Patricia Louise (Krey) Crosswhite passed away peacefully on May 14, 2016 at Medical Lodge in Kinsley KS. She was born on June 23, 1930 on the farm near Stafford, KS to Arcy and Mrytle Heggy Krey. She graduated at Great Bend High school in 1948, she went to college where she received her bachelors degree in Business Education. Then she went on to further her education and receive her masters degree at Fort Hays College. On August 4 , 1956 she married Jessie Crosswhite at the First Nazarine Church, Great Bend, KS. To this union was born two children, Bruce Allen and Earl Dean. After the birth of Earl she went back to teaching school at Ransom High School where she remained for 28 years. After she retired she moved her mother home to care for her. She opened up a Greenhouse business and ran a sandwich shop for a few years.

Pat had a passion for her students whether it in the classroom, yearbook, or games. She was a member of the First Baptist Church where she taught Bible classes and was involved with youth activities.

On June 22, 2010 Jessie passed away. Pat was very faithful wife and was beside her husband everyday during his illness.

Pat was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Harvey, Harold, and Edwin Krey; and sister Virginia Sell.

Pat is survived by her sons, Bruce and Earl; two brothers; Wesley and Donald Krey; and one sister, Phyllis Tull; grandchildren, Chad, Susan, Lana, Clint, Jeremy, Sara, Tina, and Abbey and 16 great-grandchildren.

Pat enjoyed spending holidays with family playing rook and help preparing the many wonderful meals. She will be missed by her family, former students and many friends.

Funeral service will be on Wednesday, May 18, 2016, 10:00 A.M. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home, Ness City. Burial in the Ness City Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home on Tuesday from 9:00 A.M. until 9:00 P.M. with the family present from 7-9 P.M.

Memorial contributions may be given to Southwind Hospice, Pratt or the Medical Lodges, Kinsley.

Merlynna Rae Harley, age 29, passed away at Ness County Hospital, Ness City, Kansas on May 11, 2016.

She was born on March 26, 1987 in Hays, Kansas, the daughter of Michael Harley and Mary Hazuka.

She worked in health care, assisting disabled people in day-to-day living. She was a stay at home mom to her little boys. She had a huge heart and loved people.

She is survived by her father, George Riffel, Ness City; mother and father Mary and Ronnie Seltmann, Liberty, MO; sons, Cadyn Reece Harley and Kash Lee Stull; fiance, Ira Stull, Ness City; brothers, Tyler Seltmann, Liberty, MO, Shane Moore, York, NE; sister, Morgan (Josh) Scott, Hoisington; grandmothers, Jeanie Hazuka, Barb Seltmann; uncle Rick Seltmann, Hays; aunt and uncle Dorothy and Troy Leiker, WaKeeney; Uncle Jim Hazuka; uncle and aunt Ryan and Melissa Seltmann, Hays; uncle and aunt Phil and Denise Register, Hoisington; nephew and niece Joshua and Miriya; cousins, Jessica (Ryan Werth) Yarmer, Stephanie (James) Wright, Elizabeth (Michael) McCurdy, Raymond Hazuka, Phil Register, Amanda (Kirk) Urban, Mallory Seltmann, uncle-grandpa, Brian Treece; and several other aunts, uncles, cousins, and close friends.

She was preceded in death by her grandfathers, Raymond Hazuka and Doug Seltmann.

Family and friends will gather at the Church of God, WaKeeney, KS on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at noon.

Memorial contributions may be given to Cadyn Harley and Kash Stull College Fund.

Phillipsburg resident Betty L. (Hill) Hoover passed away May 16 at her home in Phillipsburg at the age of 75. She was born June, 26, 1940 in Smith Center, KS, the daughter of Kenneth & Doris (Shook) Hill.

Survivors include her son Dan of Phillipsburg; 3 daughters, Shelly O’Mahony of Cork, Ireland, Sheila Roberts & Sherry Gillihan of Phillipsburg; her brother, Monte Hill of Agra; 5 sisters; Carolyn Bargman, Sharon Woitaszewski & Susie Paget of Smith Center, Patty Novotny of Stockton & Dinah Schliep of Manhattan; 8 grandchildren & 22 great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, May 19 at 2:00 p.m. in the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel with Ron Hessling & Randy Elder officiating. Burial will follow in the Fairview Cemetery, Phillipsburg.

Visitation will be from 5:00 to 9:00 Tuesday & 9:00 to 9:00 Wednesday with the family receiving friends from 7:00 to 8:00 Wednesday evening.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Services or the Phillips County Ministerial Alliance.

Verna Viola Voos Mohr, 96, of Phoenix, Arizona and former Russell, Kansas, resident went to be with her Lord and Savior on May 12, 2016, at the Christian Care Nursing Center in Phoenix.

