Robert Eugene Gerber, 97, retired salesman for Fairmont and Steffens Dairy, passed away Tuesday, September 3, 2019 in Wichita, Kansas.

Robert was born on August 3, 1922 in Waterloo, Kansas. He devoted his life to his wife and family, could fix anything, had immense patience and a great smile. Robert was a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus. He retired in 1983 from Fairmont and Steffens Dairy after 43 years.

Robert married Orletta Lee Niedens on October 21, 1943. She died on their 75th wedding anniversary weekend in 2018. Robert’s residences included Dodge City, Liberal, Hutchinson, Salina and Wichita, Kansas.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Elizabeth (Huelskamp) Gerber; wife, Orletta Lee (Niedens) Gerber; son-in-law, Daniel G Rupp; grandson, Tejay Collins; brother, Marvin Gerber; sisters, Mary Lee Schneweis, Mabel Thesing, Jeanette Gerber, Joann Schwarz.

Survivors: daughters, Sandra Rupp of Hays, Kansas, Mary Rose (Lynn) Butler of Annandale, Virginia, Rita (Mike) Gedney of Overland Park, Kansas and Carmen Gerber of Hays, Kansas; sons, Gregory (Denise) Gerber of Wichita, Duane (June) Gerber of Weatherford, Oklahoma, Shane (Dianne) Gerber of Wichita; 13 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; brother, Richard Gerber of Dodge City, Kansas; sister, Doris (Val) Goff of Prescott, Arizona.

Rosary, 7 p.m., Thursday, September 12, 2019; Funeral Mass, 10:30 a.m., Friday, September 13, 2019, both at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Wichita, Kansas. Burial will follow at 3 p.m. at St. Louis Cemetery, Waterloo, Kansas. Memorials established with The Lord’s Diner, 520 N. Broadway, Wichita, KS 67214; St. Louis Catholic Church, 13015 E. Maple Grove, Mt. Hope, KS 67108 and St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 3642 N. Ridge Rd., Wichita, KS 67205. Downing & Lahey Mortuary West Chapel.

Violet (Vi) Lashell Collins, 85, died on Friday, September 6, 2019 at Ness County Hospital in Ness City. She was born on April 18, 1934 at Utica the daughter of Leroy Lloyd “Babe” & Vera Azalea (Morland) Lashell. She married Fred W. “Wes” Coker on January 14, 1955 at Utica. She later married George B. Collins on July 4, 1992 at Dighton.

Violet graduated from Utica High School in 1952 and started working at a bank in Ness City. After her first marriage she lived in Alabama and Morton County until moving to Dighton in 1964. She started working at Dighton Bowl as a waitress, then as a cook and later the manager. Before her second marriage she went to dog grooming school with her daughters and started grooming dogs. Then she began helping her husband on the farm and keeping books for Collins Steel and C & C Welding. She was a member of the First Christian Church of Dighton and was a past member of EHU and 4-H Leader. She enjoyed playing softball, bowling, playing cards and games, knitting, sewing, her spoon collection and being involved with her Grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her Parents, Daughter- Michelle Annette Coker, 2 Brothers- Leroy Lloyd Lashell, Jr. & Leo Edward Lashell and Sister- Thelma Maria Patterson.

She is survived by her Husband- George Collins, Son- Leroy Coker wife Mickey of Bull Shoals, Arkansas, Daughter- Vera Coker of Dighton, Sons- Craig Collins wife Beth of Dighton, Henry Miller wife Eljean of Shallow Water, 9 Grandchildren and 5 Great-Grandchildren.

Funeral Service will be at 2:00 PM Tuesday at First Christian Church with Rev Aerii Smith officiating. Burial will be in Utica Cemetery. Friends may call from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM Monday and 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM Tuesday at Boomhower Funeral Home. Memorials are suggested to First Christian Church in care of Boomhower Funeral Home. Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com

On Friday, September, 6, 2019, Charlotte Ann Wyatt, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away at the age of 86 at her home south of Gorham.

