Category: Obituaries

Gertrud Kirkpatrick

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Private services were held for Gertrud Kirkpatrick, 85, on Friday, May 14, 2021 at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home in Lawrence.

Mrs. Kirkpatrick died Tuesday, May 4, 2021, at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

She was born August 28, 1935, in Munich, Germany, to Heinrich and Berta Wüstinger. She earned her advanced high-school degree Abitur from St. Anna Oberrealschule in Munich in 1954 and her MS degree in mathematics from the University of Munich in 1960.

In 1964, Mrs. Kirkpatrick was hired by the United States Department of Defense to work as a Research Mathematician at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. She continued her career at NCR in Dayton as well as Giesecke & Devrient in Munich before retiring in May 2000. Returning to the United States in 2001, Mrs. Kirkpatrick lived out her final years in Lawrence, Kansas. She had been a naturalized U.S. citizen since April 1970.

She married Harry Brooks Kirkpatrick, Jr. on October 20, 1966. He died on October 5, 1973.

Mrs. Kirkpatrick is survived by her son Conan P. W. Kirkpatrick.

Memorials may be sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home.

Jeanne Betty Heckler

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Jeanne Betty Heckler, 94, passed peacefully in her sleep Thursday morning May 20. Born June 9,1924 in Enid, OK, she was the daughter of Nicholas Waken and Cleava Smith Haunstein.

Betty is survived by 2 sons, Richard Heckler Jr and his wife Beth Anne of Lawrence, Robert Heckler and his wife Alma of Lecompton, 7 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by husband Richard Merrill Heckler Sr., daughter Deborah Massard and grandson Brian Massard.

Graveside service will be 2pm, Friday June 11, 2021 at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Kenneth E. ‘Ken’ Fisher

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Memorial services for Kenneth E. (Ken) Fisher, 93, Lawrence, Kansas will be at 11 am Saturday, May 22nd at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, with the Rev. Jeni Anderson officiating Inurnment will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery with military services provided by the United States Navy and the American Legion Post 14. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Ken died peacefully on May 6, 2020, at Bridge Haven in Lawrence.

Ken was born January 6, 1927, the son of Samuel and Lilias Fisher. He was raised in the Alta Vista, Kansas community. He served 2 years in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war he used the G.I. Bill and secured his first college degree in education from Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina.

His first year of teaching was in a one room school in Morris County, Kansas. He then moved to Council Grove, Kansas and while there for 10 years he was a teacher, a principal, and the Superintendent of the city school system. While in Council Grove he attended Emporia State Teachers College and secured his Master’s degree in Education.

Ken moved to the Lawrence School system in 1961 and was principal of the Sunset Hill Elementary School for 7.5 years; principal of Central Junior High for 2.5 years and Assistant Superintendent for Business and Facilities of the district for 19 years. During his time in Lawrence he secured his Specialist in Education Degree from Kansas University.

He retired from the Lawrence School System in 1990 and then taught Kansas Public School Finance and School Management classes in the Graduate School at K.U. for 5 years. During his 45 years in education he served on many state committees. He was president of the Kansas Association of School Business Officials (KASBO) during the 1981-82 school years and awarded their Distinguished Service Award in 1992. He was on many of the legislative committees of the United School Administrators of Kansas (USA) during the 1970s and 1980s. He also served on many local civic committees in both Council Grove and Lawrence.

Ken was preceded in death by 3 of his four siblings, and by his son Michael. He is survived by his high school sweetheart Helen, his wife for 73 years; his son Kenneth Joel and wife Denise; Mike’s wife Linda; 6 grandchildren, Laben, Jess, Jared, Makayla, Ashley, and Tyler; 4 great grandchildren, Kaden, Connor, Miles, and Wyatt; one step great grandchild, Kylie; and a loving network of extended family and friends.

Ken liked to play golf with his friends. And on special occasions he would write poems about his family and friends, and then read the poems at their gatherings. During the past few years Ken stated several times that he has been a lucky and fortunate person in that he has lived a reasonably long and healthy life; has worked in a vocation which he enjoyed very much; and has been blessed with a good and wonderful family.

The family suggests memorial contributions to the Lawrence Schools Foundation, in care of the funeral home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS, 66044.

