Velma Mona Garvert passed into her heavenly home on June 25, 2022, at the
 Silverleaf Group Home in Plano, Texas, at the age of 91. She was born on
 November 3, 1930, in Palco, Kansas, to Frank and Elizabeth (Desmarteau) 
Marcotte. Velma was united in marriage to Donald Garvert and the couple 
was blessed with six children: Terrance (Terry), Mark, Randall (Randy), 
Donna, Roger, and Kay.
 Velma grew up in Rooks County where she graduated from Palco High 
School in 1948. Following high school she entered the workforce for a 
short stent at the Stockton Bank. She met and later married Donald 
Garvert on October 12, 1953, in Plainville at the catholic church and the
 couple moved to Fort Riley and Georgia before returning to Rooks County
 after Donald’s honorable military discharge. Velma had a competitive 
side, she enjoyed golf, entering her baked goods in competitions, any 
activity with her kids or grandchildren as well as rooting for the 
K-State sports. She loved to polka dance and later in her life she 
picked up painting and writing poetry and became very accomplished with 
her Christmas Card creations that were worthy of being on a Hallmark 
shelf. It was known by her friends and family, Velma was the life of the
 party. She would show up with a contagious smile and ready for a little
 mischief. Above all she was firm in her beliefs and raised up her 
children in a Godly home. She belonged to the Sacred Heart Church of 
Plainville, belonged to the D of I, and became a member of the St. 
Francis of Assisi when she moved to Texas in 2011. 
 Velma’s beauty and warmth radiated so brightly from her heart to 
everyone she met. She will be remembered for her tender care, her smile
 as bright as sunshine, and always there to help when needed. Her 
beautiful spirit will endure forever. We mourn the years that she will 
not have and we celebrate the time that was hers and the life that she 
lived. 
 She is survived by her children, Terrance (Linda) Garvert of 
Plymouth, MN, Mark (Sharon) Garvert of Olathe, KS, Randall (Janet) 
Garvert of Broomfield, CO, Donna Ruder of Frisco, TX, Roger (Anita) 
Garvert of Naperville, IL, Kay (Kevin) Czerwinski of Plover, WI; 
thirteen grandchildren, Brooks Garvert, Remington Garvert, Marissa Bunn,
 Mary Finkbone, Katy Czerwinski, Brannon Garvert, Meg Garvert, Cheyenne 
Garvert, Lindsay Kershner, Bryanne Keblis, Anthony Garvert, Jessica Day,
 Stacie Shea; and seven great-grandchildren, Pippa, Colby, Brodie, 
Charlie, Ronald, Cecilia, and Vincent.
 Velma is preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Elizabeth 
Marcotte; husband, Donald Garvert; siblings, Henry Marcotte, Elsie 
Arpin, Adelore Marcotte; and son-in-law, Ron Ruder.
 A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, July 1, 2022, at 
the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Plainville at 10:30 AM. Visitation 
will be on Thursday from 2 PM until 8 PM with a Vigil Service and Rosary
 starting at 7PM at the funeral home.
 Memorials are suggested to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church or the 
Sacred Heart Catholic Grade School and may be sent in care of 
Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 320 SW 2nd St., Plainville, KS 67663.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656347571339.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Velma Mona Garvert passed into her heavenly home on June 25, 2022, at the
 Silverleaf Group Home in Plano, Texas, at the age of 91. She was born on
 November 3, 1930, in Palco, Kansas, to Frank and Elizabeth (Desmarteau) 
Marcotte. Velma was united in marriage to Donald Garvert and the couple 
was blessed with six children: Terrance (Terry), Mark, Randall (Randy), 
Donna, Roger, and Kay.
 Velma grew up in Rooks County where she graduated from Palco High 
School in 1948. Following high school she entered the workforce for a 
short stent at the Stockton Bank. She met and later married Donald 
Garvert on October 12, 1953, in Plainville at the catholic church and the
 couple moved to Fort Riley and Georgia before returning to Rooks County
 after Donald’s honorable military discharge. Velma had a competitive 
side, she enjoyed golf, entering her baked goods in competitions, any 
activity with her kids or grandchildren as well as rooting for the 
K-State sports. She loved to polka dance and later in her life she 
picked up painting and writing poetry and became very accomplished with 
her Christmas Card creations that were worthy of being on a Hallmark 
shelf. It was known by her friends and family, Velma was the life of the
 party. She would show up with a contagious smile and ready for a little
 mischief. Above all she was firm in her beliefs and raised up her 
children in a Godly home. She belonged to the Sacred Heart Church of 
Plainville, belonged to the D of I, and became a member of the St. 
Francis of Assisi when she moved to Texas in 2011. 
 Velma’s beauty and warmth radiated so brightly from her heart to 
everyone she met. She will be remembered for her tender care, her smile
 as bright as sunshine, and always there to help when needed. Her 
beautiful spirit will endure forever. We mourn the years that she will 
not have and we celebrate the time that was hers and the life that she 
lived. 
 She is survived by her children, Terrance (Linda) Garvert of 
Plymouth, MN, Mark (Sharon) Garvert of Olathe, KS, Randall (Janet) 
Garvert of Broomfield, CO, Donna Ruder of Frisco, TX, Roger (Anita) 
Garvert of Naperville, IL, Kay (Kevin) Czerwinski of Plover, WI; 
thirteen grandchildren, Brooks Garvert, Remington Garvert, Marissa Bunn,
 Mary Finkbone, Katy Czerwinski, Brannon Garvert, Meg Garvert, Cheyenne 
Garvert, Lindsay Kershner, Bryanne Keblis, Anthony Garvert, Jessica Day,
 Stacie Shea; and seven great-grandchildren, Pippa, Colby, Brodie, 
Charlie, Ronald, Cecilia, and Vincent.
 Velma is preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Elizabeth 
Marcotte; husband, Donald Garvert; siblings, Henry Marcotte, Elsie 
Arpin, Adelore Marcotte; and son-in-law, Ron Ruder.
 A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, July 1, 2022, at 
the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Plainville at 10:30 AM. Visitation 
will be on Thursday from 2 PM until 8 PM with a Vigil Service and Rosary
 starting at 7PM at the funeral home.
 Memorials are suggested to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church or the 
Sacred Heart Catholic Grade School and may be sent in care of 
Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 320 SW 2nd St., Plainville, KS 67663.&nbsp;

Velma Mona Garvert

Betty J. Nickols passed away Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at Citizens 
Medical Center in Colby, KS, at the age of 91. She was born October 28, 
1930, in Rexford, KS to Walter Leroy Keefer &amp; Nellie Lois (Wilcox) 
Keefer.
 Betty was born and raised in Rexford, where she attended Rexford 
Consolidated Schools through her freshman year and transferred to 
Decatur Community High School in Oberlin, KS, to graduate there in 1948.
 She took "normal training" in H.S. to prepare her to further her 
education at Fort Hays State University (formerly known as Fort Hays 
Teacher College) earning her teacher certification.
 On March 13, 1949, Betty was united in marriage to Joel T. Nickols 
at the home of Betty’s parents on the farm just outside Rexford. A 
daughter, Debbie and son, Tom were born to their union. They later took a
 foster daughter, Renee, who quickly became part of the family. 
 Betty taught school for two years before her children were born and 
went back to that profession periodically through her life when there 
was a need. At the age of 72 she taught her last full-time year in the 
Golden Plains music department.
 She also worked many years with Pioneer Girls Clubs where she 
traveled first as Regional Representative and later, 11½ states as South
 Central Area Director. Her job was to help churches begin the girls’ 
club programs and to conduct ladies training seminars across those 
states as well as supervise camping programs in CO, MO, AZ &amp; TX. She
 directed two of those camps in MO &amp; CO, building many lifetime 
friendships in the process.
 During this time, Betty &amp; husband, Joel, purchased the big red 
barn on Rexford Main Street for her to use as an office and fun place 
for family gatherings. They were soon approached about using the 
building as a Senior Citizen Center, and it became a dual-purpose 
facility. Seniors In Action, Inc. with Betty as Director, became the 
third Center in Thomas County to be partially funded by mill levy. One 
of the first groups to be formed within this organization was the Red 
Barn Gang with Betty at the piano, and this popular kitchen band 
continued to travel and entertain until her health no longer permitted.
 In 1983, Betty became part of the founding board of Shepherd’s 
Staff, with headquarters in her hometown of Rexford. She served with 
them as Executive Director until March of 2004 when she left them to 
form Second Chance @ Life. This is where she served until her death in 
the ministry of Christian counsel &amp; encouragement to a wide circle 
of hurting people.
 Betty was a member of Rexford Community Church and served in many 
capacities there through the years. Her interests centered around her 
family, her church, her music, and her many friends.
 Survivors include a brother Bob Keefer and wife, Opal, of Colorado 
Springs, CO; her children Debbie, of Budd Lake, NJ; Tom &amp; wife, 
Vicki, of Colby, KS; Foster daughter Renee &amp; husband, Peter, of 
Palisade, CO; Grandchildren: Aubrey (Nickols) Hodges and husband, Brian,
 of Rexford, KS; Joey Nickols and wife, Jill, of Colby, KS; Tahverle 
Carroll and husband, Logan, of Denver, CO; Great- granddaughter, Ainsley
 Dawn, of Colby, Great-grandson, Landon Thomas of Colby, 
Great-granddaughter, Blakely, and great grandson, Rip, of Denver; 
nieces: Daria (Wilson) McClung, Anne (Monte) Antisdale, and Cynthia 
(Butch) Eversole– and a host of friends whom she loved. Betty was 
preceded in death by her parents, her beloved husband, Joel and infant 
Great-granddaughter Addison Dawn Nickols.
 Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at the 
United Methodist Church of Colby at 10:00 AM. Visitation will be 
Monday, June 27, 2022 at the church from 5:00-7:00 PM. Burial in 
Rexford Cemetery.

 Memorial Contributions may be made to the Betty 
Nickols Memorial Fund.  Condolence can be left at www.paulsfh.com.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656082011410.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Betty J. Nickols passed away Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at Citizens 
Medical Center in Colby, KS, at the age of 91. She was born October 28, 
1930, in Rexford, KS to Walter Leroy Keefer &amp; Nellie Lois (Wilcox) 
Keefer.
 Betty was born and raised in Rexford, where she attended Rexford 
Consolidated Schools through her freshman year and transferred to 
Decatur Community High School in Oberlin, KS, to graduate there in 1948.
 She took "normal training" in H.S. to prepare her to further her 
education at Fort Hays State University (formerly known as Fort Hays 
Teacher College) earning her teacher certification.
 On March 13, 1949, Betty was united in marriage to Joel T. Nickols 
at the home of Betty’s parents on the farm just outside Rexford. A 
daughter, Debbie and son, Tom were born to their union. They later took a
 foster daughter, Renee, who quickly became part of the family. 
 Betty taught school for two years before her children were born and 
went back to that profession periodically through her life when there 
was a need. At the age of 72 she taught her last full-time year in the 
Golden Plains music department.
 She also worked many years with Pioneer Girls Clubs where she 
traveled first as Regional Representative and later, 11½ states as South
 Central Area Director. Her job was to help churches begin the girls’ 
club programs and to conduct ladies training seminars across those 
states as well as supervise camping programs in CO, MO, AZ &amp; TX. She
 directed two of those camps in MO &amp; CO, building many lifetime 
friendships in the process.
 During this time, Betty &amp; husband, Joel, purchased the big red 
barn on Rexford Main Street for her to use as an office and fun place 
for family gatherings. They were soon approached about using the 
building as a Senior Citizen Center, and it became a dual-purpose 
facility. Seniors In Action, Inc. with Betty as Director, became the 
third Center in Thomas County to be partially funded by mill levy. One 
of the first groups to be formed within this organization was the Red 
Barn Gang with Betty at the piano, and this popular kitchen band 
continued to travel and entertain until her health no longer permitted.
 In 1983, Betty became part of the founding board of Shepherd’s 
Staff, with headquarters in her hometown of Rexford. She served with 
them as Executive Director until March of 2004 when she left them to 
form Second Chance @ Life. This is where she served until her death in 
the ministry of Christian counsel &amp; encouragement to a wide circle 
of hurting people.
 Betty was a member of Rexford Community Church and served in many 
capacities there through the years. Her interests centered around her 
family, her church, her music, and her many friends.
 Survivors include a brother Bob Keefer and wife, Opal, of Colorado 
Springs, CO; her children Debbie, of Budd Lake, NJ; Tom &amp; wife, 
Vicki, of Colby, KS; Foster daughter Renee &amp; husband, Peter, of 
Palisade, CO; Grandchildren: Aubrey (Nickols) Hodges and husband, Brian,
 of Rexford, KS; Joey Nickols and wife, Jill, of Colby, KS; Tahverle 
Carroll and husband, Logan, of Denver, CO; Great- granddaughter, Ainsley
 Dawn, of Colby, Great-grandson, Landon Thomas of Colby, 
Great-granddaughter, Blakely, and great grandson, Rip, of Denver; 
nieces: Daria (Wilson) McClung, Anne (Monte) Antisdale, and Cynthia 
(Butch) Eversole– and a host of friends whom she loved. Betty was 
preceded in death by her parents, her beloved husband, Joel and infant 
Great-granddaughter Addison Dawn Nickols.
 Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at the 
United Methodist Church of Colby at 10:00 AM. Visitation will be 
Monday, June 27, 2022 at the church from 5:00-7:00 PM. Burial in 
Rexford Cemetery. Memorial Contributions may be made to the Betty 
Nickols Memorial Fund. Condolence can be left at www.paulsfh.com.&nbsp;

Betty J. Nickols

Debbie Ann (Sander) Wallace passed away on June 22, 2022, at the young 
age of 52 after her battle with cancer in Hays, Kansas. She was born to 
Delbert and Rita (Baxter) Sander on October 22, 1969, in Plainville, 
Kansas. She was blessed with three children: Deven, Dylan, and Dayton.
 Debbie grew up in Stockton where she graduated with the class of 
1988. She then furthered her education at Manhattan Vo Tech and was a 
member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. She went to work for KDOT as an 
engineering recruiter and worked there until her untimely passing. She 
was a proud and involved mother to her three children and was always 
supporting them in whatever venture they wanted to pursue. Debbie 
enjoyed time with her friends, family, her boyfriend Jeff Albert and his
 grandkids. She loved adventures with Jeff and her friends; spending 
time outside, attending K-State football games or looking for new places
 to eat. Debbie spent time at home perfecting her no-bake cookies and 
French toast recipes, while watching movies (particularly Hallmark), and
 loving on her dogs.
 She was a devoted follower of Christ and through the hardest times 
she would lean further into her faith with daily devotionals, bible 
study, and prayer. Her unwavering faith and will to live for her friends
 and family was unmatched. May we take every day as a blessing, learn to
 cherish the ties that bind and the time we have with the people we 
love.
 Left to cherish her memory are her parents, Delbert and Rita Sander 
of Stockton; children, Deven Wallace of Overland Park, Dylan Wallace of 
Manhattan and Dayton Wallace of Plainville; brother, Doug Sander (Mikki)
 of Olathe and sister, Danette Kerns (Butch) of Plainville.
 A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, June 25, 2022, at 2 PM 
at the United Methodist Church in Plainville. Visitation will be held on
 Friday from 5 PM until 8PM at the funeral home with family receiving 
friends from 5 PM until 6 PM.
 Memorials are suggested to the Debbie Wallace Children’s Education 
Fund and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 320 SW 
2nd St., Plainville, KS 67663.

