2019 – Page 81 – Hays Post

Barton County adds second K9 officer to department

Posted on October 23, 2019

Barton County Deputy Sheriff Nicholas Katzenmeier and K9 Maxx

Barton County Sheriff’s Office

The Barton County Sheriff’s Office is pleased to announce the addition of a new K9 and handler to the office.

Deputy Sheriff Nicholas Katzenmeier has been assigned the duty of K9 handler with his new partner Maxx. Maxx is an 18-month-old Belgian-Malinois imported from Poland.

Katzenmeier and Maxx attended training in Little Rock, Arkansas and were certified in drug detection, tracking, item searches and patrol work. Katzenmeier and Maxx are assigned to the patrol division of the Sheriff’s Office.

Total costs for training and equipment are approximately $12,000. No tax dollars were used for this purchase. The Sheriff’s Office routinely seizes money and other assets from drug dealers. This money is put into a special account to be used for non-budgeted items. In essence, local drug dealers paid for our K9.

In addition to Maxx, Detective Adam Hales still maintains Kia (pronounced Ki) as a working drug detection dog. This arrangement allows for more coverage and dogs being assigned to two different divisions of the Sheriff’s Office.

Still time to grab deals with the Eagle Radio Auction online

Posted on October 23, 2019

If you missed out on last week’s Eagle Radio Auction don’t worry, there are still opportunities to bid on several items through the Eagle Radio Online Auction.

Among the items up for bid is a $550 Rhinoliner Spray In Bedliner from KJ and G Customs the area’s exclusive Rhino Linings spray-in bedliner source.

With over 25 years of protecting your trucks, trailers, and other toys, Rhino Linings is the leader in durability, warranty, and resistance.

Protection never looked so good.

This spray-in bed-liner contours to your bed, bumper, fender or grill to create a tough, factory-like finish.

Standard black or custom colors are available.

It is impact-resistant, watertight and protects your covered area. KJ and G Customs will cover most short bed and long bed pickups, and can also be used on cabs, bumpers and other accessories.

Get with Troy Robinson and the guys today at 614 E. 13th in Hays. KJ and G Customs, your exclusive Rhino Linings dealer in the area. Call 785-621-4949 to get yours scheduled today and enjoy forever!

Click HERE to check out items still available.

Patricia Ida Mae Baxter

Posted on October 23, 2019

Patricia Ida Mae Baxter, 92, passed away October 22, 2019, at Woodhaven Care Center, Ellinwood. She was born January 22, 1927, at Great Bend to Charles Franklin & Nannie Sylvie (Wilson) Younkin. She married Hiram Joseph “Hi” Baxter, Jr. January 25, 1947, at Great Bend. He died May 9, 2011.

A lifetime Great Bend resident, Patricia was the business manager for the First United Methodist Church. She was a member of PEO and United Methodist Women. She was a former board member for the Library, Great Bend High School class President for 2 years, Girl Scout leader, Cub Scout den mother and past President of Panther Parents.

Survivors include, five children, Jeffrey Lynn Baxter and wife Connie of Leavenworth, Charles Joseph Baxter and wife Karen of Basehor, Nancy Kathryn Baxter of Great Bend, Lori Anne Underwood and husband Jeff of Lawrence and Alan Eric Baxter of Great Bend; 13 grandchildren, Dustin Baxter and finacé Sarah Lockwood, Tara Talley and husband Trent, Olivia Natelli and husband Kenny, David Baxter, Jonathan Baxter, Lindsay Baxter, Patrick Underwood and wife Makenna, Megan Berger and husband Chris, Kelly Blackburn and husband Logan, Chelsea Underwood, Robbie Underwood, AnnaLeesha Huddelston and husband Cody, and Addison Baxter; and 11 great grandchildren, Arthur Baxter, Hunter Talley, Wyatt Talley, Avery Talley, Magdelyn Talley, Aurora Natelli, Audrey Underwood, Landon Berger, Matthew Berger, Owen Blackburn, and Charley Rose Huddleston. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Hiram Joseph “Hi” Baxter, Jr.; four brothers, George Younkin, Dwight Younkin, Merrill Younkin, and Wayne Younkin; one sister, Frances Fox; and one grandson, Jordan Baxter.

