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Author: Hays Post

Deward Maxwell Deem Jr.

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Deward Maxwell Deem Jr., 75, of Russell, Kansas, died on Saturday, December 30, 2017, at his home in Russell, surrounded by his family.

Max was born on September 18, 1942, in Cairo, West Virginia, the son of Deward Maxwell, Sr. and Mary (Jinkins) Deem. He grew up in the Smithville and Harrisville, West Virginia areas and graduated from Harrisville High School in the class of 1960. In 1961, he moved to Russell, Kansas at the age of 19. He met, fell in love and was united in marriage to Marjorie Ann Barton on April 16, 1966, Russell, Kansas, at St. John Lutheran Church. From this union they were blessed with two sons; Kevin and Keith. Max started working in the oilfield as a tool pusher and worked his way up to rig supervisor with Praden & Deem Drilling, Gabert & Jones Drilling, Shield Oil Company and Cheyenne Drilling. When he was younger he developed a love for working with wood by helping his father as a carpenter. He enjoyed gardening, planting flowers, cooking, old cars and spending time with his family.

Surviving family include his wife Marjorie of 51 years, sons Kevin and Keith Deem both of Wichita, Kansas; Brothers Roger Deem (Linda) of Smithville, West Virginia and Mike Deem of Harrisville, West Virginia.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Phillip Deen.

A funeral service for Max will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, January 04, 2018, at the Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell, Kansas with Pam Jenkinson officiating. Burial will follow at the Russell City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9 A.M. to 8 P.M. on Wednesday, January 03, 2018 at the mortuary, with the family present to greet friends from 6 PM to 7 PM. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas, is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.

Eileen (Meyers) Chesney

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Eileen (Meyers) Chesney, 93, of Natoma, Kansas passed away Friday, December 29, 2017 at her son’s home in Stockton, Kansas.

Eileen was born May 9, 1924 in Woodston, Kansas, the daughter of Marcel and Amy (Guthrie) Meyers. She grew up in Woodston and graduated from Woodston High School. She then attended Ft. Hays State University.

Eileen met, fell in love, and was united in marriage to Homer Bruce Chesney on April 6, 1947 in Woodston. This union was blessed with five children: Bruce, Ronald, Earl, Lawrence and Everett. They made their home in the Natoma, Kansas area. Homer preceded her in death on March 19, 2004.

Eileen was a devoted wife and homemaker. She also worked at the Plainville, Osborne and Russell Sale Barns. She was an active member of the United Methodist Church in Plainville. She enjoyed quilting and spending as much time as she could with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Surviving family include her four sons; Ronald M. Chesney, Earl L. Chesney and Lawrence W. Chesney all of Natoma, Kansas and Everett G. Chesney (Fay) of Stockton, Kansas; sister, Donalee Circle of Woodston, Kansas; six grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren and two great-great grandsons.

Eileen was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son Bruce Chesney, two brothers, Merlin Meyers and Donald Meyers; and two sisters, Verla Chesney and Reba Meyers.

Celebration of Eileen’s Life will be held at 10:30 AM, Wednesday, January 3, 2018 at the United Methodist Church in Plainville, Kansas. Burial will follow at the Survey Cemetery south of Woodston, Kansas. Visitation will be held from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Tuesday, January 2, 2018 at Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell with the family present to greet friends from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. A Memorial has been established with the United Methodist Church of Plainville and Hospice of Hays Med. Contributions and condolences may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of these arrangements.

Delbert D. Deschner

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Delbert D. Deschner, 90, former Natoma resident, died December 27, 2017 in Wichita Kansas.

He was born December 6, 1927 at the family farm north of Natoma, Kansas, the son of Martin and Emma (Blank) Deschner. Delbert was a 1945 graduate of Natoma High School and had spent his life as a farmer and stockman on the family farm until declining health caused his move to Wichita in 2011 to be close to his daughter. Delbert served his community on the USD 399 school board and the Round Mound Township board. He was a member of Peace Lutheran Church, Natoma where he held several offices.