Online condolences can be left for the 
family at www.plumeroverlease.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656081898223.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Debbie Ann (Sander) Wallace passed away on June 22, 2022, at the young 
age of 52 after her battle with cancer in Hays, Kansas. She was born to 
Delbert and Rita (Baxter) Sander on October 22, 1969, in Plainville, 
Kansas. She was blessed with three children: Deven, Dylan, and Dayton.
 Debbie grew up in Stockton where she graduated with the class of 
1988. She then furthered her education at Manhattan Vo Tech and was a 
member of the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority. She went to work for KDOT as an 
engineering recruiter and worked there until her untimely passing. She 
was a proud and involved mother to her three children and was always 
supporting them in whatever venture they wanted to pursue. Debbie 
enjoyed time with her friends, family, her boyfriend Jeff Albert and his
 grandkids. She loved adventures with Jeff and her friends; spending 
time outside, attending K-State football games or looking for new places
 to eat. Debbie spent time at home perfecting her no-bake cookies and 
French toast recipes, while watching movies (particularly Hallmark), and
 loving on her dogs.
 She was a devoted follower of Christ and through the hardest times 
she would lean further into her faith with daily devotionals, bible 
study, and prayer. Her unwavering faith and will to live for her friends
 and family was unmatched. May we take every day as a blessing, learn to
 cherish the ties that bind and the time we have with the people we 
love.
 Left to cherish her memory are her parents, Delbert and Rita Sander 
of Stockton; children, Deven Wallace of Overland Park, Dylan Wallace of 
Manhattan and Dayton Wallace of Plainville; brother, Doug Sander (Mikki)
 of Olathe and sister, Danette Kerns (Butch) of Plainville.
 A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, June 25, 2022, at 2 PM 
at the United Methodist Church in Plainville. Visitation will be held on
 Friday from 5 PM until 8PM at the funeral home with family receiving 
friends from 5 PM until 6 PM.
 Memorials are suggested to the Debbie Wallace Children’s Education 
Fund and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 320 SW 
2nd St., Plainville, KS 67663. Online condolences can be left for the 
family at www.plumeroverlease.com.

Debbie Ann (Sander) Wallace

WASHINGTON — National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins today released her statutorily mandated <a href="http://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/ObjectivesReport2023">midyear report to Congress</a>.
 The report expresses concern about continuing delays in the processing 
of paper-filed tax returns and the consequent impact on taxpayer 
refunds. At the end of May, the agency had a backlog of 21.3 million 
unprocessed paper tax returns, an increase of 1.3 million over the same 
time last year.

"The IRS has said it is aiming to crush the backlogged inventory this
 year, and I hope it succeeds," Collins wrote. "Unfortunately, at this 
point the backlog is still crushing the IRS, its employees, and most 
importantly, taxpayers. As such, the agency is continuing to explore 
additional processing strategies."

The report points out that the significant majority of individual 
taxpayers receive refunds. "At the end of the day, a typical taxpayer 
cares most about receiving his or her refund timely," Collins wrote. 
"Particularly for lower income taxpayers who receive Earned Income Tax 
Credit benefits, tax refunds may constitute a significant percentage of 
their household income for the year. Thus, these processing delays are 
creating unprecedented financial difficulties for millions of taxpayers 
and outright hardships for many."

Among business taxpayers, many have been waiting extended periods to 
receive Employee Tax Retention Credits for which they are eligible, in 
addition to their regular refunds.

Key taxpayer challenges this year have included return processing 
delays, correspondence processing delays, and difficulty reaching the 
IRS by phone.

More than 90% of individual income taxpayers e-file their returns, 
yet last year, about 17 million taxpayers filed their returns on paper. 
Some choose to file on paper. Some have no choice because they encounter
 e-filing barriers, such as when they are required to file a tax form or
 schedule the IRS cannot accept electronically. Before the pandemic, the
 IRS typically delivered refunds to paper-filers within four to six 
weeks. Over the past year, refund delays on paper-filed returns have 
generally exceeded six months, with delays of 10 months or more common 
for many taxpayers.

The report says the IRS has failed to make progress in eliminating 
its paper backlog because "its pace of processing paper tax returns has 
not kept up with new receipts." During the month of May, the IRS 
processed an average of about 205,000 individual income tax returns 
(Forms 1040) per week. Its Form 1040 backlog at the end of May stood at 
8.2 million, with millions more paper tax returns not yet classified or 
expected to arrive before the extended filing deadline of October 15. 
The report says the IRS would have to process well over 500,000 Forms 
1040 per week – more than double its current pace – to eliminate the 
backlog this year. "The math is daunting," the report says.

The IRS has publicly committed to reducing its paper tax return 
backlog to a "healthy" level by the end of the year, but it has not 
provided a definition of "healthy." "Historically, the IRS has paid 
refunds resulting from paper-filed returns within four to six weeks," 
Collins wrote. "From a taxpayer perspective, returning to a 
four-to-six-week refund delivery period is a reasonable definition of 
'healthy.'"

Largely because of the likelihood that the IRS will carry a large 
inventory of unprocessed paper tax returns into the 2023 filing season, 
Collins issued a Taxpayer Advocate Directive (TAD) in March directing 
the IRS to implement 2-D barcoding or other scanning technology to 
automate the transcription of paper tax returns. "Today, the digits on 
every paper return must be manually keystroked into IRS systems by an 
employee," Collins wrote. "In the year 2022, that doesn't just seem crazy. It is crazy." The IRS's response to the TAD is due on June 27, 2022.

The report credits the IRS with taking recent steps to address the 
backlog but notes "missed opportunities" to have acted earlier. "The 
IRS's paper processing delays were evident more than a year ago, and the
 IRS could have addressed them more aggressively at that time," Collins 
wrote. "Had the IRS taken steps a year ago to reassign current employees
 to processing functions, it could have reduced the inventory backlog 
carried into this filing season and accelerated the payment of refunds 
to millions of taxpayers. Had the IRS implemented 2-D barcoding, optical
 character recognition or similar technology in time for the 2022 filing
 season, it could have reduced the need for employees to engage in the 
highly manual task of transcribing paper tax returns. Had the IRS 
quickly used some of the $1.5 billion of additional funds provided by 
the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which was enacted 15 months
 ago, to hire and train additional employees, it could have worked 
through the backlog, answered more taxpayer telephone calls and 
otherwise improved taxpayer service."

At the end of May 2021, the IRS had an additional 15.8 million 
returns that had been suspended during processing and required manual 
review by IRS employees. The suspended returns consisted largely 
of&nbsp;e-filed returns on which taxpayers claimed Recovery Rebate Credit 
amounts that differed from the allowable amounts shown on IRS records. 
As of May 2022, the IRS had reduced the number of suspended returns to 
5.4 million.&nbsp;The report credits the IRS with developing procedures to 
reduce delays among suspended returns, in part by automating the review 
process. However, e-filed returns suspended during processing did not 
generally result in extended refund delays.&nbsp;By contrast, unprocessed 
paper-filed tax returns have resulted in refund delays of six to 10 
months or longer.

When a taxpayer receives a notice and is requested to respond or 
chooses to respond, the taxpayer must generally do so by mail. Through 
May 21, the IRS processed 5million taxpayer responses to proposed 
adjustments. It took an average of 251 days to do so – more than eight 
months. That is more than triple the processing time of 74 days in 
fiscal year 2019, the most recent pre-pandemic year. "When a math error 
or similar notice is generated in connection with a paper-filed tax 
return," the report says, "the combination of the return processing 
delay and the correspondence processing delay may mean that the taxpayer
 must wait well over a year to get the issue resolved and receive the 
refund due."

There are currently over 336,000 taxpayers who could not file their 
returns or receive their refunds because identity thieves had already 
filed a return using their identifying information. These taxpayers must
 submit affidavits and other documentation to substantiate their 
identities. They now generally must wait at least a year to receive 
their refunds. The IRS website states: "[D]ue to extenuating 
circumstances caused by the pandemic our identity theft inventories have
 increased and on average it is taking about 360 days to resolve 
identity theft cases."

During the 2022 filing season, the IRS received about 73 million 
telephone calls. Only one out of 10 calls reached an IRS employee. 
Compared with the 2021 filing season, IRS employees answered less than 
half as many calls, but the percentage of calls answered remained about 
the same because they also received less than half as many calls. The 
time the average taxpayer spent waiting on hold rose from 20 minutes to 
29 minutes. A comparison of telephone service during the 2021 and 2022 
filing seasons is shown in Figure 2.

"The combination of more than 21 million unprocessed paper tax 
returns, more than 14 million math error notices, eight-month backlogs 
in processing taxpayer correspondence, and extraordinary difficulty 
reaching the IRS by phone made this filing season particularly 
challenging," Collins wrote.

As required by law, the Advocate's report identifies TAS's key 
objectives for the upcoming fiscal year. The report describes 14 
systemic advocacy objectives, six case advocacy and other business 
objectives, and three research objectives. In light of the challenges 
taxpayers have been facing over the last two years, Collins wrote that 
TAS will be placing heavy emphasis on working with the IRS to improve 
the processing of tax returns and taxpayer service generally. Among the 
objectives the report identifies are the following:

IRS Responses to National Taxpayer Advocate Administrative Recommendations

The National Taxpayer Advocate is required by statute to submit a 
year-end report to Congress that, among other things, makes 
administrative recommendations to resolve taxpayer problems. 
Section&nbsp;7803(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code authorizes the National 
Taxpayer Advocate to submit administrative recommendations to the 
Commissioner and requires the IRS to respond within three months. Under 
this authority, the National Taxpayer Advocate annually transmits to the
 Commissioner all administrative recommendations proposed in her 
year-end report for response.

The National Taxpayer Advocate made 88 administrative recommendations
 in her 2021 year-end report and then submitted them to the Commissioner
 for response. The IRS has agreed to implement 61 (or 69%) of the 
recommendations in full or in part.

The IRS's responses are published on the TAS website at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/arc-recommendations-tracker/">National Taxpayer Advocate’s Annual Report to Congress Tracker</a>.

The National Taxpayer Advocate is required by statute to submit two 
annual reports to the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate 
Committee on Finance. The statute requires these reports to be submitted
 directly to the Committees without any prior review or comment from the
 Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the Secretary of the Treasury, the 
IRS Oversight Board, any other officer or employee of the Department of 
the Treasury, or the Office of Management and Budget. The first report 
must identify the objectives of the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate for 
the fiscal year beginning in that calendar year. The second report must 
include a discussion of the ten most serious problems encountered by 
taxpayers, identify the ten tax issues most frequently litigated in the 
courts, and make administrative and legislative recommendations to 
resolve taxpayer problems.

The National Taxpayer Advocate blogs about key issues in tax administration. Visit <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/contact-us/subscribe-to-tas/">TAS Subscriptions</a> to subscribe. Past blogs from the National Taxpayer Advocate can be found at <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/taxnews-information/blogs-nta/">Most Recent NTA Blogs</a>. For media inquiries, please contact TAS Media Relations at <a href="mailto:TAS.media@irs.gov">tas.media@irs.gov</a> or call the media line at <a href="tel:202-317-6802">202-317-6802</a>.

The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is an independent organization
 within the IRS that helps taxpayers and protects taxpayer rights. The 
local taxpayer advocate's number is in local directories and at <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/contact-us/">Contact Us</a>. Taxpayers can also call TAS toll-free at <a href="tel:877-777-4778">877-777-4778</a>.
 TAS can help those who need assistance in resolving an IRS problem, if 
the problem is causing financial difficulty, or those who believe an IRS
 system or procedure isn't working as it should. This service is free. <a href="http://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/">We're your voice</a> at the IRS has more information about TAS and taxpayer rights under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Get updates on tax topics at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YourVoiceAtIRS">facebook.com/YourVoiceAtIRS</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/YourVoiceAtIRS">Twitter.com/YourVoiceatIRS</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/tasnta">YouTube.com/TASNTA</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599869632873.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>IRSWASHINGTON — National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins today released her statutorily mandated <a href="http://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/ObjectivesReport2023">midyear report to Congress</a>.
 The report expresses concern about continuing delays in the processing 
of paper-filed tax returns and the consequent impact on taxpayer 
refunds. At the end of May, the agency had a backlog of 21.3 million 
unprocessed paper tax returns, an increase of 1.3 million over the same 
time last year."The IRS has said it is aiming to crush the backlogged inventory this
 year, and I hope it succeeds," Collins wrote. "Unfortunately, at this 
point the backlog is still crushing the IRS, its employees, and most 
importantly, taxpayers. As such, the agency is continuing to explore 
additional processing strategies."The report points out that the significant majority of individual 
taxpayers receive refunds. "At the end of the day, a typical taxpayer 
cares most about receiving his or her refund timely," Collins wrote. 
"Particularly for lower income taxpayers who receive Earned Income Tax 
Credit benefits, tax refunds may constitute a significant percentage of 
their household income for the year. Thus, these processing delays are 
creating unprecedented financial difficulties for millions of taxpayers 
and outright hardships for many."Among business taxpayers, many have been waiting extended periods to 
receive Employee Tax Retention Credits for which they are eligible, in 
addition to their regular refunds.Key taxpayer challenges this year have included return processing 
delays, correspondence processing delays, and difficulty reaching the 
IRS by phone.<h2>Backlog of Unprocessed Paper Tax Returns</h2>More than 90% of individual income taxpayers e-file their returns, 
yet last year, about 17 million taxpayers filed their returns on paper. 
Some choose to file on paper. Some have no choice because they encounter
 e-filing barriers, such as when they are required to file a tax form or
 schedule the IRS cannot accept electronically. Before the pandemic, the
 IRS typically delivered refunds to paper-filers within four to six 
weeks. Over the past year, refund delays on paper-filed returns have 
generally exceeded six months, with delays of 10 months or more common 
for many taxpayers.The report says the IRS has failed to make progress in eliminating 
its paper backlog because "its pace of processing paper tax returns has 
not kept up with new receipts." During the month of May, the IRS 
processed an average of about 205,000 individual income tax returns 
(Forms 1040) per week. Its Form 1040 backlog at the end of May stood at 
8.2 million, with millions more paper tax returns not yet classified or 
expected to arrive before the extended filing deadline of October 15. 
The report says the IRS would have to process well over 500,000 Forms 
1040 per week – more than double its current pace – to eliminate the 
backlog this year. "The math is daunting," the report says.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656095062622.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The IRS has publicly committed to reducing its paper tax return 
backlog to a "healthy" level by the end of the year, but it has not 
provided a definition of "healthy." "Historically, the IRS has paid 
refunds resulting from paper-filed returns within four to six weeks," 
Collins wrote. "From a taxpayer perspective, returning to a 
four-to-six-week refund delivery period is a reasonable definition of 
'healthy.'"Largely because of the likelihood that the IRS will carry a large 
inventory of unprocessed paper tax returns into the 2023 filing season, 
Collins issued a Taxpayer Advocate Directive (TAD) in March directing 
the IRS to implement 2-D barcoding or other scanning technology to 
automate the transcription of paper tax returns. "Today, the digits on 
every paper return must be manually keystroked into IRS systems by an 
employee," Collins wrote. "In the year 2022, that doesn't just seem crazy. It is crazy." The IRS's response to the TAD is due on June 27, 2022.The report credits the IRS with taking recent steps to address the 
backlog but notes "missed opportunities" to have acted earlier. "The 
IRS's paper processing delays were evident more than a year ago, and the
 IRS could have addressed them more aggressively at that time," Collins 
wrote. "Had the IRS taken steps a year ago to reassign current employees
 to processing functions, it could have reduced the inventory backlog 
carried into this filing season and accelerated the payment of refunds 
to millions of taxpayers. Had the IRS implemented 2-D barcoding, optical
 character recognition or similar technology in time for the 2022 filing
 season, it could have reduced the need for employees to engage in the 
highly manual task of transcribing paper tax returns. Had the IRS 
quickly used some of the $1.5 billion of additional funds provided by 
the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which was enacted 15 months
 ago, to hire and train additional employees, it could have worked 
through the backlog, answered more taxpayer telephone calls and 
otherwise improved taxpayer service."At the end of May 2021, the IRS had an additional 15.8 million 
returns that had been suspended during processing and required manual 
review by IRS employees. The suspended returns consisted largely 
of&nbsp;e-filed returns on which taxpayers claimed Recovery Rebate Credit 
amounts that differed from the allowable amounts shown on IRS records. 
As of May 2022, the IRS had reduced the number of suspended returns to 
5.4 million.&nbsp;The report credits the IRS with developing procedures to 
reduce delays among suspended returns, in part by automating the review 
process. However, e-filed returns suspended during processing did not 
generally result in extended refund delays.&nbsp;By contrast, unprocessed 
paper-filed tax returns have resulted in refund delays of six to 10 
months or longer.<h2>Correspondence Processing Delays</h2>When a taxpayer receives a notice and is requested to respond or 
chooses to respond, the taxpayer must generally do so by mail. Through 
May 21, the IRS processed 5million taxpayer responses to proposed 
adjustments. It took an average of 251 days to do so – more than eight 
months. That is more than triple the processing time of 74 days in 
fiscal year 2019, the most recent pre-pandemic year. "When a math error 
or similar notice is generated in connection with a paper-filed tax 
return," the report says, "the combination of the return processing 
delay and the correspondence processing delay may mean that the taxpayer
 must wait well over a year to get the issue resolved and receive the 
refund due."There are currently over 336,000 taxpayers who could not file their 
returns or receive their refunds because identity thieves had already 
filed a return using their identifying information. These taxpayers must
 submit affidavits and other documentation to substantiate their 
identities. They now generally must wait at least a year to receive 
their refunds. The IRS website states: "[D]ue to extenuating 
circumstances caused by the pandemic our identity theft inventories have
 increased and on average it is taking about 360 days to resolve 
identity theft cases."<h2>Telephone Challenges</h2>During the 2022 filing season, the IRS received about 73 million 
telephone calls. Only one out of 10 calls reached an IRS employee. 
Compared with the 2021 filing season, IRS employees answered less than 
half as many calls, but the percentage of calls answered remained about 
the same because they also received less than half as many calls. The 
time the average taxpayer spent waiting on hold rose from 20 minutes to 
29 minutes. A comparison of telephone service during the 2021 and 2022 
filing seasons is shown in Figure 2.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656095062622.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>"The combination of more than 21 million unprocessed paper tax 
returns, more than 14 million math error notices, eight-month backlogs 
in processing taxpayer correspondence, and extraordinary difficulty 
reaching the IRS by phone made this filing season particularly 
challenging," Collins wrote.<h2>TAS Objectives for FY 2023</h2>As required by law, the Advocate's report identifies TAS's key 
objectives for the upcoming fiscal year. The report describes 14 
systemic advocacy objectives, six case advocacy and other business 
objectives, and three research objectives. In light of the challenges 
taxpayers have been facing over the last two years, Collins wrote that 
TAS will be placing heavy emphasis on working with the IRS to improve 
the processing of tax returns and taxpayer service generally. Among the 
objectives the report identifies are the following:<ul>
 <li>Automating the processing of paper tax returns. On
 March 29, as noted above, Collins issued a Taxpayer Advocate Directive 
(TAD) directing the IRS to implement scanning technology by the start of
 the 2023 filing season so that paper tax returns can be machine-read 
and employees will not have to keystroke each digit on the return into 
IRS systems. After obtaining an extension for responding, the IRS's 
answer to the TAD is now due on Monday, June 27. IRS leaders have

