

Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca

formerly of St. Benedict, KS

Helen M. Bergman, 99, of Topeka formally of St. Benedict, Kansas, died December 1, 2016  at the Presbyterian Manor in Topeka.  Resident since November 7, 1996.

She was born November 8, 1917, on a farm northwest of St. Benedict, Kansas, the daughter of George and Louise Oenbring Schmitz. She attended St. Mary’s School and Bellview Country School.  She attended o


Mabel Harris

Mercer Funeral Home in Holton

Soldier , KS

Mabel J. Harris, 87, of Soldier, KS passed away Thursday, December 1, 2016 at Eastridge Nursing Home in Centralia. She was born March 2, 1929 in rural Soldier, the daughter of Guy and Angelica (Van Valkenburgh) Nott.

Mabel graduated from Soldier High School in 1948 and had lived all of her life in Soldier as a farmwife and homemaker. She had also worked for Stauffer Communications


Lavonne Riley

Mercer Funeral Home in Holton

Holton, KS

Lavonne M. Riley, 85, of Holton, KS passed away Wednesday, November 30, 2016 at Medicalodge Jackson County. She was born June 16, 1931 in Iola, KS the daughter of Arthur Edmund and Elizabeth (Whipps) Starr.

Lavonne graduated from Welda High School in 1949 and graduated from Kansas State University in 1953 with a Bachelor of Science degree. She taught home economics and chemistry in


Fred S. ‘Fritz’ Smith

Becker-Dyer Stanton Funeral Home in Atchison

Atchison, KS

Fred S. ‘Fritz’ Smith, 96, of Atchison, KS, passed away Wednesday, November 30, 2016 at the Atchison Hospital surrounded by his loving family.

Memorial services will be 4:00 pm on Wednesday, December 7, 2016 at the Trinity Episcopal Church with Fr. Jon Hullinger, Rector of Trinity Episcopal Church, celebrant. The body has been cremated and interment of the cremated rema


Norman Thonen

Chapel Oaks Funeral Home Hiawatha

Powhattan , KS

Norman Lee Thonen, 91, of Powhattan, Kansas, passed on to his Heavenly Father and rejoined his loving wife Leona, on 30 November 2016.

Norman was born February 9th, 1925, at his home in Powhattan.  He was a lifelong resident, farmer, and rural mail carrier in Brown County.  He graduated from Powhattan High School with the class of 1943.

He joined the United States


Virginia Winkler

Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca

Centralia, KS

Virginia M. Winkler (Dalinghaus), 83, of Centralia, Kansas passed away Monday, November 28, 2016 at Life Care Center in Seneca where she had been living for the past 3 weeks. 

Virginia was born December 13th, 1932 on a farm south of Baileyville, Kansas, to Lawrence A. and Margaret (Sudbeck) Dalinghaus. She graduated from Baileyville High School in 1950.  Af