On September 7, 1952 he was united in marriage to Barbara Griffin. She preceded him in death April 5, 1970. He then married Charlotte (Young) Meyers. She preceded him in death April 15, 2008. Delbert’s greatest joy was spending time with his family and friends. He especially loved his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was very sociable, loved challenging family to chicken foot dominoes, and enjoyed playing the harmonica and guitar, often performing for others.

Delbert is survived by his four sons, Michael Deschner (Coleen) of Scott City, Ks Bruce Deschner of Topeka,Ks, Bradley Deschner (Karry) of Great Bend, Ks. and Michael L. Meyers of Topeka, Ks and two daughters, Kim (Roger) Davis, Manhattan, Ks and Lori (Brad) Wangsgard, Wichita, Ks. Also surviving are ten grandchildren: Brandon (Bridget) Deschner, Krystal (Chris) Nelson, Rebekah (Jovann) Gamble, Zachary (Kimberly) Davis, Matthew Deschner, Joshua (Tiffany) Deschner, Barbara Deschner, Mitchell Meyers, Katharine Meyers and Olivia Meyers as well as ten great grandchildren: Tyler, Brooke, Paige, Pierce, Emory, Carlie, Piper, Lettie, Ari and Ehla. He is also survived by his sister, Delphine (Mart), Atkinson of Excelsior Springs, Mo as well as many in-laws, nieces, nephews, and friends. He was preceded in death by his wives, his sister, Darlene, and grandson Justin Deschner.

A memorial service to celebrate Delbert’s life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, January 06, 2018, at the Peace Lutheran Church in Natoma, Kansas with Pastor Michael Schmidt officiating. Cremation has been selected by the family and inurnment will follow at the Natoma Lutheran Cemetery. Family will greet guests at the church the day of the memorial service. Memorials can be given to the Peace Lutheran Church or Natoma Heritage Seekers Museum and sent in care of the mortuary. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Natoma, Kansas, is in charge of the memorial services.

Exploring Outdoors Kansas: The art of mentoring

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Ah, the exuberance of youth! I trapped coyotes for a couple weeks before deer firearms season in early December, with the poorest results since I was a beginning trapper.

Meanwhile Jared Austin, the young lad I mentored last year continued to send me picture after picture of coyotes and bobcats he was catching. In the 2 ½ weeks I trapped, I caught only 5 coyotes and had to leave 4 properties because the landowners fenced them for grazing or knifed-in nitrogen while I had traps there. I also seemed to enjoy trapping coyotes less this year than I can ever remember because the ground was so terribly hard and dry, making it miserable to get traps anchored in the cement-like soil and making it nearly necessary to extract them from the ground with a crane.

Steve Gilliland

My young friend was evidently doing things correctly while I was not, so I deduced maybe it was time for the teacher to become the student again, and Thursday morning I rode along with him to observe. For starters he’s trapping on the outskirts of a major town on properties that have not been trapped for years, if ever, so the predator population is high. Plus his exuberance for trapping is almost overwhelming. He couldn’t care less that the ground is hard or frozen or about any other roadblocks nature has thrown our way, he just loves to trap!

This all got me thinking about the process of mentoring someone and teaching them what we know about a sport we love, so allow me to offer some observations I’ve collected. Most important by far is to make sure the persons introduction to the sport is a good experience. If a person’s first time fishing is in a pond where they catch very few fish, and they get snagged on tree limbs and rocks with every cast, they have good reason not to go again. Just this morning I was to go goose hunting with a couple guys. They texted me before I left and asked my opinion about postponing the hunt since it was 11 degrees below zero. I said that was OK with me, but I would still go if they wanted. Then they told me that a young son wanted to go along and they felt it was just too cold for him.

