Annunciata Marie (Wildeman) Weber, 88, of Park, departed this life on February 26, 2019, at the Sheridan County Long Term Care Unit, in Hoxie.

The oldest child of Daniel and Mary (Ziegler) Wildeman, Ann was born at home, May 29, 1930, east of Park. Ann and her family moved to their new sod house south of Grainfield when she was 5 years old. She had many stories of living in a “soddy”. She attended grade school in rural Grainfield and graduated from Grainfield High School in 1949.

Ann worked at the Grainfield grocery store and bank until the love of her life returned from the Korean War. Annunciata was united in marriage to Aloysius Weber on May 18, 1953. To this union were born seven children, Gwendolyn, Dan, Allan, Marita, Stacy, Kevin and Alanna.

Al and Ann began their married life on the Weber farm south of Park. In 1957, they moved to their new home 2 miles north of Park. Ann was proud to work alongside her husband Al on the family farm for over 60 years. They also ran a grocery store in Park in the early 80’s. She was a devoted mother who gave her children a strong faith foundation. She taught them the importance of prayer. Countless blessed candles were burned over the years when she knew of someone’s suffering or needs.

Ann learned to crochet in her mid-forties. Each grandchild received one of Grandma’s afghans as a high school graduation gift and many more were given as wedding gifts.

Al was the gardener, and Ann was the canner of all his produce. No one can dispute how wonderful her cinnamon pickles were, and she would make dill pickles by the crock-full! She also spent hours turning farm fresh eggs into home made noodles. What a treat it was to snitch some of those noodles as they were spread out on the beds to dry! And many of her grandchildren had the experience of cleaning chickens with Grandma Weber. Grandma’s Chicken & Noodles were the best!

In June of 2018, Ann had to leave the home that “her honey had built for her”. The last several months of her life were spent at the Long Term Care in Hoxie. She enjoyed making new friends and playing bingo to win prizes for her great-grandchildren. She also enjoyed the weekly Mass when Fr. Kevin could come out from Salina, and Thursday afternoon Rosary group.

Ann was a lifetime member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the altar society and the VFW auxiliary.

Ann was preceded in death by her husband Al; parents, Dan and Mary Wildeman; step-mother Wanda Wildeman; brothers Pius and Francis; infant sister Caroline, and sisters-in-law, Neyla Kippes and Fran Wildeman.

She is survived by her children, Gwen (Kevin) Offutt, of Healy, Dan (Vickie) Weber, of Park, Allan (Connie) Weber, of Quinter, Marty (Herb) Cressler, of Hoxie, Stacy (Jerry) Wagoner, of Haxtun, CO, Fr. Kevin Weber, of Salina and Alanna (Laura) Woodward-Weber, of Healy; 18 grandchildren and 35 great grandchildren; brother Vernard Wildeman; sister-in-law Doreen Wildeman, and brother-in-law Gene Kippes.

Visitation is 5-7:00 p.m. Sunday, March 3, 2019, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Park, with a Vigil at 7:00 p.m. Funeral Mass is 11:00 a.m. Monday, March 4, 2019, also at the church, with burial to follow in the church cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the Sheridan County Benefit Walk or the Diocese of Salina Vocations Education Fund, in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 204, Oakley, KS 67748. For condolences or information visit www.baalmannmortuary.com

Lifelong Sherman County resident Merna Jean Dautel, 89, passed away on February 25, 2019 at the Goodland Regional Medical Center in Goodland, Kansas.

Merna was born on September 12, 1929 in Brewster, Kansas to Oscar and Grace (Werner) Berry. She was one of six children. Merna attended school in Brewster and graduated from Brewster High School in 1947.
On March 25, 1947, Merna married Kenneth Dautel in Goodland at the Parsonage of Rev. Lowell Renburger. To this union five children; Ronald, Bonnie, Donald, Connie and Johnnie were born. She was a member of the United Methodist Church in Goodland as well as a member of the VFW Auxiliary.

