Stephen H. Roberts, age 69, of Garden City (formerly of Oakley and Hill City), passed away Monday, March 2, 2015 at Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital, WaKeeney. He was born June 8, 1945, in Hays, to Albert Mack and Phyllis Lucille (Gish) Roberts.

Stephen was a 1964 graduate of Trego Community High School. On April 26, 1974, Stephen was united in marriage to Sharon Ann Werth at Christ the King Catholic Church in WaKeeney. They enjoyed forty years of marriage together. He spent the last 35 years working for Baker Hughs, Inc. as an oilfield chemical service manager. He spent time with the company in Hill City, Oakley, and most currently in Garden City. More than anything else, Stephen enjoyed spending time with his sons and grandchildren. Whether it was taking them hunting and fishing or going for a ride in the Corvette, time spent with them is what mattered to him. He was also a member of St. Dominic Catholic Church in Garden City. Stephen will be dearly missed by many.

Survivors include his wife of the home; two sons, Darby of Riley, and Derek of Quinter; six grandchildren, Devin, Dalton, Emma, Kole, Kyler, and Kala Roberts; and a brother, David Roberts and wife Joan of Parker, Colorado. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother Norman.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 4, 2015 at St. Michael Catholic Church, Collyer. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, with a parish vigil service immediately following at 7:00 p.m. Both will be at the funeral home in WaKeeney.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to American Heart Association or American Cancer Society. Checks made to the organization may be sent in care of Schmitt Funeral Home, 336 North 12th, WaKeeney, KS 67672.

Condolences may be sent online at www.schmittfuneral.com.

Dora Lee Steinert, 85, Hays, died Monday, March 2, 2015 at the Via Christi Villages.

She was born January 10, 1930 in Russell, Kansas the daughter of Charlie and Nathalia “Dolly” (Bender) Mai. On September 5, 1948 she married Marvin S. Steinert in Russell. He died November 24, 2012. She was a homemaker and a former member of the First United Methodist Church, the VFW Auxiliary, the Order of the Eastern Star, and the Order of the Purple Heart Ladies Auxiliary, all of Norton, KS. She was an excellent cook, loved bowling, golf, and playing bridge. She took great joy in raising her children, and loved her family and grandchildren.

Survivors include two sons, Jim Steinert and wife Shirley of Plainville, Kansas, and Terry Steinert and wife Nancy of Erie, KS, a daughter Mary Ward and husband Jim of Warrensburg, MO, two brothers Vernon Mai and wife Marge of Red Cloud, NE and Harold Mai and wife Sherry of Loveland, CO, seven grandchildren and sixteen great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, a daughter Barbara Elizabeth Steinert, a grandson Mikey Steinert, and a granddaughter Rebecca Elizabeth Steinert.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 am on Thursday, March 5, 2015 at the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine. Inurnment will follow in the Russell City Cemetery, Russell. The family will receive friends from 9:30 am until service time on Thursday at the funeral home.

Memorials are suggested in Dora Lee’s memory to the Order of the Eastern Star, in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com

Theodore Frances Buehler, 92, was born at Wilson, Kansas on January 31, 1923 to Theodore and Frances (Tobin) Buehler. Ted passed into his saviors loving arms February 28, 2015, at the Beatrice Health and Rehabilitation Center in Beatrice, Nebraska.

Ted was the sixth child of 10 siblings. Brothers: Orval, Dean, Glenn, Dale, and Clark; sisters: Neva, Veta, Joyce, and Ulalla. The family lived on a farm south of Wilson and then moved into Wilson when Ted’s dad became a rural mail carrier. Ted helped the family with chores around the home and for Grandma Tobin. In high school Ted was active in sports and worked at the newspaper office after school.

Ted met Doris Schwerdtfeger at the Ellsworth roller skating rink. They were united in marriage on July 30, 1943, at St. Paul Lutheran church North Ellsworth while Ted was home on leave from the Army. Ted shipped out with the 101st Airborne, 501 PIRA Army Division soon thereafter. Ted parachuted behind enemy lines in Normandy June 1944, again in Holland Sept 1944, where he earned his first Purple Heart and then traveled with the 501st. to Bastogne in Dec 1944. At Alsace in the Battle of the Bulge, January 1945, Ted suffered a head wound which ended his war experience.