	indicated they are not likely to implement 2-D barcoding, but 
Collins has strongly urged them to implement a plan to achieve 
automation of paper processing in time for the next filing season. 
"Doing so is critical," Collins wrote. "It is unacceptable that the 
agency is still paying thousands of employees to keystroke the data from
 millions of tax returns, digit by digit, into IRS systems – creating 
the current processing backlog and producing an error rate in 
transcribing individual returns last year of 22 percent."
	</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Reducing barriers to e-filing tax returns. Some
 taxpayers still prefer to file paper tax returns. However, many paper 
filers, perhaps the majority, would prefer to e-file their returns but 
are not able to do so. Among the barriers: some taxpayers must file IRS 
forms or schedules that the IRS does not accept through its e-file 
system; some taxpayers must include attachments (e.g., 
appraisals or disclosure statements) that cannot be filed by their tax 
software packages; some software packages block returns from e-file if 
the taxpayer overrides certain entries; IRS systems reject certain 
returns during the e-file process and require affected taxpayers to mail
 their returns instead; and some taxpayers live in areas of the country 
without broadband internet access or lack computer access and thus face 
greater difficulty in preparing and e-filing their returns. The report 
says the IRS must reduce e-filing barriers, so that more taxpayers can 
e-file and there will be fewer paper tax returns to transcribe or scan.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Improving the IRS's hiring and training processes. In
 FY 2022, Congress increased the IRS's overall budget by almost 6% and 
the taxpayer services portion of the budget by nearly nine percent. Many
 of the IRS's challenges stem from inadequate staffing, including 
limited staffing in Submission Processing and telephone call centers. 
The report says that hiring and adequately training new employees will 
enhance the taxpayer experience.</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Improving telephone service. Some taxpayer
 issues may be resolved through technology channels, and enhancing those
 channels must be a priority. But some issues are best resolved through a
 conversation, and some taxpayers are not comfortable with technology. 
The report says it is critical that taxpayers be able to reach the IRS 
by phone. As discussed above, IRS employees were only able to answer 10%
 of taxpayer telephone calls this filing season. "If a private company 
failed to answer nine out of 10 customer calls, customers would go 
elsewhere," Collins wrote. "That, of course, is not an option for U.S. 
taxpayers, so it is critical that the IRS increase staffing in its 
telephone call centers to handle the volume of calls it receives."</li>
 </ul><h2>IRS Responses to National Taxpayer Advocate Administrative Recommendations</h2>The National Taxpayer Advocate is required by statute to submit a 
year-end report to Congress that, among other things, makes 
administrative recommendations to resolve taxpayer problems. 
Section&nbsp;7803(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code authorizes the National 
Taxpayer Advocate to submit administrative recommendations to the 
Commissioner and requires the IRS to respond within three months. Under 
this authority, the National Taxpayer Advocate annually transmits to the
 Commissioner all administrative recommendations proposed in her 
year-end report for response.The National Taxpayer Advocate made 88 administrative recommendations
 in her 2021 year-end report and then submitted them to the Commissioner
 for response. The IRS has agreed to implement 61 (or 69%) of the 
recommendations in full or in part.The IRS's responses are published on the TAS website at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/arc-recommendations-tracker/">National Taxpayer Advocate’s Annual Report to Congress Tracker</a>.The National Taxpayer Advocate is required by statute to submit two 
annual reports to the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate 
Committee on Finance. The statute requires these reports to be submitted
 directly to the Committees without any prior review or comment from the
 Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the Secretary of the Treasury, the 
IRS Oversight Board, any other officer or employee of the Department of 
the Treasury, or the Office of Management and Budget. The first report 
must identify the objectives of the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate for 
the fiscal year beginning in that calendar year. The second report must 
include a discussion of the ten most serious problems encountered by 
taxpayers, identify the ten tax issues most frequently litigated in the 
courts, and make administrative and legislative recommendations to 
resolve taxpayer problems.The National Taxpayer Advocate blogs about key issues in tax administration. Visit <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/contact-us/subscribe-to-tas/">TAS Subscriptions</a> to subscribe. Past blogs from the National Taxpayer Advocate can be found at <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/taxnews-information/blogs-nta/">Most Recent NTA Blogs</a>. For media inquiries, please contact TAS Media Relations at <a href="mailto:TAS.media@irs.gov">tas.media@irs.gov</a> or call the media line at <a href="tel:202-317-6802">202-317-6802</a>.<h2>About the Taxpayer Advocate Service</h2>The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is an independent organization
 within the IRS that helps taxpayers and protects taxpayer rights. The 
local taxpayer advocate's number is in local directories and at <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/contact-us/">Contact Us</a>. Taxpayers can also call TAS toll-free at <a href="tel:877-777-4778">877-777-4778</a>.
 TAS can help those who need assistance in resolving an IRS problem, if 
the problem is causing financial difficulty, or those who believe an IRS
 system or procedure isn't working as it should. This service is free. <a href="http://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/">We're your voice</a> at the IRS has more information about TAS and taxpayer rights under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Get updates on tax topics at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YourVoiceAtIRS">facebook.com/YourVoiceAtIRS</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/YourVoiceAtIRS">Twitter.com/YourVoiceatIRS</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/tasnta">YouTube.com/TASNTA</a>.

Advocate to Congress: Concerns about refund delays, poor service at IRS

Karen Louise Sunderland, age 80 years, of Great Bend, KS passed away 
on Thursday morning June 16, 2022, at Azria Health Woodhaven Care Center 
in Great Bend. &nbsp;Karen was born on October 1, 1941, in Hutchinson, KS to 
Raymond T. and Mary Louise (Alexander) Mullenix. 

Karen was raised in 
Bushton, KS and graduated from Bushton High School in 1960. &nbsp;Later, she 
became a Nurse’s Aide in Wichita, KS working there and also at CKMC 
hospital in Great Bend for several years. &nbsp;On March 10, 1977 Karen and 
Guy Sunderland were united in marriage in Great Bend. The blended family
 of Guy’s three daughters and Karen’s son grew larger when their only 
child together, Mandi Kay, was born May 15, 1978. The family lived in 
Dodge City, KS and Tulsa, OK before returning to Great Bend permanently.


 Karen became an active volunteer in the community, especially for the 
Central Kansas Dream Center and Soup Kitchen. She was also known for 
mentoring high school students and others with her faith and Bible 
studies. Karen was quick to respond to anyone who wanted to hear a 
comforting scripture, including her sisters who admired her vast 
knowledge and understanding of the Bible. &nbsp;Known as the “best cook in 
the family”, Karen loved making collages and was talented in many kinds 
of crafts. She always enjoyed fishing with her husband, Guy. &nbsp;Above all,
 Karen loved God, family, and life as a Christian woman. As everyone has
 struggles and hardships, Karen faced more than her share, yet 
she&nbsp;remained strong in her faith and touched so many lives with her 
kind, loving heart.

Karen is survived by two daughters: Desiree Werth of Holyrood, KS 
and&nbsp;Dawn Lang of Great Bend, KS; seven grandchildren: Briana Feist, 
Sarah Tisdale, &nbsp;Ashley, Keshia, &amp; Sydney Werth, Jotni Pankey and 
Kialy Giesking; &nbsp;nine great-grandchildren; four sisters: Shirley R. 
Jeter of Kingfisher, OK, Trudy M. Magee of Bloomington, IL, &nbsp;Nora J. 
Anderson of Bloomington, IN, and&nbsp;Deanna S. Harris of Overland Park, KS; 
Also one very special brother-in-law; &nbsp;Ed Harris of Overland Park, KS; 
many nieces and nephews. &nbsp;She was preceded in death by her parents, her 
husband of 40 years, Guy L. Sunderland, two daughters: Sue Ann Murray 
and Mandi K. Alexander (Sept 2002), and one son, Brian Brueggemann (Oct,
 2016).

According to Karen and Guy’s wishes, she has been interred with Guy 
at the Kansas Veterans Cemetery at Fort Dodge, KS. &nbsp;Memorial donations 
are designated to either the Central Kansas Dream Center, 2100 Broadway 
Avenue, Great Bend, KS 67530 or the Kansas Veterans Cemetery at Ft. 
Dodge, Kansas. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Karen spent the last 4 years of her life making the Great Bend Health
 &amp; Rehab, later becoming Azria Health, her home. After Guy’s 
passing, Karen sold their home and chose this facility on her own. She 
enjoyed many friends there, including caring staff and families. The 
activities were the highlight of her day. Bingo was rarely missed! 
&nbsp;Karen’s sisters want to extend our gratitude and appreciation for all 
the hard work, extended hours, phone calls, patience, and good care 
given to Karen. We are so glad she was “home” in her final days. Thank 
you!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656004948340.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Karen Louise Sunderland, age 80 years, of Great Bend, KS passed away 
on Thursday morning June 16, 2022, at Azria Health Woodhaven Care Center 
in Great Bend. &nbsp;Karen was born on October 1, 1941, in Hutchinson, KS to 
Raymond T. and Mary Louise (Alexander) Mullenix. Karen was raised in 
Bushton, KS and graduated from Bushton High School in 1960. &nbsp;Later, she 
became a Nurse’s Aide in Wichita, KS working there and also at CKMC 
hospital in Great Bend for several years. &nbsp;On March 10, 1977 Karen and 
Guy Sunderland were united in marriage in Great Bend. The blended family
 of Guy’s three daughters and Karen’s son grew larger when their only 
child together, Mandi Kay, was born May 15, 1978. The family lived in 
Dodge City, KS and Tulsa, OK before returning to Great Bend permanently.
 Karen became an active volunteer in the community, especially for the 
Central Kansas Dream Center and Soup Kitchen. She was also known for 
mentoring high school students and others with her faith and Bible 
studies. Karen was quick to respond to anyone who wanted to hear a 
comforting scripture, including her sisters who admired her vast 
knowledge and understanding of the Bible. &nbsp;Known as the “best cook in 
the family”, Karen loved making collages and was talented in many kinds 
of crafts. She always enjoyed fishing with her husband, Guy. &nbsp;Above all,
 Karen loved God, family, and life as a Christian woman. As everyone has
 struggles and hardships, Karen faced more than her share, yet 
she&nbsp;remained strong in her faith and touched so many lives with her 
kind, loving heart.Karen is survived by two daughters: Desiree Werth of Holyrood, KS 
and&nbsp;Dawn Lang of Great Bend, KS; seven grandchildren: Briana Feist, 
Sarah Tisdale, &nbsp;Ashley, Keshia, &amp; Sydney Werth, Jotni Pankey and 
Kialy Giesking; &nbsp;nine great-grandchildren; four sisters: Shirley R. 
Jeter of Kingfisher, OK, Trudy M. Magee of Bloomington, IL, &nbsp;Nora J. 
Anderson of Bloomington, IN, and&nbsp;Deanna S. Harris of Overland Park, KS; 
Also one very special brother-in-law; &nbsp;Ed Harris of Overland Park, KS; 
many nieces and nephews. &nbsp;She was preceded in death by her parents, her 
husband of 40 years, Guy L. Sunderland, two daughters: Sue Ann Murray 
and Mandi K. Alexander (Sept 2002), and one son, Brian Brueggemann (Oct,
 2016).According to Karen and Guy’s wishes, she has been interred with Guy 
at the Kansas Veterans Cemetery at Fort Dodge, KS. &nbsp;Memorial donations 
are designated to either the Central Kansas Dream Center, 2100 Broadway 
Avenue, Great Bend, KS 67530 or the Kansas Veterans Cemetery at Ft. 
Dodge, Kansas. &nbsp;&nbsp;Karen spent the last 4 years of her life making the Great Bend Health
 &amp; Rehab, later becoming Azria Health, her home. After Guy’s 
passing, Karen sold their home and chose this facility on her own. She 
enjoyed many friends there, including caring staff and families. The 
activities were the highlight of her day. Bingo was rarely missed! 
&nbsp;Karen’s sisters want to extend our gratitude and appreciation for all 
the hard work, extended hours, phone calls, patience, and good care 
given to Karen. We are so glad she was “home” in her final days. Thank 
you!

Karen Louise Sunderland

October 22, 1969
 -
 June 22, 2022

An obituary is pending with Plumer Overlease Funeral Homes.