She was born on October 29, 1932 in Hastings, Nebraska, the daughter of Chester C. and Isabelle (Archibald) Gates. On August 13, 1954, she was united in marriage to Richard Wyatt in Hastings.

Ann will be forever remembered by her husband and best friend of 65 years; Richard L. Wyatt, her precious children; Nancy A. Seitz, Timothy J. Wyatt, and Terri L. Wyatt, 14 grandchildren, and a plethora of great-grandchildren, extended family and dear friends.

She was preceded in death by her beloved son; Ronald L. Wyatt and her brother; Gerald Gates.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 am on Wednesday, September 11, 2019 at the Gorham Community Church, 101 Clifford Street, Gorham, Kansas. Burial will follow at Winterset Cemetery, south of Gorham. Memorials are suggested to the Alzheimer’s Association. Condolences and memories of Ann may be shared with the family at www.haysmemorial.com

Judith Ellen (Peterson) Driscoll, 77, of Russell, Kansas, passed away Thursday, September 5, 2019, at the Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kansas.

Judith was born March 19, 1942 in York, Nebraska. She was one of four children born to Edward Theodore and Wreatha Irene (Talbot) Peterson. She grew up and attended schools in York, Nebraska, Topeka, Kansas, Salina, Kansas and Manhattan, Kansas. She graduated from Manhattan High School and then attended Kansas State University.

Judith was united in marriage to Jerry Dean Driscoll in November of 1962. This union was blessed with a daughter, Debora. During their marriage Jerry and Judith lived in Salina, Pueblo, Colorado, Greensburg, Kansas, Salina, Colby, Dodge City, Salina and moved to Russell in 2003. Jerry preceded her in death on May 23, 2005.

Judith was a secretary and key punch operator for the Farm Management Company in Colby. Later she was a physical therapist at a nursing home in Colby. When she lived in Salina she worked for Hedges Neon and was a Home Health Aid. When living in Dodge City she worked with Youthville. When Debora was young, Judith was a devoted wife and homemaker for her family. She is a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church and Women of the ELCA. She was also active with the church knitting group. In her spare time she enjoyed fishing, knitting and especially helping take care of the grandchildren.

Judith’s surviving family include her daughter, Debora D. Kreutzer (John Jay) of Russell, Kansas; sister, Verna Del Sullivan of Derby, Kansas; sister-in-law, Nancy Peterson of Maryville, Tennessee; three grandchildren, Michael Kreutzer, Kira Towery and Steven Kreutzer; and four great grandchildren, Maria, Cadence, Draco and Emma.

Judith was preceded in death by her parents, husband Jerry, and two brothers, Joe Peterson and Marvin Peterson.

Celebration of Judith’s Life will be held at 10:30 AM, Wednesday, September 11, 2019 at St. John Lutheran Church in Russell. A Graveside Service will be held at 2:00 PM, Wednesday at Crown Point Cemetery north of Salina. Family has selected cremation and no visitation will be held. Memorials have been established with St. John Lutheran Church or Russell County Food Pantry. Contributions and condolences may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of these arrangements.

Shirley Kay Coleman, a.k.a. Grandma Gray, 76, of Colby, died Thursday, September 5, 2019 at Citizens Medical Center, surrounded by numerous loved ones. She was born June 11, 1943 in Hastings, Nebraska, the daughter of Otto and Dorothy (Arterburn) Schutte. She was the third to the oldest of eleven children. She met and married the love of her life, Robert Coleman, November 27, 1961, in Hastings. To this union three children were born Wesley, Candy and Debbie.

They moved to Colby, Kansas in 1965, where she owned and operated Coleman’s Cleaning Service for over 15 years and co-owned and operated Village Laundromat for over 10 years, before retiring. She enjoyed playing Bingo, painting rocks, and being Mrs. Claus. She loved volunteering for RSVP, taking admissions at the community building. She was an avid sports fan and loved cheering (loudly)for her favorite teams and players. But her biggest passion was spending time with her grandchildren and extended grandchildren.