Sometimes concessions must be made to help someone enjoy your sport. Joyce and I built a nice elevated deer blind a few years back, but I don’t know if I would have built it had she not wanted to hunt too. She sometimes reminds me of the first time I took her deer hunting. It was in southwest KS and she’d decided to sit with me one evening. She had no intention of EVER hunting deer, but decided she would tag along just to be there. We sat in a patch of weeds on a couple small camp chairs overlooking a draw in a pasture. Just before dusk, I told her to watch the top of a certain hill in the distance, and right on cue, mule deer began popping over the top of that hill and heading into the draw below us. She tells me she was dumbfounded that I knew that would happen, and she’s been a deer hunter ever since, harvesting several nice Kansas whitetails.

So making the necessary concessions or arrangements to make a person’s first hunt, fishing trip or campout is a good experience for them will go a long way toward ensuring that person will stick with their chosen sport for life.

An important detail to learn about a person you might mentor is how they learn the best. Some of us learn best by doing, some of us learn best by being shown, and some of us learn best by a combination of the two. Making use of the best learning process for the person will make it easiest for them to learn basic skills they’ll need to be successful at the sport you’re teaching them. I learn best by being shown something a few times before I try it on my own. When teaching my young trapping friend what I knew about trapping, he told me right up front he learned best by doing, so I showed him very little, but talked him through most everything while he actually did it himself. It’s OK to help your protégé prevent mistakes, but missing a shot at a strutting tom turkey because they shot before you recommended, or losing a big fish because they failed to use the net like you suggested is all part of the learning process for them, and they’ll never make that mistake again.

I also feel it’s of utmost importance to talk to people about God’s Creation while you teach them to hunt, fish, and trap or in any way enjoy the outdoors. Tell them about things you see around you, explain how nature works and why the animals they harvest are made like they are or why they do what they do. My wife laughs at me in total disagreement when I tell her I’m not competitive, but if the sport you’re teaching someone involves harvesting game, try to instill in them the enjoyment and appreciation of having the opportunity and freedom to do so, even when they fail to harvest their quarry.

So there, for what it’s worth you have my two cents about mentoring. The only way our outdoor sports will continue to be enjoyed is by passing our love of them down to the next generation. Oh, and one more thing, try to be happy when your protégé out-hunts or out-traps you. It’s easy for me because I’m not competitive remember? Take someone outdoors with you and help them learn to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve Gilliland, Inamn, can be contacted by email at [email protected].

Velma Ruth (Beach) Cool

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Velma Ruth (Beach) Cool passed away on Friday, December 29, 2017 at Redbud Village in Plainville, Kansas at the age of 96. She was born on January 17, 1921 in Hiawatha, Kansas to the late Oliver C. and Ruby L. (Housh) Beach. She grew up in Hiawatha and graduated from Hiawatha High School with the Class of 1939. On October 13, 1940 she was united in marriage to Paul Leander “Brick” Cool in Hiawatha. They were blessed with three children, William, James, and Bette.

Velma began working in the drugstore in Hiawatha as a young woman. One day a young man came in to purchase a package of gum. Six weeks later they were married and “the rest was history” as they say. Over her lifetime, Velma worked for many years as a bookkeeper for several Chevrolet dealerships including Bemis, Button, and Nelson all of Plainville, and Lyda, Schlagek, Gewecke, and Russ Harvey all of Russell, Kansas. She went on to work for thirteen more years with H&R Block before retiring. A hard working woman, but always a lady, she had one weekly requirement her entire life: to get her hair done properly. She loved raising huge gardens and canning, crocheting, crafting with her many craft club friends, going for walks, and even playing volleyball into her 70’s. She was a member of the First Congregational Church in Russell, where she also worked as the financial secretary, and always sang in the choir; a member of the United Methodist Church in Plainville, The Red Hat Society, Russell Regional Hospital Auxiliary, and a Lifetime Member of Order of the Eastern Star.

