Screenwriter, casting director, publicist and Hays native Scotty Mullen will be in town this week (for his 25th HHS class reunion), and will speak at 6 p.m. Oct. 7 at the Hays Arts Center.
Now living in Los Angeles, he is an award-winning screenwriter specializing in action, parody and comedy … with a long list of credits as a casting director as well.
In the last four years, he’s been in the trenches of the “Sharknado” series (The SyFy Channel’s most successful movie franchise) as the casting director on “Sharknado 4, 5 and 6,” and screenwriter on 5 and 6. “The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time” debuted this summer.
While visiting with him about his upcoming visit back to Hays, he said he would love to share some of the things he’s learned working in the Hollywood film industry. He said he would most like to share insight into the scary question of “Is it possible to make a living at this and how?”
He has some empowering words of encouragement and short-cut strategies he wish he’d known when he lived in Hays. He loves his hometown, and said “Hays, Kansas, is actually the perfect place to prepare for a career in Hollywood.”
The Northwest Kansas Down Syndrome Society is sponsoring its inaugural Step Up for Down Syndrome run/walk on Saturday, Oct. 6 in Russell, and the event has already surpassed expectations.
More than 386 people making up 21 teams have already singed up for the event, which will raise money for the Down Syndrome Society. The event has 21 Stars registered, who are people who have Down syndrome.
Angie McKenna, founding member of the Northwest Kansas Down Syndrome Society, said she hoped the event will create more awareness about Down syndrome.
McKenna, whose 3-year-old daughter, Brooklyn, has Down syndrome, said she felt very alone and confused before she was able to connect with other parents who had children that have Down syndrome.
“When my daughter was born at HaysMed, they were great, but they told me she had Down syndrome and that was it. I didn’t know anything about Down syndrome. I didn’t get any literature. I just got a diagnosis and that was it. I didn’t know what to do.”
Someone in her home of Russell gave her some books on Down syndrome, and she spent seven days in the NICU reading everything she could.
The other parents in the group let her know that it as going to be all right.
“I have a normal kid,” she said. “She takes a little bit extra, and it may take her longer to reach her milestones, but it is worth more in the end.”
McKenna said the Down Syndrome Society also pushes for more funding, as Down syndrome is one of the most underfunded conditions. More attention and money needs to put toward inclusion and helping people with Down syndrome to live normal lives, she said.
“My daughter made me a better person,” she said. “I enjoy the little things more. I love seeing a smile on her face. She is always happy. I think I am more understanding.”
People from all over the region are set to attend the walk/run, including a group from the Hays ARC, said ARC director Kathy McAdoo.
McKenna said she and others had been traveling to a similar event in Clyde that was sponsored by the Northcentral Down Syndrome Society. Families wanted to be able to attend an event that was closer to home.
Registration will be taken the day of the event, and includes a T-shirt. T-shirts will be made on site, so even those who register late should be able to get one.
Registration will be from 6:45 to 8:30 a.m. Run registration will close at 7:45 a.m. The event will be on the new Russell Community Adventure Course at the Russell Recreation Center. McKenna said the surface is flat and smooth and should be good for people of all abilities.
Cost for the run is $25 for adults and $15 for children 12 and younger. Cost for the walk is $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and younger. Cost for both registrations is $35 for adults and $20 for kids. There also will be a 50/50 raffle.
The run starts at 8 a.m., and the walk starts at 8:45 a.m. Breakfast concessions will be available.
The run is a 5K plus, which will be 3.21 miles. McKenna said this is significant because people who have Down syndrome have three copies of the 21st chromosome.
For more information on the run/walk or the Northwest Kansas Down Syndrome Society, visit its Facebook page or call McKenna at 785-769-3244.
Hays Middle School Leadership CLASS students participated in a training provided by Joe Coles earlier this month.
Students worked with other leadership students from Otis-Bison and La Crosse. The training provided students with information about having a positive growth mindset, being accountable, and seeing the importance of positive choices and leadership skills.
The students will attend two more training sessions this year. The Leadership Team facilitators are counselors Deena Clark and Donna Lubbers.
