LYNDON, Kan. – Robert Elder, 80, passed away on Tuesday, May 22, 2018, at his home in Lyndon, Kan. He was born on Feb. 18, 1938, in Pittsburgh, Penn., the son of William and Margaret Neuman Elder.

Bob had lived in Melvern, Kan., for many years and had moved to Lyndon in the last year. He worked for the Santa Fe Railroad as a purchasing agent for 30 years until his retirement. He had served in the U.S. Air Force, and was a member of the Melvern American Legion Post 317 and the Vassar Zion Lutheran Church.

LYNDON, Kan. – William “Bill” Fischer, 77, passed away on Friday, May 11, 2018, in Osage City, Kan. He was born on March 11, 1941, in Hunter, Kan., the youngest of seven children of Henry and Elizabeth Schneider Fischer.

Bill graduated from Hunter High School. He served in the U.S. Army with the 25th Engineering Division and was stationed in Hawaii and South Asia. Bill was a heavy equipment operator, working on the construction of Melvern Lake Dam. He then worked at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Plant, in Topeka, for 35 years until his retirement in 2004.  Bill enjoyed fishing at the local lakes and spending time with his grandchildren and family.

LYNDON, Kan. – Shirley Ann McDaniel, 80, passed away Monday, May 14, 2018, at her home of 54 years in Lyndon, Kan., after a brave three-year battle against cancer. She was born on Dec. 25, 1937, in Vassar, Kan., the daughter of John and Hazel Beatty Christesen.

Shirley graduated from Towanda (Kan.) High School in 1957, and attended Emporia State University, Emporia, Kan. She spent her time supporting her family, being a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother.

OVERBROOK, Kan. – Nola Jean Cox, 84, passed away on Friday, May 11, 2018, at Brookside Retirement Community, Overbrook, Kan. She was born on Dec. 12, 1933, in Galt, Mo., the daughter of John and Della Hess Molloy.

Nola had lived in Dover, Kan., before moving to Lyndon, Kan., in 1973. She worked for SRS in Osage County for 22 years.

VASSAR, Kan. – Gladys Pearl Streeter, 82, passed away on Sunday, May 13, 2018, at Stormont-Vail Hospital, Topeka, Kan. She was born on June 27, 1935, in Topeka, the daughter Arthur and Lola Worford Ham.

Gladys had lived around Pomona Lake and Vassar for more than 40 years. She worked as an office manager for Pomona State Park for 29 years. Gladys received her associate degree from Allen County Community College, and was the first to graduate from Allen County Outreach. She was a member of the Vassar United Methodist Church, where she was treasurer for many years, a member of the United Methodist Women, and a delegate for two national conferences. She was a lay leader with Osage County Ministerial Association, was instrumental in the formation of Help House and Osage County Mental Health Association, and was a member of the Kansas Prairie Pickers Association, Vassar Polecats, Red Hat Ladies, and the Panic and Anxiety Connection.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Margaret M. Dial, 78, Topeka, Kan., died Saturday, April 14, 2018, at a Topeka care facility. She was born Jan. 21, 1940, at Burlingame, Kan., the daughter of David S. and Reva Rogers Love.

Marge graduated from Burlingame High School in 1958. She loved music and sang solos in the Federated Church choir. She was a cheerleader, class president, and played community sports in the summer. 

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Gladys “Gladdie” Girsch, 95, passed away April 24, 2018, at Osage Nursing Center, Osage City, Kan. Gladys Walton was born Oct. 10, 1922, in Carbondale, Kan., the daughter of John W. and Hannah (Clayton) Walton.

She graduated from Garnett High School in 1940. She had attended Emporia State College, Washburn and Tulsa Business College.

She was joined in marriage to Russell R. Girsch on June 28, 1942. Her husband was a FBI special agent. They resided in Washington, D.C., Newark, N.J., Atlanta, Ga., Detroit, Mich., Topeka, Kan., Kansas City, Mo., Chicago, Ill., and eventually retiring in Osage City in 1978. Russell and Gladys enjoyed 60 years together.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Ada L. Bourne, 92, passed away Sunday, April 22, 2018, at the Brookside Manor, Overbrook, Kan. Ada Lorene Allison was born Feb. 9, 1926, near Lyndon, Kan., the daughter of George E. And Gertrude (Gordon) Allison.

