John Raymond Bargo Jr., 57, of Colby, died Sunday, May 19, 2019, at his home. He was born September 15, 1961, in Abilene, TX, to John Raymond Bargo, Sr. and Mary Inez (Pearson) Bargo. John enjoyed hunting, camping, fishing, shooting and riding his motorcycle. He especially loved spending time with his family.

He was preceded in death by his father. John is survived by his children, John Raymond Bargo III and his wife Michelle, Buddy Bargo and Samantha Bargo; mother Inez Bargo; sisters Debbie Kohlbacher and Denise Bargo and his grandchildren Truxton Mark and Easton Bargo.

A Memorial Service is 10:00 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 2019, at Baalmann Mortuary, Colby followed by a meal at the Gather Place 745 S. Country Club Dr., Colby. Memorials are suggested to the family for help with final expenses and can be sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit www.baalmannmortuary.com

Billy Joe Turrell, 83, of Colby, died Friday, May 17, 2019, at Citizens Medical Center, Colby.

He was born May 4,1936 North of Rexford, KS to Joseph and Avis May (Phillips)Turrell. He was the youngest of six children, sisters Lola Skiles and Blanche Cheney, brothers Clifford, Clyde and Donald. Billy was the only one that graduated from high school. He played basketball and volleyball and graduated in 1955 from Rexford high school.

On July 29,1970, Billy married Patricia (Heaton). He worked for various farmers before going to work for the Rock Island railroad. He worked for them until they folded in the early 80’s. Billy then worked for the Burlington Northern and ended his 36-year career with the Kyle Railroad. He was forced to retire after knee surgery that prevented him from working. He also underwent pancreatic cancer surgery in 1994. He was given a clean bill of health due to the Whipple surgery that saved his life. Billy was given many more years to enjoy his children and grandchildren. God again spared his life when he had a perforated ulcer where they had attached his intestine to his stomach. Dr Fercha and Dr Hildyard saved his life.

Billy began delivering meals on wheels almost ten years ago. He enjoyed visiting with the people. He began caring for the lawn in front of the Senior Center. He took pride in making it look just as well as his own yard. Billy was a home body. Never wanting to go too far from home. He did take two cruises to Alaska with the family. He had his first plane ride in 2013 when we went the first time. His second plane ride he didn’t remember because he was flown to Denver for aspirating in August 2015. Again, God spared his life. He returned to his activities. They took another family cruise to Alaska in 2017. He got to ride two trains and see many more animals.

In later years he was unable to hear, but he still enjoyed his KU Jayhawks. He had a large collection of Jayhawks items that were given to him by his stepson Mike, grandson Brendon and his nephew Mike Skiles. He also collected many railroad items. His grandson Hunter and granddaughter Isabella gave him a train related Christmas ornament ever year. He loved bowling and bowled on a team many years until he had the knees replaced. In later years he enjoyed playing cards with his friends at the center. He also took great pride in detailing his cars and truck. Pat always had the cleanest car on the school parking lot. Billy loved his animals. He pampered them, but as a child he used to torment the farm cats. He raised a garden, and gave most of the harvest away to friends and neighbors. Billy was a very kind, caring husband, father, grandfather and was always willing to help anyone who needed a helping hand.

He is survived by his wife Pat, Colby, KS; his daughter Jeannie Marten(Pat), Hays, KS;sons, Mike Clair (Marilynn), Lawrence, KS, and Thomas Joe Turrell(Sara) Byers, CO; grandsons, Brendon Clair, Lawrence, KS, and Hunter Turrell, Byers, CO; granddaughter Isabella Turrell, Byers, CO, and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents Joseph and Avis Turrell; his siblings, Lola Skiles, Blanche Cheney, Clifford, Clyde and Donald; brothers-in-law, William Cheney and Allen Skiles; sisters-in-law, Phyllis Turrell, Frances Turrell, Velma Turrell, Salliane Turrell and Bonnie Cox; four nephews, Tommy Korte, John Cheney, Earl Cheney and Frank Skiles, and his special friend Kenneth Theiler.

Visitation is 5-7:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, 2019, at Baalmann Mortuary, Colby. Funeral Service is 10:00 a.m. Wednesday May 22, 2019 at the Colby United Methodist Church, with burial in Beulah Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Senior Progress Center, in Colby, in care of Baalmann Mortuary, P.O. Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For condolences out information visit www.baalmannmortuary.com

Hubert Holzmeister was born November 24, 1925, to John & Susan (Herman) Holzmeister.  He passed away on May 19, 2019, at Gove County Long Term Care in Quinter, KS, at the age of 93.

Hubert was born in rural Rush County.  He lived near Loretta until the family moved to a farm north of Quinter around 1944. On May 24, 1948, he was united in marriage to Elenora Jacobs in Loretta, KS.  They moved to Quinter where they lived their entire married life.  To this union was born a daughter, Phyllis.