Visitation will be held from Noon to 9:00 p.m., Thursday, October 24, 2019 at Bryant Funeral Home, with family receiving friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, October 25, 2019, at First United Methodist Church in Great Bend, with Pastor Morita Truman presiding. Interment will be in the Great Bend Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the First United Methodist Church, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

USGS: Earthquake rumbles at Kansas-Oklahoma border

Posted on October 23, 2019October 23, 2019

ANTHONY, Kan. (AP) — A 3.7 magnitude earthquake centered near the Kansas-Oklahoma border was felt as far as 75 miles away, but no injuries have been reported.

The temblor happened just after 4 p.m. Tuesday and was centered in northern Oklahoma, about 15 miles south of Anthony, Kansas. The town of about 2,200 residents is 10 miles from the Oklahoma state line.

Light to moderate shaking was measured near the epicenter. People as far away as Wichita, 75 miles away, reported feeling the earthquake.

Dozens of small earthquakes have rattled the same area in recent days, but the earthquake on Tuesday was the strongest in the area in the last 30 days.

FHSU Athletics welcomes 2019 Hall of Fame inductees Saturday

Posted on October 23, 2019October 23, 2019

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State Athletics will welcome seven new members into the Tiger Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday,. The inductees include Marvin Andrews (men’s basketball), Kent Bauer (men’s track and field), Chris (Biser) Drea (women’s basketball), Bill Hall (baseball), Jack Harms (men’s cross country/track and field), Maddie Holub (softball), and Kelly (Skidmore) Gunning (volleyball). The induction ceremony will take place the morning of October 26 at the Memorial Union Ballroom on the campus of Fort Hays State University at 9:30 am. The inductees will be recognized at halftime of the football game vs. Nebraska-Kearney at 2:00 pm.

Marvin Andrews (Men’s Basketball, 1951-55) Posthumous
Marvin Andrews, a native of Formoso, Kansas, is one of 20 players in FHSU men’s basketball history to score over 1,000 points in his career. Playing from 1951 to 1955, Andrews was a three-time All-CIC selection for the Tigers, earning second-team honors as a sophomore, and first-team honors as a junior and senior. He and teammate Merlyn “Bud” Moeckel were the first two Tigers to reach 1,000 points in a career, occurring during the 1955 season. Andrews transferred to Fort Hays State from Kansas State University after his first semester of college and played for the Tigers in the second semester of his freshman year. He broke the single-season FHSU scoring record as a junior with 357 points, averaging 17.0 points per game over a 21-game season. He broke his own single-season scoring record as a senior in 1955 with 374 points, averaging 18.7 points per game over a 20-game season. Andrews finished with 1,054 points in his three and a half-year career at FHSU, averaging 14.4 points per game in 73 games played. Andrews held the school’s career scoring record for nine years until Sam McDowell passed the mark in 1964, reaching 1,220 points. Beyond his days at FHSU, Andrews taught and coached for one year and then was drafted to the U.S. Army. While in the Army at Fort Sill, Oklahoma he played basketball in the Special Services. His team won the Fourth Army Championship and participated in the All-Army Tournament at Port Monmouth, New Jersey. After his years in the service, Andrews returned to coaching and teaching. He finished a master’s degree in 1968 and then went on to serve as a junior high school principal in Cheney, Kansas until his death in 1980.