HHS FFA students recently competed at the Kansas Northwest District Land & Homesite Competition.
Six students placed in the top 20 at the competition, including: Zoe Buffington—second; Jordan Hunsicker—third; Colton Vajnar—fourth; Alex Miller—10th; Tanner Haselhorst—17th; Quentin Rupp—20th.
Overall 80 students competed in the competition. Students also competed in the national qualifying competition on Wednesday, Sept. 19 and successfully qualified for the National Land and Homesite Career Development Event in Oklahoma City, in early May.
Lindy McDaniel, special education student, helps kindergartener Ryder McCormick with a lesson.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
When teacher Lindy McDaniel brought the STAR program to Roosevelt Elementary School two years ago, she created a new family for her special education students.
She did not know at that time this tight-knit group of students, teachers, paras and parents would be struck with tragedy so soon.
Last year, a second-grader in the program, Kaylee, died unexpectedly. McDaniel said some of the children in the STAR program have fragile health, but it was a blow to all the children and adults who knew the student.
Danielle Scott, the girl’s aunt, said Lindy stepped up to not only comfort her students, but the little girl’s family.
“When my niece passed unexpectedly, she was right there to hug us and the STAR family,” Scott said. “Lindy went above and beyond to give my sister little treasurers from the classroom that Kaylee loved so much.”
McDaniel also included the family in special events for the STAR program.
All the children in the STAR class, as well as the general education second-grade students, painted ceramic stars for a special Christmas tree. McDaniel painted a larger star in Kaylee’s favorite colors. She invited Kaylee’s family to see Kaylee’s tree and the winter wonderland put together by the STAR students.
“Lindy, along with the staff in the STAR room spend countless hours planning and coordinating activities for the STAR students, and I forever have a special place in my heart for the STAR room, students and staff,” Scott said. “The STAR program wouldn’t be what it is without all of the staff, but especially Lindy for the love she shows for every student day in and day out.”
For this reason, Scott nominated McDaniel for Hays Post’s Teacher of the Month award.
When McDaniel heard it had been a member of Kaylee’s family who nominated her for Teacher of the Month, tears filed her eyes. She said the death brought the STAR children, staff and parents together as a family.
“You just want to give them the best they have in the time they are with us,” McDaniel said.
Although she said the death was difficult for all who knew Kaylee, she said she thought it brought out the best in her students.
“I have always thought of our kids knowing more than they could ever communicate because a lot of our kids our nonverbal,” McDaniel said. “And it was so intriguing to me how much they could sense the sadness of their staff and the sadness of the kids in the family. One little friend that is fairly nonverbal when the grandparents came to visit our program a couple days after, she knew immediately to give the grandpa a hug.
“It made me realize and continue to know these kids — they’re smart. They have a lot to offer us, and we can learn a lot from them.”
A memorial was set up in Kaylee’s name, and an equipment shed was donated to STAR in her honor. The STAR children watched the shed being put in by remote video and then helped paint it.
STAR stands for Systematic Teaching with Adaptations and Reinforcement. The teachers in the STAR rooms work to integrate their students into general education classrooms as much as possible. However, they have a safe place to be if they need more support.
The program at Roosevelt has grown from 14 to 34 students in just its third year.
The program encompasses four rooms. The first of which is academic.
The students in the program work at their own pace, and the program takes into account the students may be motivated in varying ways, McDaniel explained. A student who has autism is not going to be motivated by social interactions, such as recess. In fact, social interactions may cause them anxiety. One of the program’s students enjoys animals, so when the student has accomplished his task, they allow him to play with toy puppies.
“Because we have those opportunities for him to be reinforced by things he is interested in, he is going to work that much harder at building those reading skills to get to have time with his puppies or to get to have that music time for other kids,” McDaniel said.
The program has a social skills room that is more play based. The STAR program serves children pre-K through fifth-grade, but some of the students are developmentally pre-school age or toddlers. Play-based learning includes stations such as art or blocks.
A third room addresses life skills. This includes family-style lunch for children who need it. They can work on language skills, such as asking for more to eat, or motor skills, such as holding utensils.
