Rowan and Reed Randa, twin boys of Brett and Amanda (Crispin) Randa, were born and died on Aug. 16, 2019, at Hays Medical Center, Hays.
Survivors include their parents, Brett and Amanda Randa, of the home; three brothers, Maddix, Cooper and Holden, all of the home; grandparents, Ronnie Randa, Hays; Tammy (Depperschmidt) Hajny and her husband, Rick, Ellis, Kan.; Cris and Heather Crispin, Holton, Kan.; Sherry Dreher, Great Bend, Kan.; Windy (Bailey) Dillon and her husband, Dennis, Harrison, Ark.; great-grandparents, Mary Ann Randa, Hays; Harold and JoAnn Crispin, Hays; C.J. Kolb and her husband, Danny, Newton, Kan.; and a number of uncles, aunts, and cousins.
A private family service and inurnment will be at a later date.
Services are entrusted to Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 E. 22nd St., Hays, KS 67601.
Norton resident, Kimberly Eagleburger, passed away Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019 at the Hays Medical Center, Hays, KS, at the age of 61.
She was born Feb. 14, 1958 at Norton, Kan., the daughter of William “Bill” Jr. and Shirley (Kent) Urban.
Kimberly was preceded in death by her husband, David Eagleburger.
Survivors include her son, Daniel Eagleburger of Hoxie, Kan.,; daughter, Jennifer Eagleburger of Norton; a brother, Mike Urban of Paradise, Kan.; one granddaughter; and one great-granddaughter.
Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019 in the Norton Christian Church, Norton, Kan., with Pastor Nate Hagen officiating. Burial will follow in the Norton Cemetery, Norton, Kan.
The family will receive friends Saturday from 10 a.m. until service time at the church for visitation.
Memorial contributions may be made to Kimberly Eagleburger Memorial Fund c/o Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, 1115 2nd St., Phillipsburg, KS 67661.
Adilene Joy (Bolen) Rupp, age 83, of Brighton, Colo., passed away Friday, Aug. 2, 2019 at Avamere Transitional Care Facility. She was born April 27, 1936 in Sharon Springs, Kan., to Addison Bolen and Zella (Huffman) Bolen Dorzweiler. Following her father’s death when she was a baby, her mother remarried Edwin Dorzweiler who raised her as her dad.
She married Francis Rupp on Aug. 18, 1953 in Ellis, Kan. She loved to cook and after raising five children worked as a cook for the Jefferson County schools. After Francis passed away, she worked in North Platte, Neb., as a cook at an assisted living facility. She moved to Colorado to be closer to her children and grandchildren and continued working as a cook at Furr’s Cafeteria until she retired. She also loved to sew, sewing many outfits for her grandchildren. She was an avid reader and loved to read many books.
Addy, as she was known in the nursing home, is survived by her children Kathy Hawkins (Chuck Camp), Annette Settle (Tom), Edwin Rupp (Carole) and John Rupp. Two sisters, Mary Grayham of Tucson, Ariz., Judy Stricker (Larry) of Richmond, Va., and one brother Mike Dorzweiler (Karla) of North Platte, Neb. Her grandchildren were the joy of her life, Jenny Saville (Theron), Angela Hawkins, Jessi Cundiff (Russ), Wendy Tucker (Jay), David Camp (Rachel), Brandi Neihoff (Chris), Trey Settle (Shawn), Sandy Brogdon and Nikki Blair (Justin). She had 18 great-grandchildren and eight great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, son Raymond Rupp and his wife Lynn, grandchildren Tony Rupp, Jared Hawkins, and Janice Hawkins, and sisters Dolores Jean Kroeger and Irene Walker.
Funeral service will be on Aug. 24 at St. Mary’s Church in Ellis, Kansas with a Rosary at 9 a.m. and Mass at 10 a.m., followed by burial at St. Mary’s Cemetery. Arrangements in care of Keithley Funeral Chapel 400 E. 17th St., Ellis, KS 67637.
We (her children) wish to express our deepest gratitude to all those who took care of mom over the past several years at both Inglenook Assisted Living and Avamere Transitional Care Facility.