Ted then spent time in hospitals in Paris, England, and Colorado Springs recuperating until his discharge later in 1945. After the war Ted and Doris were blessed with two daughters Pat and Cindy and celebrated 60 years of marriage with a dance in 2003. Ted and Doris lived in the rural Pioneer neighborhood south of Russell and while there Ted was a 4-H leader, enjoyed fishing on the Smokey Hill River and hunting. He worked for Skelly Oil, which became Getty and then Texaco for 40 years, retiring in 1985, in Russell. Ted enjoyed gardening and raised lots to share with friends.

Ted & Doris enjoyed going to Ted’s 501 PIRA army reunions held all around the U.S. and visiting with family and friends. For more than 40 years Ted and Doris enjoyed Square Dancing several evenings each week around the central Kansas area. Ted came to live Patricia and Linn in June 2012 in Beatrice, Nebraska where he enjoyed going to the Senior Center for noon meals most every day riding the Senior bus. In the summertime Ted’s two great grand-children Slater and Zoe would come to spend time with grandparents and enjoyed helping great-grandpa.

Ted is survived by his daughter Pat and husband Linn Sunderland of Beatrice, Ne.; Grandson Greg and wife Sara Sunderland of Kansas City, MO., Great- grandchildren Slater and Zoe Sunderland of Kansas City, MO. Ted is also survived by three step-great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife Doris in 2009, daughter Cindy, 5 brothers, and 3 sisters.

A celebration of Ted’s life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, March 06, 2015, at the Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell, Kansas, with Pastor Roger Dennis officiating. Later in the day, a graveside service will be held at 1:00 P.M. at the Wilson City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9 A.M. to 8 P.M. Thursday, March 05, 2015, 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 Russell Senior Center and sent in care of the mortuary. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell is in charge of the funeral service arrangements.

Joan Ruth Hirst, 83, of Russell, Kansas, died on Sunday, February 15, 2015, at the Wheatland Nursing Center in Russell.

Joan was born on July 19, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois, the daughter of Homer and Leora (Pickert) Davis. She grew up in the Chicago area and graduated from Mt. Prospect High School in the class of 1949. After high school she attended for 1 year at Grinnell College. Later, she met, fell in love and was united in marriage to Charles T. Hirst in October 22, 1969 in Houston, Texas. From this union they created a family, and Joan became mother and homemaker to the Hirst family with her and Charles raising their three children Theodore, William and Ronald. She worked in the credit card department of several different banks in the Chicago and Houston areas and for several years she work for Western Auto Credit in Houston. She enjoyed reading, swimming, working with people, Native American Culture and was a strong supporter for Alcoholics Anonymous for many years. Most of all she enjoyed spending time with her family.

Surviving family include her husband Charles of the home, daughter Marsha Harrington of Seattle, Washington, sons Theodore Hirst of Russell, Kansas, William Hirst of Hutchinson, Kansas, and Ronald Hirst and wife Tracy of Arkansas City, Kansas; 9 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents and infant sister and great grandson Daniel Edward Hirst.

A memorial service in celebration of Joan’s life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, March 07, 2015, at the Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary in Russell with Pastor David Jones officiating. Visitation will be from 9 A.M. to 8 P.M. Friday, March 06, 2015, at the mortuary with the family present to greet guests from 6 P.M. to 7 P.M. Friday evening. Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary of Russell is in charge of the memorial services.

William Daniel “Dan” Burns, age 75, died February 27, 2015, at the Kearny County Hospital in Lakin, Kansas. He was born March 4, 1939 in Hereford, Texas, the son of Robert Frederick and Edna Morrison Burns. He was self employed as a General Contractor.

On June 30, 1960, he married Ruth Ellen Weldon in Lakin, Kansas.

He has been a resident of Lakin, Kansas for most of his life. Dan served his country in the United States Army from 1956-1959. He was a member of the National Archeological Society, the VFW, and the Kearny County Museum.

Survivors Include: Three Daughters, Debbie Burns Benson of Wichita, Kansas, Dana Burns Smith of San Antonio, Texas, Wendee Burns of Garden City, Kansas; Five Grandchildren, Jeremy Burns of Lakin, Kansas, Ryan Smith of Great Bend, Kansas, Sgt. Airyn Bltion of Topeka, Kansas, Jospeh Burns of Ft. Collins, Colorado, Specialist Jacob Sanchez of Garden City, Kansas, Nine Great-Grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; one infant son, William Daniel Burns Jr.; Three brothers, Harold Burns, John Burns, Frank Burns; and one sister, Belle Detwiller.