She graduated from Lyndon High School.

Ada was joined in marriage to Robert Bourne. Ada was a farmer’s wife and homemaker. She had volunteered for the election board and the census. She lived in Osage City, Kan., since her husband’s death in 2010.

OTTAWA, Kan. – John Raymond Kunard, 82, passed away on Sunday, April 22, 2018, at his home in Ottawa, Kan. He was born on May 7, 1935, in the Chippewa community of Franklin County, Kan., the son of Herschel and Ellen Young Kunard.

John lived and attended school in the Greenwood community, moved to Black Jack in Baldwin City, Kan., and then moved to Wellsville, Kan., where he graduated from high school in 1953. He lived in Ottawa from 1959 to 1996, when he moved to Pomona Lake, at Vassar, Kan. He lived there until November 2017, when he moved back to Ottawa.

MILLER, Kan. – Howard A. Lynch, 101, formerly of Miller, Kan., passed away Monday, April 16, 2018, at Rolling Hills Health and Rehab, in Topeka, Kan. Howard Alvin Lynch was born Dec. 12, 1916, in Miller, the son of Carl J. and Myrtle P. (Langley) Lynch.

Howard graduated from Miller High School. He was a lifelong farmer in the Miller area.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – David B. Lieber, 57, passed away on Saturday, April 14, 2018, at Via Christi Hospital, Manhattan, Kan. David Bruce Lieber was born March 11, 1961, in Emporia, Kan., the son of William Dean and Joan S. (Skonberg) Lieber.

He graduated from Osage City High School, Osage City, Kan., in 1979, and later attended Kansas State University. David worked as a truck driver for several years before retiring to help his Dad run the family farm. 

READING, Kan. – Julia Kay Downs, 58, passed away Monday, April 9, 2018, at her home near Reading, Kan. She was born Nov. 3, 1959, at St. Mary’s Hospital, in Emporia, Kan., the daughter of Glenn E. and Stephanie A. Brezowski Craft.

Julie attended Lebo High School, Lebo, Kan., and graduated with the class of 1977. Following high school, she attended Emporia State University for a year before attending Rogers State University in Claremore, Okla., where she studied ranch management. Julie worked at Hallmark for three years before beginning a career with the United States Postal Service in 1986. She served a total of 28 years with 16 years as clerk and city carrier in Osage City, and 12 years as the Hartford, Kan., postmaster. Julie received early retirement in 2014.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Robert “Bob” Pierson, 73, passed away on Thursday, April 12, 2018, at Osage Nursing Manor, Osage City, Kan. He was born on Oct. 18, 1944, in Omaha, Neb., the son of Alfred and Vera Gillette Pierson.

Bob grew up in Omaha, and attended schools there. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1963 to 1967 aboard the USS Newport News in Norfolk, Va. He worked for General Tire, in Topeka, Kan., and then for Plumbing by Carlson until his retirement in 2004.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Ethel Ruth Watson, 100, passed away Friday, April 6, 2018, at Osage Nursing Center, Osage City, Kan. Ethel Ruth Jackson was born Sept. 15, 1917, in Emporia, Kan., the daughter of Lee and Ethel (Jacob) Jackson.

She graduated from Reading High School, Reading, Kan.

She was joined in marriage to Robert O. Watson on March 24, 1940, in Osage City, Kan. Ethel was a lifelong homemaker and mother.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Donald T. “Boggie” Bogren, 75, of Topeka, Kan., passed away Friday, March 30, 2018, in Topeka. Don was born June 8, 1942, in Topeka, the son of Thor and Mildred Graham Bogren.

Don served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam. He was a member of the American Legion Post No. 400 and the Phillip Billard VFW Post No. 1650, in Topeka.

OSAGE CITY, Kan. – Opal Louise (Head) Patton, 88, passed away on Thursday, March 29, 2018, at Vintage Park, Osage City, Kan. She was born on Nov. 27, 1929, at home on a farm in rural Paxico, Kan., the daughter of Glen Bryan and Sara Augusta Ida Buchmeier Head.

Opal attended one-room rural schools near Wamego, Kan., and Tulsa and Inola, Okla. She graduated from Wellsville (Kan.) High School in 1947.