Kent Bauer (Track and Field, 1959-62)
Kent Bauer, a native of Radium, Kansas, was a member of the FHSU Track and Field squad for four years from 1959 to 1962. Bauer was the NAIA National Champion in the pole vault as a senior in 1962, clearing a height of 14 feet, 1 inch. Bauer was a two-time All-America performer at Fort Hays State, also finishing third in the nation as a freshman in 1959. He was the CIC Champion in the pole vault his final two years as a Tiger. He set the school record at the time in 1962 at 14-feet, 6.5-inches by tying for first at the Missouri Valley AAU meet. Bauer was a recipient of the FHSU Busch Gross Award. Upon graduation from Fort Hays State University and then Wichita State University, Bauer worked as an aircraft engineer and was named Boeing Wichita Engineer of the Year. He still resides in Wichita, Kansas today.

Chris (Biser) Drea (Women’s Basketball, 1986-90)
A native of Plain, Wisconsin, Chris Biser was a three-time All-CSIC performer in women’s basketball, playing from 1986 to 1990. She set the FHSU Women’s Basketball career rebounding record for the program with 901 in 1990, only to be topped a year later when Annette Wiles pushed the record to 961 and then eventually Kate Lehman set a new record of 1,109 in 2015. Biser is one of 20 1,000-point scorers in the program’s history, ranking ninth on the all-time scoring list with 1,321 points, but ranked third on the list at the end of her career. She ranks seventh on the all-time list at FHSU in field goals made with 548 and seventh in blocked shots with 64. She led the team in rebounding three of four years, including an impressive 10.0 rebounds per game as a freshman in 1986-87. She averaged 7.5 per game as a junior and 8.0 per game as a senior to lead the squad. In 1989-90, Biser was an All-District 10 selection and would have easily been an all-conference performer for a fourth straight year, but FHSU did not have a conference that season in its transition from the CSIC to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Beyond her days at FHSU, Biser went on to have a successful coaching career of over 25 years, earning college and high school conference coach of the year honors in her home state of Wisconsin. Currently, she serves as the Director of Community Relations and Marketing at The Richland Hospital in Richland Center, Wisconsin, but resides in her hometown of Plain, Wisconsin.

Jack Harms (Cross Country/Track and Field, 1963-66)
A native of Ellinwood, Kansas, Jack Harms competed for the FHSU cross country and track and field squads from 1963 to 1966. Harms was the NAIA indoor national champion in the 880-yard run in 1966 in a time of 1:55.9. He finished third in the event at nationals during the outdoor season, earning All-America honors for both indoor and outdoor that year. He helped the team to an outdoor conference championship that year, while finishing second at indoor nationals and third at outdoor nationals. Overall, Harms was a four-time All-America performer in track and field and was a member of the FHSU national champion cross country teams in 1963 and 1965. Harms was a member of the mile relay team that placed second nationally in 1965, and a member of the two-mile relay team that placed third nationally during the indoor season of 1966. Along with being part of two national championship teams, he also helped cross country to a second-place finish at nationals in 1964 and a pair of conference championships in his time wearing the black and gold. Now living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Harms is retired from the British Petroleum Controller’s Department and he also worked for PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the IBM Global Business Group earlier in his career.

Bill Hall (Baseball, 1974-76)
A native of Hays, Kansas, Bill Hall played baseball two years at Fort Hays State from 1973-1974 as a right fielder. He was a two-time all-conference and All-District 10 performer, while claiming All-America honors as a senior in 1974. He led FHSU in batting average as a junior in 1973 at .350, while recording 8 doubles, 1 home run, and 26 RBIs, earning all-conference first team and all-district honorable mention. As a senior in 1974, Hall produced a .316 batting average with 16 doubles, 1 triple, 2 home runs, 33 RBIs, and 35 runs scored. He earned All-District 10, All-Area 3, and All-America honors that season. Hall helped the Tigers to an NAIA National Tournament Appearances both years, including an appearance at the championship site in 1974 after the team was champions of Area 3. Hall now resides in Missoula, Montana, where he is a General Agent Manager for Old American Insurance.