The last room is STAR community, and each student has his or her own desk. They work in this room at in-seat desk behavior and other skills they would use in a general education classroom.
“I love getting to see that child who maybe wasn’t successful in a general setting get the interventions and supports they need to become successful. Getting that really close relationship with families to provide that to our kids is pretty awesome. In a general ed situation, you don’t necessarily get to know your families on this scale of how close we are in this program.”
McDaniel shows compassion to all the students at Roosevelt. During the Hays Post interview, she stopped for a moment to comfort a student who was upset. The girl began to cry, so she gently guided her to her mother, a fellow staff member.
She stopped on another day to comfort a young boy in the STAR program who was upset. She talked to him softly, encouraged him, and let him pick some lotion to smell and rub on his hands to calm and sooth him. The tears faded quickly, and he went on to his next assignment.
McDaniel, 37, has been teaching for 15 years. She took some time away from USD 489, where she started her career, to work for State Department to support children with autism and other disabilities. During that time she was exposed to different learning models, including STAR.
She decided the travel for that job was resulting in too much time away from her family. When she came back to the Hays district, an opportunity opened up in special education. She eventually was able to pitch STAR to district administrators.
The program has been highly successful and even garnered a visit from Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson.
McDaniel, a Quinter native and FHSU grad, said she would like to see the STAR program used across buildings in the district. She said using adaptations and reinforcement does not have to be reserved for students who have significant challenges.
“The commissioner of education came to visit our program last year, and his vision for the state of Kansas is that all kids can,” she said. “All kids should be a part of something bigger than themselves and get to learn with others in a way that suits them.
“If we have students that want to be teachers, they can come in and help teach our STAR kids or just different ways to help every kid feel a part of the building and feel like they have something to offer to a bigger community than just their classroom or themselves.”
Natalia Figuerea-Rodriguez, HHS senior, was honored with the September student Best of the Best award.By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
Hays High School senior Natalia Figuerea-Rodriguez has maintained a 3.9 grade point average.
But Figuerea-Rodriguez has a unique set of challenges she has had to overcome to earn that honor.
Figuerea-Rodriguez is from Puerto Rico. She and her family settled in Hays after being displaced by Hurricane Maria. Figuerea-Rodriguez’s native language is Spanish.
Figuerea-Rodriguez was nominated by Suellyn Stenger, HHS counselor, and Linda Mayer, English language learners teacher for the USD 489 Best of the Best award.
“She literally lost a lot of things,” Stenger said, “friendships, home, belongings. She came here with her native-speaking language being Spanish. If I had two words to describe Natalia, it would be resiliency and perseverance.”
Stenger emailed the Best of the Best nomination form to Figuerea-Rodriguez’s teachers.
One teacher said, “I never knew the circumstances around Natalia’s transfer to Hays High School. I just knew she had an incredible intellect and work ethic.”
Another teacher said, “I absolutely love having her in class. Her effort is worth a million bucks.”
Her ELL teacher spoke to the school board in Spanish to illustrate how difficult it is to try to understand a school lesson spoken in language that is not your own.
“If you found it a little bit difficult to understand what I was saying, then you understand what Natalia has been going through for the past year, and she has done it exceptionally well with a 3.9 cumulative GPA in her content classes in her second language. We are extremely proud of her,” Mayer said.
Candace Sage, a second-grade teacher at Wilson Elementary School was honored with the staff Best of the Best award. She is pictured center with school board members and members of the Haas family, who nominated her for the award.
The staff member who was honored with the Best of the Best award was Candace Sage, a second-grade teacher at Wilson Elementary School.
Parent Laycie Haas, along with her two sons and daughter, Kaden, Konner and Khloe Haas, nominated Sage for the Best of the Best award.
Sage taught all three of the Haas children. Khloe, the youngest, is in her class now.
“She goes above and beyond for all of her students in her classroom,” Laycie said. “Every year she implements new ideas and learning opportunities with her students.”
This year Sage added monthly ag lesson, which Laycie said was important to her family because they live on a farm.