The Hays USD 489 school district received a $41,975 grant from the Kansas Department of Education to hire a mental health liaison for Hays Middle School.
The school district is in the hiring process for that position now.
The liaison will be employed by the school district and refer students who need services to High Plains Mental Health.
Through the Mental Health Intervention Team Program grant the school district will pay for 25 percent of the cost for the liaison’s salary and benefits and the grant pays the rest.
“Sometimes as a staff member, you see a kid a kid is hurting, but you are still trying to teach. This will give another avenue to refer [a student] to services,” Superintendent Ron Wilson said. “It is absolutely awesome.”
Assistant Superintendent Shanna Dinkel helped write the grant application.
“We decided to focus on middle school because we know the transition from elementary to middle school, when we look at the sixth grade and look at our data, we see a little bit of a dip there. That’s tough,” she said.
She said student also tend to struggle as they make the transition from middle school to high school.
The grant will primarily focus on foster children. However, the liaison will also be able to work with other families.
Only 31 districts in the state received this grant.
Hays artist Willie Pfeifer reaches for a sculpture in his shop. Pfeifer said that sculpture was inspired by the “March of the Penguins.”
By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The walls of Willie Pfeifer’s workshop are covered with squiggles of wood contorted into all sorts of freeform shapes.
Willie says he gets inspiration from all kinds of places — a leaf, a penguin, a strange knot in the wood. He said he has no style.
“Whatever you see, whatever you imagine,” he said of his inspiration.
He says the sculptures are not based on people, but he often refers to them as “he” or “she” as he rotates them in the light and describes how the curves and bends emerged from rectangular blocks of walnut, pine or mahogany.
“Remember the walk of the penguins to the ocean …” he said holding up a sculpture. “This particular penguin here. They usually just lay one egg, but this one has two. You add an egg and then some ice to support the thing. You don’t even see the penguin, but the ‘March of the Penguins’ is what brought this on. Just the way they walk. Dalk, dalk, dalk.”
Pfeifer, 91, will have an exhibit, “Fascinating Forms: Six Decades of Sculpture in Wood & Metal,” from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Friday at the C.A.T.S. Gallery at Fort Hays State University as part of Hays Arts Council Fall Art Walk. The main art walk will be from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday (See full schedule below), but the C.A.T.S. gallery is opening early for Pfeifer’s show.
Artist Willie Pfeifer holds up a quick sketch of a potential sculpture in his shop in west Hays.
Some of Pfeifer’s pieces just start as doodles. As we were talking, he sat down with a piece of paper and drew an infinity symbol. From there he started subtly changing the curves with a few scratches here and a rub of the eraser there. He talked as he molded the form into shape. Within a few minutes, something akin to one of his sculptures emerged from the page.
“You just run with it,” he said.
His has a file containing several hundred drawing, He has some labeled “pursue when in a good mood” or “pursue when in a bad mood.”
Everyone sees something different in his art. Pfeifer’s wife told him once one of his sculptures was immoral.
“I said, ‘What? It is a duck that fell over.’ She said, ‘What I see is my dad bending over the tub without any shorts on,” he said chuckling as he tuned the sculpture in his work-worn hands.
Pfeifer attributes his longevity to woodworking, which he considers a hobby.
He began working with wood when he was only 4. He picked up the trade from his grandpa Dreiling, who was a carpenter and lived across the street. He said he hated memorizing when he was in school, preferring to work with his hands. He got kicked out of Latin at St. Joseph Military Academy and banished to the industrial arts department. He loved it.
The country was embroiled in World War II and all the abled-bodied young men where off fighting. This left Ed Davis, the head of the Fort Hays Industrial Arts Department with no students, so he started teaching the students at St. Joe. Pfeifer spent his high school years learning from Davis at St. Joe and then another three and half years studying with him at FHSU. However, he never earned his degree.
At that time, Fort Hays was a teacher’s college, and the industrial arts degree required a semester of student teaching. Pfeifer had a good job offer and he wanted to get married, so opted not to complete the program.
“I tell people I am working on a doctorate,” he said. “They say, ‘Oh you are? What kind of doctorate is it?’ Well it’s getting time on a doctorate of hard knocks.”
