Chapel Oaks Funeral Home

124 S. 7th Street     Hiawatha, Kansas 66434

(785) 742-2212   Fax (785) 742-7319

Deaths….Robinson, KS        Charliss Kay Korthanke, age 68, passed away on July 2, 2020 at her home outside of Robinson.  She was born on January 25, 1952 in Norman, Oklahoma to Bernard and Donna Dellasega, but was raised in Pittsburg, Kansas.

 Charliss was a beautiful and outgoing person.  She was crowned homecoming queen of her high school class and was an attendant at homecoming at Pittsburg State University, where she met her eventual husband of 44 years, Jim Korthanke.  He had never met anyone quite like her.  He saw her for the first time in 1973 during a 4th of July weekend.  She was standing on a table with a friend leading a song in front of a packed house.  A quiet and reserved person by nature, Jim was drawn to the warm and gregarious Charliss, who was the life of the party.   She was hard to forget.

They were married on June 4th, 1976.  As the well-used 1965 Ford truck, fitted with a camper, began to sputter on the steep gravel road on the way up Pike’s Peak during their honeymoon, Charliss perhaps wondered how long her marriage would last.  But after having five kids, starting an ostrich business, building their dream house, and retiring to spend time with their 12 grandkids, it seems that there was never any reason to wonder.  

Charliss loved bright, colorful things and had a creative eye for fashion and design.  She collected decorative items and enjoyed spending time gardening and with her grandkids.

 Charliss is survived by her husband, Jim; their five children, Kortney (Johnny), Reba (Jake), Eli (Galie), Isaiah (Caitlin) and Libby (Adam); 12 grandchildren, and three brothers, Steve, Dave, and Dan.  

Charliss was preceded in death by her parents, Donna and Bernard; and her sister, Dena (Steve).  

A visitation will be held on Sunday, July 12th at The Christian Center in Hiawatha from 4-7PM.

The Celebration of Life Service will be held on Monday, July 13th at 10AM, also at the Christian Center.  In celebration of Charliss’ personality the family would love for those attending to wear bright colors. 

 The family requests donations be made towards Charliss’s memorial in lieu of flowers, sent in care of Chapel Oaks Funeral Home, 124 S 7th St., 66434.

A special note may be sent to the family at www.chapeloaksfuneralhome.com     Services will be broadcast live at the Facebook group page:  Chapel Oaks Funeral Home Hiawatha & Highland KS