Kelly (Skidmore) Gunning (Volleyball, 2002-05)
A native of Aurora, Colorado, Kelly Skidmore played volleyball at Fort Hays State from 2002 to 2005. Skidmore was a two-time All-America selection for the Tiger Volleyball team as a libero. The defensive specialist earned third team honors as a junior in 2004 and second team honors as a senior in 2005, while earning All-Region and All-RMAC First Team honors each year. She was the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year three times from 2003 to 2005. Skidmore owns the FHSU career record for digs at 2,421, the only player in the program’s NCAA Division II history with at least 2,000. She averaged 5.17 digs per set in her career, the only player in the program’s Division II history with an average of 5.0 or better. With 777 digs in 2005 (6.64 per set) and 756 in 2004 (6.15 per set), she owns the two-highest dig totals for a season in the rally scoring era at FHSU. She helped the team to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2003 and 2004. The 2004 team was the most successful in program history, reaching the finals of the NCAA Regional (round of 16), finishing at 31-5 overall. Skidmore now lives in Parker, Colorado with her husband and two children.

Maddie Holub (Softball, 2010-13)
A native of Hays, Kansas, Maddie Holub, is the most decorated player in Fort Hays State Softball history, playing from 2010-2013. At the end of her career in 2013, Holub owned 34 FHSU records (19 pitching, 15 offensive) – career, single-season, and single-game combined, and still owns the majority of those records today. Holub was an NFCA and Daktronics All-America First Team selection in her senior year of 2013, as one of the most dominant players in the nation both in the pitching circle and offensively. For pitching, she finished the year with a 29-4 record, a 1.03 ERA, 26 complete games, 13 shutouts, and 345 strikeouts in 224 innings pitched. She threw six no-hitters that season, including back-to-back perfect games, the first player ever throw perfect games in consecutive starts at any NCAA level. Offensively, she finished with a .426 batting average, 32 extra-base hits (including 19 home runs), 56 RBIs, 62 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases. For her efforts in 2013, Holub was named both the MIAA Player and Pitcher of the Year, the first player in conference history to earn both in the same year. She was a three-time all-region selection and four-time All-MIAA selection. She threw seven career no-hitters individually and had a hand in a combined no-hitter. For her career, Holub had a 1.97 ERA with 77 wins, 93 complete games, 25 shutouts, 974 strikeouts, and seven saves in the pitching circle, while posting a .372 batting average with 255 hits, 46 home runs, 42 doubles, 7 triples, 160 RBIs, 183 runs scored, and 35 stolen bases. She was also solid in the classroom, earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. Holub went on to play professionally in Italy and in her first game, threw a perfect game in a six-inning contest. Holub went on to throw another no-hitter later that year and finished the season with a 0.78 ERA for Labadini Collecchio. Holub has gone on to a successful coaching career in softball beyond her playing days at FHSU, earning NFCA Assistant Coach of the Year for NCAA Division II at St. Leo (Fla.) University in 2015 and helping the team to a regional championship and NCAA Division II World Series appearance in 2018. She coached four years at St. Leo before taking the pitching coach position at Marshall University, where she currently coaches today.

Law enforcement investigates reported threat at Kansas school

Posted on October 23, 2019October 23, 2019

SHAWNEE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities and officials with USD 321 have alerted the community of a reported school threat at Rossville Junior Senior High School.

“In an abundance of caution and transparency, we want to let you know that Tuesday we received a report threatening school safety,” according to Kaw Valley USD 321.

“After a thorough investigation, it was determined there was no increased risk to student safety. Law enforcement is aware of the report and we will continue to work with them in making this school a safe place.”

The district also reminded parents that the district needs the public’s help in stressing the seriousness of actions or comments like this. These actions, verbal or otherwise, will not be tolerated.

Authorities released no specifics on the reported threat or additional details.

Larry Leroy Roulier

Posted on October 23, 2019

Larry Leroy Roulier passed away at Brighton Place, Topeka Kansas on October 17th, 2019 at the age of 81.

Larry was born in Goodland, Kansas on September 9th, 1938. He graduated from Brewster High School in 1956. He worked as farmer and a truck driver. On August 8, 1959, Larry married Diane Daniels in Goodland, KS. To this union, two children Marc and Brad were born.