Click <a href="https://www.plumeroverlease.com/obituaries/Debbie-Wallace?obId=25202632#/celebrationWall">HERE</a> for service details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656004788899.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>October 22, 1969
 -
 June 22, 2022An obituary is pending with Plumer Overlease Funeral Homes.Click <a href="https://www.plumeroverlease.com/obituaries/Debbie-Wallace?obId=25202632#/celebrationWall">HERE</a> for service details.

Debbie Wallace

Margaret Lee Pierson, 74, passed away Saturday, June 18, 2022, in 
Ellsworth. She was born October 20, 1947, in Wisconsin Rapids, WI to 
Richard and Ruth (Geschke) Bates. Margaret married Larry Houk on March 
9, 1963. After Larry’s passing June 12, she later married Jerry Pierson 
on August 24, 1972. Margaret was a longtime employee of the United 
States Postal Service where she had many positions including mail 
carrier for many years. She loved to fish, play bingo, and spend time 
with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Margaret is survived by her son Larry Houk, Jr. (Dani) of 
Ellsworth; daughters, Shamarie Farthing (Chris) of Ellsworth and Christy
 Pierson of Salina; grandchildren, Katie Ranker (Joe) of Ellsworth, 
Kourtney Strobel (Chas) of Plymouth, MN, Kitsy Krehbiel (Colter) of 
Marquette, Kylie Pierson of Wichita Falls, TX, Kori Pierson of Salina, 
and Sam Farthing (Kaitlyn) of Hays; and great grandchildren, Henri, 
John, Abel, Kadence, Beckham, Lane, Kelli, Korbin, Kreighton, and Aria. 
She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Mary Ann Bates; 
husbands, Larry Houk and Jerry Pierson; and companion Bud Tiemeyer.

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

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the 
Rheumatoid Arthritis Foundation, c/o, Parsons Funeral Home, PO Box 45, 
Ellsworth, KS 67439.&nbsp;

Margaret Lee Pierson, 74, passed away Saturday, June 18, 2022, in 
Ellsworth. She was born October 20, 1947, in Wisconsin Rapids, WI to 
Richard and Ruth (Geschke) Bates. Margaret married Larry Houk on March 
9, 1963. After Larry’s passing June 12, she later married Jerry Pierson 
on August 24, 1972. Margaret was a longtime employee of the United 
States Postal Service where she had many positions including mail 
carrier for many years. She loved to fish, play bingo, and spend time 
with her grandchildren and great grandchildren.Margaret is survived by her son Larry Houk, Jr. (Dani) of 
Ellsworth; daughters, Shamarie Farthing (Chris) of Ellsworth and Christy
 Pierson of Salina; grandchildren, Katie Ranker (Joe) of Ellsworth, 
Kourtney Strobel (Chas) of Plymouth, MN, Kitsy Krehbiel (Colter) of 
Marquette, Kylie Pierson of Wichita Falls, TX, Kori Pierson of Salina, 
and Sam Farthing (Kaitlyn) of Hays; and great grandchildren, Henri, 
John, Abel, Kadence, Beckham, Lane, Kelli, Korbin, Kreighton, and Aria. 
She was preceded in death by her parents; sister, Mary Ann Bates; 
husbands, Larry Houk and Jerry Pierson; and companion Bud Tiemeyer.Cremation has taken place and no public services are planned at this time.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the 
Rheumatoid Arthritis Foundation, c/o, Parsons Funeral Home, PO Box 45, 
Ellsworth, KS 67439.&nbsp;

Margaret Lee Pierson

John Benjamin Wearing passed away peacefully on June 18, 2022, with his wife and sons by his side.

Ben was born March 2, 1953, in Salina, Kansas, to Paul and Verna Wearing. He was a graduate of Salina Central, Hutchinson Community College and Kansas State University. (EMAW, baby!)

Ben was a true news junkie. His newspaper career spanned more than 3 decades. He worked at weekly papers in Arkansas and Oklahoma before returning to his hometown to become the police beat reporter at the Salina Journal. There he worked for nearly 30 years, retiring in 2015 as the Executive Editor. During his time at the Journal, Ben was dedicated to making the daily paper accurate, interesting, and relevant to his readers. He was a natural journalist, curious and doggedly dedicated to getting the story right. As an editor, he was picky about the facts and the writing. He mentored many young reporters and students, some of whom remained in touch for years. His columns entertained readers; his editorials made them think. Many of his colleagues at the Journal became life-long friends.

Following his retirement, Ben spent even more time riding his beloved bicycles, cutting firewood, and taking over the kitchen.

Ben loved to cook and particularly to bake. His pies, cookies, cinnamon rolls, and most of all his cheesecakes were enjoyed by friends, family and colleagues for decades.&nbsp; Three bylines on page one earned a cheesecake.

As a journalist, Ben was cautious about getting overly involved with local organizations, wanting to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest. Once retired, he joined the AMBUCS at the urging of a friend and found a home with the ramp building crew. The service project combined his love of physical labor with his love of helping others.

In 1985 Ben and Betsy Green went on a lunch date. Two days later they went to dinner and talked until the restaurant closed. A year later they were engaged. They were married three months after that, on October 10, 1987. Theirs was a true love affair. He was her strongest supporter, helpmate and best friend. He was a thoughtful gift giver and frequently bought flowers, “just because.” &nbsp;Together they raised three sons that were the light of Ben’s life. When they were children, Ben wrestled and played with them, read them stories and taught them to work hard. &nbsp;As they became young adults, he listened to them, counseled them when asked, and encouraged them to pursue their dreams.

Ben enjoyed going on walks, visiting with neighbors chatting about cool cars or bikes. He was a loving dog parent and when walking his own pups, carried treats in his pocket for the neighborhood dogs. &nbsp;He was the guy who mowed a neighbor’s lawn, shoveled the sidewalk, or stopped by with a chainsaw to help with a downed limb.

Ben and Betsy loved to travel – alone, with friends, and mostly with their sons. &nbsp;In particular, he was always up for a trip to the Mountains. Ben loved spending time with his siblings. He also loved Betsy’s family and they often traveled to spend time with them. After he was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in 2014, Ben and Betsy were determined not to let cancer dictate their lives. They did not waste a minute of the time they had left.

Ben is survived by his wife, Betsy, sons James, Bob, and Christopher; a sister, Debbie Bengtson (Ken), brothers Gary (Lorrie), Steve (Vickie), Mike (Jan), and Pat; a sister-in-law, Judy Wearing, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents; a brother, Joe; and a sister-in-law, Ellen.

Ben was a tremendous husband, father, brother, and friend.&nbsp; He had a great sense of humor, was patient, never judgmental and seldom displayed anger. He was a workout fanatic, a grammar expert and had great legs.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, June 25, at 1:30 at the chapel at Webster Conference Center,&nbsp;2601 N. Ohio, in&nbsp;Salina.

Memorials to honor him can go to the Salina Breakfast Bandits AMBUCS for the ramp building project (P.O. 1952, Salina, KS 67402-1952) or to the Tammy Walker Cancer Center (c/o Salina Regional Health Foundation,&nbsp;P.O. Box 618, Salina, KS 67402-0618).

For more information or to leave condolences go to <a href="http://www.ryanmortuary.com">www.ryanmortuary.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655830802728.jpeg" alt="Ben Wearing" />
 <figcaption>Ben Wearing</figcaption>
 </figure>John Benjamin Wearing passed away peacefully on June 18, 2022, with his wife and sons by his side.Ben was born March 2, 1953, in Salina, Kansas, to Paul and Verna Wearing. He was a graduate of Salina Central, Hutchinson Community College and Kansas State University. (EMAW, baby!)Ben was a true news junkie. His newspaper career spanned more than 3 decades. He worked at weekly papers in Arkansas and Oklahoma before returning to his hometown to become the police beat reporter at the Salina Journal. There he worked for nearly 30 years, retiring in 2015 as the Executive Editor. During his time at the Journal, Ben was dedicated to making the daily paper accurate, interesting, and relevant to his readers. He was a natural journalist, curious and doggedly dedicated to getting the story right. As an editor, he was picky about the facts and the writing. He mentored many young reporters and students, some of whom remained in touch for years. His columns entertained readers; his editorials made them think. Many of his colleagues at the Journal became life-long friends.Following his retirement, Ben spent even more time riding his beloved bicycles, cutting firewood, and taking over the kitchen.Ben loved to cook and particularly to bake. His pies, cookies, cinnamon rolls, and most of all his cheesecakes were enjoyed by friends, family and colleagues for decades.&nbsp; Three bylines on page one earned a cheesecake.As a journalist, Ben was cautious about getting overly involved with local organizations, wanting to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest. Once retired, he joined the AMBUCS at the urging of a friend and found a home with the ramp building crew. The service project combined his love of physical labor with his love of helping others.In 1985 Ben and Betsy Green went on a lunch date. Two days later they went to dinner and talked until the restaurant closed. A year later they were engaged. They were married three months after that, on October 10, 1987. Theirs was a true love affair. He was her strongest supporter, helpmate and best friend. He was a thoughtful gift giver and frequently bought flowers, “just because.” &nbsp;Together they raised three sons that were the light of Ben’s life. When they were children, Ben wrestled and played with them, read them stories and taught them to work hard. &nbsp;As they became young adults, he listened to them, counseled them when asked, and encouraged them to pursue their dreams.Ben enjoyed going on walks, visiting with neighbors chatting about cool cars or bikes. He was a loving dog parent and when walking his own pups, carried treats in his pocket for the neighborhood dogs. &nbsp;He was the guy who mowed a neighbor’s lawn, shoveled the sidewalk, or stopped by with a chainsaw to help with a downed limb.Ben and Betsy loved to travel – alone, with friends, and mostly with their sons. &nbsp;In particular, he was always up for a trip to the Mountains. Ben loved spending time with his siblings. He also loved Betsy’s family and they often traveled to spend time with them. After he was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer in 2014, Ben and Betsy were determined not to let cancer dictate their lives. They did not waste a minute of the time they had left.Ben is survived by his wife, Betsy, sons James, Bob, and Christopher; a sister, Debbie Bengtson (Ken), brothers Gary (Lorrie), Steve (Vickie), Mike (Jan), and Pat; a sister-in-law, Judy Wearing, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents; a brother, Joe; and a sister-in-law, Ellen.Ben was a tremendous husband, father, brother, and friend.&nbsp; He had a great sense of humor, was patient, never judgmental and seldom displayed anger. He was a workout fanatic, a grammar expert and had great legs.A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, June 25, at 1:30 at the chapel at Webster Conference Center,&nbsp;2601 N. Ohio, in&nbsp;Salina.Memorials to honor him can go to the Salina Breakfast Bandits AMBUCS for the ramp building project (P.O. 1952, Salina, KS 67402-1952) or to the Tammy Walker Cancer Center (c/o Salina Regional Health Foundation,&nbsp;P.O. Box 618, Salina, KS 67402-0618).For more information or to leave condolences go to <a href="http://www.ryanmortuary.com">www.ryanmortuary.com</a>.

John Benjamin Wearing

Barbara J. (Gregwire) Scheck, 71, of Russell, Kansas, passed away Saturday evening, June 18, 2022 at her home.

Barbara was born October 1, 1950, in Russell, the daughter of Gordon and Marilyn (Flohr) Gregwire.&nbsp; She grew up in Russell and graduated from Russell High School in the Class of '68.&nbsp; She then attended Emporia State University for a year and then transferred to Fort Hays State University where she obtained a Degree in Nursing.

Barbara was united in marriage to Timothy F. Scheck on August 7, 1971.&nbsp; This union was blessed with two daughters, Mindie and Kristie.&nbsp; They made their home in Hays from 1971 to 1974 when they returned to Russell.

Barbara was a Registered Nurse for the Russell Hospital for over 20 years working mainly in the surgical department.&nbsp; Then from 1994 to 1998 she worked with the Russell Home Health.&nbsp; She attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church and was an active member of the Russell Regional Hospital Auxiliary.&nbsp; She enjoyed doing puzzles like crosswords and cryptograms, doing cross stitching, and baking and cooking for family and friends.&nbsp; What would bring a sparkle to her eye was her grandchildren, she loved attending their activities and having them over to the house.&nbsp; She also had a gift of knowing everyone’s birthday and made special effort to call them on their special day.

Barbara’s surviving family include her husband of 50 years, Tim of the home; daughters, Mindie Ulrich (Jeremy) of Russell, Kansas and Kristie Homeier (Brent) of Russell, Kansas; brother, Richard Gregwire (Janet) of McPherson, Kansas; sister, Roberta Jaye (Denny) of Lindsborg, Kansas; four grandchildren, Briar Ulrich, Gunnar Ulrich, Brock Homeier and Bryce Homeier; and treasured nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews, and cousins.&nbsp; She was preceded in death by her parents.

Celebration of the Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 AM, Saturday, June 25, 2022, at St. Mary, Queen of Angels Catholic Church with burial of ashes following at the St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Russell.&nbsp; Visitation will be held from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Friday, June 24, 2022, at Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary.&nbsp; Vigil and Rosary will be held at 7:00 PM, Friday, at St. Mary, Queen of Angels Catholic Church.&nbsp; 

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Russell Regional Hospital Auxiliary.&nbsp; Contributions and condolences may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of these arrangements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655825394661.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Barbara J. (Gregwire) Scheck, 71, of Russell, Kansas, passed away Saturday evening, June 18, 2022 at her home.Barbara was born October 1, 1950, in Russell, the daughter of Gordon and Marilyn (Flohr) Gregwire.&nbsp; She grew up in Russell and graduated from Russell High School in the Class of '68.&nbsp; She then attended Emporia State University for a year and then transferred to Fort Hays State University where she obtained a Degree in Nursing.Barbara was united in marriage to Timothy F. Scheck on August 7, 1971.&nbsp; This union was blessed with two daughters, Mindie and Kristie.&nbsp; They made their home in Hays from 1971 to 1974 when they returned to Russell.Barbara was a Registered Nurse for the Russell Hospital for over 20 years working mainly in the surgical department.&nbsp; Then from 1994 to 1998 she worked with the Russell Home Health.&nbsp; She attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church and was an active member of the Russell Regional Hospital Auxiliary.&nbsp; She enjoyed doing puzzles like crosswords and cryptograms, doing cross stitching, and baking and cooking for family and friends.&nbsp; What would bring a sparkle to her eye was her grandchildren, she loved attending their activities and having them over to the house.&nbsp; She also had a gift of knowing everyone’s birthday and made special effort to call them on their special day.Barbara’s surviving family include her husband of 50 years, Tim of the home; daughters, Mindie Ulrich (Jeremy) of Russell, Kansas and Kristie Homeier (Brent) of Russell, Kansas; brother, Richard Gregwire (Janet) of McPherson, Kansas; sister, Roberta Jaye (Denny) of Lindsborg, Kansas; four grandchildren, Briar Ulrich, Gunnar Ulrich, Brock Homeier and Bryce Homeier; and treasured nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews, and cousins.&nbsp; She was preceded in death by her parents.Celebration of the Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 AM, Saturday, June 25, 2022, at St. Mary, Queen of Angels Catholic Church with burial of ashes following at the St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Russell.&nbsp; Visitation will be held from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Friday, June 24, 2022, at Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary.&nbsp; Vigil and Rosary will be held at 7:00 PM, Friday, at St. Mary, Queen of Angels Catholic Church.&nbsp; In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Russell Regional Hospital Auxiliary.&nbsp; Contributions and condolences may be sent to Pohlman-Varner-Peeler Mortuary, who is in charge of these arrangements.

