Obituaries

Mar 9, 2025

Billie Luree Bauer Welch, 88, Topeka, KS, formerly Larned, KS, passed away March 9, 2025 in Topeka, KS. She was born June 8, 1936, in Larned, the youngest of three daughters born to Vernon E. and Kathryn M. (Mallow) Bauer.

She was raised in the Radium community and graduated from RHS in 1954. She married Neal E....

Mar 7, 2025

Jetmore  - Peggy J. Hillman, 78, passed away March 7, 2025 at Ascension Living Via Christi Village, Hays.

She was born September 22, 1946 in Dodge City, the daughter of Edward and Ruth Adams Kline.  A lifetime area resident; she was a homemaker, farm wife and an Insurance Associate for Farm Bureau.

She was a...

Mar 7, 2025

Linda LaVern (Spreier) Hardgrove, who lived a life of faith through her words, actions, and art, died peacefully at her Windsor, CO home on March 7, 2025, after a brief illness. She was 80 years old.

Born in Atlantic City, NJ, to LaVern and Lucille Spreier, she and her family returned to western Kansas after WWII, first...

Mar 1, 2025

Jetmore – George N. Muilenburg, 87, passed away March 1, 2025 at Hodgeman County Health Center, Jetmore.

He was born October 25, 1937 in Cedar Vale, KS, the son of Virgil Carl and Grace Metcalf Muilenburg.  A longtime area resident, he was an auto parts man.

He was of the Christian faith and enjoyed racing...

Mar 1, 2025

Larned  - Jay Lawrence Giessel, 69, passed away March 1, 2025 at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, Larned.

He was born April 13, 1955 at Larned; the son of John Jacob and Inez Leona Birzer Giessel.  A lifetime area resident he was a farmer and of the Christian faith, served on the Soil Conservation board, the Golden Valley...

Feb 28, 2025

Nancy Kaye Schmidt, 74, passed away February 28, 2025 at Diversicare of Larned.

Cremation has taken place and no services are planned at this time.

Memorials may be given to Pawnee County Humane Society in care of Beckwith Mortuary, PO Box 477, Larned, Kansas 67550.

Feb 26, 2025

Damon Lynn Rhoades

7/6/1960 – 2/26/2025

After a long and heartbreaking battle with Young Onset Alzheimer's Disease, Damon Lynn Rhoades passed away peacefully at his home in Loveland, Colorado with his wife, Phyllis by his side.

Born July 6, 1960 to Donald and Clema Rhoades in Los Angeles, California. Damon graduated from Fair...

Feb 19, 2025

Rena Mae Stapleton, 80, passed away February 19, 2025 at Stafford County Hospital, Stafford.

She was born August 22, 1944 in Great Bend, the daughter of Joseph Carl and Anna Magdeline Wendel Feist.

A lifetime area resident she was an LPN at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital and later worked in the kitchen at the Welcome...

Feb 17, 2025

Larned  - Emma L. Jones, 97, passed away February 17, 2025 at the Northcrest Living Center, Council Bluffs, Iowa.

She was born November 21, 1927 in Bazine, Kansas; the daughter of Albert and Dorothy Margaret Friebus Tittel.  A lifetime area resident, she worked at Alco in Larned, Kansas for 30 years until her retirement.

She...

Feb 14, 2025

Bruce Dirks passed from this life to the next one on February 14, 2025 at the age of 96.  He was born on January 11, 1929 to Elmer and Alyce Dirks at the Larned hospital.  When he was two years old the family moved to Cimarron KS and farmed there until they returned to Pawnee County in 1942.

Feb 12, 2025

Ruth Marie Robbins, 97, passed away February 12, 2025 at her home in Larned.

She was born April 23, 1927 in Harrison County, Missouri, the daughter of Ray and Mary Rhea Maize Linthacum.

A lifetime area resident, she was a painter, did wallpapering, and also provided end of life care for many family members. She...

Feb 11, 2025

McPherson – Paul Jeffery Picard, 69, passed away February 11, 2025 at McPherson Health and Rehab, McPherson, Kansas.

He was born October 5, 1955 in San Diego, California, the son of Stan and Ruby June Romine Picard.

He lived in Russell before moving to Haviland in 2005 and later moved to McPherson.  Paul was a...

Feb 10, 2025

Vivian Marlene Bennett Nelson, aka GramB, 93, passed away February 10, 2025 at Country Living Home Plus, Larned, surrounded by her family.

She was born December 11, 1931 in Larned, the daughter of William Herold and Madeline Beeth Lange.

A lifetime area resident, she was a school secretary at Garfield and Hillside Elementary for USD...

Feb 9, 2025

Nancy Anne Maskus, known as Meme by those who loved her, passed away February 9, 2025 at Hodgeman County Health Center in Jetmore at the age of 82.

Nancy was born December 7, 1942 in Sterling, Kansas. She was the daughter of John T. and Bethel Briscoe. Nancy attended grade school in Nickerson, Kansas before moving to...

Feb 8, 2025

Florence "Faye" Mostrom, 91, passed away February 8, 2025, at Hodgeman County Health Center, Jetmore, Kansas.  She was born on May 13, 1933 at her family's home in Shiley Township in northwest Pawnee County, Kansas, the daughter of Frank and Gladys (Monroe) Schadel.

Some of her favorite times were growing up with her many cousins who all...

Feb 7, 2025

Dorothy Rae Ellis, 90, of Amarillo, Texas passed from this life on Friday, February 7, 2025.

Dorothy was born on June 4, 1934, in Rockdale, Texas, and grew up in San Antonio. She was the beloved daughter of the late Alma and William Moeller. A graduate of Harlandale High School in 1952, she...

Feb 4, 2025

Jetmore - Bobbie Jean Bradshaw, 86, passed away February 4, 2025 in Roanoke, Texas.

She was born November 11, 1938 in McGehee, AR; the daughter of Abe and Mary Washington Reed.  A longtime area resident, she was a homemaker and farmed alongside her husband for many years. She enjoyed sewing, gardening, cooking, raising chickens, ducks, and cattle....

Feb 1, 2025

Hanston – Beulah Irene Simcox, 90, passed away February 1, 2025 at Hodgeman County Health Center, Jetmore.

She was born August 14, 1934 in Sweetwater, Tx., the daughter of William and Linnie Moore Johnson.

A longtime area resident, living in Colorado and Texas and then moving to Kansas in 1984. She was a bookkeeper.

Jan 31, 2025

Larned  - Betty Joan Roberts, 91, passed away January 31, 2025 at Solaris Healthcare in Pensacola, FL.

She was born June 21, 1933 in Greensburg, the daughter of Guy Antone and Alice Mora Koehn Welsch.  A lifetime area resident she worked in Food Service at USD #502.

She was of the Christian faith; was an...

Jan 29, 2025

Helen Arline Duran, 78, passed away January 29, 2025 at Stormont Vail Health, Topeka.

She was born August 12, 1946 in Missouri, the daughter of Marvin and Nina Paige Haynes. She moved from Topeka to Pratt in March 2008. She married Alvino Nicholas Duran in Topeka. He preceded her in death, April 20, 2017.

Helen...