Lifelong WaKeeney area resident Lenora (Papes) Wiedeman passed away Thursday, January 4, 2018, at Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital, Long Term Care, WaKeeney. She was 102 years of age. Lenora was born February 22, 1915 in WaKeeney, to William and Anna (Schimkowitsch) Papes.

She was a 1932 graduate of Trego Community High School. Lenora was united in marriage to Raymond Wiedeman, on February 13, 1943, in Paris, Texas. They enjoyed 62 years of marriage together until Raymond’s death on March 30, 2005. She worked as a homemaker and also spent more than forty years as a bookkeeper at the salebarn. Lenora loved to keep her yard the nicest on the block. She and Raymond enjoyed dancing and socializing in their younger days at the Voda Dance Hall. Lenora loved to take motorcycle trips around the area with her husband. She was blessed with a long life, and touched many hearts throughout her lifetime.

Survivors include nieces and nephews, Larry (Karen) Pickering of Pueblo, Colorado, Janet Nixon of Topeka, Dean (Sherry) Papes of WaKeeney, Deborah (Ed) Purinton of WaKeeney, Gary (Sharon) Wegele of Hays, Randy (Vi) Wegele of WaKeeney, and Jerry Wegele of Arizona; grand nieces and nephews, Kelly Pickering, Kim Fisher, Deena Eaton, James (Gentry) Nixon, Adrian Murphy, Will Papes, and Cade Papes. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; brother, Woodrow; sisters, Fern Pickering and Arvilla Papes.

Graveside funeral services will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, January 6, 2018 at WaKeeney City Cemetery. There will be no visitation.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital, LTC. Contributions made to the LTC may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 336 North 12th, WaKeeney, KS 67672.

Condolences may be sent to the family online at www.schmittfuneral.com.

Charles Campbell Portman, age 78, died at Hillcrest Hospital in Tulsa, OK, on Saturday, December 30, 2017. The cause was complications due to surgery after knee replacement.

Charles, also known to his family and close friends as “Charlie”, was born on August 26, 1939 in Salina, Kansas. His early childhood and teen years where he grew up was in Great Bend, Kansas. He graduated from Great Bend High School with his many friends. Charles was deeply involved in many activities in high school. He was on the football, basketball, and track team. He was in some of the school plays and was also on the swim team. He was a life guard at the local swimming pool and loved the water. After graduating he left home to attend college at Ft. Hayes State University in Kansas. He wasn’t there long before the decision to join the Navy called him into service. Charlie served his country from 1961-1965. He really did get to see the world courtesy of the U.S. Navy. Some of his ports of call included: Cannes, France; Istanbul, Turkey; Athens, Greece; Naples, Italy; and even Cuba. He served as a ship’s electrician on board the U.S.S. Conygham (Plank Owner) and the U.S.S. Intrepid.

Charles returned home upon leaving the Service and shortly thereafter began his life’s work as an insurance adjuster with GAB Business Services, Inc. in Kansas City, MO. from 1965 through 2000. He rose from claims adjuster to Manager, then Senior Adjuster. He worked for Wackenhuth Adjustment Company from 2000 – 2005 and an additional two years and as an Insurance Adjusting Consultant.

He has served on the Regency Park Nazarene Church Board on the Building Committee for almost 25 years and for the past three years has also served his community as a board member for his home owners’ association in Owasso, OK. He also worked with the Tulsa County Election Board for over seven years during the voting process as Precinct Captain.

Charles is survived by his wife, Regina, of Owasso, OK; his sons: Andrew K. Portman of Bartlesville, OK, David C. Portman of Broken Arrow, OK, and Geoff Portman of Owasso, OK, Danielle Portman, his daughter-in-law; his grandchildren: Olivia and Mya Portman, and his sister: Kathryn Portman of Lenexa, MO. He was preceded in death by his parents, C.K. “Bus” Portman and Betty Cope Portman.

Celebration of Charles’ life will be held at 10:30, Friday, January 5, 2018, at Regency Park Church of the Nazarene (8707 E. 51st Street) Tulsa, OK. Burial will be held in private at a later date. Family and friends are welcome to attend the service.

Longtime Goodland, KS, resident Evelyn Marie Burk, 90, passed away on Monday, December 25, 2017 at the Good Samaritan Center-Sherman County in Goodland, KS.

Evelyn was born on July 29, 1927 in Ionia, Kansas to Alfred and Angela (Colson) More.  She was one of five children.  She attended school in Ionia, Kansas and graduated from high school in 1945. 

On May 18, 1957, she married Glenn Orvile Burk at the home of Henry and Gladys Burk in Edson, KS.  To this union, one son Michael was born.  She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, and spent most of her life working as a housewife and helping around the farm and spending time with her family.

Preceding her in death were her parents, one sister Roberta Britt and a half-sister Bernice Arendt.

