Obituaries

Apr 12, 2021

Kenneth Eugene Gatlin, 68, the best big brother ever, walked right into heaven on April 12, 2021. We are sorry not to have more days with Kenneth, but he is not sorry to now live in the presence of his Lord. Kenneth was born June 23, 1952, to Calvin and Joyce (Lauritsen) Gatlin and would be the oldest of eight...

Apr 6, 2021

Roy Dean Draper was born July 14th, 1939 in Smith Center, KS, the youngest son of Clyde W. Draper and Velma L. (Nonamaker) Draper. He passed away on April 6th, 2021 at the Rawlins County Health Center in Atwood, KS. Roy grew up on the family farm south of Kensington, KS. He spent most of his summers working for relatives...

Apr 4, 2021

Truman Lee Coffman, 74, of Oakley, died Sunday, April 4, 2021, in Hays, KS. He was born January 12, 1947, in Sullivan County, MO, to Willie and Lenora (Woody) Coffman. After graduating high school, Truman joined the United States Navy. He served on the USS Lexington, in the Gulf of Mexico, for four years. After leaving the Navy, Truman did...

Mar 29, 2021

Mar 27, 2021

Mary Ellen Horton, longtime resident of Atwood, Kansas, died on March 27, 2021, at the Good Samaritan Center. She was born on October 3, 1921, near the Sappa Creek, west of Achilles, in Rawlins County, to Frankie Brown and Josephine (Josey) Raber Brown. Mary Ellen had two older brothers, Robert Clarence and Thomas Raber (Bud) Brown. She graduated from Atwood...

Mar 26, 2021

Victor D. Johnson, age 81, of Lawrence, Kansas, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 26 at KU Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. Victor will be lying in state on Tuesday, March 30, 2021 from 10:00 am ~ 7:30 pm, at Warren-McElwain Mortuary with a Rosary Recitation starting at 5:00 pm. Family will be present from 5:00 pm ~ 7:30...

Mar 21, 2021

JB Cox, 95, of Atwood, died Sunday, March 21, 2021. He was born Sept. 6, 1925, to Ray Ardel and Mary Gertrude (Brown) Cox, in Hill City, KS. He was the fourth of five children, Marvin, Ada Fae (Jerry Bell), Mary Jo (JC Youngblood), and Dorothy (Jack Knudson). They all preceded him in death. JB spent his early childhood on...

Mar 19, 2021

Emery LaVerne Hart, 77, of Grinnell, died Friday, March 19, 2021, at Hays Medical Center. He was born October 21, 1943, in Solomon, KS, to Solomon and Minnie (Seward) Hart. Emery graduated from Hoxie High School in 1962 and attended Fort Hays State University, where he lettered in football and wrestling, graduating in 1967. On August 8, 1965, Emery married...

Mar 19, 2021

Vicki Lynn Cox was born June 16, 1948 in Wray, Colorado, to Beulah and Ron Ashliman of Idalia, Colorado. Vicki’s father, Ron, was a decorated veteran of World War II, and managed a fuel delivery business in the Idalia area. Vicki attended elementary school in Idalia, continuing with school in Denver and Greeley, graduating there in 1966. Older brothers Lance...

Mar 17, 2021

Louise Asbridge, 83, of Oakley, passed away March 17, 2021, at her home. She was born April 3, 1937, in Rural Ellis County, KS, to Leo and Rosa (DeChant) Schoenberger. Louise married Rex Asbridge on December 6, 1957. To this union was born seven children, Kathy (Terry) Dunn, Karen (Bill) William, Herbert Dwayne (deceased), Rex Junior (Mary), Charles, Loretta (DeWayne)...

Mar 17, 2021

Alden “Hank” Ames Olson was born on July 15, 1930 to Ames and Bertha (Bourn) Olson, in Ludell, KS. He passed away on March 17, 2021 at the Good Sam center in Atwood, KS, at the age of 90. He attended the Ludell school until high school. Later he attended Rawlins County High School where he graduated in 1948. Hank...

Mar 13, 2021

Mary Kathryn (Prideaux) Leitner died Saturday, March 13, 2021, at Wheat Haven Home in McDonald, Kansas, at the age of 90. She was born February 1, 1931, the youngest of Henry & Bertha (Threlkel) Prideaux, 17 miles south of Atwood on the Wayne Kuntz farm on the Middle Sappa Creek, site of the famous Cheyenne Indian Battle Ground of April...

Mar 12, 2021

Terry Jay Heinrich, 65, of Oakley, passed away on March 12, 2021, after a courageous battle with cancer. Terry was born in Oakley, Kansas, on June 11, 1955, to Clarence and Claudine (Davenport) Heinrich. Terry was the second of five children and was raised in Grinnell, Kansas. In 1975 Terry married Erin Garrett and to this union they were blessed...

Mar 6, 2021

Richard “Doc” Allen Mather was born January 9, 1945, in Canyon City, Colorado, the son of Charles and Mary (Thomas) Mather. He passed away March 6, 2021, in Colby, KS at the age of 76. Doc grew up on a farm South of Goodland, KS and attended school there until the 11th grade. Doc enjoyed participating in rodeos at a...

Mar 6, 2021

Thomas Lee Sponsel, 82, of Edson, died Saturday, March 6, 2021, at Hays Medical Center. He was born June 13, 1938, in Emporia, KS, to Christopher and Myrtle (Gould) Sponsel. Tom graduated in 1956, from St. Mary’s High School in Bismarck, ND. He served in the Kansas National Guard from 1960-1968 and was a lifetime member of the Colby American...

Mar 6, 2021

Luke Joseph Marintzer, 54, of Victoria, KS, passed away on Saturday, March 6, 2021, at Hays Medical Center. Luke was born in McCook, NE, on May 17, 1966, to Hubert W. and Doris C. (Janousek) Marintzer. Luke was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Herndon, KS. He attended and graduated from the Beamgard Learning Center, in Atwood, KS,...

Mar 3, 2021

Jerry Lee Thomas, 76, of Colby, died Wednesday, March 3, 2021, at Hays Medical Center. He was born June 20, 1944, in Wichita, KS, to Leslie and Alma (Froese) Thomas. Jerry graduated from Medford High School in Medford, OK and then spent 2 years in the United States Army, serving in Vietnam. After his service, he moved to Colby, KS,...

Mar 2, 2021

Clifton (Cliff) Lee Wilson, 56, of Oakley, KS passed away Tuesday, March 2, 2021. He was born April 12, 1964 in Oakley, KS to Frank Jr. “Sonny” and Mary Joanne (Hanna) Wilson. He graduated from Grinnell High School in 1983. Cliff was born and raised south of Campus where he was a cattleman and farmer a great deal of his...

Feb 22, 2021

Linda Roesch, 72, rural Atwood, died Monday, February 22, 2021, at home after a lengthy battle with cancer. Linda Lucille Weed was born December 24, 1948, in Colby, KS, the first daughter of Kenneth and Anna Christena “Chris” (Jensen) Weed. Linda spent her youth growing up in Levant and graduated from Brewster High School in 1966. After graduation, she attended...

Feb 16, 2021

Clara Ann Zimmerman, 84, of Oakley, died Tuesday, February 16, 2021, at the Logan County Hospital, in Oakley. She was born November 14, 1936, to Tony and Gertrude (Fellhoelter) Surmeier, at Angelus, Sheridan County, KS in the home of her grandparents, Henry and Theresa (Schumacher) Fellhoelter. Clara was known as “Sugarplum” to her paternal grandparents, Bill and Clara (Schulte) Surmeier,...