Pfeifer went to work as a woodworker and eventually bought the Hays Planing Mill in 1957. The mill specialized in handcrafted furniture for churches — pews, pulpits, etc. Pfeifer expanded the mill’s work into architectural mill work, and he often worked as a general contractor. This required Pfeifer to spend hours reviewing architectural plans.
“I would sit so long. I would get up and walk around the shop, grab a piece of would and go cut something,” he said.
The diversion slowly grew into a hobby of making sculptures and 3-D puzzles using a band saw. He sold the pieces on the side. He thought at one point he might make a living out of his hobby. He could make about $500 on a large batch of puzzles, but he needed to earn about 10 times that to pay the bills. His accountant urged him to keep his day job.
“I’ve know too many starving artists,” Pfeifer said.
In 1970 he was asked to do a show along side another artist, but he hasn’t done a major art show since.
Willie Pfeifer displays a sculpture in his shop in Hays. Pfeifer, 91, has been woodworking since he was 4.
Pfeifer sold the Planing Mill in 1993. Although Pfeifer stayed active in his retirement, he said he got bored easily.
He didn’t really like to watch TV. He taught himself to speed read to digest all the architectural specs when he was working, so he reads two newspapers daily plus downs the eight magazines he subscribes to. He is a self-described golf nut, but age ultimately ended that as a regular pastime. He volunteers, managing maintenance at Castillian Gardens where he lives and served as the president of the Ellis County Historical Society multiple times.
He also used to play poker with some buddies, but at 91, he has outlived several of those friends.
“Sitting around the house was driving me and my wife crazy,” he said.
He kept woodworking through everything, about four hours a day, seven days a week. He cleaned out a garage at Castillian Gardens, which he transformed into a small shop.
Pfeifer had never spent any time in the hospital and never taken any regular prescription medication until several years ago when he was diagnosed with cancer. He underwent major surgery. His doctor sent him to Ascension Via Christi in Hays for rehab after the surgery. He had done volunteer work at the nursing center and knew how to get in and out of all the doors, so he wandered the halls at night when he couldn’t sleep.
He was told on a Friday he would be starting physical therapy on the following Monday. Over the weekend, he read up on PT and then practiced going up and down stairs. By Monday, he could go up and down the stairs backward. He was supposed to be in rehab for a month, but they sent him him home after 17 days. He said it was because he was such a trouble maker.
After the surgery, Pfeifer said he threw himself even more into his woodworking. He has also organized and cataloged all his work and patterns. None of his children are woodworkers, so he plans to donate the bulk of his pieces to the Industrial Arts Department at FHSU.
Even at 91, every day is a new day for Pfeifer, a new opportunity to create, to conjure something beautiful from wood that most people see as formless. He said he is inspired by all of his senses — sight, sound, touch, smell and taste.
“A lot of people go through life not stimulated by anything,” he said. “Other people are very aware of their surroundings and they feed on them.”
Pfeifer told the story of a nun he had as a teacher when he was in Catholic school. When she would walk the students to St. Joseph’s church from the school, she would often stop to point out things she saw along the way.
“She would say, ‘Look at that tree. See how it is leafing out. This is what it does in the summer …’ or ‘Stop look at the such and such bird.’ … She would just open up a whole new world for me. … She made me aware of the surroundings.”
Below is a complete schedule for the Fall Art Walk.
LOGAN — It wasn’t quite standing room only, but it was pretty close to it.
A large portion of the population of the city of Logan and the Logan USD 326 School District turned out en masse to a town hall meeting at the high school last Thursday.
The purpose of that meeting? To hear about, and to voice their opinions on, the ambitious $14 million plan to invest in solutions to multiple community infrastructure problems.
Those problems include aging buildings housing elders in the local nursing home and elementary school students.
Regarding solutions, the City of Logan, the Logan School District, Logan Manor Nursing Home and the Dane G. Hansen Foundation are currently considering a unique conceptual idea that would integrate several intergenerational community facilities into one structure.