She is survived by her husband Glenn, her son Mike and his wife Joyce Burk of Goodland, four grandchildren, eight great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.  She is also survived by two sisters, Audrey Cooksey and her husband Charles and Gwen Jones, all of Stillwater, Oklahoma; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

Funeral services for Evelyn will be held on Monday, January 8, 2018 at 10:00 AM MT at the Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland with Pastor JT Burk officiating.  Burial will follow in the Goodland Cemetery, Goodland, KS.  Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 7, 2018 from 3:00 to 5:00 PM MT at the funeral home.

Memorials may be designated to the Alzheimer’s Association 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 at www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com.

Funeral services are entrusted to Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland, KS.

Susan M. Davis, 74, of Kansas City, Missouri, passed away peacefully Thursday, December 28, 2017, following a long-term illness.

Services will be held on Wednesday, January 3, at Little Sisters of the Poor, 8745 James A. Reed Rd, Kansas City, MO, where Susan lived since moving to Kansas City from Hays, Kansas, four years ago.

She was buried next to her parents at St. Fidelis Cemetery in Victoria, KS. 



Born on her Mother’s birthday, April 24, 1943, in Hays, KS, Susan grew up in nearby Plainville, KS, where she attended Sacred Heart Grade School and then graduated from Plainville Rural High School in 1961. She worked in the family grocery store from an early age until the store was sold a few years after she graduated from high school. Many years later, after starting her family, Susan returned to school, and in 1989 she earned an Associate of Science degree in Secretarial Administration from Fort Hays State University.

Susan was preceded in death by her parents, Emil E. Kuhn and Zita (Giebler) Kuhn.

She is survived by her three children: Cynthia Davis, Michael Davis and wife (Shana), and Christopher Davis; four grandchildren: Micaela, Austin, Ayden, and Rylie Davis; five brothers: Ronald Kuhn (Cindy), Earl Kuhn (Kasey), Richard “Whitey” Kuhn (Fran), Raymond Kuhn (Jana), and Vernon Kuhn (Cindy); and one sister, Phyllis Schapker (Richard); as well as many loving nieces and nephews and their families.



In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to Little Sisters of the Poor or the Kidney Foundation.

Esther Gertrude (Conrad) Nyberg passed away on Tuesday, January 2, 2018 at Solomon Valley Manor in Stockton, Kansas at the age of 99. She was the ninth child born, on October 8, 1918 on the family farm south of Gaylord, Kansas, to the late Elmer and Louretta (Duer) Conrad. On February 15, 1940 she was united in marriage to Beryl Nyberg in Smith Center, Kansas. To this union were born one son and six daughters.

Esther accepted the Lord Jesus Christ and was immersed in Christian baptism in the Republican River. She raised her family in Reamsville, Kansas area where she was a member of the United Methodist Church and the Ladies Aid Society. She was an avid quilter and made numerous quilts for her family as well as the missions of the Ladies Aid. She also made many baby quilts for her grandbabies and often hosted quilting parties in her home. She always had a large garden that fed her family, from the bountiful harvest, and allowed her to do a lot of canning and freezing. She also enjoyed working crossword puzzles and going for walks through the pasture cutting musk thistle.

Esther was a devoted farm wife and mother. She and Beryl left the family farm in 1994, due to health reasons, and moved to Stockton, Kansas. They lived there until Beryl entered the nursing home in Glasco, Kansas and Esther moved to Beloit in order to be near him. She drove to Glasco every day to spend time with him until his passing in May 2001. She then moved back to Stockton where she lived in her own home next to her daughter Donna and son-in-law Ralph until March 2017 when she went to Solomon Valley Manor.

Esther leaves, to mourn her passing, her son Terry Nyberg and wife Jean of Beloit; daughters Phyllis Angell and husband Larry of Cawker City, KS and Dallas, TX, Donna Williams and husband Ralph of Stockton, Roberta Ritz of Beloit, Linda Paley and husband Jim of Stockton, Sandra Merrill and husband Jack of Minneapolis, and Virginia Spooner and husband Jack of Falun; 20 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren; and 11 great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents Elmer and Louretta Conrad, husband Beryl Nyberg, eight siblings and their spouses, daughter-in-law Eloise Nyberg, and son-in-law Gary Ritz.

The Apostle Paul reminds us, “These three remain: faith, hope, and love.” Esther lived her life strong in faith, abiding in hope, and loving her Lord, family, friends, and neighbors unconditionally. For the generations that follow, she has shown us by her daily example, a legacy that proves, “The greatest of these is love.”

Funeral Services will be held at 10:00am on Friday, January 5, 2018 at Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home in Stockton. Burial will follow at Lawrence Creek Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9:00-10:00am on Friday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the Reamsville Church or Solomon Valley manor and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 723 N 1st Street, Stockton, KS 67669.

Marguerite N. Smith-Perfett, 89, died Sunday,(December 24, 2017) at the Kidron Bethel Village in North Newton.

She was born on December 6, 1928 in Yale, Oklahoma, the daughter of Jack B. and Hortense Rankin Smith. Marguerite attended Hays High School, graduated from Hutchinson High School, and later attended the Oklahoma College for Women, Hutchinson Community College and Wichita State University.