With her sons, Laycie had the opportunity to volunteer in the Sage’s class. She said she was able to witness Sage’s amazing teaching techniques.
“She does so many other things like taking the kids to Via Christi to interact with the residents,” Laycie said. “Both of my older two had the same resident, and even today they will still talk about him and his stories. They had an awesome bond. That is something that is an awesome skill — to learn how to interact with people who are older than you are.
“Along with school work, she teaches them life lessons and rewards their hard work and dedication with fun Friday activities.”
Laycie’s son had an assignment in his last weeks of elementary school to write a letter to the teacher who had the most impact on him. He wrote about Sage.
“We are extremely blessed to have met her, and I am so blessed that my kids were able to have her as a teacher,” Laycie said. “She has left a life-long imprint on our family’s lives. Her dedication is top-notch, and I believe without a doubt that she is an awesome recipient of this award.”
From left Reps. Leonard Mastroni, R-La Crosse, Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, and Eber Phelps, D-Hays, discuss mental health issues with the High Plains Mental Health Board on Thursday. Kaley Conner/High Plains Mental Health
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
Board members at High Plains Mental Health advocated for Medicaid expansion in Kansas during a discussion with state legislators and legislative candidates Thursday.
Rep, Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, who has been chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said finding the estimated $31 million to $40 million to match the federal dollars to the state would be difficult.
About 52 percent of the state budget goes to K-12 education, and the state is facing a Kansas Supreme Court decision that will require additional funds. Once higher education is added to the equation, education accounts for 65 percent of the state budget.
Richard Miller, HPMH board member and former CEO of the Norton County Hospital, expressed his frustration the Legislature had not yet passed Medicaid expansion.
“To those of us who have been in health care and community mental health services, the $31 million I know, Troy, is tough to come up with, but look what it is costing the hospitals and mental health centers and putting it on the backs of the county commission and they [also] have their local hospitals to support. …
“It would just make a lot of sense, and if it is not a priority, get it up there as a priority because it would benefit so many people and so many health care facilities and mental health centers just by taking the 90 percent from Washington. To me, it becomes a red and a blue thing. In my opinion, had that been a proposal that had come from Republicans at the national level, it might get a different consideration here.”
Rep. Eber Phelps, D-Hays, pointed out Medicaid expansion passed both houses, but was vetoed by Gov. Sam Brownback. There were not enough votes for a veto override. Gov. Jeff Colyer was the architect of the privatization of Medicaid, so the Legislature did not think expansion would receive the governor’s signature in 2018, Phelps said.
The state has lost about $2.9 billion in federal funding by not expanding Medicaid in the state, Phelps said.
Phelps said he was hopeful some of the funds that were cut from mental health services after tax cuts were implemented in 2012 could be restored during the next session.
“One thing that has really struck me about the whole issue of mental health besides the growing number of suicides in rural Kansas and the number of suicides among young people, not just in western Kansas, but all over,” Phelps said. “Apparently, as a country, we have lost our focus a little bit on mental health after making a lot of strides in years back.”
Phelps raised concern about the number of people who have mental health issues that are ending up in jail instead of in treatment. He cited a report by NPR on the Cook County Jail, where out of 2,500 inmates about 50 percent suffer from mental health issues.
In that report, inmates said they were intentionally getting arrested because that was the only way they could receive psychiatric treatment.
He said he thought those percentages could be extrapolated to our Kansas jails.
“What we have gotten ourselves into as a country and a state is a model that is totally wrong,” Phelps said, “because we are incarcerating people who shouldn’t really be there. They are sick. …
“I think most legislators if they are paying attention in their districts and visiting with their county sheriffs, they are realizing they are taking on a burden, as I mention with Cook County. The No. 1 mental health provider in the nation is the Cook County prison. We have got to get away from that model and get back to looking at preventive and maintenance and taking care of these people who need our help.”
Board member Jan Badsky commended Phelps on highlighting the need for prevention. However, she noted with all the bureaucracy and funding challenges, it can be easy for people to fall through the cracks. Then that person ends up in a state hospital, such as Larned.