Barbara J. (Gregwire) Scheck

Charlene Flax, age 78, of Ellis, Kansas, passed away Sunday, June 19, 2022, at Trego Lemke Memorial Hospital in WaKeeney, Kansas. Charlene was born April 23, 1944, in Hays, Kansas, to Martin and Felicitas (Leiker) Klaus. She attended Marian High School in Hays and on October 9, 1965, she married Richard Flax at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Hays. He preceded her in death March 6, 2020. Charlene was a homemaker and a loving mother, and grandmother. She was a member of St. Mary's Church, Daughters of Isabella, and a Senior Companion. She is survived by her three sons, Mark Flax and wife Jackie of Ellis, Gary Flax of Russell and Arlen Flax and wife Rose of Ellis; two brothers, Kenneth Klaus of Salina and Harold Klaus of Olathe; a sister, Ann Augustine of Ellis and three grandchildren, Jarod Flax of Goodland, Braden Flax of Russell and Emma Flax of Ellis. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Richard; a sister, Marilyn Flax and three brothers, twin brother Charles ,Joseph and Lester Klaus. Funeral services will be 10 AM Thursday, June 23, 2022, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Ellis with Fr. Dana Clark officiating. Burial will follow services in the St. Mary's Cemetery. Visitation will be Wednesday 6 PM - 8 PM and Thursday 9 AM until service time all at the church. A combined Daughters of Isabella rosary and parish vigil will be Wednesday at the church. Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Mary's Cemetery Fund. Arrangements in care of Keithley Funeral Chapel, 400 E. 17th, Ellis, KS 67601. Condolences may be left by guest book at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>&nbsp;or by email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com">keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655825313503.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Charlene Flax, age 78, of Ellis, Kansas, passed away Sunday, June 19, 2022, at Trego Lemke Memorial Hospital in WaKeeney, Kansas. Charlene was born April 23, 1944, in Hays, Kansas, to Martin and Felicitas (Leiker) Klaus. She attended Marian High School in Hays and on October 9, 1965, she married Richard Flax at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Hays. He preceded her in death March 6, 2020. Charlene was a homemaker and a loving mother, and grandmother. She was a member of St. Mary's Church, Daughters of Isabella, and a Senior Companion. She is survived by her three sons, Mark Flax and wife Jackie of Ellis, Gary Flax of Russell and Arlen Flax and wife Rose of Ellis; two brothers, Kenneth Klaus of Salina and Harold Klaus of Olathe; a sister, Ann Augustine of Ellis and three grandchildren, Jarod Flax of Goodland, Braden Flax of Russell and Emma Flax of Ellis. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Richard; a sister, Marilyn Flax and three brothers, twin brother Charles ,Joseph and Lester Klaus. Funeral services will be 10 AM Thursday, June 23, 2022, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Ellis with Fr. Dana Clark officiating. Burial will follow services in the St. Mary's Cemetery. Visitation will be Wednesday 6 PM - 8 PM and Thursday 9 AM until service time all at the church. A combined Daughters of Isabella rosary and parish vigil will be Wednesday at the church. Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Mary's Cemetery Fund. Arrangements in care of Keithley Funeral Chapel, 400 E. 17th, Ellis, KS 67601. Condolences may be left by guest book at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>&nbsp;or by email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com">keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com</a>

Charlene Flax

Norma J. Howorth, 97, of Norton, passed away June 10, 2022, at the Norton
 County Hospital. She was born October 24, 1924, in Polk County, IA, daughter
 of Frank and Olfa (Alleman) Campbell. 
 Norma graduated from White Oak High School and then attended Iowa 
State Teacher College (now University of Northern Iowa). She worked for 
Travelers Insurance in Des Moines, IA, Central national Bank and 
Community. After moving to Norton, Norma worked for Dr. Lathrop and 
worked at the Cottage Style Shop. She was blessed to have babysat some 
very special children. Norma then worked for 26 years as the office 
manager for the Colip, Harltey, Hartman, and Long Clinic. 
 Private memorial services will be held later. Memorial contributions
 may be made to PEO and sent in care of Plumer-Gobber Funeral Home, 215 
W. Main St., Norton, KS 67654. Condolences may be left at 
www.plumergobber.com&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655822632799.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Norma J. Howorth, 97, of Norton, passed away June 10, 2022, at the Norton
 County Hospital. She was born October 24, 1924, in Polk County, IA, daughter
 of Frank and Olfa (Alleman) Campbell. 
 Norma graduated from White Oak High School and then attended Iowa 
State Teacher College (now University of Northern Iowa). She worked for 
Travelers Insurance in Des Moines, IA, Central national Bank and 
Community. After moving to Norton, Norma worked for Dr. Lathrop and 
worked at the Cottage Style Shop. She was blessed to have babysat some 
very special children. Norma then worked for 26 years as the office 
manager for the Colip, Harltey, Hartman, and Long Clinic. 
 Private memorial services will be held later. Memorial contributions
 may be made to PEO and sent in care of Plumer-Gobber Funeral Home, 215 
W. Main St., Norton, KS 67654. Condolences may be left at 
www.plumergobber.com&nbsp;

Norma J. Howorth

Doreen Elizabeth (Wagoner) Kennedy, 99, passed away at the Sheridan 
County Health Complex LTC on June 18, 2022. She was born to Edward 
Nicholas and Kathryn (Schwarz) Wagoner on March 16, 1923, at the family 
home northeast of Grinnell, Kansas. 

Doreen grew up on the farm with her 
seven siblings. She attended a one-room grade school, Hillside #60 and 
went to high school in Oakley for a year and finished her last three 
years and graduated from Hoxie High School in the class of 1941. Raymond
 Garland, Principal of Hoxie High School, got her a scholarship to 
attend Barnes Business College in Denver where she earned a certificate.
 After attending Business College, she returned to Hoxie and went to 
work at the ASCS office. 

Doreen Wagoner married William Francis Kennedy 
on October 2, 1945, at St. Paul Catholic Church, in Angelus, Kansas. 
After their marriage, they lived on a farm near Stockton, Kansas. 
Several years later, they moved to their farm south of Hoxie. They were 
blessed with six children which they raised on the family farm south of 
Hoxie. Bill passed away on August 19, 1978.
 Doreen was elected and served as Sheridan County Clerk for twelve 
years. She enjoyed growing a big garden and had a huge strawberry patch.
 She spent many hours canning tomatoes, peaches, pears, beets and 
making pickles. She loved to bake, and her pies were the best. She 
worked for the Hoxie Sale barn and baked pies for them to serve with the
 meals they prepared. Doreen was a hard worker, but she enjoyed many 
activities. She loved dancing. she especially liked the polka, big 
band swing and square dancing. Playing cards, Pitch, and Pinochle, was 
another favorite pastime.

She was a member of the Red Hats Group, was 
involved with the Western Plains Arts Association, and the Northwest 
Kansas Area Agency on Aging. Doreen spent many mornings enjoying coffee 
and the company of friends at the Stop-to-Shop and Mahanna’s Pharmacy. 
She also enjoyed traveling with several of her friends going on bus 
trips around the country as well as trips to Hawaii, Mexico, and the 
Panama Canal. Family get togethers, particularly, Thanksgiving and 
Christmas celebrations were some of her favorite family times. She loved
 going to the Sheridan County Fair and always enjoyed visiting with 
friends. She just loved being around people and socializing. Doreen grew
 up and was a member of the St. Paul Catholic Church in Angelus. After 
moving to Hoxie, Doreen attended the Church in Seguin, Kansas until 
Hoxie got a Catholic Church in 1949. She became a lifelong member of the
 St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, Hoxie, Kansas. She served as the 
treasurer of the St. Frances Cabrini Sodality for many years. 
 Doreen is survived by are her daughters Marilynn Nemes (Al) of 
Littleton, Colorado, Sheryl McIlnay (Joe) of Colby, Kansas; sons, Don 
Kennedy (Kathy) of Oakley, Kansas, Jim Kennedy (Deb) of Dodge City, 
Kansas, and Keith Kennedy (Pat) of Hoxie, Kansas; grandchildren, 
Kimberly Garfield (Aaron), Michelle Guthrie (Lee), Brian Kennedy (Lily),
 Dan Kennedy, Michael Kennedy (Mahalia), Melissa Johnson (Douglas), Dr. Brad
 McIlnay (Gretchen), Angela Holtz (Bobby), Amanda Juenemann (Michael), 
Cari Miller (Jay), Ryan Kennedy (Lacie), Adam Kennedy (Lorena), Jenna 
Sloan (Hale), Jill Schoendaler (Drew), and Kyle Kennedy (Jennifer); and 
thirty-five great-grandchildren.
 She was preceded in death by her husband, William Kennedy; son, 
Ronald Kennedy and great-grandson, John Juenemann; parents, Edward and Kathryn Wagoner; sisters, Marjorie 
Bachand, Eileen Nondorf, and Patricia Foster; and brothers, Wilfred 
Wagoner, LeRoy Wagoner, James Wagoner, and Kenneth Wagoner.
 A Mass of Christian Burial is planned for Friday, June 24, 2022, 
10:30 A.M., at the St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, Hoxie, Kansas. 
Visitation will be Thursday, June 23, 2022, from 1:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. 
with family receiving friends from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at the funeral
 home. The Vigil and Rosary Service will be held following the 
visitation and will begin at 7:00 P.M.

The family suggests memorials to 
the Sheridan County Amusement Company, Sheridan County Benefit Walk or 
Masses. Memorial may be sent in care of Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home, PO 
Box 987, Hoxie, Kansas 67740. Words of comfort may be left at 
www.mickeyleopoldfuneral.com&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655817032866.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Doreen Elizabeth (Wagoner) Kennedy, 99, passed away at the Sheridan 
County Health Complex LTC on June 18, 2022. She was born to Edward 
Nicholas and Kathryn (Schwarz) Wagoner on March 16, 1923, at the family 
home northeast of Grinnell, Kansas. Doreen grew up on the farm with her 
seven siblings. She attended a one-room grade school, Hillside #60 and 
went to high school in Oakley for a year and finished her last three 
years and graduated from Hoxie High School in the class of 1941. Raymond
 Garland, Principal of Hoxie High School, got her a scholarship to 
attend Barnes Business College in Denver where she earned a certificate.
 After attending Business College, she returned to Hoxie and went to 
work at the ASCS office. Doreen Wagoner married William Francis Kennedy 
on October 2, 1945, at St. Paul Catholic Church, in Angelus, Kansas. 
After their marriage, they lived on a farm near Stockton, Kansas. 
Several years later, they moved to their farm south of Hoxie. They were 
blessed with six children which they raised on the family farm south of 
Hoxie. Bill passed away on August 19, 1978.
 Doreen was elected and served as Sheridan County Clerk for twelve 
years. She enjoyed growing a big garden and had a huge strawberry patch.
 She spent many hours canning tomatoes, peaches, pears, beets and 
making pickles. She loved to bake, and her pies were the best. She 
worked for the Hoxie Sale barn and baked pies for them to serve with the
 meals they prepared. Doreen was a hard worker, but she enjoyed many 
activities. She loved dancing. she especially liked the polka, big 
band swing and square dancing. Playing cards, Pitch, and Pinochle, was 
another favorite pastime. She was a member of the Red Hats Group, was 
involved with the Western Plains Arts Association, and the Northwest 
Kansas Area Agency on Aging. Doreen spent many mornings enjoying coffee 
and the company of friends at the Stop-to-Shop and Mahanna’s Pharmacy. 
She also enjoyed traveling with several of her friends going on bus 
trips around the country as well as trips to Hawaii, Mexico, and the 
Panama Canal. Family get togethers, particularly, Thanksgiving and 
Christmas celebrations were some of her favorite family times. She loved
 going to the Sheridan County Fair and always enjoyed visiting with 
friends. She just loved being around people and socializing. Doreen grew
 up and was a member of the St. Paul Catholic Church in Angelus. After 
moving to Hoxie, Doreen attended the Church in Seguin, Kansas until 
Hoxie got a Catholic Church in 1949. She became a lifelong member of the
 St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, Hoxie, Kansas. She served as the 
treasurer of the St. Frances Cabrini Sodality for many years. 
 Doreen is survived by are her daughters Marilynn Nemes (Al) of 
Littleton, Colorado, Sheryl McIlnay (Joe) of Colby, Kansas; sons, Don 
Kennedy (Kathy) of Oakley, Kansas, Jim Kennedy (Deb) of Dodge City, 
Kansas, and Keith Kennedy (Pat) of Hoxie, Kansas; grandchildren, 
Kimberly Garfield (Aaron), Michelle Guthrie (Lee), Brian Kennedy (Lily),
 Dan Kennedy, Michael Kennedy (Mahalia), Melissa Johnson (Douglas), Dr. Brad
 McIlnay (Gretchen), Angela Holtz (Bobby), Amanda Juenemann (Michael), 
Cari Miller (Jay), Ryan Kennedy (Lacie), Adam Kennedy (Lorena), Jenna 
Sloan (Hale), Jill Schoendaler (Drew), and Kyle Kennedy (Jennifer); and 
thirty-five great-grandchildren.
 She was preceded in death by her husband, William Kennedy; son, 
Ronald Kennedy and great-grandson, John Juenemann; parents, Edward and Kathryn Wagoner; sisters, Marjorie 
Bachand, Eileen Nondorf, and Patricia Foster; and brothers, Wilfred 
Wagoner, LeRoy Wagoner, James Wagoner, and Kenneth Wagoner.
 A Mass of Christian Burial is planned for Friday, June 24, 2022, 
10:30 A.M., at the St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church, Hoxie, Kansas. 
Visitation will be Thursday, June 23, 2022, from 1:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. 
with family receiving friends from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at the funeral
 home. The Vigil and Rosary Service will be held following the 
visitation and will begin at 7:00 P.M. The family suggests memorials to 
the Sheridan County Amusement Company, Sheridan County Benefit Walk or 
Masses. Memorial may be sent in care of Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home, PO 
Box 987, Hoxie, Kansas 67740. Words of comfort may be left at 
www.mickeyleopoldfuneral.com&nbsp;

Doreen Elizabeth (Wagoner) Kennedy

NEW YORK (AP) — Nobel Peace laureate Dmitry Muratov says he was not expecting the medal he was auctioning off to help Ukrainian child refugees sell for the record amount of $103.5 million. 

Bidding in the auction ended in New York on Monday, which is World Refugee Day. 

The sale shatters the old $4.76 million record for a Nobel. 

The identity of the buyer isn't immediately known. 

Muratov was awarded the medal in October 2021. 

He helped found the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta and was the publication’s editor-in-chief when it shut down in March amid a Kremlin clampdown after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

NEW YORK (AP) — Nobel Peace laureate Dmitry Muratov says he was not expecting the medal he was auctioning off to help Ukrainian child refugees sell for the record amount of $103.5 million. Bidding in the auction ended in New York on Monday, which is World Refugee Day. The sale shatters the old $4.76 million record for a Nobel. The identity of the buyer isn't immediately known. Muratov was awarded the medal in October 2021. He helped found the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta and was the publication’s editor-in-chief when it shut down in March amid a Kremlin clampdown after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Nobel sold for Ukrainian kids shatters record at $103.5M

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Two former members of a University of Missouri fraternity have been indicted for a hazing incident that left another student blind and unable to walk or communicate after drinking a liter of vodka.

A Boone County grand jury on Friday indicted former Phi Gamma Delta fraternity members Ryan Delanty and Thomas Shultz, both of St. Louis County, in the hazing of Daniel Santulli, 19, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/felony-charges-filed-against-two-fraternity-members-in-hazing-case/article_81c3e300-ee81-11ec-818f-cb61dfc87bab.html#tncms-source=Top%20Story">Columbia Missourian</a>&nbsp;reported.

Both were charged with felony hazing and misdemeanors of supplying liquor to a minor or intoxicated person. Shultz also faces a felony for tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution.

Santulli was pledging the fraternity in October when he was found unresponsive due to alcohol poisoning. Authorities said his blood alcohol content was 0.486, six times the legal limit.