Larry enjoyed driving his pickup around the country side and looking at crops, visiting with friends, and telling stories of his early years.

Preceding him in death were his parents, Amedie Roulier and Wiletta (Rawson) Roulier.

He is survived by his loving wife Diane of 60 years; Son and Daughter in-law, Marc and Tina Roulier of Russell, Kansas, Son and Daughter in-law, Brad and Amanda (Aschenbrenner) Roulier of Brewster, Grandchildren Dara (Roulier)and Jerray Nichols, Brett Roulier, Kara Roulier, Bryce Roulier and one great grandson, Ryklin Nichols.

Private family visitation was held on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.

A graveside memorial service will be held on October 31, 2019 at 10:30 AM MT at the Goodland Cemetery with Father Andrew Rockers officiating.

Memorials may be designated to Brewster U.S.D. 314 and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.

Online condolences for the family may be left at www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com.

Services have been entrusted to Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland

Boo at the Mu Saturday in Colby with SHPTV

Posted on October 23, 2019October 23, 2019

BUNKER HILL – Smoky Hills Public Television is excited to announce that Cat In The Hat is coming to Colby. This FREE family event will be at the Prairie Museum in Colby on Saturday, October 26th. Smoky Hills Public Television will be there with Cat In The Hat from 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Children are invited to meet and take pictures with Cat In The Hat. Following the meet and greet, you can explore all the Colby attractions! There will also be gift bags for the first 500 kids.

“We are excited to once again bring a PBS Kids character to the Colby community,” said Tricia Flax, Smoky Hills Public Television events coordinator. “This year we will have Jammin’ Randy on hand to entertain the kids as well. Come see SHPTV and The Cat In The Hat this Saturday, you won’t want to miss out on this great family event.”

State agency revokes license of Kan. officer over incident at bar

Posted on October 23, 2019October 23, 2019

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A state agency has revoked the license of a Kansas City, Kansas, police officer who flashed his badge and threatened to use his gun when he was being kicked out of a bar last year.

The Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training issued the order of revocation last week for 41-year-old Robert Ward. He was accused of threatening a bartender in nearby Johnson County while trying to pursue a woman during an argument.

He was sentenced to one year of probation after pleading guilty in July to three counts of assault and one count of possessing a firearm while under the influence.

His employment with the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department subsequently ended. Police didn’t immediately respond to The Star’s request for comment.

Shakeup at the top of Kansas’ two largest newspapers

Posted on October 23, 2019

Tony Berg was regional publisher for McClatchy’s central division, which includes The Kansas City Star. Cody Newill / KCUR 89.3

By DAN MARGOLIES
Kansas News Service

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tony Berg is out as publisher of The Kansas City Star and Mike Fannin, its editor since 2008, has been named president of the newspaper.

Berg was named publisher and president of The Star in January 2016, after his predecessor, Mi-Ai Parrish, left to become publisher of The Arizona Republic.

The Wichita Eagle, in a brief, three-sentence item Friday afternoon, said that Berg will step in as publisher of that newspaper and of Kansas.com, The Eagle’s website. It also said that its general manager Dale Seiwert, is leaving after 40 years.

Berg previously had been regional publisher for McClatchy’s Central Division, which included The Star, The Eagle, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Belleville (Illinois) News-Democrat.

Berg’s LinkedIn site on Friday listed him as publisher of The Eagle only and as president and publisher of the Central Region until this month.

Berg, who headed The Star’s advertising department and The Eagle’s advertising department before becoming publisher of The Star, could not be reached for comment. Fannin declined to comment.

The moves may be part of a larger corporate reshuffling, which includes the resignation of Mark Zieman, vice president-operations, of The McClatchy Co., the parent company of The Star and The Eagle.

In a regulatory filing on Friday, McClatchy said that Zieman, a former editor and publisher of The Star himself, informed McClatchy on Monday that he will leave the company at the end of the year. McClatchy said his role will not be filled.