Rep. Leonard Mastroni, R-La Crosse, and a former HPMH board member, expressed his frustration with the Kansas Department of Administration’s hiring practices, which he said makes it difficult for even entry-level personnel to qualify for positions at state hospitals. This has left many positions open. For example, a person can’t qualify for a state hospital job if they owe state back taxes.
In terms of funding, Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, said mental health is battling with many other issues and government agencies for funding and attention. In dealing with his constituents and farmers, mental health is only coming in at No. 13 or 14 on a long list of priorities.
Rahjes encouraged outside-of-the-box thinking, cooperation with other agencies and development of grant funding as means to expand services.
Walter Hill, HPMH executive director, said High Plains is trying to maximize its resources to reach as many people as possible by using programs such as telemedicine. The mental health center is also sending clinicians to the Ellis County Health Department, HaysMed and the Phillips County Hospital to try reach more people.
The board members also expressed concerns about dealing with the administrative arms of state government.
Rahjes said he too had struggled with the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability and had to call the agency on behalf of constituents.
Waymaster said his constituents were regularly calling him with difficulty working with the private companies that have been contracted to handle Medicaid claims under KanCare. He described a case in which a family was waiting for Medicaid approval for their father who was in nursing care. The man died before his application was approved, and the family was sent a bill for $18,000.
Waymaster made a call, and the application was “miraculously” approved after a six-month wait.
He acknowledged families should not have to go through this, but the Legislature does not hire and fire individuals in the administrative branches of government. They just approve funding.
Kim Thomas, former Stockton mayor and candidate for the 110th District seat, and Jerry Hill, candidate for the 120th District seat, also attended the meeting.
Air rushed into the cabin of the Blackhawk helicopters like a sweeping inhale.
The ground slowly diminished under their feet, and Hays became a landscape of toy trucks and round bales the size of marshmallows — a familiar landscape from a very unfamiliar perspective.
National Guard airmen know this every day, but for a group of area dignitaries, educators and the media members, it was a very new and exhilarating experience.
The Kansas National Guard 108th Aviation took the group up in their UH-60 Blackhawks Wednesday as part of a session to better inform local leaders about the importance of Guard recruitment.
The Army announced Tuesday it ended its fiscal year below its authorized personnel strength for all three of its components — Army, Army Reserve and National Guard.
Retention numbers are high for the Guard, but the problem has been recruiting.
The Army Guard failed to reached its accessions goal every year since 2014. But in 2018, the drop was “significant,” said Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Kadavy, director of the Army National Guard, in a column that will appear in the October NATIONAL GUARD magazine.
To combat this, the Kansas Legislature, enacted a bill during the 2017 session, which will reimburse students 100 percent of their college tuition for undergraduate studies at state colleges. Retirement benefits have also increased for National Guard members.
The state benefits can be combined with federal Montgomery GI Bill benefits for private school or grad school.
Capt. Matthew Ayres, Bravo Company Recruiting Commander, said he used his education benefits to earn his bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and will soon complete his master’s degree in organizational leadership.
If a service person does not use all of their education benefits, they can pass them to a spouse or dependent child. Ayres has given a portion of his unused benefits to each of his four children.
Sgt. Mikayla Nicodemus used her education benefits to recently complete culinary school through NCK-Tech. When Nicodemus is not on Guard duty, she is a stay-at-home mom. She uses her culinary background to do catering to supplement her family’s income.
Guard recruits cite education benefits as their No. 1 reason for signing up.
Ayres said the Guard encourages its personnel to go to school and increase their training, because they see those soldiers as better prepared to complete their missions.
Ayres also said the state and federal government are beginning to understand the current service of National Guardsmen and women goes beyond the one weekend a month and two weeks a year that used to be the Guard’s mantra.
The National Guard serves a dual role. It serves in cases of state emergency, including floods, snow storms and wildfires.
However, the Guard can also be federalized to serve in conflicts overseas.
Several of the guardsmen and women who were on hand for the Blackhawk flights on Wednesday had been deployed to serve overseas during their terms of service.
Maj. Patrik Goss, Blackhawk pilot and full-time guardsman, has been deployed overseas multiple times, serving in Iraq, Bosnia and Kuwait.