Funeral Services will be held at the United Methodist Church in Lakin, Kansas, Thursday, March 5, 2015 at 10:30 A.M.

Visitation will be held at the United Methodist Church in Lakin, from 9:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. on Wednesday, March 4, 2015. The family will be present from 11:00 A.M. -2:00 P.M.

Burial will be held at the Lakin Cemetery.

Memorials in lieu of flowers may be made to the William Burns Memorial Fund % of Price & Son Funeral Home in Garden City, Kansas.

Jerome (“Jerry”) Albert Kreutzer passed away peacefully from natural causes on Feb. 06, 2015, at the age of 95. He was born in Liebenthal, Kansas, April 05, 1919, the 11th of 12 children. He attended elementary school in Kansas and graduated from St. Fidelis Catholic High School & Seminary in Butler, Pennsylvania. After returning to Kansas he met and married Vera Knobbe on Sep. 22, 1941. They had one child, daughter Leta Annette.

In 1942 he was drafted into the U.S. Army and was assigned to an Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division in the Aleutian Islands and India & Burma during World War II. In 1946 he joined his wife and daughter in Kansas where he managed a hardware store. In 1949 the family moved to Arizona where Jerry attended Arizona State University. In 1951 he accepted a position in EI Centro, CA, as an insurance adjuster for GMAC serving both Imperial and Yuma Counties. He thought life couldn’t get much better: he was offered a salary of $350 per month, a company car, expense account, paid vacations and medical benefits! Gradually he came to love Yuma and moved the family there in 1953 where he worked as a car salesman first for the Chevrolet dealership and then the Cadillac Oldsmobile dealership. After awhile he returned to his previous career as an Insurance Adjuster and in 1965 opened his own business as an independent sales agent for Farmer’s Insurance.

In 1982 Jerry retired to pursue his passion for woodworking, and loved creating beautiful pieces from exotic hardwoods. His specialty was making clocks and many of his friends and relatives were gifted with custom-made mantel clocks for weddings and birthdays. He also loved music and was the church organist for Immaculate Conception Catholic Church for many years. Jerry and Vera loved to travel and the highlight of their travel experiences was a trip to Rome, Italy where his great nephew took them on a personal tour of the Vatican including an audience with the Pope. He was always an enthusiastic ambassador and unofficial tour guide for the City of Yuma, and never tired of showing family and friends around his beloved city. Jerry was loved by everyone he ever met – he was a terrific storyteller, a great role model, and a wonderful father.

In 1999 Jerry’s wife of 57 years, Vera, passed away from complications with Alzheimer’s Disease. As a result of having to learn to cook during Vera’s long illness, he developed a passion for cooking and enjoyed trying new recipes and cooking with his daughter. He renewed an acquaintanceship with his former neighbor and friend, Laura Cooke, and they spent the past 15 years traveling together, watching baseball games, playing cards, and enjoying their senior years at Desert Rose Retirement Home.

Jerome was preceded in death by his parents, John and Amelia (Herman) Kreutzer; his wife, Vera (Knobbe) Kreutzer and his dear companion, Laura Cooke, as well as his sisters Anna Herrman, Bertha Werth, Celestina Klaus, Loretta Gerstberger – Kessler, Ida Biel, Wilhelmina (Anne) Kreutzer, and Mary Bauck, and brothers William, Alfons, and Bernard Kreutzer. He is survived by his sister Lydia Schoenberger of WaKeeney, KS; his daughter and son-in-law, Leta and George Wolfe of Yuma, AZ; his grandson, Kevin Minke of Ewa Beach, HI; his great-grandson, Justin Minke of Mililani, HI, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A Funeral Mass was held on Feb. 11, 2015 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, officiated by Monsignor Richard O’Keefe and Deacons David Sampson and Oscar Chavez. Pallbearers were, John Wolfe, Kevin Minke, Dr. Edward Knobbe, David Breeding, David Ricci and Stanley Scherer. Honorary Pallbearers were J.D. Schoenberger, George Wolfe Jr., and Kenneth Turner. Entombment followed at Desert Lawn Memorial Park where Jerome was interred next to his wife Vera. A memorial service is being planned for a future date in Leoti, Kansas.

Donations can be made to Hospice of Yuma, 1824 S. 8th Avenue, Yuma, AZ. 85364 or in care of Price & Sons Funeral Home in Leoti, Kansas.