Merna and Kenneth milked cows, raised hogs and had a cow/calf operation. They raised wheat, corn, sugar beets, alfalfa and beans. They also ran a skating rink, which their children helped them run. They owned Dautel Sales, an auction company that held auctions all over the county. Most of all she enjoyed spending time with her family and all her grandchildren.

Preceding her in death were her parents, her husband, four brothers; Maurice, Gale, Gerald and Merril Berry, as well as an infant twin sister Betty.

She is survived by her children Ronald (Eileen) Dautel of Goodland, Bonnie,(Steve) Linton ofSan Ramon, CA, Donald Dautel,(andShirley Soellner) of Goodland, Connie (Tim) Livengood of Goodland and Johnnie (Peggy) Dautel of Goodland. She is also survived by 16 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Funeral services for Merna will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2019 at 10:30 AM MT at the United Methodist Church in Goodland with Pastor Zach Anderson officiating. Burial will be held at 1:00 PM MT in the Goodland Cemetery, Goodland, KS.

Visitation will be held on Friday, March 1, 2019 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM MT at the Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.

Memorials may be designated to the Sherman County 4-H or to the United Methodist Church and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com.
Funeral services have been entrusted to Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.

Eleanor Morel departed her earthly life on February 26, 2019 at the age of 95. She was born near Penokee, KS to Charles S. and Ida (Hatcher) Cafferty on May 28, 1923.

Eleanor graduated from Hill City High School and attended business College in Omaha, NE. She married Cleo Morel on December 30, 1941 in Damar, KS. They both worked for Glenn L. Martin Aircraft in Baltimore, MD and Omaha, NE. They later moved to Palco, KS and then to Jennings, KS, where Eleanor lived until her death. Cleo passed away in 1987. Eleanor loved to quilt, read and play cards.

Eleanor is survived by daughters: Diane (Dave) Carter and Teresa (Arnie) Reyher; son, Pat Morel; 15 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Ida; husband, Cleo; sons: Dennis Ray Morel, Philip Morel and Robert Morel; brothers: Harold Niehaus, Wayne Niehaus and Kenneth Cafferty; sisters: Faye Pfaffle, Louise Cameron, Charlotte Pool, Idella Nichol and CoraLea Hachmeister and great granddaughter, Quinnley Taylor.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 am Friday, March 1, 2019 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Leoville. Burial will follow at Jennings Cemetery. Visitation will be 9:00-10:30 am before the service at the church. A Rosary will be said at 10:30 am following the visitation. Condolences may be left at www.paulsfh.com

September 18, 1969 – February 26, 2019

An obituary is pending with Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home.

Click HERE for service details.

Marilyn J. (Davis) Harless, 88, passed away on Friday, February 22 at Ness County Hospital, Ness City. She was born on January 28, 1931 in Ness City to Marshall and Jane (Goodfellow) Davis.

She married Hugo “Hooks” A. Haas in 1950 in Perryton, TX. He preceded her in death on October 1, 1980. Her parents preceded her in death as well as her sister, Ruth, and brother, Donald.

She married Don Harless in November 1985. He survives.

Marilyn graduated from Ness City High School in 1949. She loved to play cards, play piano, garden, cook, sew and explore genealogy.

She is also survived by her three daughters from her marriage with Hooks, Jane Riojas of Hutchinson, Luann Frank (Dennis) of Hutchinson, and Wanda Gabel (Alex) of Ness City; seven grandchildren, Talissa Davis (Jonathan) of Kennesaw, GA, Wanda Riojas of Hutchinson, KS, Justin Frank (Crystal) of Inman, KS, Jeremy Frank (Annie) of Nickerson, KS, Calvin Gabel (Kimberly) of Eagle River, AK, Grant Gabel (Jessica) of Roanoke, TX, and Nolan Gabel of Portland, OR and fourteen great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, March 2, 2019, 1:30 p.m. at Ness City Cemetery. Friends my sign the book at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City, on Friday, March 1 from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Memorials can be made to the Ness County Bank Building, Ness County Historical Society, or the Ness City Library.

