Carolyn Ann (Rietcheck) Gatschet of Hays died April 9, 2026.
Born February 2, 1936, in Sheridan County to John and Rose (Geerdes) Rietcheck, she married Paul A. Gatschet on July 25, 1959, in Seguin, Kansas.
Carolyn was a graduate of Saint Anthony School of Nursing (1959), and she subsequently earned a BSN and a Masters in Administration from Fort Hays State University and a Masters in Nursing from Wichita State University.
She worked as a registered nurse in area hospitals and served as Director of Nursing Service (1972-1975) at Hadley Regional Medical Center. Carolyn joined the FHSU faculty in nursing in 1975, retiring from FHSU in 1997. Later she worked as a registered nurse at Hays Medical Center, retiring in December 2007.
She leaves behind her husband Paul; three sons – Mark, John, and Jacob; and two daughters – Denise Sieben and Ramona Thompson. She has 13 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. She is survived by her sister Phyllis Melenson.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers – Alfred, Elmer, Robert, and Vernon Rietcheck; and by her sister Dorothy Ostmeyer.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church with Fr. Fred Gatschet officiating. Burial will follow in St. Joseph Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday and from 9:00 a.m. until 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday, all at the church.