The basic elements of this facility would include
A new 36-bed nursing home based on the modern “Green House Project” design
A new pre-k through fourth grade elementary school
A new 1,200-seat gymnasium with associated locker room complex, which would also serve as a community storm shelter holding up to 450 people
A weight room and wellness facility which would be open and available to the public
A community room and gathering place, and a small theater room holding up to 50 patrons
The new ‘Intergenerational Center’ would be north of the existing high school building and would be connected to it via a climate-controlled indoor corridor.
All elements of the facility would be interconnected, allowing residents from the nursing home to visit and participate in the pre-school through fourth grade classrooms, attend ballgames and practices, etc.
Imagine elders walking down to see a basketball game, or being wheeled to it, and never leaving the structure they are living in.
The current plan also includes upgrades to the existing high school cafeteria so the school and nursing home could share food preparation and dietary staff.
The budget for this project also contemplates resurfacing and improving the existing parking lot located on the west side of the school, and adding additional parking adjacent to the football field.
One of the primary purposes of last Thursday’s town hall was to gauge public support for the plan, and to enlist public assistance in pursuing the financing for it should a consensus be reached to pursue it.
The Hansen Foundation has committed to paying for half of the cost. No taxpayer money would be utilized in covering the other half—it would all be raised through other statewide and national charitable foundations, as well as from alumni and other individuals wanting to assist.
With the meeting getting underway around 6:30 p.m., it lasted for close to two and a half hours and included an introduction and presentation from Brien Stockman, who is a trustee of the Hansen Foundation.
Stockman was followed by presentations from representatives of the school board, the school principal, the nursing home administrator, the project architect, and the general contractor who has teamed up with the architect.
After the presentations, the floor was opened to questions and comments.
At the beginning of it all, a show of hands was asked for from the people who were leaning towards proceeding based upon what they had already heard or read.
A show of hands was also requested from those who were inclined to oppose the project based upon what they had already heard or read.
Those supporting the project were clearly in the majority, but there were a number of holdouts.
At the conclusion of the meeting Stockman asked whether those in attendance had come to some sort of consensus. “Who thinks they can support this?” he asked. Hands were raised as they had before—but then the supporters started standing up and clapping and within a very short time the entire room was standing and loudly vocally cheering the plan.
This reporter saw just one person in opposition at the end—just one—and saw a number of people who had raised their hands in opposition at the beginning of the evening joining in with the cheering supporters at that end.
The Ellis County Democratic Party will honor the 60th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s campaign trip to Hays with a day full of activities. Many of Kennedy’s activities in Hays for a fundraiser on Nov. 20, 1959, will be recreated. The highlight will be a banquet at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, at the former Kennedy Middle School, known as Jefferson West in 1959.
History enthusiasts will not want to miss a planned panel discussion on the impact of Kennedy’s visit and campaign strategy, as well as Democratic strategist Norbert Dreiling’s influence in bringing the Massachusetts senator to Hays. Also planned is a Kennedy exhibit at Forsyth Library. Further details, including sale of banquet tickets and the guest speaker, will be announced at a later date.
Presidential hopeful John F. Kennedy toured five cities in a Kansas tour Nov. 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. Ticket price was $10, which would be $88 today.
The Ellis County Democratic Party recognizes the importance of remembering this moment in history and wants to commemorate it on this special occasion. Reserve this day on your calendar to learn more about the future 35th president’s trip to Hays.
“It is important to recognize important historical events in our county’s history, and John F. Kennedy’s stop in Hays 60 years ago should be remembered,” said Henry Schwaller IV, chairman of the Ellis County Democratic Party and mayor of the city of Hays. “We would like to invite the people of Ellis County and all Kansans in joining us for this special event.”
Corina Leann Knoll, age 48, of Collyer, Kan., died Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019 in Collyer.
She was born Jan. 29, 1971 in Hays to Deanna Tatman and Bruce Moses. She grew up in Ellis, Kan., and later moved to Hoxie, Kan. In 1981 she was adopted by Gary Knoll.
Corina had an enormous love of animals and car races. She was known for rescuing animals opening her home to them and caring for them. She loved working with her friends who raced at the WaKeeney Speedway and she did detail work on her uncle’s car.
