Archived Marriage Records
Ralph Emerson Weller 1916 - 2004
Ralph Emerson Weller passed away on Aug. 12, 2004, surrounded by his family, at Central Kansas Medical Center in Great Bend, Kan. Ralph was born at home in Graham County near Palco, Kan., on Feb. 25, 1916. His mother was Iza Ilma Noah and his father was Ora Webster Weller. His mother and father and his brother, Bob Weller, preceded him in death.
Ralph married
Ruth Platt on May 23, 1950, in Laclede, Kan. Ruth and Ralph traveled and lived all over Kansas and Texas during their married
life while Ralph pursued his dreams. He started as a Cat operator and worked on and supervised construction crews for many years. Finally, armed with a few color brochures, a quick wit, an immense amount of confidence and the soul of a gambler, Ralph started what would become one of the largest John Deere Industrial dealerships in the United States. He started in Great Bend, where he and Ruth settled in 1961 to raise their family. By the time he sold the business in 1979, he covered the state of Kansas with dealerships in Great Bend, Colby, Dodge City, Salina, Topeka and Wichita. After the sale, he continued to work as the head of Weller Tractor Salvage.
Ralph attended the First United Methodist Church and was a member of Great Bend Masonic Lodge No. 15 AF&AM, Sunflower Shrine Club, Isis Shrine, Order of the Eastern Star and a former member of the Santa Fe Trail Association Wet-Dry Routes Chapter.
Ralph is survived by his dear wife, Ruth, and his children: David and his wife Lori of Great Bend; and Rebecca and her husband Michael Whelan of Great Bend. He is also survived by his sister Eva Strecker of Osborne, Kan.; his brother Dale Weller of Great Bend; his brother Randall Weller of Hill City, Kan.; his stepmother Margaret Maupin of Paradise, Kan.; and his close friends Lawrence and Sherri Debes of Larned, Kan. Ralph was a proud and doting grandfather to his three grandchildren, Machaela Whelan, Kinnat Whelan and Jeremy Weller.
Ralph was a smart, determined man who made his dreams come true and, along the way, provided beautifully for his family, was a good boss to hundreds of employees, and left his mark on many lives and communities. His family and his friends will miss him every day.
Funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church in Great Bend with the Rev. Gary Brooks officiating. Burial will be at 2 p.m. at Mt. Herman cemetery in Paradise, Kan., with Masonic Graveside Rites by Great Bend Masonic Lodge No. 15 AF&AM. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today at Bryant Funeral Home in Great Bend.
Memorials are suggested to Masonic Lodge Food Basket or Sunflower Shrine Club Travel Fund or First United Methodist Church, all in care of the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home*
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
620-793-3525
Aug. 13, 2004
David Clair Brewer 1965 - 2004
VALLEY CENTER — David Clair Brewer, 38, died Aug. 9 at his home in Valley Center. He was born Dec. 28, 1965, at Ellsworth, the son of David M. Brewer and Betty Ann Polsfut Brewer Root. He graduated Cum Laude from Newman University, where he was on the National Dean’s List, a Board of Regents Scholarship recipient and listed in Who’s Who Among College Students. A resident of Valley Center for one year, coming from Great Bend, he was a learning disability instructor and emotional disturbed consultant for Barton County Cooperative of Special Services - USD 428 of Great Bend and the Mental Health Department of Salina.
Brewer was a member of Kansas-National Education Association, CEC and the Great Bend Community Theater Board of Directors.
Survivors include his mother, Betty Root and step-father Wilbur Root of Great Bend; brother Dan Brewer of Bainbridge Island, Wash.; sister Candace Juarez and husband Tim of Lakewood, Colo.; maternal grandmother Gerda Polsfut of Minot, N.D.; four nephews, Christopher Juarez, Shawn Juarez, Zach Brewer and Ely Brewer; niece Anyssa Juarez; and many aunts and uncles. He was preceded in death by his father, David M. Brewer; maternal grandfather, Leo Polsfut; and paternal grandparents, the Rev. E.W.M. Brewer and Martha Brewer.
Funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Bryant Funeral Home in Great Bend, with the Rev. David Loeschen officiating. Private family burial will be at Ellsworth cemetery in Ellsworth. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. until service time Friday, both at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to Barton County Special Education or Barton County Community College Drama Department, both in care of the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home*
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
620-793-3525
Aug. 12, 2004
Victor F. Klema 1914 - 2004
WILSON — Victor F. Klema, 89, died Aug. 10 at Ellsworth County Medical Center in Ellsworth. He was born Nov. 16, 1914, in the Hell Creek area of Wilson Lake, the son of John A. and Agnes Stehno Klema. He married
Velma C. Valenta on Aug. 24, 1937, southeast of Wilson. He grew up in Kanopolis, owned the IGA in Holyrood from 1936 until 1949, and was a real estate salesman in Mesa, Ariz., until 2002.
Klema was an U.S. Army veteran of World War II, and a member of Holyrood American Legion Post No. 200 and Holyrood Masonic Lodge No. 343.
Survivors include his wife of the home in Wilson; three brothers, Richard Klema of Portersville, Calif., Johnny Klema of Great Bend, and Arthur Klema of Wilson; three sisters, Mildred Katzenmeier of Ellsworth, Adeline Bartunek of Ellsworth, and Shirley Krug of Spring Hill, Fla. He was preceded in death by a brother, Rudy Klema.
Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Foster Chapel in Wilson, with the Rev. Kristine Bair officiating. Burial will be at Wilson City cemetery with graveside rites by the American Legion and Masonic Lodge. Friends may call from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and from 8 a.m. until service time Friday, all at Foster Mortuary. Memorials are suggested to Lang Memorial Library in Wilson, in care of the mortuary.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Foster Mortuary Inc.
610 24th Street
Wilson, KS 67490
785-658-2345
Aug. 12, 2004
Alfred Leo Joseph Stang
WICHITA — Alfred Leo Joseph Stang traveled the good road Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2004. He was born in Victoria, Kan., and raised in Hoisington, Kan. In 1966, Alfred and his wife and six children moved to Wichita, Kan. A dedicated laborer, he began work as an oil well driller and later retired from Derby Refinery after 25 years as an operations technician.
Alfred is survived by his wife of 54 years, Aletha V. Listz Stang; his son and spouse, Galen and Dianna Stang; his daughters and spouses, Genita and David Niedens, Cynthia and Richard Niedens, Lenora and Russell Hull, Melissa and Michael Moore, Lynelle and Kevin Horsch; 24 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren; brothers Marvin Stang and William Stang; and sister, Rose Ann Kirkpatrick.
Viewing will be from 1 to 5 p.m. today at Hillside Funeral Home West in Wichita. Rosary will be at 7 p.m. today, and funeral Mass at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Memorials are suggested to Catholic Diocese of Wichita Youth Office, 424 N. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67202.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Hillside Funeral Home West*
P.O. Box 8228
Wichita, KS 67208
800-794-2200
Aug. 12, 2004
Sarah Marie Staerkel 1900 - 2004
Sarah Marie Staerkel, 104, died Aug. 10 at Great Bend Health and Rehabilitation Center of Great Bend. She was born May 5, 1900, at Partridge, the daughter of Phillip and Catherine Wiegel Elliott. She married
Edward Staerkel on Jan. 3, 1923, at Hutchinson. He died Aug. 25, 1973. A resident of Great Bend since 1955, coming from Dodge City, she was a homemaker.
Mrs. Staerkel was a member of First United Methodist Church, United Methodist Women, a 50-year member of Eastern Star No. 226 and a life member of the Barton County Historical Society, all of Great Bend.
She is survived by many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by two brothers.
Graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Great Bend Cemetery, with the Rev. Gary Brooks officiating. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at Bryant Funeral Home of Great Bend. Memorials are suggested to the church or the historical society, both in care of the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
620-793-3525
Aug. 11, 2004
Jason W. Jenkins 1980 - 2004
GALVA — Jason W. “J.J.” Jenkins, 24, died Aug. 9 at his home in Galva. He was born Feb. 11, 1980, at Hoisington, the son of John M. and Sharon Jonas Jenkins. He married
Kristen Vest Aug. 3, 2002, at Great Bend. A resident of the McPherson-Galva area for the past four years, coming from Great Bend, he was an automotive detailer for Lacy Motors, McPherson.
Survivors include his wife of the home; his parents of Great Bend; brothers Andrew Jenkins of Lincoln, Neb., Mike Jenkins of Anthony, James Jenkins of Wellington and Jeff Jenkins of Anthony; sisters Alicia Jenkins of Manhattan and Jody Ramos of Anthony; and grandparents, Alfred and Helen Jonas of Hoisington, and Esther Jenkins of Heizer.
Funeral will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Bryant Funeral Home of Great Bend, with the Rev. Darrell Grimm officiating. Burial will be at Hoisington cemetery in Hoisington. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and 9 a.m. until service time Friday, all at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the Jason Jenkins Memorial Fund, in care of the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road
Great Bend, KS 67530
620-793-3525
Aug. 11, 2004
Beverly J. Brummer 1940 - 2004
Beverly “Bev” J. Brummer, 63, died July 30, at Hospice House in Hutchinson. She was born Beverly June Wright on Aug. 4, 1940, at Ionia. A former Osborne resident, she lived in Great Bend for the past 20 years. She worked at Great Bend Health and Rehabilitation Center as a CNA, CMA and RA.
Survivors include her husband Wayne F. Brummer of the home in Great Bend; sons Steve Brummer of Great Bend and Scott Brummer of Beloit; daughters Sheila Cline of Osborne, Shelly Eck of Beloit, Sandy Wagner of Downs and Sheri Brummer of Great Bend; brother Lyle Wright of Ionia; sister Rose Danley, Springfield, Mo.; nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by a son, Michael Brummer, daughter Mary K. Brummer, and sister Nita Hubbard.
Funeral was at St. Boniface Catholic Church of Tipton. Burial was at St. Boniface cemetery in Tipton. Memorials may be made to Relay for Life, American Cancer Society or Heartland Cancer Center, all of Great Bend.
Funeral arrangements were provided by Clark-Gashaw Mortuary Inc., P.O. Box 348, Osborne, KS 67473.
Aug. 11, 2004
Daniel Jerome ‘Jerry’ Pfister 1929-2004
BEAVER — Daniel Jerome “Jerry” Pfister, 75, died Aug. 6 at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City. He was born March 27, 1929, at Great Bend, the son of William Daniel and Laura Jean Riggens Pfister. He married
Iris Bean on Jan. 6, 1956, at Great Bend. A resident of Beaver since 2000, coming from Great Bend, he was a self-employed farmer and mason.
Pfister was a veteran of the Korean War, serving in the U.S. Army and National Guard. He was a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 3111 and American Legion No. 180, both of Great Bend. He was also a member of the American Plot Association and National Rifle Association.
Survivors include his wife of the home; one son, Martin Pfister of Radium; two daughters, Lucinda Pierce of Tucson, Ariz., and Lanette Mattison of Great Bend; one brother, James Pfister of Great Bend; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home in Hoisington, with the Rev. Ethan Feistner officiating. Burial will be at Pawnee Rock cemetery in Pawnee Rock. Friends may call from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. today and 9 a.m. until service time Wednesday, all at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the Salvation Army, in care of the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home
415 North Main, P.O. Box 146
Hoisington, KS 67544
620-653-4165
Aug. 10, 2004
Eva Pearl Curtis Coonrod 1910-2004
Graveside funeral services for Eva Coonrod, 94-year-old Buffalo resident who passed away Sunday at the Amie Holt Care Center in Buffalo will be held Thursday, August 12 at 10 a.m. in the Great Bend cemetery in Great Bend with the Rev. Darrell Grimm officiating. A visitation will be held from the Bryant Funeral Home in Great Bend on Wednesday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Donations may be made to the Amie Holt Care Center or the Pioneer Manor in care of the Adams Funeral Home at 351 N. Adams in Buffalo, Wyo., 82834.