The Blackhawks move people, parts and equipment. The helicopters can also be outfitted with armaments for aerial assault missions during which they drop soldiers in hostile areas and then pick them up from missions.
Goss’ background was in law enforcement before he became a Guard pilot. He trained for a year to be a pilot, but your training never stops once you are a pilot.
For those young people who would like to some day fly with a Blackhawk crew, Goss said they need to stay out of trouble and finish high school.
“We have so many opportunities right now,” Goss said of Guard for young people. “One of the biggest ones is after they passed the bill that is paying for college. I am talking about all of college. It’s insane. I wish I would have had that when I was going to college.”
Goss said he loves his job and would recommend it to young people looking for a career.
“At the absolute base level, the American taxpayers let me climb into a $24-million machine and fly, and they trained me to do it,” he said. “Am I a kid at heart? Yes, I absolutely am. It is wonderful. I can’t explain it. It is the greatest roller coaster on the planet.
“On the professional level, it paid for my master’s degree, allowed me to command troops both in combat and in Kansas. It allows us to go out and help the citizens whenever we are called upon and provide a tool that we can take almost anywhere.”
Goss is a lifelong Kansan and is now stationed in Salina. He has also served at home during floods, in northwest Kansas last year and this spring dumping water on wildfires. His crew also spots stranded motorists during snow storms.
“Kansas has been home my whole life,” he said. “It is no different than when I was a police officer. People call and you have the ability to go out and help where others can’t. You can’t explain that feeling. The gratitude is overwhelming, and the feeling when you go home and tell your kids what you did that day is pretty inspiring.”
Sandra Gottschalk, dean of the Hays NCK-Tech campus, said meeting the Guardsmen and riding on the Blackhawk helped open her eyes about how the Guard and the college can better work together.
The Guard offers training in many technical skills that relate back to jobs in the community, including welding, truck driving, construction, computer science, health care and many more.
“Definitely it opens eyes,” she said, “the educator eyes at the colleges and universities. At the technical college, we do a lot of the same things, so it would be a good partnership.”
Sen. Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, said she could see how the education bill the Legislature passed last spring was assisting people in the state.
“I am very happy to know they are working with our local high schools, community colleges and vocation schools,” she said. “It think that is very key.”
Bowers said it was a thrill to ride in the Blackhawk, but it was important to see that the Guardsmen were well-trained and could execute their maneuvers safely.
For more information about joining the National Guard, contact SSG. Enrique Martinez, recruiting and retention NCO in Hays, at 785-806-2123 or by email at [email protected]. Find more information on education benefits by calling 1-785-646-0155 or go to the National Guard website.
Agra resident, Virginia Abbott, passed away Sept. 27, 2018 at the Smith County Memorial Hospital in Smith Center at the age of 82.She was born June 24, 1936, the daughter of Roy and Ruth (Wright) Fox.
Survivors include her son Travis and wife Anne of Kensington; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Oct. 1 at in the St. John Lutheran Church, Kensington, with Pastor Lorna Paulus officiating. Burial will follow in the St. John Lutheran Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to her great-grandchildren’s education.
Visitation will be from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg, with the family receiving friends from 3 to 4 Sunday afternoon.
Richard Lee Scott, 102, of Russell, Kansas, died on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018, at Main Street Manor in Russell, with his family by his side.
Richard was born on Oct. 11, 1915, in Rural Russell County, Kansas, the son of Allen Ray and Jessie Ester (Herron) Scott. He grew up in Russell County and graduated from Russell High School. He later joined the United States Army, fought during World War II in the Pacific Theater and served in the 1st Battalion 43rd Engineer Regiment. After serving his country, he settled in the Waldo, Kansas, area. He met, fell in love and was united in marriage to Mable (Luder) Finkenbinder on Jan. 14, 1961, in Russell, Kansas. Richard and Mable worked together on the farm and raising Mable’s children Mike, Carolyn and Tom. Mable preceded him in death on March 10, 1997. Richard was fortunate to find love a second time and was united in marriage to Joyce Lorenc on Feb. 17, 2006, in Waldo, Kansas. She preceded him in death on April 2, 2015. Richard worked most all his life in Waldo and enjoyed working as a successful farmer and stockman. He was a life member of the Russell V.F.W. Post #6240, charter member of the Waldo Fire Department for 23 years, Waldo Township Trustee for 34 years, American Legion and Waldo City Council.