She is survived by her mother, Deanna Tatman of Ellis; her father and step-mother, Gary and Barb Knoll of Hoxie, Kan.; her sons, Brandon Rietcheck, Tyson, Tannor and Taylor Wiesner all of Hays; a sister, Shandi Moses; two brothers, Derrick Moses and Jarrod Knoll.
She was preceded in death by her father, Bruce Moses, a brother, Timmy and a sister, Tanya.
The memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, 2019 with memorial visitation at 1 p.m. until service time all at Keithley Funeral Chapel 400 E. 17th Ellis, KS 67637. Inurnment will follow in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Ellis.
Lelia Ann Benton passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019 at Decatur Health Systems in Oberlin at the age of 87. She was a loving wife, mother and friend.
Lelia was born on Oct. 14, 1931 in Jennings, Kan., to Frank and Anna (Fiala) Krizek. She attended school in Jennings and then transferred to Oberlin. She graduated from Decatur Community High School in 1950. Lelia worked at the Oberlin Telephone Office until the phones were upgraded to rotary dial.
On June 4, 1960, she was united in marriage to Jack Benton in Oberlin. One daughter, Brenda, was born to this union.
Lelia worked as a clerk at Addleman Drug Store for many years. She worked for three generations of Addlemans and was a dedicated employee.
She enjoyed quilting with her mother, Anna Barrett. She also liked to embroidery. In later years, she just enjoyed watching the birds at the bird feeder on her back deck and the butterflies that would fly by. She always cherished spending time with family and friends.
Survivors include her husband of 59 years, Jack Benton of Oberlin; daughter and son-in-law, Brenda and Kirk Ulery of Oberlin; brother and sister-in-law, Roger and Corky Krizek of McCook, Neb., and brother and sister-in-law, Galen and Joyce Krizek of Pueblo, Colo.
Lelia was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Florence Graves; sister, Goldie Moore; sister, Alene Scott and brother, Francis Krizek.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 23, 2019 at the Oberlin United Methodist Church. Burial will follow at Oberlin Cemetery.
Visitation will be from noon to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019 at Pauls Funeral Home, Oberlin. Family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Decatur County EMS, United Methodist Church or Decatur Health Systems. Condolences may be left at www.paulsfh.com
John F. Werth, 70, Hays, died Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2019 in an aviation accident near his home in Schoenchen.
He was born May 6, 1949 in Hays, the son of Alvin A. and Peggy (Banham) Werth. In 1967 he graduated from St. Joseph Military Academy. He was united in marriage to Charlene Pfannenstiel on Aug. 9, 1969 in Antonino. They celebrated 50 years of marriage.
He owned and operated Werth Aerial Spraying. John was a member of the Schoenchen Third Degree Knights of Columbus Council #4166. He enjoyed flying, fishing, boating, and barbecuing. He loved family picnics and gatherings, his cousins, his dogs, and spending time with his grandchildren, especially teaching them to shoot and fish.
Survivors include his wife, Charlene of Hays; a son, Lance Werth and wife Shonna of Johnson Lake, Neb.; a daughter, Lynne Boettcher and husband Chris of Benton; a brother, Gary N. Werth and wife Judy of Hays; six grandchildren, Andrea Werth, Lance Corporal Christopher Werth, Brittan Boettcher, Aidan Boettcher, Dylan Boettcher, and Addyson Boettcher; numerous cousins in the United States and England; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 23, 2019 at St. Anthony Catholic Church, Schoenchen, with Fr. Joshua Werth officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, and from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Friday, all at Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home. A vigil service will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the St. Anthony Cemetery Fund or to family wishes. Condolences and memories of John may be shared with the family at www.Haysmemorial.com.
Surizaday Crissel Martinez Guzman, age 30, passed away on Friday, August 16, 2019 in Lyons, Kan. She was born June 6, 1989 in Teziutlan, Puebla, Mexico, to Gregorio Ludibiel Martinez Gonzalez and Maria Luisa Guzman Avila.
Surizaday was a wonderful aunt and enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her nieces and nephews. She was a selfless soul, always putting others needs ahead of her own. She is survived by her loving family, who misses her dearly, yet find comfort knowing she is no longer suffering.
Private family services will be at a later date.
Cremation under the direction of Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 2509 Vine Hays, KS 67601.
