Amy Lynn Pyle Briggs, 40, of rural Gove County, died after a brief illness on February 13, 2020, at Gove County Medical Center in Quinter, Kansas.
Amy was born to Mike and Avis Pyle on September 10, 1979, in Kansas City, Missouri, a mere 45 minutes after her parents arrived at the hospital. As Avis noted, “she was always in a hurry, even to her own birth.” Born the third of four children, Amy shared close, loving relationships with her siblings not least because she always had to share a bedroom with one of them. Amy possessed a creative flair that ranged from making Christmas ornaments for friends to painting an entire Christmas village in which she dedicated a building to each member of her family. A determined student and gifted writer, Amy pursued her goal of becoming a journalist, going so far as to skip class in high school to attend a lecture given by one of her heroes, Walter Cronkite, with whom she got her picture taken. Amy read widely and voraciously, a habit that ensured she always carried a book in her purse.
Amy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Journalism from Kansas State University in December 2001, and a Bachelor of Arts in Education cum laude from Fort Hays State University in December 2003. Amy was the beloved wife of Bart, 43, and fiercely devoted mother to Addie, 17, Anna, 15, and Amelia, 10. She embraced rural life and making a warm, loving home for her family on their farm in Gove County, where she raised chickens, produce, and baked goods from the farm’s wheat. Sewing, quilting, scrapbooking and gardening kept her creative knack flourishing.
In addition to her husband, daughters, and parents, Amy is survived by her sister, Dawn (Jesse) Pacheco; brother, Robert (Marissa) Pyle; brother, Jason (Erin) Pyle; and 11 cherished nieces and nephews.
Amy’s family was not the only beneficiary of her many gifts: She shared her passion for rural living with her community as well. Amy was a Master Gardener, having completed Kansas State University Research and Extension’s Master Gardener Program. She spearheaded the revitalization of downtown Quinter through her work as chair of the Farmer’s Market, the creation of the Community Garden, which donated produce to the local food pantry, and her renovation of downtown buildings into usable retail space. Through her work for the Quinter Historical Society, she raised funds and wrote grants in the hopes of moving the historic Quinter Depot to the north side of the Community Garden on Main Street. Additionally, she worked with her local Farm Bureau to create agricultural tours and educational opportunities for local elementary students. She was vice president of the Quinter Chamber of Commerce as well as Gove County’s Food Policy Chair. Amy taught vacation bible school at Gove Community Bible Church for ten years.
While an exhaustive list of all her accomplishments and contributions is too long to enumerate here, her family takes solace in the fact she knew that the secret to having it all was knowing she already did.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Wednesday, February 19, 2020, at Schmitt Funeral Home, Quinter. Services will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday, February 20, 2020, in the Quinter High School gymnasium.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Amy Briggs Memorial Fund (to help with ongoing projects in the Quinter community that were meaningful to Amy.) Donations to the fund may be sent to Schmitt Funeral Home 901 S. Main St. Quinter, KS 67752.
Condolences may be left for the family by visiting schmittfuneral.com