Eva Pearl Coonrod was born on Feb. 9, 1910, in Dewey County, Okla., to Charles and Flora Curtis. She grew up in Oklahoma and graduated from Collinsville High School in 1927. After high school she went to work as a telephone operator. She was married
on June 9, 1934, at the home of her parents in Anderson, Mo., to Woodrow Wilson Coonrod and they made their home in Tulsa where Eva continued working as a telephone operator. They moved to Great Bend in the 1930s where they raised their family. While they were living Great Bend they purchased property near Buena Vista, Colo., on Chalk Creek. They would travel to Chalk Creek in the summers where they spent many months tearing down old Ghost Town cabins and rebuilt a retirement cabin and other structures on their property. Mr. Coonrod passed away at the cabin in June of 1970 and Eva continued living in Great Bend until 1971. It was then that she moved full time to the cabin on Chalk Creek. She was the postmistress and pumped gas and managed a little store in Nathrop, Colo., for several years before retiring. She lived on Chalk Creek for several more years before moving into Buena Vista. In 1981 she moved to Sheridan, Wyo., to live near her daughter and family. In 1986 she moved to Gillette to be near her granddaughter and family and helped take care of her grandsons. She lived in Gillette until she became a resident of Amie Holt Care Center in 2002. She was living at Amie Holt at the time of her death. She was a member of the Baptist Church, and served as a deaconess and adult Sunday School teacher at the Baker Avenue Baptist Church for many years; a charter member and first president of the League of Women Voters in Great Bend; a member of the Menningers Bible Study Group in Great Bend; a former president of the Great Bend Council of Church Woman United. She loved fly fishing and taught all of her children and grandchildren. She loved the Lord, traveling, baking and spending time with her family.
She is survived by one son, Charles Ralph Coonrod and his wife Debra of Bethel, Mo.; one daughter, Margaret Immenschuh and her husband Bert of Buffalo; one sister, Mary Alice Carson of Marionville, Mo.; five grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, three brothers and two sisters.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Adams Funeral Home*
351 North Adams
Buffalo, Wyo. 82834
307-684-2251
Aug. 10, 2004
Leroy William Lightcap 1912-2004
DODGE CITY — Leroy William Lightcap, 92, died Aug. 9, 2004, at Great Bend Health and Rehabilitation Center in Great Bend. He was born March 23, 1912, at Bellefont, Kan., the son of Roy and Grace Showers Lightcap. Born and raised in Ford County, he moved to Dodge City in 1927. He married
Margaret Keenportz on Sept. 21, 1940, at Rozel, Kan. She survives. He was an assistant manager at the South Dillon’s store in Dodge City for 32 years.
Lightcap was a member of Central Baptist Church in Great Bend and Loyal Order of Moose No. 1187 of Dodge City.
Survivors include his wife, Margaret Lightcap, of Great Bend; son Ardley Dale and wife Annette Lightcap of Hutchinson; daughter Carolyn Sue and husband Gary Mills of Great Bend; brother Leland Lightcap of Dodge City; nine grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a daughter Nancy Lee, a brother Rex Lightcap and a sister Dorothy Behee.
Funeral service will be held at Swaim Funeral Home in Dodge City at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, with the Rev. Gordon Rhodes presiding. Burial will be at Maple Grove cemetery in Dodge City. Visitation will be at the funeral home on Wednesday from noon to 8 p.m., with family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the charity of the donor’s choice in care of the funeral home.
Funeral arrangements provided by
Swaim Funeral Home*
1901 Sixth Avenue
Dodge City, KS 67801
620-227-2136
Aug. 10, 2004