Velma is survived by her daughter Bette Stamper and husband Kent of Plainville; daughters-in-law Bonnie Haugen Cool of Edina, MN, and Judy Legleiter Cool of Houston, TX; brother Darrell Beach and wife Janie of Seward, NE; grandchildren Marcie Diaz and husband Tony of Plainville, Heather Stamper-Voss of Plainville, Kevin Stamper of Wichita, Michelle Seloover of Houston, TX, Stephanie Dunshie and husband Bob of Houston, TX, William “Bill” Cool and wife Kristina of Omaha, NE, Randall Cool and Sabrina of Omaha, NE, Patrick Cool and wife Sonja of Edina, MN, and Katharine Cool of Edina, MN; and great-grandchildren Amanda Diaz, Kent Diaz, Cynthia Bressler, Luke Voss, Chloe Stamper, Ella Waggoner, Sam Waggoner, Jamie Seloover, Jacob Dunshie, Malyssa Cool, Will Cool and wife Courtney, Stephanie Cool, Brandon Cool, Abby Cool, R.J. Cool, and Crystal Cool.

She was preceded in death by parents Oliver and Ruby Beach; husband Paul “Brick” Cool; sons James Cool and William Cool; brothers Raymond Beach, Albert Beach, and Robert Beach; sister Thelma Beach; grandsons Anthony Cool, Donald Cool, and Matthew Stamper; and great-granddaughters Rachel Cool and Jessica Diaz.

The colors of the Eastern Star remind us to raise our eyes to the blue of heaven, to warm our hearts with the warmth of the yellow sun, to know that our souls will dwell in the white of purity and peace, that we shall live for all eternity as the evergreen symbolizes, and to live our daily lives with the fervent love and devotion symbolized by red. Velma lived her life in humble service, faith, and love to her Lord, her family, her sisters, and friends. Her shadow hour has fallen and she has been found worthy and ready to answer the call, “Come, thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord.”

Click HERE for service information.

Middleton Johnson ‘M.J.’ or ‘Walt’ Walton

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Middleton Johnson “M.J.” or “Walt” Walton passed away on Monday, December 25, 2017 at Rooks County Health Center in Plainville, Kansas at the age of 82. He was born on March 17, 1935 in Clairton, Pennsylvania to the late James and Edith (Hunter) Walton. He grew up in Clairton and graduated from Clairton high School with the Class of 1954. He went on to serve in the United States Air Force from 1955-58. He was united in marriage to Cheryl Cooper on March 28, 1987 in Arvada, Colorado.

Middleton worked as a gear machinist in the aviation/aerospace industry. He loved to travel, and after retiring in 1991 and making their home in Woodston, Kansas, was able to spend much time on the road with Cheryl, visiting people and places all over the United States. He was an avid baseball fan and enjoyed football as well, always rooting for his beloved Pirates and Steelers.

Middleton is survived by his Wife Cheryl Walton of the home in Woodston; daughter Susan Boyle and husband Jon of Licking, MO; step-son Anthony Daddario of Woodston; and three granddaughters.

He was preceded in death by his parents James and Edith Walton, brothers James Walton and George Walton, and sister Katheryn Walton.

A private family inurnment will be held at a later date. Condolences to the family may be mailed in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 723 N. 1st Street, Stockton, KS 67669.

Kansas State Polytechnic offers free drone tips webinar, live Q-and-A

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SALINA — Unmanned aircraft systems, more commonly known as drones, are popular gifts over the holiday season and a widespread hobby for flying enthusiasts. Many systems are sold and marketed as ready to fly; however, it is important that consumers are up-to-date with important regulations and safety practices.

Kansas State Polytechnic is offering a free webinar and live question-and-answer session with Kansas State University UAS experts to discuss important safety practices, flying rules and regulations, and tips for operating your UAS.

Join the Kansas Polytechnic UAS experts at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9, to discuss the difference between hobby and commercial UAS operations, safety considerations when operating your UAS, important Federal Aviation Administration rules, and regulations to ensure compliance when operating your system. The webinar is free, but registration is required.