Verna was born on May 12, 1920 in Bazine, Kansas, the daughter of Jacob L. and Elizabeth (Herman) Voos.  She grew up and attended school in Russell and graduated with the class of 1939.  Verna met, fell in love and was united in marriage to Joseph C. Mohr on January 02, 1943, in Russell, Kansas.  From this union Verna and Joseph were blessed with 3 children; Sharron, Steve and Beth.  Verna worked most of her life in Russell as a secretary.  She worked for Simpson Elementary School, then the doctors’ office of White, Pettijohn and Schulz all in Russell.  She was a longtime member of St. John’s Lutheran Church also in Russell.  Later, she moved from Russell and continued to work as a secretary in Liberal and Wichita, Kansas, before moving to Hobbs, New Mexico, to be closer to her oldest daughter.  There she worked for Hobbs Electric before retiring.

In 1990, she moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to be closer to her son Steve and daughter Beth.  This move gave her the opportunity to be more involved with the rest of the family, but her heart and memories always took her back to Russell.  She enjoyed counted cross stitching and created many beautiful pieces.  She was an active member of the Bethal Lutheran Church in Phoenix.  She was also active in her assisted living housing community and while there, enjoyed playing bingo and visiting and sharing stories with her community friends.  She was a passionate Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Coyotes and Arizona Diamondbacks fan.  She never missed a game on television when it came to her favorite teams and she certainly would not talk on the phone during one of her games.  In her younger days living in Russell, she was avid bowler and loved competing in the local bowling league  Most of all, she enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her children and grandchildren.

Surviving family include her 3 children; daughter Sharron K. Bond and husband Fred of Ft. Mill, South Carolina, son Steven D. Mohr of Phoenix, Arizona and daughter Beth Smith and husband David also of Phoenix, Arizona; 5 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Elmer, Melvin and Jacob, Jr. Voos and sister Irene Tourney.

A celebration of Verna’s life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, May 20, 2016, at the Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell, Kansas, with Pastor Roger Dennis officiating.  Burial will follow at the St. John Lutheran Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 9 A.M. to 8 P.M. on Thursday, May 19, 2016, at the mortuary, with family present to greet guests from 6 P.M. to 7 P.M. Thursday evening.  Memorials may be given to the St. John Lutheran Church and sent in care of the mortuary.  Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell, Kansas is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.

Mary Catherine Stevenson, age 94, passed away on Friday, May 13, 2016 at Greeley County Hospital Long Term Care in Tribune, Kansas. Mary was born August 7, 1921 on the Woods family homestead in rural Greeley County, Kansas, the daughter of Curtis Palmer & Laura Juanita (Morgan) Woods. A lifetime resident of Greeley County, she was a Farm Wife and homemaker.

Mary was a faithful attendee of the Assembly Of God Church in Tribune, Kansas.

On May 21, 1940 she married Friend Stevenson at Goodland, Kansas. Friend passed away on November 22, 2001 in Tribune, Kansas.

Mary’s surviving family includes-

A Daughter-

Venita & Larry Schlotfeldt- Bastrop, Texas

A Son-

Lavern Stevenson- Tribune, Kansas

Three Siblings-

Hazel Reynolds- Tribune, Kansas

Jennie Johnson- Tribune, Kansas

Dale Woods- Brighton, Colorado

Five grandchildren, Thirteen Great Grandchildren

Her parents, husband, three siblings including Robert Woods, Henry Woods and Laura Lou Page and a Daughter, Mary Ann Allison, precede her in death.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:30am (MDT) Tuesday, May 17, 2016 at the Assembly Of God Church in Tribune, Kansas with Reverend Justin Scherer officiating.

Burial will be in Greeley County Cemetery in Tribune, Kansas.

Friends may call from 11:00 am (MDT) until 8:00 pm Monday at Price & Sons Funeral Home in Tribune, Kansas.

Memorials may be given to the Assembly Of God Church or Greeley County Hospital Long Term Care in care of the funeral home.

Condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at priceandsons.com

Daniel J. Pfannenstiel Jr. age 53, of Hays passed away Friday, May 13, 2016 at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

Funeral services will be 10 AM Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Munjor, KS with burial to follow in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be Tuesday 4 PM – 8 PM and Wednesday 9 AM – 9:30 AM all at Brock’s-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory 2509 Vine Hays, KS 67601.

A combined parish vigil and rosary service will be 7 PM Tuesday at the funeral chapel.

Larry L. Ventsam, age 82, passed away on Friday, May 13, 2016 at Wichita County Health Center in Leoti, Kansas. Larry was born May 17, 1933 in Hutchinson, Kansas, the son of Herman William & Mildred Frances (Phillips) Ventsam. Larry was a Farmer and Rancher and had been a Wichita County resident since the 1930’s. Larry proudly served his country in the United States Air Force from 1952 through 1956.

Larry was a member of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Leoti, Kansas. He also held memberships in the V.F.W., American Legion and the NRA.

On September 14, 1956 he married Joan A. Benson at Lordsburg, New Mexico.