Paula Rae (Razak) Peterson, passed away February 21, 2019, in Abilene, Kansas. She was born February 21, 1949 in Quinter, Kansas.

Paula dedicated 35 years teaching English and related courses at a variety of levels, finding enjoyment and fulfillment in her career.

Paula attained a Bachelor of Arts in English from Fort Hays State University in 1971. She married Scott Stein in 1971, they later divorced. Paula further attained her Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from Kansas State University in 1984, and a certification in TESL from Kansas University in 1993. She was awarded Teacher of the Year in USD 435 Abilene in 1991 and an outstanding community Education Award from Cloud County Community College a few years later. After her retirement in 2010, Paula taught as a part-time instructor for five years at the college level in Salina.

Paula served on many committees at USD 435 Abilene, co-chaired a state middle school conference, and as a member of the Abilene-NEA, she was a state representative two years at the NEA (National Education Association) convention. Additionally, she attended numerous educational conferences, conventions and workshops at the state and national level. Paula also presented at educational conferences.

Paula found joy in traveling, especially in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Mexico. She taught English for one year in Abilene’s sister city, Minori (later renamed Omitama), Japan, and was the first of many Dickinson County residents to do the same. She continued to be active in the sister city program, hosting Japanese guests in her home and organizing the delegation trips for several years. Having a love of art, after her retirement Paula enjoyed volunteering as a Picture Person for the Arts Council of Dickinson County for six years. Paula was a life-long Kansas City Royals fan. She was affiliated with the Methodist church throughout her life and was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Abilene since 1980.

Survivors include her husband of 21 years, Kenneth Lynn Peterson, of Abilene, her sister Lenna Lea Wiebe of Shawnee, Kansas, her children, Phillip (Ashley) Stein and Mark (Emily) Stein, her stepchildren, Andrea (Kyle) McCook and Bethany (Karl) Franz, and her beloved grandchildren, Lanie, Halee, Alyssa, and Victoria Stein, and Kilynne, Myah and Asher McCook.

Preceding Paula in death were her parents, Lee and Myrtle (Lynd) Razak.
The funeral service will begin at 10:30am Friday, March 1, 2019 at the First United Methodist Church, 610 N. Cedar Street Abilene KS, followed by a private graveside service at Abilene Cemetery. Family visitation will be Friday, March 1, 2019 from 9:15am to 10:15am before the service. A lunch will follow the service at the church in Wright Hall.

Expressions of sympathy and memorials may be sent to the family c/o Lynn Peterson, 1700 Beekman Place Abilene KS 67410. Suggested memorials are First United Methodist Church, Hospice of Dickinson County or Alzheimer’s Association Heartland of America Chapter.

James “Jim” Harrell Morelock was born to Cecil and Ruby Morelock on November 6, 1935, in Little Rock, Arkansas and died on February 20, 2019 at Rawlins County Health Center in Atwood, Kansas.

Jim and Ruth (Gayle) Morelock were married for 37 years before her death. Through this union, the couple had 3 children; Tim, Tom and Traci.

As a young man, Jim attended Kansas State University on a basketball scholarship before transferring to Washburn University to finish his Bachelor’s Degree. After school, Jim, a reservist in the Army, served as a tank driver and Sergeant First Class during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Following his military stint, Jim worked in the insurance industry for 36 years, with most of his service spent as a Regional Sales and Marketing Manager. His agents expressed respect for his honest and fair practices.

Jim and Lois met, after the death of their spouses, and were married on January 1, 1995. They spent the next 24 years enjoying time with family, traveling to various parts of the country and overseas. Jim was particularly fond of his visit to Normandy with his 2 sons and granddaughter, Megan. Jim also enjoyed time spent fishing, reading and discussing history. Those who knew him best can recount the wide array of stories he could bring to any conversation.