Kansas State Polytechnic is an expert in the UAS industry and has been part of numerous research projects advising rules and regulations in the industry. Kansas State Polytechnic offers two UAS bachelor’s degrees, in which students are provided a hands-on experience and research opportunities with industry.

Register online for the free webinar. Contact the Kansas State Polytechnic Professional Education and Outreach office with questions at 855-552-0079. Schedule your personalized campus visit with Kansas State Polytechnic admissions online or by calling 785-826-2640.

BEECH: Food safety considerations for holiday food

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Linda Beech

Gifts of food are some of the most popular holiday items to share with business associates, friends and family members. But, once the holidays are past, how long can the food be safely kept on hand to eat and enjoy?

That was my question to Karen Blakeslee, coordinator of the Extension Rapid Response Center at Kansas State University. We discussed the tins of popcorn, candies, jellies, sausages and other foods which may still be lingering in homes and offices. The good news is that some holiday food gifts can be safely enjoyed for weeks or even months to come.

Here is a list of some of the popular holiday food gifts and recommendations for safe storage and use:

Popped popcorn- store in airtight containers away from moisture to prevent toughness or stickiness if sugar-coated. Caramel-type popcorn has a shelf life of up to 6 months, cheese coated popcorn has a shelf life of 2-3 months. Watch for rancidity.

Summer Sausage and other fully-cured meat sticks- once these meat products are cut open and the outer coating is unsealed, they should be consumed within 3 weeks. Unopened, uncut products may be kept for 3 months in the refrigerator. The high salt content makes freezing a less-desirable option, so store only one to two months in the freezer for best quality.

Firm cheeses- Blocks of cheese which have been opened will keep at good quality in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 weeks. Be sure to wrap well to prevent drying or molding. Unopened blocks of cheese will keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 months if well sealed. Firm cheeses may also be frozen for 6 months, well sealed, however the texture may be more crumbly when thawed.

Nuts- Mixed nuts, roasted peanuts, chopped pecans or other shelled nuts should be refrigerated after opening and frozen for longer storage. Unsalted varieties last longest before becoming stale or rancid. Opened containers of nuts at room temperature will be at best quality for two weeks. Unopened nuts may be kept on the shelf for 3 months; freeze for longer storage. Nuts in the shell should be used within 4 months for freshest quality.

Candy- Well-wrapped chocolate will keep at room temperature for 7-8 months, but varieties containing nuts or other ingredients should be eaten sooner. Formed candies such as truffles, pralines, and commercial boxed candies can be frozen for storage and defrosted in the refrigerator before being brought to room temperature for eating. Some chocolates may appear discolored with a white surface residue due to fat separation in storage. This condition affects only the appearance, the chocolate is still safe to eat.

Jams and Jellies- Unopened jars may be kept on the shelf for 12 months, but longer storage may cause the color to fade or darken. Both homemade and commercial varieties of sweet spreads should be kept tightly covered and stored in the refrigerator after opening. It is possible for jams and jellies to mold at refrigerator temperatures, so discard products that become moldy.

Homemade Baking Mixes in a jar or other container may be kept at room temperature for 6 to 9 months, unless they contain nuts which cause them to become stale more quickly. Bake the cookies or brownies within that time, or plan to use the mix as a kitchen decoration only. Soup mixes consisting of dried beans and pasta may be kept at room temperature for up to a year, unless there are other ingredients in a seasoning packet which might require the mix to be used sooner.

The “famous” holiday fruitcake- Some may say it lives forever! However, as with any food item, there is a limit to the lifespan of fruitcake as well. The fruitcake may be frozen for long-term storage up to one year. Store a cut fruitcake in air-tight wrapping in the refrigerator for 6 months. Fruitcake varieties which contain higher levels of alcohol will have better storing quality.

Take inventory of any holiday food gifts which might be lingering in your cupboards or refrigerator. Make a plan to consume or freeze any holiday hold-overs as recommended by these guidelines.

