Obituaries

Linda Ochs Wood, 79 , died Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, at Hays Medical Center.   She was born on March 4, 1941 in Quinter to Henry and Anna (Haffner) Ochs. She was a 1959 graduate of Hoxie High School. She was a certified nurse aid and home...

Raymond Curtis Mader, 55, Russell, died Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, at Hays Medical Center. He was born June 15, 1965, in Emporia to Marvin Eugene and Vicky Sue (Landis) Mader.  He graduated from Russell High School. He married Kristine L Kreier on June 20, 1987, in Russell.  He...

Randall Wayne “Randy” Jordan, Sr., 75, Hays, died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, at Ascension St. John Medical Center, Tulsa, Okla. He was born March 14, 1945, in Cincinnati to Larry and Rose (Gilmore) Jordan.  He was a 1964 graduate of Beason High School, Beason, Ill. He married...

Melvin Francis Sander, 73, died Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, at Hays Medical Center.  He was born Feb., 17, 1947 , in Hays to Mike and Georgene (Wasinger) Sander. He worked at Dan’s Café and Holiday Inn. He enjoyed watching old television shows, especially The Andy Griffith Show and...

Florence Blackie Furgason Wright was born Dec. 16, 1928, in Chelmsford, Mass., to Harold McClellan Blackie and Annette Gaudette Blackie and died Jan. 15, 2021, at Santa Marta in Olathe, Kan.  She grew up on the family dairy farm in Chelmsford, attended Chelmsford High School and...

Janida Murphree, age 90, died at 3:57 am on Sunday, October 25, in her daughter’s home in Middlebury, Vt. She died peacefully, surrounded by family, love, and prayer, after a long decline from Alzheimer’s. Janida and her five children came to Hays in 1967. After gaining...

Robert Paul Koch Jr., 72,  Ogallah, died Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, at Hays Medical Center. He was born Nov. 21, 1948, in Flint, Mich., to Robert Paul and Geraldine (Tarrant) Koch Sr.   He married Lampueng (Miruntia) on  Aug. 27, 1973, in Thailand.  He was a retired...

Herbert Wesley McReynolds, 92, Hays, died Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, at Hays Medical Center. Arrangements are pending at Brock's-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 2509 Vine, Hays, KS 67601.

Melvin Francis Sander, 73, Hays, died Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021, at Hays Medical Center. Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Hays; burial  in St. Joseph Cemetery, Hays. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Brock's-Keithley Funeral Chapel...

Benita Befort, 89, Hays, died Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, at Locust Grove Village, La Crosse. She was born July 17, 1931, in Munjor.  She attended Schoenchen High School. She married Donald J. Befort on Oct. 21, 1953. He preceded her in death. She was a homemaker. She enjoyed being with her children, grandchildren,...

Bradley G. Wallace, 60, rural Tipton, died Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. He was born March 16, 1960, In Hays. He was a dairyman/stockman/farmer. Survivors include his wife, Karen; a son, Matthew Wallace, Wichita; two daughters, Carmen Hoffman, Omaha, Neb., and Roxanne Witt, Chanute; three brothers, Scott Wallace, Dan...

Doren Dean Follis, 91, Hoxie, died Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, at Sheridan County Health Complex. Survivors include his wife, Thelma Irene, of the home; two sons, Eric Follis and Clint Follis; and a daughter, Terry Schirk. He was preceded in death by a son, Elliot Follis in 1977; and a...

Jon Michael Mastin, 73, of Topeka, passed away Sunday, January 17, 2021. He was born February 3, 1947, in Wichita, Kansas, the son of William M. and Vinta O. (McDaniel) Mastin. He received a master's degree in education from Fort Hays State University. Jon taught in Salina,...

Patsy Aliece Kirby died peacefully on January 14, 2021 in her home in Sherman, TX. Patsy Aliece, affectionately known as "Gran", was born on October 15, 1932 in the Red Oak Flat community of Cherokee County, Texas in the home of Doctor Butler and Finis B....

Marianne (Thies) Kleiber entered into the fullness of Eternal life on January 10, 2021.  Marianne was born on June 24, 1927 in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. She was a devout Catholic, who prayed and attended mass regularly at St. Joseph’s in Hays, Kansas and Immaculate Conception of Dardenne Prairie...