Early in life, Hubert worked many different jobs including building construction and construction of Interstate 70. Eventually, he went to work for Union Pacific Railroad, retiring after 30 years of service.  He loved spending time tending his gardens, collecting model train sets & tinkering in his shop.  There are many clocks, toys & puzzle crafted out of wood left to remind us of his passion.  When he wasn’t busy making & growing things, he loved to sit outside in his swing and quietly enjoy the birds and flowers.  When the weather was too cool to be outside, he loved doing jigsaw puzzles.  Over the years, He enjoyed camping at Cedar Bluff and traveling the country, usually by bus or train visiting all but three states of the Union.  Over the years, his passions faded, but the one thing that could always get his feet moving and bring a smile to his face was the sound of polka music.  His favorite pastime of all was dancing.

Hubert was loved and will be sadly missed.  He is survived by his daughter, Phyllis (Don) Manhart of LaCrosse, KS; one sister, Josephine (Nick) Kuntz of Quinter; two brothers – Ed (Darlene) of Hays, KS and Abraham (Pauline) of Salina, KS.  He was a proud grandfather of two grandchildren – Tonia (Michael) Kroll of Overland Park, KS and Dustin (Ginger) Manhart of Austin, TX; seven great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents & his wife, Elenora, a stillborn son, four brothers – Sylvester (Geneva), Aaron (Joyce), Lawrence (Francis), Arnie and one sister, Freida (George) Waldman.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m., Thursday, May 23, 2019, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Park.  Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be Wednesday evening, from 5 to 7, with a parish vigil following at 7 p.m.  All will take place at the funeral home in Quinter.

Memorial contributions are suggested to Gove County Medical Center -LTC, Masses.  Donations made to the organization may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home, 901 South Main, Quinter, KS  67752.

Virgil Anthony Palen was born on September 15, 1939 in Beloit, Kansas, the son of Benedict and Monica Koenigsman Palen. He died Saturday, May 18, 2019 at Hilltop Lodge in Beloit at the age of 79.

Virgil spent most of his life in Tipton, where he attended and graduated from Tipton schools.

On June 1, 1959, he was united in marriage with Betty Schroeder in Tipton. They were privileged to spend 49 years of marriage together until her death in February, 2009, just a few months short of their Golden Anniversary. Five children were born to this union.

Virgil did soil conservation work for 38 years, and also farmed and worked on township roads. In his spare time, he was very active golfing, bowling, umpiring kids’ baseball games, and serving as official scorekeeper for the Tipton High School’s basketball and football games. He also served as a Mitchell County Commissioner for 12 years, was a member of the Tipton Lions Club, and Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus, also serving as a state officer. He was also a member of the St. Boniface Catholic Church.

He and Betty enjoyed various activities together – playing cards, dancing the polka and leading the grand march at many weddings, and watching Kansas City Royals baseball games.

In addition to his wife Betty, he was preceded in death by his parents, son Steven in 2015, brothers, Adrian (Ching) and Cyril, and in-laws, Bill (Stella) Mans, Merwyn Pahls, Clarence Schroeder, Bill Ellenz, and Ralph Schmitt.

He is survived by his daughter, Sandra Harder of Salina; sons, Roger and fiancé Linda Batliner of Goddard, Rodney and wife Anne of Beloit, and Byron and wife Barb of Beloit; seven grandchildren, Krista (Doug) Patterson, Jeremy (Kay) Harder, Caleb Palen, Alison Palen, Vincent Palen, Brady Palen, and Blaise Palen; six great grandchildren, Alyssa, Brooke, Jarred, Adalie, Lucas, and Lauren; brother, Nelson and wife Joan of Beloit; sisters-in-law, DiAnna Palen of Osborne, Laurine Schmitt of Tipton, Carolyn (Richard) Schmitt of Cawker City, Eleanor Pahls of Beloit, and Delores (Wendell) Brummer of Downs; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Funeral services will be at 10 AM Wednesday, May 22 at the St. Boniface Catholic Church in Tipton. A rosary service will be at 7 PM, & visitation will be from 5 PM until the rosary service Tuesday, May 21 at the Church. Memorials may be given to the Tipton Schools or the Knights of Columbus.

Toby Jay Leech, 49, passed away May 16, 2019, at his home in Great Bend. He was born on February 9, 1970 at Plainville to Morris and Reva (Sacket) Leech, Jr.

A long time Barton County resident, Toby was a driller for Pickrell Drilling in Great Bend. He liked to do mechanic work and loved 4 wheelers and off roading. He especially loved spending time with his family and friends.

Surviving his passing are his parents of Great Bend; one son, Andrew Taylor of Great Bend; two brothers, Todd Leech and Tyler Leech, both of Great Bend; two sisters, Connie Daniels of Fuita, CO, and Christy Leech of Great Bend; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded by long-time companion, Dorothy Schmidt; one brother, Terry Leech; and two sisters, Cindy Leech and Carla Leech.

There will be no visitation as cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

Memorials are suggested to the Toby Leech Funeral Expense Fund, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Dennis Wayne VanCleave, age 76, died on Friday, May 17, 2019 at his residence in Holcomb, Kansas. He was born on December 28, 1942 the son of Arthur and Mabis Chandler VanCleave.

He was a member of the community since 1977 having moved from Gove County. Dennis was a retired truck driver.