She is survived by her husband Robert; son Wesley Coleman; daughter-in-law Cheryl Coleman and grandson Aaron, all of Wichita, KS; daughter Debbie (Brian) Quagliano and grandson Nathan Quagliano, all of Colby, KS; grandson Casey (Sabryn) Quagliano, of McCook NE; siblings, Larry Schutte and Alvin (Linda) Schutte, of Hastings, NE, Linda(Danny) Sadd, Glenvil, NE, Richard Schutte, Colby KS, Patricia Haskins and Calvin (Carmen) Schutte, Pender NE.

Preceded in death by daughter Candy; her parents; brothers, Vincent “Skeeter” Schutte and Otto Jr. “Butch” Schutte; sisters Daisy Dickensen and Virginia “Suzie” Condry; brothers-in-law, Archie Platt and Claude “Perry” Condry.

Visitation will be 5-8:00 p.m. Thursday, September 12, 2019, at Baalmann Mortuary, Colby. Funeral Service to be held Friday, September 13, 2019, 10:30 am, at the Colby United Methodist Church, with burial at Beulah Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Grandma Gray Memorial Fund, in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit www.baalmannmortuary.com

Henry C. Walz, age 105, died peacefully Friday, September 6, 2019, at the Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital in WaKeeney, Kansas, surrounded by his family. He was born August 16, 1914 at the Walz farm in Trego County, Kansas, the son of Henry C. and Rose Esther Haneke Walz. He was the fourth of their nine children.

He attended grammar school at the Union schoolhouse where he completed the 8th grade. He married Ruth Marjorie Noah on October 8, 1938, at Mt. Pleasant Methodist Church in rural Graham County, Kansas. He was a member of that church until its closing and then became a member of the Red Line Church of God, Palco. Ruth and Henry had five children and were married 74 years prior to her death on October 9, 2012.

Henry attended airplane trade school in Glendale, California in 1938 and then moved to Wichita, Kansas where he was employed by Beech Aircraft. The couple returned to rural Trego County and Henry farmed and worked as a road-grader for the Ogallah Township for four years before assuming responsibility of the family farm upon his eldest brother’s death in 1943. He had two airplanes, an Areonca Champ and a Cessna 170, in the 1950s. He also owned and operated the Ellis Case Dealership, Walz Brothers Equipment Company, out of the original stone house on the Walz farm for several years. He also served on the local COOP board where he was instrumental in getting the Riga Elevator built. He was a life-long farmer and rancher and enjoyed actively living out his years on the family farm.

Survivors include his children, Roma (& Darris) McConkey of Olathe, Kansas; Leroy Walz of rural Trego County, Kansas; Stephen Walz of Crescent Valley, Nevada; Linda Thompson of Corona, California and Beth (& Ralph) Johnson of WaKeeney, Kansas; 12 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; brothers Albert, Harry and William “Billy”; sisters Virginia Elting, Dorothy Shubert, Gladys Fowler, Marjorie Weisner and Margaret Emmerton; sisters-in-law Leona (Shubert) and Helen “Byrl” (Jacobs); brothers-in-law John Elting, Lawrence Shubert, Homer “Pat” Fowler, Clarence Weisner and Homer Emmerton; and daughter-in-law, Brenda (Dirks) Walz.

Funeral Services will be held at 10 o’clock a.m. on Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at the Red Line Church of God, 1 mile south and 4 miles west of Palco, Kansas, with Pastor Jerod Brown presiding. Interment will be in the Morlan Township Cemetery, Graham County, Kansas. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital or Nicodemus Historical Society and Museum. Contributions may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 336 North 12th Street, WaKeeney, KS 67672.

August 15, 1951 – September 7, 2019

An obituary is pending with Plumer Overlease Funeral Homes.

Click HERE for service details.