Opal belonged to several women’s clubs and card clubs over the years. She was a member of the Wellsville Methodist Church, was a Worthy Matron of the Wellsville Chapter 409 of the Order of the Eastern Star, then transferred to the Ruth Chapter in Osage City, and the Union Chapter 15 in Ottawa, Kan.

OVERBROOK, Kan. – Virginia “Ginny” Lee Sand, 82, passed away on Thursday, March 29, 2018, at Brookside Retirement Community, Overbook, Kan. She was born on Jan. 22, 1936, in Topeka, Kan., the daughter of Andrew and Hazel Coker Forbes.

Virginia had lived most of her life on her family farm between the Lyndon and Overbrook communities. After graduating from Lyndon High School in 1954, she attended Kansas State University to study elementary education. While there she met Gerald (Jerry) Sand, and they married on June 16, 1957, in Beatrice, Neb. To this union four children were born.

Virginia worked as a court service officer, serving Osage, Franklin and Coffey counties, until her retirement in 2001. She was a member of the Overbrook United Methodist Church and enjoyed studying the Bible later in her life.

TOPEKA, Kan. – Mark Joseph Karle, 62, of Topeka, Kan., passed away Wednesday, March 28, 2018, at Stormont Vail Hospital. Mark was born Sept. 20, 1955, the son of Henry and Betty James Karle.

He grew up in Topeka, graduating from Jefferson County North High School. He married Deanna Whalen Aug. 12, 1978, in Topeka. He worked at the Highland Park Pharmacy and later at Dillons on Huntoon for several years. In 1986, Mark went to work at Blue Cross Blue Shield for 28 years, retiring 2015. He was an active volleyball and basketball official. He served as the UIC at the Ken Berry baseball complex for several years. Mark was the National Federation of High School Association Volleyball official of the year in 2009, and was inducted into the Kansas Volleyball Association Hall of Fame in 2016. Mark enjoyed playing golf and was a big KU fan.

CARBONDALE, Kan. – Mary L (Mellies) Buchholz, 78, passed away March 26, 2018, at the Fields of Brookside, Overbrook, Kan. She was born Nov. 19, 1939, to Ernest and Ethel (Cyr) Mellies, in Clay Center, Kan. She was a graduate of Topeka High School with the class of 1957.

Mary was joined in marriage on Nov. 2, 1956, to James L. Buchholz, in Topeka; he predeceased her March 17, 2014. To this marriage three children were born, Debbie, Linda and Kenneth. They moved to Carbondale, Kan., in 1959, where they lived the rest of their lives. Mary enjoyed being a stay at home mom and volunteered as a Sunday School teacher, scout leader, 4-H leader, and room mother at the school.

OVERBROOK, Kan. – Floyd L. Greenwood, 88, of Overbrook, Kan., passed away Tuesday, March 27, 2018, at Brookside Manor, Overbrook. He was born Jan. 10, 1930, at the Greenwood family farm three miles north of Carlton, Kan., the son of William Greenwood and Lida Viola (Beetch) Greenwood.

Floyd attended Rich Valley grade school in his youth, walking the 3/4-mile walk every day from his childhood home. He then attended Abilene High School, Abilene, Kan., graduating with the class of 1947. He attended Kansas University in 1947, and after his military service he attended Kansas Wesleyan University. In January 1963, Floyd enrolled in the Dallas Institute – Gupton Jones College of Mortuary Science, where he graduated in February 1964 as salutatorian of the class, and was a member of Pi Sigma Eta, an honorary mortuary fraternity.

VASSAR, Kan. – “Zele” Templeton died unexpectedly at her home on Saturday, March 24, 2018. She was born Feb. 10, 1956, in Buda, Texas, and lived in rural Manchacca, Texas, most of her early life.

She was active in 4-H and an avid horseman. She graduated from Crockett High School in Austin, Texas, in 1974.

Zele and husband Glenn were married at her home in Manchacca, Texas, on Aug. 19, 1978. They relocated several times and settled in Vassar, Kan., in 1997.

Zele served as a community leader for the Vassar Blue Ribbon 4-H Club for a number of years, where she taught her children and grandchildren to exhibit dairy cattle.