Another member of the fraternity, Alec Wetzler, was charged earlier in June with misdemeanor counts of supplying alcohol to a minor and possession of alcohol by a minor. In May, Santulli's family settled with nearly two dozen defendants in a civil lawsuit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1651785014636.png" alt="Daniel Santulli-photo courtesy KOMU TV" />
 <figcaption>Daniel Santulli-photo courtesy KOMU TV</figcaption>
 </figure>COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Two former members of a University of Missouri fraternity have been indicted for a hazing incident that left another student blind and unable to walk or communicate after drinking a liter of vodka.A Boone County grand jury on Friday indicted former Phi Gamma Delta fraternity members Ryan Delanty and Thomas Shultz, both of St. Louis County, in the hazing of Daniel Santulli, 19, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/felony-charges-filed-against-two-fraternity-members-in-hazing-case/article_81c3e300-ee81-11ec-818f-cb61dfc87bab.html#tncms-source=Top%20Story">Columbia Missourian</a>&nbsp;reported.Both were charged with felony hazing and misdemeanors of supplying liquor to a minor or intoxicated person. Shultz also faces a felony for tampering with physical evidence in a felony prosecution.Santulli was pledging the fraternity in October when he was found unresponsive due to alcohol poisoning. Authorities said his blood alcohol content was 0.486, six times the legal limit.Another member of the fraternity, Alec Wetzler, was charged earlier in June with misdemeanor counts of supplying alcohol to a minor and possession of alcohol by a minor. In May, Santulli's family settled with nearly two dozen defendants in a civil lawsuit.

Felony fraternity hazing: Student left blind, unable to walk

Kevin Otis Gross, 55, passed away Sunday June 19, 2022, at his 
residence in Larned, KS. He was born December 3, 1966, in Wichita, KS. 
the son of Vern “Bud” and Loretta Belisle Gross. An area resident, he 
was a construction worker in Dodge City.

Kevin was known for having a green thumb, growing anything especially
 tomatoes. He enjoyed riding motorcycles, music, cooking, fishing, 
anything outdoors and the Green Bay Packers. He especially loved his 
grand kids, kids and family.

On October 2, 1993, he married Brenda F. Musgrove in Great Bend, KS. She survives.

Other survivors include: his mother, Loretta Gross, Forreston, TX.; 
one son, Brandon Gross, Great Bend, KS.; two daughters, Tasha (Luke) 
Lloyd, Larned, KS. and Jacy (Seth) Gross, Larned, KS.; four brothers, 
Paul (Tina) Gross, Wichita, KS., Steve Gross, Spearville, KS., Danny 
(Karen) Gross, Schererville, IN. and Terry Gross, Miami, OK; one sister,
 Kimberly Gross, Forreston, TX.; six grandchildren, Anna Marie, Graydon 
Lee, LaShauna Kay, Memphis Bradley, Willow Grace, Laynee Faye and many 
nieces and nephews and adopted kids. &nbsp;

He was preceded in death by his father, Vern “Bud” Gross and his right-hand man, dog Mystery.

Funeral Service will be held 3:00pm Friday, June 24, 2022, at Beckwith
 Mortuary with Pastor David Spare presiding. Family requests casual 
attire. Visitation will be held 9am to 8pm Thursday, June 23, 2022, at 
Beckwith Mortuary with family present from 5pm to 7pm. Cremation will 
take place following the service.

Memorials may be given to the Kevin Gross Memorial Fund in care of Beckwith Mortuary, PO Box 477, Larned, KS. 67550.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655755032207.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kevin Otis Gross, 55, passed away Sunday June 19, 2022, at his 
residence in Larned, KS. He was born December 3, 1966, in Wichita, KS. 
the son of Vern “Bud” and Loretta Belisle Gross. An area resident, he 
was a construction worker in Dodge City.Kevin was known for having a green thumb, growing anything especially
 tomatoes. He enjoyed riding motorcycles, music, cooking, fishing, 
anything outdoors and the Green Bay Packers. He especially loved his 
grand kids, kids and family.On October 2, 1993, he married Brenda F. Musgrove in Great Bend, KS. She survives.Other survivors include: his mother, Loretta Gross, Forreston, TX.; 
one son, Brandon Gross, Great Bend, KS.; two daughters, Tasha (Luke) 
Lloyd, Larned, KS. and Jacy (Seth) Gross, Larned, KS.; four brothers, 
Paul (Tina) Gross, Wichita, KS., Steve Gross, Spearville, KS., Danny 
(Karen) Gross, Schererville, IN. and Terry Gross, Miami, OK; one sister,
 Kimberly Gross, Forreston, TX.; six grandchildren, Anna Marie, Graydon 
Lee, LaShauna Kay, Memphis Bradley, Willow Grace, Laynee Faye and many 
nieces and nephews and adopted kids. &nbsp;He was preceded in death by his father, Vern “Bud” Gross and his right-hand man, dog Mystery.Funeral Service will be held 3:00pm Friday, June 24, 2022, at Beckwith
 Mortuary with Pastor David Spare presiding. Family requests casual 
attire. Visitation will be held 9am to 8pm Thursday, June 23, 2022, at 
Beckwith Mortuary with family present from 5pm to 7pm. Cremation will 
take place following the service.Memorials may be given to the Kevin Gross Memorial Fund in care of Beckwith Mortuary, PO Box 477, Larned, KS. 67550.

Kevin Otis Gross

Curtis Jay Schmidt, age 45, of Hays, Kansas, passed away Thursday, June 16, 2022, in Hays. He was born March 15, 1977, in Hays to Timothy and Esther (Burgardt) Schmidt. Curtis graduated from TMP-Marian High School in 1995 and obtained a MS from Fort Hays State University. On October 4, 2003, he married Amanda VanCampen in Victoria. Curtis was the Zoological Collections Manager at Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays. He was also an Adjunct Faculty Instructor at Fort Hays State University and Environmental Scientist at JTC Enterprises. He was a member of the Optimist Club of Hays currently serving as president, a member of the Kansas Herpetological Society having served as a past president and a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Hays. Curtis truly loved his work and sharing his knowledge with others. His passion for the natural world came through with the enthusiasm he brought to teaching others, especially about reptiles, small mammals, and nature conservation.&nbsp; Being with animals and nature brought him great joy. He enjoyed caring for his animals and pets, walking his dogs, and he was often heard saying he was “Going Herping.” True to Curtis’s compassion and love for life through his passing he saved and enhanced numerous lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. Curtis is survived by his Wife, Amanda; daughter, Avery; step son, Jonathan VanCampen all of the home in Hays; his father, Timothy Schmidt of Hays; his sister, Leslie Karlin and husband David of Hays as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother, Esther and sister, Tammie; and a brother-in-law, Ted VanCampen. Live Streaming of services will be available through the funeral home website.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>&nbsp;then select Facebook Live. Funeral services are 10:30 AM Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church 215 W. 13th Hays, Kansas. Memorial visitation will be Tuesday 6 PM - 8 PM with a combined parish vigil and rosary service at 7 PM all at Brock's-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 2509 Vine, Hays, KS 67601. Memorial contributions made payable to the Avery Schmidt Education Fund may be sent in care of Keithley Funeral Homes, PO Box 86, Hays, KS 67601. Condolences may be left by guest book at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>&nbsp;or by email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com">keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655744098334.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Curtis Jay Schmidt, age 45, of Hays, Kansas, passed away Thursday, June 16, 2022, in Hays. He was born March 15, 1977, in Hays to Timothy and Esther (Burgardt) Schmidt. Curtis graduated from TMP-Marian High School in 1995 and obtained a MS from Fort Hays State University. On October 4, 2003, he married Amanda VanCampen in Victoria. Curtis was the Zoological Collections Manager at Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Hays. He was also an Adjunct Faculty Instructor at Fort Hays State University and Environmental Scientist at JTC Enterprises. He was a member of the Optimist Club of Hays currently serving as president, a member of the Kansas Herpetological Society having served as a past president and a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Hays. Curtis truly loved his work and sharing his knowledge with others. His passion for the natural world came through with the enthusiasm he brought to teaching others, especially about reptiles, small mammals, and nature conservation.&nbsp; Being with animals and nature brought him great joy. He enjoyed caring for his animals and pets, walking his dogs, and he was often heard saying he was “Going Herping.” True to Curtis’s compassion and love for life through his passing he saved and enhanced numerous lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. Curtis is survived by his Wife, Amanda; daughter, Avery; step son, Jonathan VanCampen all of the home in Hays; his father, Timothy Schmidt of Hays; his sister, Leslie Karlin and husband David of Hays as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his mother, Esther and sister, Tammie; and a brother-in-law, Ted VanCampen. Live Streaming of services will be available through the funeral home website.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>&nbsp;then select Facebook Live. Funeral services are 10:30 AM Wednesday, June 22, 2022, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church 215 W. 13th Hays, Kansas. Memorial visitation will be Tuesday 6 PM - 8 PM with a combined parish vigil and rosary service at 7 PM all at Brock's-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory, 2509 Vine, Hays, KS 67601. Memorial contributions made payable to the Avery Schmidt Education Fund may be sent in care of Keithley Funeral Homes, PO Box 86, Hays, KS 67601. Condolences may be left by guest book at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com/">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a>&nbsp;or by email at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com">keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com</a>

Curtis Jay Schmidt

NEW YORK (AP) — Retailers and marketers have been quick to commemorate Juneteenth with an avalanche of merchandise from ice cream to T-shirts to party cups.

But many are getting backlash on social media for what critics say undermines the day,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/juneteenth-congress-federal-holiday-3cc3b7a56ec97b0bae3dbdff1da092ee">designated as a federal holiday last year</a>&nbsp;to honor the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. A search for Juneteenth items among online sellers like Amazon and J.C. Penney produced everything from toothpicks with pan-African flags to party plates and balloons.

Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, apologized last month after getting slammed for a Juneteenth ice cream flavor — swirled red velvet and cheesecake — under its store label Great Value. Walmart said it’s reviewing its product assortment and will remove items “as appropriate.” As of Friday, Walmart’s site was still offering lots of T-shirts and party plates.

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Children’s Museum removed a Juneteenth watermelon salad from its menu and issued a mea culpa earlier this week. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the museum blamed a lapse in vendor oversight, noting the label and salad were not reviewed by museum staff.

“We are an imperfect institution, but we are committed to improvement and will work tirelessly to regain your trust,” the museum wrote on its Facebook page.

The backlash comes as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/media-business-lifestyle-race-and-ethnicity-death-of-george-floyd-ec48d239cd93b8d07a9fc13d62ba7364">companies promised after the police killing of George Floyd in May of 2020 to no longer stay silent</a>&nbsp;and vowed to take&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/whole-foods-market-inc-race-and-ethnicity-beyonce-knowles-corporate-giving-coronavirus-pandemic-65357480c89de284c6f0feb2f4b62587">an active role</a>&nbsp;in confronting and educating customers and employees on systemic racism. According to the preliminary results of a survey by Mercer of 200 employers, 33% are offering Juneteenth as a paid holiday to their staff. That’s up from 9% last year in a survey of more than 400 companies conducted shortly before Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday.

At the same time, many have cashed in on a holiday that Black Americans have observed since June 19, 1865, when Union Major General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom for enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, in alignment with President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.

Many experts believe that if retailers and other marketers plan to recognize the day, they should either sell merchandise from Black-owned businesses or invest in campaigns that would help Black communities. Amazon. for instance, does have a Black-owned business storefront that’s live all year-round for customers who want to support and shop Black-owned businesses selling on the site.

“This is a serious and reflective moment — I am excited and grateful for the recognition,” said Ramon Manning, chairman of the board at Emancipation Park Conservancy, a nonprofit organization aimed to restore the park, which was purchased in 1872 by a group of former enslaved people to commemorate the anniversary of their emancipation.

“However, I feel like it is also brought back everybody else out of the woodwork who are opportunists more so than folks who are looking at the history of this country and looking at where a group of people have come from,” he added.

Manning, who is also founder and chairman of Ridgegate Capital, a private investment fund, further wondered: “Who is this going to benefit?”

Sheryl Daija, founder and CEO of Bridge, a group of marketing and diversity, equity and inclusion executives, noted there’s a disconnect between the seriousness of the holiday and the merchandise on display.

“A lot of companies have good intentions, but unfortunately good intentions can go awry, and this is what we have seen,” said Daija, who found Walmart’s Juneteenth ice cream particularly egregious because it used the holiday moniker to brand a new ice cream flavor.

Companies have a long history of commercializing holidays and other moments in order to cash in. Take&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/12a7bd7d472a4037a984b04fae278107">Cinco de Mayo</a>, which has become in the U.S a celebration of all things Mexican, with companies selling everything from beans to beer to sombrero hats. The holiday has spread from the American Southwest, even though most have no idea about its original ties to the U.S. Civil War, abolition and promotion of civil rights for Blacks. In fact, it’s often mistaken for Mexican Independence day.

Meanwhile, every October, retailers are awash in pink merchandise to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness month, but critics say many make misleading claims about supporting cancer groups. And Memorial Day, a federal holiday day designated to mourn the U.S. military who have died while serving in the U.S. armed forces, has morphed into all-day mattress sales at stores.

But what makes the move by companies to cash in on Juneteenth worse is that it comes as the U.S. remains fraught with racial tensions, said Darnise Martin, clinical associate professor of African American studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.

“It is weird to merchandise around it, but that’s what America does,” Martin said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1624012350734.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — Retailers and marketers have been quick to commemorate Juneteenth with an avalanche of merchandise from ice cream to T-shirts to party cups.But many are getting backlash on social media for what critics say undermines the day,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/juneteenth-congress-federal-holiday-3cc3b7a56ec97b0bae3dbdff1da092ee">designated as a federal holiday last year</a>&nbsp;to honor the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. A search for Juneteenth items among online sellers like Amazon and J.C. Penney produced everything from toothpicks with pan-African flags to party plates and balloons.Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, apologized last month after getting slammed for a Juneteenth ice cream flavor — swirled red velvet and cheesecake — under its store label Great Value. Walmart said it’s reviewing its product assortment and will remove items “as appropriate.” As of Friday, Walmart’s site was still offering lots of T-shirts and party plates.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Please take a moment to read this important letter from The Children’s Museum. <a href="https://t.co/vMhnBSuGgK">pic.twitter.com/vMhnBSuGgK</a>&mdash; The Children&#39;s Museum (@TCMIndy) <a href="https://twitter.com/TCMIndy/status/1536679876589150209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Children’s Museum removed a Juneteenth watermelon salad from its menu and issued a mea culpa earlier this week. In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the museum blamed a lapse in vendor oversight, noting the label and salad were not reviewed by museum staff.“We are an imperfect institution, but we are committed to improvement and will work tirelessly to regain your trust,” the museum wrote on its Facebook page.The backlash comes as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/media-business-lifestyle-race-and-ethnicity-death-of-george-floyd-ec48d239cd93b8d07a9fc13d62ba7364">companies promised after the police killing of George Floyd in May of 2020 to no longer stay silent</a>&nbsp;and vowed to take&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/whole-foods-market-inc-race-and-ethnicity-beyonce-knowles-corporate-giving-coronavirus-pandemic-65357480c89de284c6f0feb2f4b62587">an active role</a>&nbsp;in confronting and educating customers and employees on systemic racism. According to the preliminary results of a survey by Mercer of 200 employers, 33% are offering Juneteenth as a paid holiday to their staff. That’s up from 9% last year in a survey of more than 400 companies conducted shortly before Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday.At the same time, many have cashed in on a holiday that Black Americans have observed since June 19, 1865, when Union Major General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom for enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, in alignment with President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.Many experts believe that if retailers and other marketers plan to recognize the day, they should either sell merchandise from Black-owned businesses or invest in campaigns that would help Black communities. Amazon. for instance, does have a Black-owned business storefront that’s live all year-round for customers who want to support and shop Black-owned businesses selling on the site.“This is a serious and reflective moment — I am excited and grateful for the recognition,” said Ramon Manning, chairman of the board at Emancipation Park Conservancy, a nonprofit organization aimed to restore the park, which was purchased in 1872 by a group of former enslaved people to commemorate the anniversary of their emancipation.“However, I feel like it is also brought back everybody else out of the woodwork who are opportunists more so than folks who are looking at the history of this country and looking at where a group of people have come from,” he added.Manning, who is also founder and chairman of Ridgegate Capital, a private investment fund, further wondered: “Who is this going to benefit?”Sheryl Daija, founder and CEO of Bridge, a group of marketing and diversity, equity and inclusion executives, noted there’s a disconnect between the seriousness of the holiday and the merchandise on display.“A lot of companies have good intentions, but unfortunately good intentions can go awry, and this is what we have seen,” said Daija, who found Walmart’s Juneteenth ice cream particularly egregious because it used the holiday moniker to brand a new ice cream flavor.Companies have a long history of commercializing holidays and other moments in order to cash in. Take&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/12a7bd7d472a4037a984b04fae278107">Cinco de Mayo</a>, which has become in the U.S a celebration of all things Mexican, with companies selling everything from beans to beer to sombrero hats. The holiday has spread from the American Southwest, even though most have no idea about its original ties to the U.S. Civil War, abolition and promotion of civil rights for Blacks. In fact, it’s often mistaken for Mexican Independence day.Meanwhile, every October, retailers are awash in pink merchandise to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness month, but critics say many make misleading claims about supporting cancer groups. And Memorial Day, a federal holiday day designated to mourn the U.S. military who have died while serving in the U.S. armed forces, has morphed into all-day mattress sales at stores.But what makes the move by companies to cash in on Juneteenth worse is that it comes as the U.S. remains fraught with racial tensions, said Darnise Martin, clinical associate professor of African American studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.“It is weird to merchandise around it, but that’s what America does,” Martin said.