Larry’s surviving family includes-

His Wife-

Joan A. Ventsam- Leoti, Kansas

Five Children-

Mark & Judy Ventsam- Odessa, Florida

Linda & Rick Loffredo- Fairfax Station, Virginia

Carol & Russell Molz- Kiowa, Kansas

Steve & Sherri Ventsam- Naperville, Illinois

Tom Ventsam- Deadwood, South Dakota

Thirteen Grandchildren-

Lacey, Mallory & Chase Ventsam- Odessa, Florida

Nicholas Loffredo- Seattle, Washington

Lauren& R.J. Santucci- Charlottesville, Virginia

Jeremy Loffredo- Fairfax Station, Virginia

Blake Molz- Kiowa, Kansas

Kendall Molz- Plano, Texas

Dylon Molz- Kiowa, Kansas

Victoria, Luke & Cody Ventsam- Naperville, Illinois

Hallie Rose Ventsam- Deadwood, South Dakota.

One Great Grandchild-

Mason Molz- Plano, Texas

His parents and a brother, Carl Ventsam, preceded him in death.

Vigil Services will be held at 7:00 pm Tuesday, May 17, 2016 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Marienthal, Kansas.

Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 am Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Marienthal, Kansas with Father Benjamin Martin officiating.

Burial will be in Leoti Cemetery in Leoti, Kansas with military honors.

Friends may call from Noon until 8:00 pm Monday and from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm Tuesday at Price & Sons Funeral Home in Leoti, Kansas.

Memorials may be given to the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church Building Fund or the Leoti EMT’s in care of the funeral home.

Condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at priceandsons.com

Dr. William M. Kane, age 88, died Thursday, May 5, 2016 at The Willow House, Hays, Kansas.

He was born October 5, 1927, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to William Sr. and Mary (Fekete) Kane.

He married Shirley (Steeves) on August 26, 1950, at Fairfield, Connecticut. She preceded him on April 20, 2016.

The Kane family moved to Hays and he began practicing Obstetrics and Gynecology with The Eddy Clinic there in 1961. Dr. Kane was a World War II veteran who served in Japan, as a Sergeant.

He received his Bachelor’s degree from Holy Cross College, Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1950, and his M.D. from The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, D.C., in 1954.

After one year of internship and four years of residency, he practiced on the east coast for two years before moving to Kansas. He was one of the first fully trained, board certified OB/GYN MD in western Kansas. He served the people of Northwest Kansas for over 30 years until his retirement in the early 1990s. He was very active in the community, associated with the Boy Scouts, The Ellis County United Way, and the Ellis County Historical Society. He was a member of and regular Lector for Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church.

Survivors include: three sons; William Kane and wife, Deb, Grand Junction, CO; Dan Kane and wife, Linda, Clay Center, KS; John Kane, Denver, CO; three daughters; Claire Loughry and husband, John, Centennial, CO; Mary Kate Pickering and husband, Don, Bel Air, MD; Susan Kane and wife, Lanka Elson, Woodland Park, CO; one sister, Vivian Dobey and husband, Ron, Columbia, MO; six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife.

Services will be at 10:00 A.M. Friday, May 20, 2016, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, 18th and Vine, Hays, Kansas. Inurnment will follow at the Kansas Veterans Cemetery at WaKeeney, Kansas. The family will receive friends from 9:00 to 10:00 A.M. Friday, at the church.

Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Hays Medical Center, The Willow House, and the Cancer Council of Ellis County.

Cline’s Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601 are in charge of arrangements. Condolences can be sent to [email protected].

WaKeeney area resident LyNette Jo (Gaschler) Proctor passed away May 11, 2016 at Salina Regional Health Center, Salina, KS. She was 50 years of age. LyNette was born January 30, 1966 in WaKeeney, to William J. and Betty Jo (Cochran) Gaschler.

LyNette had lived many years in Farmington, NM, but had moved back to Wakeeney several years ago. She drove the city bus for Wakeeney and was a member of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles. She loved her pets, and was known for her green thumb, as she loved to garden, particularly flowers.  It wasn’t uncommon to see LyNette at area auctions and garage sales.  She was a proud mother, and will be forever missed by many.

Survivors include her mother, Betty Jo Pennington of WaKeeney; a daughter Grace’ Lynn Glatz of WaKeeney; a brother, Bill “Joker” Gaschler, Jr. of Collyer; a sister, Rene Owens of Commerce, Texas; a nephew Lance Gaschler of Augusta, Kansas and many cousins, extended family, and friends. She was preceded in death by her father Bill Gaschler, her step father Don Pennington, and her grandparents. 

LyNette’s kindness and loving spirit touched the lives of many.

Memorial services will be 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at Schmitt Funeral Home, WaKeeney.

There will be no visitation.  Cremation was chosen.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the LyNette Proctor Memorial Fund to help with Grace’s education.  Checks made to the fund may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 336 North 12th, WaKeeney, KS  67672.

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