Surviving family include his step-children Mike Finkenbinder and wife Judy of Waldo, Kansas; Carolyn Schultz and husband Melvin of Lucas, Kansas and foster son Tom Buzzell and wife Velina of Wichita, Kansas; brother Don Scott of Washington state; sisters Ruth Bartlett, Bessie Maranville and Carol Murphy all of Russell, Kansas; nine grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his two wives and brothers Glen and Howard Scott and a sister Mary Ann.
A graveside celebration of Richard’s life will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 1, 2018, at the Luray City Cemetery in Luray, Kansas. Burial will follow the graveside services and military rites will be performed by the Russell V.F.W. Post #6240. Visitation will be from 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30, 2018, at the mortuary in Russell, with family present to greet guests from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30. Memorials can be given to the Waldo Fire Department or Waldo Senior Center and sent in care of the mortuary. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.
Gary Eugene Anschutz, 78, of Galatia, Kansas, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2018 at the Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kansas.
Gary was born June 13, 1940 in Hays, the son of Jacob and Lorraine (Trapp) Anschutz. He grew up in Paradise, Kansas, and graduated from Luray High School.
Gary served his country in the U.S. Navy from 1962 to 1968. He served on the USS Compton and the USS Arcadia. He was also stationed at Imperial Beach, California, and Newport, Rhode Island. After his tour of duty was completed, he returned to Hays to attend college.
He then married Peggy Osthoff, rural Athol, Kansas, had two children, John and Judy, and lived in rural Paradise and Gorham. Then from 1995 to 2000 he lived in Rocky Ford, Colorado. From 2000 to 2007 he lived in Great Bend, Kansas, and from 2007 on he lived in Galatia.
Gary was a teacher and coach in Paradise, Osborne Jr. High, Rocky Ford, Colorado, and Great Bend Middle School. He taught history, social science and English as a second language. He also was a rancher, noxious weed supervisor and emergency management coordinator. He had a great love for working with horses and cattle. He was a member of the St. John Lutheran Church in Russell and the Trinity Lutheran Church in Great Bend. He was a member of the Russell V.F.W. #6240 and the American Legion Post 0509. He was active in the Russell Masonic Lodge, ISIS Shrine, Scottish Rite, ISIS Gridiron Club, Santa Fe Trail Association and the Ft. Larned Old Guard. During his free time, he enjoyed live music, hunting, fishing, sport shooting and spending time with his grandchildren.
Gary’s surviving family include his daughter, Judy Robbins (Isaiah) of Gorham, Kansas; son, John Anschutz (Becky) of Russell, Kansas; sisters, Dianna Wise of Belveu, Washington and Rebecca Keil of Galatia, Kansas; and seven grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and two grandchildren.
A gathering service will be from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018 at the Russell V.F.W. Post #6240. Military Rites will be conducted by the Russell V.F.W. Post #6240 Honor Guard.
Memorials have been established with the ISIS Shrine and the Russell V.F.W. Post 6240. Contributions and condolences may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of these arrangements.
SMITH CENTER — Lucille Esther (Huwe) Kugler went to be with the Lord on Sept. 25, 2018.
Lucille was affectionately known as “Grandma Kugler” because of her love of people, especially children.
Lucille was born to Harry Irwin Huwe and Ella Paulina Finster Huwe on Dec. 26, 1930 in Crosby, North Dakota. She was raised near Hamlet, North Dakota, where her family attended the Lutheran Church.
Lucille fondly remembers playing tag, hide and go seek, and jumping in the hay on the family farm with her nine siblings. Lucille helped care for their many animals and took pride in milking five cows. She said they never had to buy milk or cream, and they enjoyed a lot of homemade ice cream!