Some retailers face social media backlash over Juneteenth marketing 

Kenneth Dean “Kenny” Schwindt – LEOTI, KS – The man. The myth. The legend.&nbsp;

Ken
 died on May 11, 2022, at the age of 81 ½ years. Born October 22, 1940, 
in Scott City, KS to Clifford Leslie Schwindt and Lillie May Smith, he 
loved flying, telling jokes (and he remembered EVERY joke he ever 
heard!), hosting Rocky Mountain oyster fries, raising hogs, figuring out
 puzzles and brain stumpers and Dr. Pepper. Not necessarily in that 
order.&nbsp; He hated hypocrites, snakes, and a job poorly done. Not 
necessarily in that order.&nbsp; 

Ken
 was great at, well, just about everything. He was a master craftsman 
who single-handedly built a tilt trailer in high school shop class long 
before this type of trailer was even on anyone’s radar. A skilled and 
self-taught mechanic, he could make any motor purr once again, 
regardless of why it now didn’t run and not charge an arm and a leg or 
the first-born child. But make no mistake, Ken loved kids. Teaching was 
truly his gift and he made a game out of learning. He probably taught 
hundreds of little ones how to tie their shoelaces over the years.&nbsp; 
Actually, you learned from Ken whether you wanted to or not. A seasoned 
carpenter, Ken turned the shattered remnants of a tornado-hit singlewide
 into he and wife Sue’s first family home. &nbsp;He was great at farming, 
growing a garden, making everyone feel welcome, and figuring out an 
easier way to get a job done. He made things work FOR him including 
things like weather and gravity. He figured out how to harness leverage –
 accomplishing an amazing amount of work by himself. When it came to 
grilling Rocky Mountain oysters, he cornered the market in western 
Kansas. He loved hosting this event (much to his wife’s chagrin who was 
often left with the kitchen to clean up). 

Ken
 loved to tell stories (most of them true) but was especially good at 
telling jokes and he was good at it…really, REALLY good at it…a perfect 
delivery every…single….time! 

What
 Ken loved most was flying (second of course to his wife and family).&nbsp; 
During his flight exam, the Captain, so impressed with Ken’s knowledge 
and judgment, offered him a pilot’s job with Continental Airlines simply
 because Ken refused the final taxi until the Captain had closed and 
locked his window.&nbsp; According to the Captain, most guys failed right 
there! But Ken declined, choosing instead to remain on the family farm 
in northeastern Wichita County where he’d invested so much of himself 
over the years. This love of flying was never far from his heart 
however. Not long after, he signed on as a private pilot chauffeuring 
his favorite Uncle Hallie about as he built the High Plains Feedlot 
north of Leoti. But that wasn’t the end of his flying years. Ken knew no
 fear and was ecstatic when asked to join in the Weather Mod cloud 
seeding project.&nbsp; Each time the storm clouds appears, he’d wait 
anxiously for that phone call asking him to load up and fly on the 
leading edge of the thunderstorm to encourage rain and dissipate hail. 
When asked if it was dangerous, he would smile and say, “No, the guys on
 the ground have our back” but then offered no explanation of the hail 
dents on the plane??!! Hmmm, perhaps a little too close to the action?? 
He’d never tell.

Ken’s
 energy knew no bounds, even at an early age. He attended elementary 
school at&nbsp;Pleasant Valley (where the old schoolhouse still stands), 
Lydia and R.B. Stewart. His day started at 4:30 am milking&nbsp;30 plus&nbsp;dairy
 cows, then he’d drive his sister and brother to country school, and 
finally head to town to start his own day at school. Ken was so 
dedicated to the success of the family farm that he literally “raised 
and sold the bacon” to help generate extra income to sustain the family 
farm. But what was learned on the farm didn’t always stay on the farm. 
Ken had an incredible memory and would often take all he’d learned and 
parlay into various small businesses and side gigs. 

Jack of All Trades….Master of Darned Near Every Single One of Them too!

The
 list of all Ken did is impressive: he farmed, ranched, drove truck and 
custom harvested, and ran a trenching and excavating business laying 
miles and miles of water line in the remote Kansas wilderness. He 
mastered butchering and sausage-making long before it was the new 
homesteading-prepper trend. Self-taught master plumber, electrician, 
carpenter and mechanic, he’d even diagnose problems over the phone!&nbsp; He 
made the best popcorn and potato donuts this side of outer space. 
Seriously, what couldn’t he do? Well, he couldn’t stay single and in 
1964 Linda Sue Burkart nabbed him or maybe….just maybe…he talked her 
into marriage? After all, Ken could indeed “sell ice to an Eskimo.” 

But
 the favored story begins like this: Ken was a Sunday School teacher and
 a youth group sponsor at the Assembly of God church where the entire 
family was baptized together. Ken believed God was responsible for an 
encounter he had with a rattlesnake (one of literally hundreds he’s 
slain over his lifetime) while farming in the Lamar, CO area. The area 
was full of abandoned cisterns and rattlesnakes and at least 30 minutes 
from civilization. The rattlesnakes were so bad that it wasn’t even safe
 to walk from the pickup to the tractor. The safest entrance in and out 
of the tractor was crawling through an open window from the bed of the 
pickup, feet never touching the ground. Early one fall morning, Ken 
drove up to the tractor, decided to open the pickup door, and get out, 
thinking the cool, brisk morning had surely stalled the slithers. He 
took his first step and as he lifted his foot for the second, he heard a
 strange noise that sort of sounded like a rattle. He looked back and 
realized that his first step had been planted squarely on the head of a 
rattler and that the twist in his step had dislocated the snake’s jaw, 
preventing what would have been a deadly bite. Truly God had protected 
him exactly as his wife had prayed every morning: “He that dwelleth 
in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the
 Almighty.....Thou shall tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion
 and adder shall thou trample underfoot .” (Psalm 91: 1 &amp; 12) Whew! God’s Protection!!

Ever
 compassionate and kind (well, not to rattlesnakes), Ken never&nbsp;met a 
stranger. He truly loved visiting with everyone. Generous to a fault and
 always glad to help, no strings attached, he believed the best in 
people. He always went out of his way when he discovered someone 
in&nbsp;sincere need, and even if it took extra effort on&nbsp;his&nbsp;part, he made 
sure they felt like they were earning their way rather than being given a
 mere handout.

When
 Ken boarded the plane for his last and final flight, he left his wife, 
Linda Sue (Burkart) Schwindt of the home, eldest daughter Kendra (David 
Kennelly) Schwindt of Marienthal, KS, youngest daughter Lynda (Allen) 
Brockmeier of Hays, KS, grand-daughter Dr. Megan Swope of Beaverton, OR,
 sister Lois Tucker of Wellington, CO, sister Norma (Bob) Marsh of 
Phoenix, AZ, and numerous nieces and nephews who all know how to tie 
their shoes. &nbsp;

Join the family along with Rev. Paul NcNall and Rev. Tod &nbsp;Anthony on Saturday, June 25th, 2022, at 2:00 PM at the United Methodist Church in Leoti, KS to wish Ken safe travels. 

Ever
 appreciative of their service, the Leoti EMS in care of Price &amp; 
Sons is deserving of memorials in lieu of flowers in Ken’s name. Please 
make checks to the Leoti EMS and mail to Price and Sons Funeral Home, PO
 Box 161, Leoti, KS 67861. Obituary Guest Book/Tribute Wall at 
www.PriceandSons.com

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655496847107.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kenneth Dean “Kenny” Schwindt – LEOTI, KS – The man. The myth. The legend.&nbsp; Ken
 died on May 11, 2022, at the age of 81 ½ years. Born October 22, 1940, 
in Scott City, KS to Clifford Leslie Schwindt and Lillie May Smith, he 
loved flying, telling jokes (and he remembered EVERY joke he ever 
heard!), hosting Rocky Mountain oyster fries, raising hogs, figuring out
 puzzles and brain stumpers and Dr. Pepper. Not necessarily in that 
order.&nbsp; He hated hypocrites, snakes, and a job poorly done. Not 
necessarily in that order.&nbsp; Ken
 was great at, well, just about everything. He was a master craftsman 
who single-handedly built a tilt trailer in high school shop class long 
before this type of trailer was even on anyone’s radar. A skilled and 
self-taught mechanic, he could make any motor purr once again, 
regardless of why it now didn’t run and not charge an arm and a leg or 
the first-born child. But make no mistake, Ken loved kids. Teaching was 
truly his gift and he made a game out of learning. He probably taught 
hundreds of little ones how to tie their shoelaces over the years.&nbsp; 
Actually, you learned from Ken whether you wanted to or not. A seasoned 
carpenter, Ken turned the shattered remnants of a tornado-hit singlewide
 into he and wife Sue’s first family home. &nbsp;He was great at farming, 
growing a garden, making everyone feel welcome, and figuring out an 
easier way to get a job done. He made things work FOR him including 
things like weather and gravity. He figured out how to harness leverage –
 accomplishing an amazing amount of work by himself. When it came to 
grilling Rocky Mountain oysters, he cornered the market in western 
Kansas. He loved hosting this event (much to his wife’s chagrin who was 
often left with the kitchen to clean up). Ken
 loved to tell stories (most of them true) but was especially good at 
telling jokes and he was good at it…really, REALLY good at it…a perfect 
delivery every…single….time! What
 Ken loved most was flying (second of course to his wife and family).&nbsp; 
During his flight exam, the Captain, so impressed with Ken’s knowledge 
and judgment, offered him a pilot’s job with Continental Airlines simply
 because Ken refused the final taxi until the Captain had closed and 
locked his window.&nbsp; According to the Captain, most guys failed right 
there! But Ken declined, choosing instead to remain on the family farm 
in northeastern Wichita County where he’d invested so much of himself 
over the years. This love of flying was never far from his heart 
however. Not long after, he signed on as a private pilot chauffeuring 
his favorite Uncle Hallie about as he built the High Plains Feedlot 
north of Leoti. But that wasn’t the end of his flying years. Ken knew no
 fear and was ecstatic when asked to join in the Weather Mod cloud 
seeding project.&nbsp; Each time the storm clouds appears, he’d wait 
anxiously for that phone call asking him to load up and fly on the 
leading edge of the thunderstorm to encourage rain and dissipate hail. 
When asked if it was dangerous, he would smile and say, “No, the guys on
 the ground have our back” but then offered no explanation of the hail 
dents on the plane??!! Hmmm, perhaps a little too close to the action?? 
He’d never tell.Ken’s
 energy knew no bounds, even at an early age. He attended elementary 
school at&nbsp;Pleasant Valley (where the old schoolhouse still stands), 
Lydia and R.B. Stewart. His day started at 4:30 am milking&nbsp;30 plus&nbsp;dairy
 cows, then he’d drive his sister and brother to country school, and 
finally head to town to start his own day at school. Ken was so 
dedicated to the success of the family farm that he literally “raised 
and sold the bacon” to help generate extra income to sustain the family 
farm. But what was learned on the farm didn’t always stay on the farm. 
Ken had an incredible memory and would often take all he’d learned and 
parlay into various small businesses and side gigs. Jack of All Trades….Master of Darned Near Every Single One of Them too!The
 list of all Ken did is impressive: he farmed, ranched, drove truck and 
custom harvested, and ran a trenching and excavating business laying 
miles and miles of water line in the remote Kansas wilderness. He 
mastered butchering and sausage-making long before it was the new 
homesteading-prepper trend. Self-taught master plumber, electrician, 
carpenter and mechanic, he’d even diagnose problems over the phone!&nbsp; He 
made the best popcorn and potato donuts this side of outer space. 
Seriously, what couldn’t he do? Well, he couldn’t stay single and in 
1964 Linda Sue Burkart nabbed him or maybe….just maybe…he talked her 
into marriage? After all, Ken could indeed “sell ice to an Eskimo.” But
 the favored story begins like this: Ken was a Sunday School teacher and
 a youth group sponsor at the Assembly of God church where the entire 
family was baptized together. Ken believed God was responsible for an 
encounter he had with a rattlesnake (one of literally hundreds he’s 
slain over his lifetime) while farming in the Lamar, CO area. The area 
was full of abandoned cisterns and rattlesnakes and at least 30 minutes 
from civilization. The rattlesnakes were so bad that it wasn’t even safe
 to walk from the pickup to the tractor. The safest entrance in and out 
of the tractor was crawling through an open window from the bed of the 
pickup, feet never touching the ground. Early one fall morning, Ken 
drove up to the tractor, decided to open the pickup door, and get out, 
thinking the cool, brisk morning had surely stalled the slithers. He 
took his first step and as he lifted his foot for the second, he heard a
 strange noise that sort of sounded like a rattle. He looked back and 
realized that his first step had been planted squarely on the head of a 
rattler and that the twist in his step had dislocated the snake’s jaw, 
preventing what would have been a deadly bite. Truly God had protected 
him exactly as his wife had prayed every morning: “He that dwelleth 
in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the
 Almighty.....Thou shall tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion
 and adder shall thou trample underfoot .” (Psalm 91: 1 &amp; 12) Whew! God’s Protection!!Ever
 compassionate and kind (well, not to rattlesnakes), Ken never&nbsp;met a 
stranger. He truly loved visiting with everyone. Generous to a fault and
 always glad to help, no strings attached, he believed the best in 
people. He always went out of his way when he discovered someone 
in&nbsp;sincere need, and even if it took extra effort on&nbsp;his&nbsp;part, he made 
sure they felt like they were earning their way rather than being given a
 mere handout.Yes, the stories are true.When
 Ken boarded the plane for his last and final flight, he left his wife, 
Linda Sue (Burkart) Schwindt of the home, eldest daughter Kendra (David 
Kennelly) Schwindt of Marienthal, KS, youngest daughter Lynda (Allen) 
Brockmeier of Hays, KS, grand-daughter Dr. Megan Swope of Beaverton, OR,
 sister Lois Tucker of Wellington, CO, sister Norma (Bob) Marsh of 
Phoenix, AZ, and numerous nieces and nephews who all know how to tie 
their shoes. &nbsp;Join the family along with Rev. Paul NcNall and Rev. Tod &nbsp;Anthony on Saturday, June 25th, 2022, at 2:00 PM at the United Methodist Church in Leoti, KS to wish Ken safe travels. Ever
 appreciative of their service, the Leoti EMS in care of Price &amp; 
Sons is deserving of memorials in lieu of flowers in Ken’s name. Please 
make checks to the Leoti EMS and mail to Price and Sons Funeral Home, PO
 Box 161, Leoti, KS 67861. Obituary Guest Book/Tribute Wall at 
www.PriceandSons.com

Kenneth Dean 'Kenny' Schwindt

Joseph Yanda, of Ellis, Kansas, died 
Sunday, June 12, 2022, at his home in Ellis.&nbsp; He was born in Quinter, 
Kansas, on October 14, 1950, to Theodore Sebastian and Lugarda 'Lou' 
(Ziegler) Yanda.