Russell “Rusty” Jay McDowell, 66, died Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita. Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Plainville; burial in St. Severin Cemetery. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home,  Plainville. A...

Iris June Chestnut, 83, died Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, at her home in Brighton, Colo. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, Phillipsburg; burial in Marvin Cemetery, Glade  Services will be streamed live on the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel Facebook page.   She will...

Dawn Bogart , 53,  Phillipsburg, died Tuesday, Jan. 19,  2021, at her home. She was born Nov. 16, 1967, in New London, Conn., to Jerald G. and Laura Ann (Belgrade) Johnson. She married Rick Bogart on July 16, 1997, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo.   Survivors include...

Alice Denk, 82, McPherson, died Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, at Bethany Home, Lindsborg. Arrangements are pending at Stinemetz Funeral Home, Hill City.

Wilma Marline (Powell) Gleason, 89, died Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, at Via Christi Village, Hays. She was born Dec. 22, 1931, in Cheyenne County to Ed and Millie (Weaver) Powell.  She grew up on the family farm southwest of Bird City. She married Clyde Gleason on Aug....

Don M. Palmer, 76, of Topeka, passed away Monday, January 18, 2021. He was born May 12, 1944, in Great Bend, Kansas, the son of Harold and Edith (Hunsley) Palmer. He was a 1962 graduate of Hays High School, a 1969 graduate of Fort Hays State...

George Dick Hess, 92, of McPherson, KS, passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 16, 2021, at McPherson Hospital. Dick was an oil producer and retired president of Hess Oil Co., McPherson. Dick was born December 19, 1928, in Blackwell, OK, the son of George Reiser and...

Jeremy David Carder “Smurf", 45, Hoxie, died Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, at Sheridan County Health Complex, Hoxie. He was born  July 8, 1975, in Hoxie to Ross Edward and Marilyn Joyce (Weeks) Carder. He married Jaclyn “Jackie”(Pickhinke) Carder on Oct. 28, 2006, in Hoxie. He was a...

Mary Ann Goetz, 68, formerly of Hays, died Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, in Aurora, Colo.   She was born April 18, 1952, in Kansas to Julius Francis and Mary Kay (VonFeldt) Goetz.  She attended Hays High School and raised her family in Colorado. She worked in accounts payable.    Survivors...

Robert Ward Blecha, 51, died Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, at his home near Garfield. He was born May 13, 1969, in Belleville to Robert E. and Marilyn S. (Johnson) Blecha. He was a 1987 graduate of Hays High School and graduated from Kansas Law Enforcement Training Academy...

Carol J. Griffith, 84, Hays, died Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, at Hays Medical Center. She was born Nov. 16, 1936, in Sioux falls, S.D., to Kenneth D. and Joy (Daely) Moon. She was a 1954 graduate of Paseo High School and moved to Hays in 1991,...

Victor Fisher, 95, Hays, died Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021, at Hays Medical Center. He was born Dec. 17, 1925, in Hyacinth. He graduated from Grosser School. He married Lillian Schmeidler on Oct. 12, 1949 and they recently celebrated 71 years of marriage. He was a lifelong resident of Hays....

Wilma Gleason, 89,  Hays, died Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021, at Via Christi Village, Hays. Arrangements are pending at Brock's-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 2509 Vine, Hays, KS 67601.

Edna (Schuster) McClellan McKown, 89, Philllipsburg, died Sunday,  Jan. 17, 2021, at  Phillips County Retirement Center. She was born Feb. 26, 1931, in Phillipsburg, to Leonard and Minnie (Karstens) Schuster. Survivors include her a son, Jim, Liberal; three daughters, Sherry Levendofsky,  Timnath, Colo., Judy Mille, Lake View,...

David Wanker, 77, died Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021, of Covid-19 at Fort Dodge Soldier's Home in Dodge City, He was born March 7, 1944, in WaKeeney to Gernald Mertis and Pauline Gladys (Close) Wanker. He graduated from Trego Community High School and attended Fort Hays State University. He...