The filing also said that R. Elaine Lintecum, McClatchy’s chief financial officer, told the company she plans to retire in June 2020.

Mike Fannin is now president of The Kansas City Star. Credit Elle Moxley / KCUR 89.3

Fannin will continue as editor of The Star. A story posted on The Star’s website mid-Friday afternoon said he would lead the newspaper’s overall operations while continuing to oversee the newsroom.

The story quoted the president and CEO of McClatchy, Craig Forman, as saying, “Mike Fannin is among the most talented editors in America today, and he leads one of the country’s greatest newsrooms. I’m delighted that he’s now able to expand his influence both at The Star and also with the community that he loves.”

In addition to his duties at The Star, Fannin has news oversight responsibilities at six other McClatchy newspapers, including those in Fort Worth, Texas, and Lexington, Kentucky.

Berg, a native Kansan, is married and has three children. His wife has family in Wichita, and Berg reportedly moved to Wichita sometime in the last few months.

The moves at The Star and McClatchy come after McClatchy reported a second-quarter net loss of $17.5 million, compared with a $20.4 million loss a year earlier.

Last month, McClatchy, which is based in Sacramento, California, and is the third largest newspaper chain in the country, disclosed that it had been warned it could be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange unless it can boost its market capitalization to $75 million within 18 months. At the time, its market cap was about $52.4 million.

The company said it plans to submit a plan to the exchange detailing how it intends to comply with the exchange’s demand.

McClatchy’s stock closed Friday at $2.79, down 10 percent.

Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor at KCUR. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies.

Victoria finishes runner-up in 1A regional volleyball

Posted on October 23, 2019October 23, 2019

CLAFLIN, Kan. – The Victoria Knights have advanced to sub-state after a runner-up finish at the 1A regional volleyball tournament in Claflin Tuesday.

The Knights beat La Crosse 25-9, 25-6 in the first round then beat Otis-Bison in the semifinals before losing to the host Central Plains Oilers in the finals.

Both the Knights and Oilers advance to Saturday’s Ransom-Western Plains Sub-State.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist will keynote JFK 60th anniversary banquet

Posted on October 23, 2019October 23, 2019

The JFK in Hays, Kansas committee and the Ellis County Democratic Party are pleased to announce the keynote speaker for a banquet honoring John F. Kennedy’s campaign visit to Hays in November 1959.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Thomas Oliphant, who co-authored a best-selling book about Kennedy’s 1960 campaign for the presidency, will share his insights at a 7 p.m. banquet on Nov. 20 at Kennedy Middle School, known as Jefferson West in 1959. Oliphant and Curtis Wilkie wrote “The Road to Camelot: Inside JFK’s Five-Year Campaign,” in which they detailed Kennedy’s unconventional path to the presidency.

General admission tickets are now on sale at $50 each. In 1959, tickets were $10, which today would cost $88. VIP seating includes assigned seats near the main table and is available at $100 per ticket. Event sponsors will meet Mr. Oliphant at a private reception before the banquet. Sponsorship levels are $2,500, which includes eight tickets and priority seating near main table; $1,000, four tickets and priority seating; $500, two tickets and priority seating. Sponsors also will have their name or company name on the banquet program. Those interested in becoming a sponsor can either email [email protected], call 785-628-6162 or stop by 1500 Vine. Copies of Mr. Oliphant’s book will be available for purchase at the banquet, and signed copies will be part of a raffle for prizes. Tickets are available at 1500 Vine, Hays, Kansas or online HERE or go to eventbrite.com and search for JFK in Hays, Kansas.

In addition to the banquet honoring the 60th anniversary of Kennedy’s visit, Mr. Oliphant will hold a 3:30 p.m. news conference that afternoon in the Memorial Union.

The evening before the banquet, at 7 p.m. on Nov. 19, there will be a panel discussion at the Fort Hays Ballroom on the FHSU campus focusing on Kennedy’s trip to Kansas in 1959 and Norbert Dreiling’s role. The panel discussion is free and open to the public.