Preceding Jim in death were his parents; his first wife Ruth, and brothers Charles and Paul. Surviving him is his wife Lois Johnson-Morelock, of McDonald; sisters Mary Sylvis, of Riverview, FL and Shirley Woods, of Overbrook; son, Tim Morelock, of Topeka and daughters, Megan (Tyler) Pfannenstiel, of Hays and Madalyn Morelock, of Manhattan; son, Tom (Kristi) Morelock, of Kansas City, MO; daughter Traci Coulson, of Larned and daughter Kala (Steven) Schroer, of Larned; daughter Brooke Coulson, of Larned, son Trevor Coulson, of Larned and son Logan Coulson, of Larned; step-daughter Patti (Dexter) Leach, of Bird City, and daughter Kandi (Michael) Moore, of Fountain, CO, daughter Kalisa (Patrick) Buell, of Centennial, CO and daughter Leann (Phillip) DeLong, of Stillwater, OK; step-son Ray Dean (Edie) Johnson, of Cimarron and son Scott (Brittany) Johnson, of Craig, CO and daughter Laura Johnson, of Dodge City; step-daughter Peggy (Wayne) Sager, of Salina and son Garrett Sager, of Houston, TX, daughter Courtney (Jordan) Huggans, of Salina and son Kyler Sager, of Salina; and step-son Gary (Lisa) Johnson, of Goddard and daughter Jordann (Tom) Sewell, of Mayetta and son Jon (Jess) Johnson, of Colwich. Also surviving are 11 great-grandchildren.

Services will be at the McDonald Federated Church on Saturday, March 2nd at 10:00am. Interment to follow at the McDonald Grace Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the McDonald Legion Hall through Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For condolences or information visit www.baalmannmortuary.com

Melissa Joan Therese (Morgan) Conaway, 39, of Athol, Kansas, was born in Aurora, Colorado to Daniel and Denise (Lyon) Mannion. Departed from this life to the next, February 23rd, 2019 in her home in Athol, Kansas.

Melissa attended Smith Center High School in Smith Center, Kansas. On January 10, 1998, she was blessed with a daughter, Taylor Rain Morgan (Massey). Short five years later in 2003, she was blessed with another daughter, Bayleigh Blaise Morgan. While raising two young daughters, she worked and cared for her Uncle Melvin Lyon and his wife, Lois.

On March 17, 2006, Melissa married the love of her life, Gregory Paul Conaway. To this union two children (twins) were born January 15, 2007, MacKenna Loren and Cort Kean Conaway. Melissa marrying Greg also brought two other children to the family, Brody Paul Conaway and Brandi Jo Conaway; making the family complete.

Melissa is preceded in death by, Grandfather, Elvin (Jiggs) Lyon; Aunt, Linda Lyon; Grandmother, Joan Mannion; and Uncle Shannon Mannion; and numerous other loved ones.

Melissa is survived by: her loving husband, Gregory; Children: Bayleigh Morgan, MacKenna Conaway, and Cort Conaway of the home. Daughter Taylor Massey and husband Clifford, of Phillipsburg, KS; Brody and Lauren, children Addison and Lily, of Hays, KS; Brandi and Neil, children Ian and baby Ella Mae, of Fort Scott, KS; Parents Daniel and Denise Mannion of Kensington, KS. Siblings, Jesse Morgan, John (Jennifer)Morgan, Gina (John) Long all of Smith Center Ks. and Jake and wife, Alexis Mannion, of Wichita, KS. And many dearly loved nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles.

Melissa was a loving mother, wife, sister and daughter. She will be greatly missed by many. One of her greatest accomplishments was being a mother. She loved each and every one of her kids with a great passion.

Services are private. You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family of Melissa Joan Conaway.

July 26, 1992 ~ February 19, 2019

An obituary and services are pending with Bateman Funeral Home, Goodland.