For more information on safe food storage, contact the Hays (785-628-9430) or Great Bend (620-793-1910) offices of the Cottonwood Extension District and ask for a copy of the K-State Research and Extension publications “Safe Food Storage: Refrigerator-Freezer” and “Safe Food Storage: Cupboard”. You can also search the K-State Research and Extension Bookstore at www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu by title or publication number (MF3130 and MF3131, respectively) to find the fact sheets online. These helpful publications should be on hand in every kitchen to answer those difficult food safety and storage questions.

Linda K. Beech is Cottonwood District Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.

Recycle your Christmas tree

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The Christmas tree disposal site is open through Jan. 14.

CITY OF HAYS

Citizens are encouraged to bring Christmas trees to the free disposal site located north of the Public Works building at 1002 Vine Street. This area is right next to the bathrooms at Speier ball fields. Place the trees inside the orange snow fence area.

Signs will be posted to direct citizens.

Please remove all plastic, ornaments, and lights before leaving the tree.

The disposal site will be open Tuesday, December 18, 2018 through Monday, January 14, 2019.

Midwest Energy will provide personnel and a wood chipper to chip the trees to make mulch. The mulch will be placed at the Parks Department on the Highway 183 Bypass and is available for pickup free of charge.

If there are questions, please call the Solid Waste Division at 785-628-7350.

Police: Kan. man jailed after taking stolen gun to ex-wife’s home

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Almanza -photo Shawnee Co.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on weapons charges.

Just after 4p.m. on New Year’s Eve, a subject armed with a handgun was reported in the 1000 Block SW 33rd terr. in Topeka, according to Lt. Colleen Stuart.

The subject was reported to be at the residence of the subject’s former spouse. The family members were able to leave the home safely and call police.

As officers arrived the subject called into the dispatch center and was transferred to an on-scene officer.

After speaking for several minutes, the subject came outside and was taken into custody without incident. The firearm was secured and confirmed as stolen. The subject was determined to have a felony history.

Police transported David Almanza, 36, to the Department of Corrections for theft and criminal possession of a firearm.

Cold, breezy Tuesday

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Today Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 29. Wind chill values as low as -9. South southeast wind 5 to 13 mph becoming west southwest in the morning.

Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 14. Wind chill values as low as 3. Southwest wind 9 to 11 mph becoming northwest after midnight.

WednesdaySunny, with a high near 34. North northwest wind 7 to 13 mph.

Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 12. Wind chill values as low as 5. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming light and variable.

Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 37. South wind 5 to 9 mph.

Thursday Night Clear, with a low around 14.

Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 36.

Kansas man arrested in woman’s alleged accidental shooting death

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Lei Ala Turner-courtesy GoFundMe

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A man has been arrested in the shooting death of a woman at a Lawrence apartment.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the man had been sought since the death Wednesday night of 30-year-old Lei Ala Turner.

The suspect identified as Willie Kenith Franklin, 27, Lawrence, was booked into jail early Monday morning on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

 

 

Franklin-photo KDOC

Police have said initial information indicated the shooting might have been accidental but did not explain further.

Franklin has previous convictions for drugs, DUI and robbery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Friends have established a fundraiser for the Turner family.

Police arrest Kansas man for alleged New Year’s Eve stabbing

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Brown-photo KDOC

TOPEKA— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a stabbing and have a suspect in custody.

Just after 11p.m Sunday, police responded to the 2100 Block of  SW High in Topeka on a report of several male subjects armed with knives in a parking lot beating another man, according to Lt. Colleen Stuart.

All involved subjects had left prior to officer’s arrival. Officers were then called to a local hospital for a subject with injuries consistent with having been stabbed.

The victim advised officers he was struck several times with a knife after having an altercation with a known subject over a game. The victim’s injuries were considered non-life threatening. Officers responded back to the 2100 Block SW High to locate the suspect in this incident.

Deques Brown 35, was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Department of Correction for aggravated battery and a warrant from another county. Brown has previous convictions for drugs, aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer and flee, attempted flee-elude law enforcement, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

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