Obituaries

Apr 19, 2021

William J. “Bill” Muckenthaler, 82, of St. Marys, passed away Monday, April 19, 2021, at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka.

Bill was born on February 13, 1939, in St. Marys the son of Manuel M. and Bertha A. Stitz Muckenthaler. Graduating from St. Marys High School in 1957, he enlisted in the Navy serving as a communication...

Apr 17, 2021

Silver Lake—Ralph Pfannenstiel, 92, of Silver Lake, passed away on Saturday, April 17, 2021.  Ralph was a resident at Oakley Place in Rossville.  He was born on a farm on March 21, 1929, in Munjor, Kansas, the son of Peter and Mary Korbe Pfannenstiel.  Ralph was a member of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Rossville.

On May...

Apr 13, 2021

Topeka—Arlene Thompson Looker passed away on April 13, 2021, at the University of Kansas Hospital, St. Francis Campus in Topeka.  She was born October 22, 1930, in Delia to Eleanor (Simecka) Thompson and Curtis Thompson.  She graduated from Delia High School in 1948. She spent two years teaching in a rural one-room schoolhouse.

Arlene was a member...

Apr 11, 2021

Joyce E. McCoy, 65, of Topeka, formerly of Piedmont, OK. passed away Sunday, April 11, 2021, at Oakley Place 2 in Topeka.

She was born June 24, 1955, in Topeka, the daughter of Maurice L. and Mary E. (Logan) Gleason.  Joyce grew up in the Dover community and graduated from Mission Valley High School in 1973.

Apr 9, 2021

Marsha D. DeDonder, 74, passed away Friday, April 9, 2021, at her home in St. Marys.

She was born in Corning, the daughter of Gilbert J. and Rosalia E. Broxterman Scott on November 12, 1946.  Marsha graduated from Rossville High School.

Marsha worked in health care for many years.  She later became a para-professional at...

Apr 7, 2021

Philip Theodore Harrison died April 7, 2021, at the age of 19. He was born December 17, 2001, to Kenneth and Melissa Harrison in Bethesda Maryland. He grew up in Hayden Idaho and Leaf River Illinois before moving to St. Mary’s Kansas in 2014 to attend the boarding school at St. Mary’s Academy. He graduated with the class of...

Mar 28, 2021

St. Marys—Jana C. Martin, 78, passed away from terminal brain cancer on Sunday, March 28, 2021, at her daughter’s home in St. Marys.

She was born on December 23, 1942, in Richmond, CA., the daughter of Robert and Dorothy Bissell Gutsche. She was raised in Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma City.  She attended and graduated from St. Scholastica...

Mar 25, 2021

St. Marys—David A. “Dave” Ronsse, 69, passed away late Thursday, March 25, 2021, at Stormont Vail Hospital.

He was born October 24, 1951, at Wamego, the son of Joseph Raymond and Mary Kathleen Ahearn Ronsse.  Dave graduated from St. Marys High School with the class of 1970.  He joined the United States Navy in 1971 and served...

Mar 24, 2021

Pomona—Marjory Jean (Phillips) Langley, 90, passed away Wednesday, March 24, 2021, at Rock Creek of Ottawa.

She was born in Franklin County, Kansas, on December 5, 1930, the daughter of Stanley Cecil and Josephine Elizabeth (Yerkes) Phillips.  Jean graduated from Rantoul High School in 1948.

Jean worked in Bookkeeping and Accounting most of her life....

Mar 22, 2021

Mustang OK—Jodeen M. “Jodi” Jensen, 63, passed away Monday March 22, 2021, from injuries sustained in an auto accident.

Jodi was born January 15, 1958 at Wamego, the daughter of James Joseph “Joe” and Amelia M. Bond Flanagan.  She was raised in the Emmett community and graduated from St. Marys High School in 1976.  She studied accounting...

Mar 18, 2021

Larry Albert Horak, 85, of Mesa, AZ passed away March 18, 2021.  He was born February 22, 1936, in Wyndmere, ND to John J. and Mary Agnes [Motl] Horak.

On September 3, 1956, Larry was married to the love of his life, Frances Elizabeth Braun in Breckinridge, MN, and the two started their life together and raised...

Mar 16, 2021

St. Marys—Becky Anne McKenzie, 85, passed away Tuesday, March 16, 2021, at St. Marys Manor.

She was born June 11, 1935, at Tillamook, OR., the daughter of Ernest and Lavern Dobson Toedtli.  She lived in Oregon until she was 12 years old when she moved to Vancouver, WA.  She lived in Vancouver until moving to St. Marys...

Mar 16, 2021

Rossville---William "Bill" Leon Harris, 82, passed away at his rural Rossville home on March 16, 2021.

Bill was born on February 2, 1939, in Girard, Kansas, to Bud Leon and Florence Ellen (Westhoff) Harris and lived most of his childhood in Hepler, Kansas, except for a few years when his family moved to Weiser, Idaho. He returned...

Mar 11, 2021

Shawnee—Robert B. Hoferer, Jr. died Thursday, March 11, 2021 at his home in Shawnee.

He was born August 27, 1943 the son of Robert B. Hoferer, SR. and Margaret M. Graf Hoferer.  He lived in the Sandy Hook community most of his life.  Bob was a truck driver and farmer.  He married Irina Morozova on November 20,...

Mar 9, 2021

Topeka—Robert Dean Steck, 83, passed away Tuesday, March 9, 2021, at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka.

Robert was born December 4, 1937, in McFarland, the son of the late William Joseph and Margaret Marie (Zeller) Steck. Also, his beloved brother, William Eugene Steck, perished in 1963.

He served in the United States Navy on the...

Mar 6, 2021

Bryna Marie McFarland, 36, a tutor in the grammar school of St. Mary’s Academy, died the night of March 5-6 at her parents’ home in St. Marys.

Miss McFarland’s death was the result of an episode of epilepsy, from which she suffered since childhood. In recent years she had participated in a program at the Medical School...

Mar 1, 2021

Audrey Marie Riat, 84, of St. Marys, passed away Monday, March 1, 2021 at Bridge Haven Memory Care in Lawrence.

Audrey was born on September 14, 1936 in Junction City, the daughter of LaVern Roland and Ethel “Marie” (Norman) Langvardt.  She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Howard L. Langvardt.

Audrey...

Feb 28, 2021

Long Beach California—Donald Patrick “Pat” Ellis,71, passed away Sunday, February 28, 2021 in California.

Pat was born November 12, 1949, at Wamego, the son of Lyman M. and Arlene Philomena (Bernritter) Ellis.  Pat grew up in the Maple Hill and St. Marys communities.  He graduated from St. Marys High School in 1967.  He was a member of...

Feb 26, 2021

Arnold Dale Lietz, 91, of Eskridge, died on February 26. Arnie was born in Paxico on July 26, 1929 to George and Inez Miller Lietz. Arnie moved with his family to Eskridge when he was in high school and he graduated from Eskridge High School in 1949. Two weeks after his graduation, he enlisted in the Navy. Arnie served...

Feb 24, 2021

Topeka—Sharon Isabel Kaufman, 75, passed away Wednesday, February 24, 2021, at her rural Topeka home.

She was born the daughter of Walter and Ruth Jones on May 27, 1945, at Leipsic, OH.  Sharon was raised in Ohio and Indiana.

Sharon was an LPN and worked in the medical field for 27 years.  For many years,...