Barbara Jean Newton

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Barbara Jean Newton, 88, passed away April 3, 2020, in Hutchinson, KS. She was born July 30, 1931, to Austin and Alice (Blair) Ramsey in Arkansas City. Barbara attended public school there and graduated from the local junior college and later Kansas State University. She married Albert E. Newton of Dexter on October 27, 1950, at her parent’s home. He died May 4, 2019. They taught in several school districts across north central and western Kansas, retiring at Conway Springs in 1985.

During retirement they made their home in rural Arkansas City before embarking on full-time camping in the late 1990-96. Barbara loved to travel, read, tell a joke or funny story to whomever would listen, and quilt. She delighted in making quilts for each grandchild and great-grandchild and great-great-grandson. She and Albert were proud that they had visited each of the 50 states. They moved to Hutchinson in 2006 to be closer to family.

Other survivors include three sons – Chris of Lawrence; Craig (Kristy) of Decatur, TX; Clint (Joann) of Salina; seven grandchildren – Austin and Kevin Newton; Jamie (Mark) Pena and Tyler (Jennifer) Newton; Tonya (Bobby) Lawson, Tina (JD) Grace, and Stacey (Sterling) Montgomery, and two sisters – Marjorie (Fred) Wolf, El Reno, OK; and Betty Smith, Ferndale, Washington. Also surviving are eleven great-grandchildren, a great-great grandson, and a host of nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death was her husband, daughter-in-law, parents, sister, brother, two brothers-in-law and a sister-in-law.

A celebration of Barbara’s life will be held at St. Paul’s Methodist Church in Arkansas City on June 5, 2021, at 11 am and burial at Hope Cemetery at 2 pm near Arkansas City. Cremation has taken place. Memorial contributions can be made to Kansas Retired Teachers, Arkansas City Chapter.

Roma Rae Wisdom

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We all have an appointment with those pearly gates. We weren’t ready but, in true Roma fashion, she showed up early.

Roma Rae Wisdom left us on May 14, 2021. There is quite the reunion going on as she joins her husband, Terry, her brothers Lloyd, Kenneth, Bob, and Larry Whitson, her sister Sophia Howell, and her parents.

She was the youngest of 6 feisty kids brought into this world by Eula and Velmer Whitson. Tragically, Velmer passed when Roma was very small. After a time, along came Walter Parsons. Eula and Walter fell in love and he embraced the whole family.

Roma grew up in Lawrence picked on by her siblings and exploring with her friends. Other than a short time in Iowa when her own kids were young, the Lawrence and Eudora area has always been her home.

Roma’s kids were her pride. Josh Fraser (Molly), Amanda Murtagh, Amelia Murtagh, Josh Wisdom, Amber Garcia (Greg) and Jason Spillman.

Her grandkids were her joy. Chase Fraser (Caitlyn), Kori Fraser, Kasey Fraser, Makenna Wisdom, Madelyn Garcia, and Taylor Spillman. And the greats, Carter, Benjamin, Joshua, and Graysen.

She found herself working for the sanitation dept of Lawrence and worked her way up, making it into the drivers seat of a garbage truck and becoming the first female garbage truck driver in Lawrence. Roma found her calling. If it could haul, she could drive it.

She had an affinity for scratch offs and casinos backed up by an unusual amount of luck and intuition. She could tell you which machine to play and chances are you would win. It was fun to watch.

Roma loved her garden but she loved her dogs more. In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to the Lawrence Humane Society in her honor.

Services for Roma will be Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 2pm at Rumsey Yost Funeral Home 601 Indiana St. Lawrence, KS 66044. We want to hear your stories! Feel free to write a few memories down and bring them with you.

Thomas William (Tom) Graham

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A Graveside service for Thomas Graham, 60, Lawrence will be at 10:30 Thursday May 13th at Oak Hill Cemetery.

Thomas died the morning of Thursday, May 6, 2021 at his home. He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald Joseph Graham and Marilynn Terese Porter Graham and two sisters, Donna Marie Graham Wortman and Eileen Graham Matthews.

He was born on July 5, 1960 in Springfield, Missouri.

Tom spent many years in the food service industry in a variety of managerial positions. He was last employed as an Inventory Manager at Diamond J in Wichita, Kansas.

He was married to Laura Harris on July 10, 1990 in Lawrence, Kansas.

He is survived by his children Isabelle and Kevin Graham and their mother, Laura Graham, all of Lawrence, KS.