Her mother baked and cooked, but when asked if she learned her cooking from her mom. Lucille replied she could just open a cookbook and follow a recipe.
Lucille and her sisters helped in the family convenience store in Hamlet. As a child, Lucille said they traveled by “horse and bus” as her dad built a platform and attached a horse to take all the kids to the town of Hamlet for school, where she attended through eighth grade. Her family moved to Williston, North Dakota, in 1949.
As a teen, Lucille worked cleaning houses and babysitting.
She met J.D. (Duane) Kugler when he came to town for harvest. When the harvest season was over, he came back to North Dakota as he had promised her. They married on Jan. 15, 1951.
They moved in with Duane’s parents for about a year before moving to the farm where they raised their 11 children in Smith County. They attended the Methodist Church in Womer. Lucille never had a driver’s license, so on infrequent trips to town the whole family would pile into the station wagon with Duane at the wheel and two kids facing backward in the rear seats. Lucille did drive a couple of miles once during a medical emergency for one of the kids, but once she realized he was OK, she went back home.
Her family moved to Smith Center in 1981, and she worked outside the home at Brown’s Café and cleaning the Post Office in Smith Center. She also worked at Dale’s Supermarket in the deli and at Wagon Wheel Café.
However, her greatest joy in life was raising their 11 children and helping care for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She could pat any baby to sleep and she welcomed all of her friends, family and their friends into her home.
No matter what time of the day or night someone would show up, she was known to ask, “Have you eaten yet?” She could have a pot of coffee, hamburger and potatoes started in no time and would often bake a pie from scratch while playing a hand of cards. She enjoyed sharing her love of baking, especially during the holiday season when she took orders for her famous butter rolls and pies.
Lucille was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Ella Huwe; and husband, J.D. (Duane) Kugler; grandson Thomas Arnett; granddaughter Atlanta Coronado; brothers LeRoy (Lois) and Lowell (Harriett) Huwe; sisters Blanche (Stuart) Grove, Verna (Obert) Hanson, Leona (Dean) Washburn, Joyce (Melvin) Wrolson, Cherol Alton; sister-in-law Lola Huwe; and son-in-law Don Arnett.
She is lovingly remembered by her children Marian Kay (Ed) Shellito, Marilyn Arnett of Lebanon, Martha (Mitch) Smith of Shickley, Nebraska, Marva Hayward of Concordia, Marcia (Steve) Peterson of Lebanon, Mary VanderGiesen of Smith Center, Marlys (Phil) Strait of Johnstown, Colorado, Marjorie (Bob) Hitchcock of Wichita, Jay Dee (Joanne) Kugler of Billings, Montana, Marla (Gary) VanderGiesen of Smith Center, and Johnny Ray (Jina) Kugler of Wamego; 33 grandchildren; 55 great-grandchildren; 19 great-great grandchildren; two brothers, Lyle (Lillie) Huwe and Clair Huwe of Bismarck, North Dakota; brother-in-law Tex Alton of Williston, North Dakota, brother-in-law Marvin (Elsie May) Kugler of Smith Center; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Simmons-Rentschler Mortuary, 116 W. First St., Smith Center, KS 66967. Celebration of life service will at 2:30 Friday, Sept. 28 at the mortuary. Burial will be at Fairview Cemetery, North Main Street, Smith Center, KS 66967.
Memorial contributions may be made to Smith Center High School FCCLA, 300 Roger Barta Way Smith Center, KS 66967, or to Hospice Services of Smith County.
USD 489
on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2018, at Main Street Manor in Russell, with his family by his side.
raising Mable’s children Mike, Carolyn and Tom. Mable preceded him in death on March 10, 1997. Richard was fortunate to find love a second time and was united in marriage to Joyce Lorenc on Feb. 17, 2006, in Waldo, Kansas. She preceded him in death on April 2, 2015. Richard worked most all his life in Waldo and enjoyed working as a successful farmer and stockman. He was a life member of the Russell V.F.W. Post #6240, charter member of the Waldo Fire Department for 23 years, Waldo Township Trustee for 34 years, American Legion and Waldo City Council. 