On October 11, 1968 he married Sandra Wilson in Leoti, Kansas. She survives.

Other survivors include:

Two children Todd VanCleave (Shelly) of Tonganoxie, Kansas
Larae Eckhardt (Kevin) of Henderson, Nevada

Six Grandchildren Conner VanCleave of Tonganoxie, Kansas
Wren VanCleave of Tonganoxie, Kansas
Kaila Eckhardt of Henderson, Nevada
Tatum Eckhardt of Henderson, Nevada
Ian Eckhardt of Henderson, Nevada
Evan Eckhardt of Henderson, Nevada

One Brother Bill (Sharon) VanCleave of Bloomfield, Iowa

Two Sisters Shirley Hoksbergen (Kenny) of Grinnell, Iowa
Sandra (Mike) Little of Barnes City, Iowa

He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, SharonHendricks; Two brothers, Dwayne VanCleave, Mike VanCleave; one son, WadeVanCleave.

Private family interment will be held at the Beulah Cemetery, Leoti, Kansas.

Memorials are suggested to Dennis VanCleave Memorial Fund in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, 620 N. Main St. Garden City, Kansas 67846.

Morris F. Leech Jr., 81, passed away May 20, 2019, at Great Bend Health and Rehabilitation Center, Great Bend. He was born March 3, 1938, at Plainville to Morris & Naomi (Cooper) Leech, Sr.

A long time Great Bend resident, Morris was a driller in the oilfield. He like to play dominos, fish and race motorcycles. He loved having family and friend get togethers and BBQ’s.

Survivors include, his former wife, Reva Leech; two sons, Tyler Leech and Todd Leech, both of Great Bend; two daughters, Connie Daniels of Fruita, CO, and Christy Leech of Great Bend; one sister, Kay Seeman of Smith Center; 15 grandchildren; and 10 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; two sons, Terry Leech and Toby Leech; two daughters, Cindy Leech and Carla Leech; and one brother, Dale Leech.

There will be no visitation as cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

Memorials are suggested to the Morris Leech, Jr. Funeral Expense Fund, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Former Goodland, KS resident Wayne Lee Baalman, 59, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 at his home in Sparks, Nevada.

Wayne was born in Newton, Kansas on June 21, 1959 to LeRoy C. and Margaret Ann (Cress) Baalman. The family moved to Goodland that same year. On August 22, 1960, his brother Gerald Lyn Baalman was born at the Boothroy Memorial Hospital in Goodland.

Wayne graduated from Sherman County High School in 1977. Following his high school graduation, Wayne went to NWKTC in the Comtech Department and got his first job in Ft. Bridger, WY.

He married Lynn Kay in 1980 and moved to Salt Lake City, UT. To this union, three children were born; Melissa, Robby and Joshua. He had two other children; Dixie and Davie.

Preceding him in death was his father LeRoy, his brother Gerald, his grandmother Dorothy Cress Sheldon, step grandfather Raymond Sheldon, his grandfather Carl W. Cress and grandparents Fred and Clementine Baalman. He was also preceded in death by 4 uncles; Joe Cress, Larry Baalman, Lyle Baalman, and Larry Laursen; 2 aunts, Ida Baalman Cooper and Nancy Baalman Cooper, as well as one cousin Heather Cress Tilford.

He is survived by his 3 children Melissa Baalman, Robby Baalman and Joshua Baalman all of Salt Lake City, UT; his mother Margaret Baalman of Goodland, KS; 3 grandchildren Sierra, Kalissa and Trestton; aunt Carolyn Laursen of Amarillo, TX, uncle Fred and Karen Cress of Liberal, KS, cousin Melodie J. Cress and daughter Makela of Alba, TX, uncle George Cooper and cousin Stanley and Jolene Cooper of Hays, KS, cousin Richard Desbein of Rockford, IL, cousin Lisa and Charles Altman and sons Alex, and Samie of Broursard, LA, cousin Wade and Malissa Lucas and Emily Laursen of Austin, TX, cousin Terry Cooper and daughter Carol of Grapevine, TX, cousin Randy Copper of Washington, D.C., cousin Sherry Cooper and Ernie Pfifer and family of Ellis, KS, and aunt Nancy Baalman and cousins Dr. Jonathon Baalman and Jennifer Baalman and Casey Stormet and family, all of Wichita, KS, cousin Robert and Marissa Baalman of Pennsylvania, cousin Michelle and Jerrod Tipton and their daughter Khloe, cousin Nicole Baalman, cousin Timothy Baalman all of Stillwater, OK, cousin Tina Baalman of Wisconsin, cousin Cory Baalman and his wife of Missouri, and cousins Jody, Christy and Joel Cress of Rogers, AR.

A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, May 25, 2019 at 10:00 AM MT at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Goodland with Father Joseph Asirvatham officiating. Inurnment will follow in the Goodland Cemetery. A Vigil and Rosary service will be held on Friday, May 24, 2019 at 6:00 PM MT at Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.

Memorials may be designated to the Wayne Baalman Memorial Fund and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.

Online condolences for the family may be left at www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com.

Service arrangements have been entrusted to Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.