In addition, Randy Gonzales — who graduated from Fort Hays State University in May 2019 with a master’s degree in history, and who wrote his thesis on Kennedy’s trip to Kansas — will discuss his thesis at 3 p.m. Nov. 7 at Forsyth Library on the FHSU campus, at the opening of an exhibit focusing on Kennedy and Dreiling.

Presidential hopeful John F. Kennedy toured five cities in a Kansas tour November 19-20 of 1959. Prior to arriving in Hays, Kennedy stopped in Kansas City, Wichita, Dodge City and Salina. Instead of relying on party leaders to choose a candidate at the national convention, Kennedy ushered in a new era, traveling from state to state to win delegates. While in Hays, Kennedy gave an interview to the local television station, held a press conference in the Memorial Union on the campus of Fort Hays Kansas State College (now Fort Hays State University), rode in a parade down Main Street, and was the keynote speaker at the banquet. There was an overflow crowd at the fundraiser in the school’s gym, with 645 in attendance.

For updates on the banquet and other planned events, visit the committee’s Facebook page, JFK in Hays, Kansas.

Viola Heronemus

Posted on October 23, 2019October 23, 2019

Viola Heronemus, age 96, of WaKeeney, passed away Saturday, October 19, 2019, at Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital, Long Term Care, WaKeeney. Mary “Viola” was born in Trego County on January 24, 1923, to Jacob and Mollie (Wolf) Stenzel.

Viola attended Trego County Rural School. She was baptized and later confirmed in the Zion Lutheran Church, rural WaKeeney. Viola loved music, but did not read a note. She self-taught herself to play the piano, guitar, and the mandolin. She and her sister, Martha, played and sang on the radio in Dodge City, KS., until their father needed them more on the farm to help with all of the chores. Many times at family gatherings, when everyone would start singing, Mom would sit down at the piano and “tickle the ivories” to any tune we sang. Our Mom had a multitude of talents…baking, cooking delicious meals, crocheting, embroidery work, sewing quilt tops, and the endless hours of time spent at her sewing machine.

On January 5, 1947, Viola was united in marriage with Ray Heronemus in the Zion Lutheran Church, rural WaKeeney. To this union four children were born. They celebrated 50 years of marriage. Ray passed away December 18, 1997.

While her home and family were her priority, Viola also worked in the kitchen at the WaKeeney Grade School, and later working at the Trego Lemke Memorial Hospital in both the housekeeping department and later the laundry department.

Viola was a lifetime member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church and the Ladies Auxiliary, both of WaKeeney.

Viola thoroughly enjoyed her Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren. She attended many ball games, school activities, picking them up from school, and countless hours of babysitting.

Survivors include Mary Lee Dennis (Lee), of Parker, CO, Sherry Papes (Dean), of Woodland Park, CO, Leana Garrett (Kent) and Gary Heronemus (DeeDee), all of WaKeeney; grandchildren, Adrian Murphy (Neng) of Hilo, HI, Cory Garrett (Ashley) and Cody Garrett (Lisa), all of WaKeeney, Kelsey Gabrielson (Matt) of Hutchinson, Will and Cade Papes of Salina, Kayla Heronemus (Jordon) of Abilene and Kylie Heronemus of San Antonio, TX; great-grandchildren, Rose Lewis (David), Mira, Zaida, Ryker Murphy and Kye Brittel, Gage & Maddux Garrett and Layla Gabrielson.

Viola is the last child of the Jacob Stenzel family. She was preceded in death by her parents, an infant brother, 3 brothers and 2 sisters.

Viola will be lovingly remembered by her family and friends forever and always.

Funeral service will be 3:00 p.m., Thursday, October 24, 2019, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, WaKeeney. Burial will take place in the WaKeeney City Cemetery.

Visitation will be Wednesday evening, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home in WaKeeney.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Donations to the church may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 336 N 12th, WaKeeney, KS 67672.

Condolences may be left for the family at www.schmittfuneral.com.