Other survivors include three sisters, Mary Kiesling, and her spouse Rob Kiesling and their children, Gage, Drake, Peyton, Carly, and Trey Kiesling all of Columbia, Missouri; Susan Graham Woehrman and her spouse Don Woehrman and their children Kelsey, Trevor, and Claire all of Kearney, Missouri and Marilyn Graham Mayberry and her spouse Brent and their children Carter and Rachael of Olathe, Kansas. Also, Justin Wortman, son of Donna and Greg Wortman of Syracuse, New York and Jay Bernard, son of Donna Wortman of Tucson, Arizona.

Tom really enjoyed collecting a variety of old and unique items. He appreciated history and particularly enjoyed collecting old media, such as records, books, magazines and pamphlets, that gave insight into the past. He enjoyed attending yard sales, estate sales and auctions. He loved all animals and will be missed by his cats, Murphy, Boo, Peanut and Lily.

The family suggests memorials to Visiting Nurses Association Hospice sent in care of the funeral home.

Online condolences may be sent at www.rumsey-yost.com.

Athalie E. (Peggy) Lutz

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Graveside services for Athalie E. Lutz (Peggy), Lawrence will be 10:30 AM Friday May 14, 2021, at Lawrence Memorial Park cemetery.

Athalie died Thursday May 6, 2021 after a short illness at the Homestead of Eudora where she lived for two months.

She was born in Parker, KS the daughter of Timothy and Minnie Ryan on May 5, 1927. She married Harold Leroy Lutz on May 10, 1945. Shortly after, they bought a farm south east of Lawrence and made it their home for 75 years. Farming with husband Harold and raising their 6 children was her life.

Athalie is proceeded in death by her parents, 4 brothers, 3 sisters, husband Harold, daughter Beverly Campbell, son-in-law Gene Roseberry and daughter-in-law Suzanne Lutz.

She is survived by her five remaining children Janice Roseberry, Connie Quinn and husband Melvin Quinn, Jerry Lutz, Sandra Ratzloff and husband Keith, Gayle Lutz and wife Cindy, 13 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren.

Friends may call from noon to 8 pm Thursday at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, a visitation will be from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m.

 

Stanley L. ‘Stan’ Larson

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Memorial services for Stanley “Stan” Larson, 87 Lawrence, will be at 2:00 pm Friday at Immanuel Lutheran Church, with the Rev Randy Weinkauf officiating. A private burial will precede the service at the Powhattan, KS Cemetery. Visitation will be held Thursday from 6-8 pm at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home.

Stan was born January 30, 1934, in Horton, KS, the son of Ludwig and Selma Knudson Larson. He graduated from Atchison County Community High School, and later earned Bachelor and Master degrees from Kansas State University. Stan served his country in the United States Army during the Vietnam War and continued his service to our country in the Kansas National Guard for over 20 years. He retired from military service ranked as a Major. He taught Vocational Agricultural in Troy, KS for four years, and then in Marysville for four years followed by a 30 year career at Lawrence High School. When he retired from teaching, he was executive secretary of the Kansas Polled Hereford Association. As an active partner in Schu-Lar Hereford, LLC. he turned his focus to the breeding and care of the family’s Hereford cattle.

On June 3, 1979, he married Annette Moser Schumann in Lawrence. She survives of the home. Other survivors include two sons, Chris Larson, Lawrence, and Jonathan Larson of Joplin, MO; two stepchildren, Bryce Schumann and wife Gina, Lecompton, Lori Schumann Thomas and husband Robert, Baker City OR; brother, Larry Larson and wife Gloria, Lincoln, NE; sister-in-law; Nancy Larson, Hiawatha; and six grandchildren, Wyatt Schumann (Nicki), Dylan Schumann, Jessye Schumann, Kassidy Schumann, Tyler Thomas (Rachael), and Bryson. He was preceded in death his parents, an infant daughter, Janet Kay; a sister, LaVerne Sternsdorff and two brothers Edward and Delbert Larson.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested, the family is establishing a memorial in Stan’s name for FFA students of the Lawrence School District. Memorial contributions may be sent in care of Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home, 601 Indiana St., Lawrence, KS, 66044. Online condolences may be sent at rumsey-yost.com.

The family asks that those attending wear masks.