Marguerite married W.W. Smith, they had two children. In 1967, she relocated to Warrensburg, Mo where she later married Raymond F. Perfett on June 3, 1971 in Nebraska City, Nebraska; following Raymond’s death in 1976, she returned to Newton.

Marguerite was a reporter for several newspapers through the years in Oklahoma and Kansas, The Pauls Valley Daily Democrat, Great Bend Tribune, Newton Kansan, and Wichita Eagle-Beacon. She won writing awards from the Kansas Woman’s Press Association for her feature writing and women’s pages. She continued to be a writer for the Kansas Senior Press Service for several years. She was a charter member of Trinity Heights United Methodist Church in Newton. Marguerite was involved in many church and community programs through the years.

Marguerite is preceded in death by her parents; husband Raymond; son David Michael Smith; brother Benjamin J. Smith and sister Marjorie B. Pierce.

Survivors include daughter Mari Melanie Smith Palmer of Chesterfield, Mo.; grandchildren Matthew R. Crow of St. Louis, Mo; Aily K. Rischar (Chad) of Chesterfield and great granddaughter, Dorothy.

Memorial services will be held at Trinity Heights United Methodist Church in Newton on Saturday, January 6th at 11:00 AM. It was Marguerite’s request that her body be donated to K.U. Medical Center for research. Inurnment will take place at a later date beside her parents and sister at Hutchinson Memorial Park Cemetery. Memorials have been established with Youthville (EmberHope) Newton Campus and the School of Geriatric Nursing at Hutchinson Community College.

Contributions may be sent to Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, 120 E. Broadway, Newton, Ks. 67114. Arrangements are by Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, Newton, Ks.

Ruth Scott, age 98, of WaKeeney, Kansas, passed away Monday, January 1, 2018 at Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital, Long Term Care, WaKeeney. She was born November 6, 1919, in WaKeeney, to Solomon and Katherina (Karst) Deines.

Ruth attended WaKeeney Grade School, and graduated from Trego Community High School in 1939. On September 28, 1946, she was united in marriage to Maxie Harold Scott in Harrison, Missouri. To this union seven children were born. They enjoyed 35 years of marriage together, until Maxie passed away on June 26, 1982. She was a life member of Immanuel Lutheran Church of WaKeeney, VFW Auxiliary Post 3449, and the Historical Society. Ruth cherished her family, especially time spent with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved coffee with friends, and a good game of cards. She was known among family and friends for her talents in the kitchen, as she loved to cook for gatherings. Ruth was a talented embroiderer, and she loved to sit down and read a good book. She was also an avid sports fan, known for cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs, the Kansas City Royals, University of Kansas Basketball, Wichita State Shockers Basketball, and Cubs Baseball. She was a homemaker, but also worked outside the home for Helen Connors at the Quality Café and Standard Café. Ruth was loved by many and her kind heart will be dearly missed.

Survivors include her children, Helen (Dennis) Wolf of Salina, Kansas, Martha Kippes of Wichita, Kansas, Stephen (Mary) Scott of St. Paul Minnesota, Mary (Donald) Hartman of Grainfield, Kansas, Margaret Anderes of Gypsum, Kansas, and Maxine (Kevin) Smith, of Salina; daughter-in-law, Lisa Scott of Wichita; fourteen grandchildren; and thirty great-grandchildren; she was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a son, Michael Solomon Scott; son-in-law, David Kippes; great-granddaughter, Lily Marie Hartman; brothers, Bernhardt, Seighardt, Ruben, Ernie, Solomon Jr., and Raymond Deines; and a sister, Martha Karst.

Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Friday, January 5, 2018, at Schmitt Funeral Home, WaKeeney. Burial will be at WaKeeney City Cemetery.

There will be a short visitation from 9:00 a.m. to service time, Friday at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Immanuel Lutheran Church or VFW Auxiliary Post 3449. Contributions may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 336 North 12th, WaKeeney, KS 67672.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.schmittfuneral.com.

Dennis R. Schroeder, age 73, passed away December 31, 2017, at the Kansas Christian Home in Newton.

Dennis was born January 4, 1944, in Hillsboro, Ks the son of Elmer K. and Ruby M. Richert Schroeder. He grew up and attended school in Marion graduating from Marion High School in 1962. He then attended Fort Hays State for a year and Southwestern University for three semesters.

For a time, he was employed by Duffines Optical in Topeka where he made lenses and later worked for KDOT on a survey crew.

His hobbies included fishing, mathematics, physics, and astronomy. He was preceded in death by his parents and a close friend Peggy Dietz.

He is survived by his brother Edsel of Marion and cousins.

The funeral service will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, January 6, 2018, at the Zeiner Funeral Home, Marion. Interment will follow at the Marion Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday evening from 6 – 8 at the funeral home.

A memorial has been established with the American Cancer Society.