On August 5, 1978, he married Jean K. 
Morris in Oakley, Kansas. She preceded his in death just 7 months ago, 
on November 7, 2021.

Joe was a custodian at Fort Hays State 
University and was considered a jack of all trades, performing odd jobs 
and handyman work for many of his friends and family.&nbsp; He enjoyed his 
association and membership in the High Plains Longrifles and was a 
master gunsmith.&nbsp; He took pride in his family and was also a man of 
faith.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 
Friday, June 17th at 2 PM at St Mary's Catholic Church - Ellis with Rev.
 Dana Clark officiating, inurnment will follow the services in the 
parish cemetery.&nbsp;

Visitation will be Thursday, June 16th 
from 6 PM&nbsp;to 8 PM with a parish vigil service at 7 PM at Keithley 
Funeral Chapel, 400 E. 17th, Ellis, KS 67637.

He is survived by a son: Dean Yanda of 
Ellis; two daughters: Jessica Smith and husband Jon of Mons, Belgium and
 Amanda Cross and husband Casey of Hays; as well as two 
grandchildren:&nbsp;Ayden, and Ella Yanda; one sister: Leaette Bandy and her 
husband Bruce of Colby, Kansas; and&nbsp;a sister-in-law: Elaine Yanda.&nbsp; He 
was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, John; and his 
sweetheart, Jean.

Memorials are suggested to: High Plains Longrifles in care of the funeral chapel.

Condolences may be left by guest book 
at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or by email at 
keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com.&nbsp; Services in care of Keithley Funeral 
Chapel 400 E. 17th Ellis, KS 67637.

Joseph Yanda, of Ellis, Kansas, died 
Sunday, June 12, 2022, at his home in Ellis.&nbsp; He was born in Quinter, 
Kansas, on October 14, 1950, to Theodore Sebastian and Lugarda 'Lou' 
(Ziegler) Yanda.On August 5, 1978, he married Jean K. 
Morris in Oakley, Kansas. She preceded his in death just 7 months ago, 
on November 7, 2021.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655239812098.jpeg" alt="Joseph Yanda" />
 <figcaption>Joseph Yanda</figcaption>
 </figure>Joe was a custodian at Fort Hays State 
University and was considered a jack of all trades, performing odd jobs 
and handyman work for many of his friends and family.&nbsp; He enjoyed his 
association and membership in the High Plains Longrifles and was a 
master gunsmith.&nbsp; He took pride in his family and was also a man of 
faith.Mass of Christian Burial will be 
Friday, June 17th at 2 PM at St Mary's Catholic Church - Ellis with Rev.
 Dana Clark officiating, inurnment will follow the services in the 
parish cemetery.&nbsp;Visitation will be Thursday, June 16th 
from 6 PM&nbsp;to 8 PM with a parish vigil service at 7 PM at Keithley 
Funeral Chapel, 400 E. 17th, Ellis, KS 67637.He is survived by a son: Dean Yanda of 
Ellis; two daughters: Jessica Smith and husband Jon of Mons, Belgium and
 Amanda Cross and husband Casey of Hays; as well as two 
grandchildren:&nbsp;Ayden, and Ella Yanda; one sister: Leaette Bandy and her 
husband Bruce of Colby, Kansas; and&nbsp;a sister-in-law: Elaine Yanda.&nbsp; He 
was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, John; and his 
sweetheart, Jean.Memorials are suggested to: High Plains Longrifles in care of the funeral chapel.Condolences may be left by guest book 
at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or by email at 
keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com.&nbsp; Services in care of Keithley Funeral 
Chapel 400 E. 17th Ellis, KS 67637.

Joseph Yanda

Jack T. Dunn Jr., 80, passed away on June 13, 2022, at University of
 Kansas Medical Center – Great Bend Campus in Great Bend, Kansas. He was
 born on October 21, 1941, to Jack T. &amp; Bessie (Pease) Dunn in Welch,
 Okla. Jack married Cheryl Thompson; they later divorced. On December 
17, 1965, he married Janet Mullen in Great Bend, Kansas. She passed away
 in 1981. He then married Joann Boling on November 9, 1990, in Great 
Bend.&nbsp;

A long-time resident of Great Bend, Jack worked for many years as a 
chemical engineer for Davis Mud and Chemical, Inc., followed by 35 years
 in IT for Doonan Trailer. He loved spending time riding his motorcycle 
and with his family.

Survivors include his wife of the home; four sons, Bradley (Teri) 
Thompson of Elk City, Okla., Jack T. (Jennifer) Dunn, III of Eudora, 
Kan., Michael (Cathy) Dunn of Leavenworth, Kan., and Dusty (Dusty) Davis
 of Ennis, Tex.; twelve grandchildren; and sixteen great-grandchildren. 
He is preceded in death by his wife, Janet Mullen; his parents; a 
daughter, Michelle Dunn; and a brother, James Dunn.

There will be no visitation as cremation has taken place. A funeral 
service will be held on Thursday, June 16, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. at Bryant 
Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Larry Schumacher presiding. Inurnment 
will follow at Great Bend Cemetery. Memorials have been designated to 
Run for the Wall, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655231229761.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Jack T. Dunn Jr., 80, passed away on June 13, 2022, at University of
 Kansas Medical Center – Great Bend Campus in Great Bend, Kansas. He was
 born on October 21, 1941, to Jack T. &amp; Bessie (Pease) Dunn in Welch,
 Okla. Jack married Cheryl Thompson; they later divorced. On December 
17, 1965, he married Janet Mullen in Great Bend, Kansas. She passed away
 in 1981. He then married Joann Boling on November 9, 1990, in Great 
Bend.&nbsp;A long-time resident of Great Bend, Jack worked for many years as a 
chemical engineer for Davis Mud and Chemical, Inc., followed by 35 years
 in IT for Doonan Trailer. He loved spending time riding his motorcycle 
and with his family.Survivors include his wife of the home; four sons, Bradley (Teri) 
Thompson of Elk City, Okla., Jack T. (Jennifer) Dunn, III of Eudora, 
Kan., Michael (Cathy) Dunn of Leavenworth, Kan., and Dusty (Dusty) Davis
 of Ennis, Tex.; twelve grandchildren; and sixteen great-grandchildren. 
He is preceded in death by his wife, Janet Mullen; his parents; a 
daughter, Michelle Dunn; and a brother, James Dunn.There will be no visitation as cremation has taken place. A funeral 
service will be held on Thursday, June 16, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. at Bryant 
Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Larry Schumacher presiding. Inurnment 
will follow at Great Bend Cemetery. Memorials have been designated to 
Run for the Wall, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Jack T. Dunn Jr.

Johnney “John” Lee Guffey, 81, of McPherson, KS, peacefully passed away on Monday, June 13, 2022, surrounded by his family at Hillsboro Community Hospital.&nbsp; Over the years, he worked for San Ore, Mistletoe Express, Beaver Express, and Prairieland Partners.&nbsp;

John was born on February 26, 1941, in Fairlane, OK, the son of Vernon M. and Ruby (May) Guffey.&nbsp; He graduated from Codell High School.&nbsp; He served in the United States Army from October 31, 1963 to October 29, 1965.&nbsp; On December 29, 1969, John was united in marriage to Kay F. Basgall in Loretta, KS.&nbsp; This union was blessed with three children, Jeffrey, Brian, and Betty.

He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, and the American Legion Post #24.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Survivors include his loving wife of 52 years, Kay of the home; two children, Brian Guffey of McPherson, KS and Betty Laney (Josh) of Walton, KS; four grandchildren, Kane Guffey, Katelyn Guffey, Nichole Yianakopulos, and Caleb Laney; two great-grandchildren, Landyn Koons and Koda McFadden; a brother, Richard Guffey (Deb) of Hays, KS; sister-in-law, Carol Guffey of Brunswick, GA; and many extended family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Ronald Guffey; sister, Janis Johnson; a son, Jeffrey Guffey; a grandson, Trenton Yianakopulos; and daughter-in-law, Cindy Guffey.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Thursday, June 16, 2022, at Stockham Family Funeral Home.&nbsp; A Rosary will be held at 10:00 AM, Friday, June 17, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Joseph Catholic Church with Fr. Ben Shockey officiating.&nbsp; Burial with Military Honors will follow at McPherson Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be given to St. Joseph Catholic Church or McPherson County Food Bank in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.&nbsp; Personal condolences may be sent to the family at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stockhamfamily.com/">www.stockhamfamily.com</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655225590909.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Johnney “John” Lee Guffey, 81, of McPherson, KS, peacefully passed away on Monday, June 13, 2022, surrounded by his family at Hillsboro Community Hospital.&nbsp; Over the years, he worked for San Ore, Mistletoe Express, Beaver Express, and Prairieland Partners.&nbsp;John was born on February 26, 1941, in Fairlane, OK, the son of Vernon M. and Ruby (May) Guffey.&nbsp; He graduated from Codell High School.&nbsp; He served in the United States Army from October 31, 1963 to October 29, 1965.&nbsp; On December 29, 1969, John was united in marriage to Kay F. Basgall in Loretta, KS.&nbsp; This union was blessed with three children, Jeffrey, Brian, and Betty.He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, and the American Legion Post #24.&nbsp;&nbsp;Survivors include his loving wife of 52 years, Kay of the home; two children, Brian Guffey of McPherson, KS and Betty Laney (Josh) of Walton, KS; four grandchildren, Kane Guffey, Katelyn Guffey, Nichole Yianakopulos, and Caleb Laney; two great-grandchildren, Landyn Koons and Koda McFadden; a brother, Richard Guffey (Deb) of Hays, KS; sister-in-law, Carol Guffey of Brunswick, GA; and many extended family and friends.He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Ronald Guffey; sister, Janis Johnson; a son, Jeffrey Guffey; a grandson, Trenton Yianakopulos; and daughter-in-law, Cindy Guffey.The family will receive friends from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, Thursday, June 16, 2022, at Stockham Family Funeral Home.&nbsp; A Rosary will be held at 10:00 AM, Friday, June 17, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Joseph Catholic Church with Fr. Ben Shockey officiating.&nbsp; Burial with Military Honors will follow at McPherson Cemetery.Memorial donations may be given to St. Joseph Catholic Church or McPherson County Food Bank in care of Stockham Family Funeral Home, 205 North Chestnut, McPherson, KS 67460.&nbsp; Personal condolences may be sent to the family at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.stockhamfamily.com/">www.stockhamfamily.com</a>.

Johnney 'John' Lee Guffey

Shielda Joy Jeffery, 88, passed away at the Park Lane Nursing Home in
 Scott City on June 11, 2022, after a brief illness. She was born in 
Abilene, Kansas, on October 29, 1933, and remained a Kansas native, 
calling Scott City home for the last 64 years.

She was a caring, considerate, and generous family member and friend.
 Shielda invested a lot of time into letter writing, card mailing, 
memory keeping, and phone conversations. She had a giving heart, always 
looking for ways to help those around her.

In 1999, Shielda retired from Scott Pro after 25 years of service. 
She lived out her retirement in the community she loved and raised her 
three boys in.

Shielda is survived by three sons, Stan Lacey and Lisa of Rio Vista, 
CA, Craig Lacey and Connie of Sterling, KS, Malcolm Lacey and Rosa of 
Redondo Beach, CA; 12 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; one sister,
 Jean Elmquist and Jerry of Sacramento, CA.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Glenn and Evadena Madden, and her brother, Glenn Madden Jr.

A graveside memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, 
July 16, 2022, at the Scott County Cemetery in Scott City, Kansas with 
Steve Payne presiding.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be written to Park Lane Nursing Home in Scott City, Kansas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655221526223.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Shielda Joy Jeffery, 88, passed away at the Park Lane Nursing Home in
 Scott City on June 11, 2022, after a brief illness. She was born in 
Abilene, Kansas, on October 29, 1933, and remained a Kansas native, 
calling Scott City home for the last 64 years.She was a caring, considerate, and generous family member and friend.
 Shielda invested a lot of time into letter writing, card mailing, 
memory keeping, and phone conversations. She had a giving heart, always 
looking for ways to help those around her.In 1999, Shielda retired from Scott Pro after 25 years of service. 
She lived out her retirement in the community she loved and raised her 
three boys in.Shielda is survived by three sons, Stan Lacey and Lisa of Rio Vista, 
CA, Craig Lacey and Connie of Sterling, KS, Malcolm Lacey and Rosa of 
Redondo Beach, CA; 12 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; one sister,
 Jean Elmquist and Jerry of Sacramento, CA.She was preceded in death by her parents, Glenn and Evadena Madden, and her brother, Glenn Madden Jr.A graveside memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, 
July 16, 2022, at the Scott County Cemetery in Scott City, Kansas with 
Steve Payne presiding.In lieu of flowers, contributions can be written to Park Lane Nursing Home in Scott City, Kansas.There will be no calling times.

Shielda Joy Jeffery

Elmer Reno Purvis, age 83, lifelong resident of Sherman County, passed away Thursday, June 9, 2022, at Topside Manor.&nbsp;

Elmer was born to Ralph and Murel (Moore) Purvis on the family farm 
in Sherman County. He attended Sandy Hill and Smokey Hill Country 
schools until the 8th grade. He completed diesel mechanics training and 
received a diploma from Interstate Training Service for Diesel and Heavy
 Equipment. On June 5, 1960, he married Joyce Tracey in Texhoma, 
Oklahoma.&nbsp; Elmer lived all his life in Sherman County, except for 4 
years while working for Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, he 
returned to the family farm in October 1961.&nbsp;

He was raised in a Christian home and fondly recalled his mom reading
 Bible stories and praying with him. He especially remembered the time 
when he was 4 years old, while riding on a trailer of wheat with his 8 
year old sister, JoAnn. His father was turning onto a cement slab to 
dump the wheat when Elmer decided to climb off over the side, slipped 
and slid under the trailer, the tires went over the pelvis area, 
breaking his hips and causing severe internal injuries.&nbsp; Doctors in 
Goodland didn’t expect him to live and was keeping him sedated, after 24
 hours they called in Dr. Renner who performed a life-saving surgery.&nbsp;

Elmer loved to farm and could hardly wait each spring to be out in 
the field.&nbsp; He put down an irrigation well in 1965, and irrigated by 
ditch-type for many years, laying out pipe, changing water morning and 
night and all that goes with it.&nbsp; Later he changed to using sprinkler 
systems. The kids said that dad decided to go to center pivots after 
there was no children to help move pipe and change water.&nbsp; He was 
blessed when Stan and Becky agreed to move back to Sherman County and 
help farm.&nbsp;

As the grandkids came along, he loved giving them tractor and combine
 rides. Elmer loved music, playing his steel guitar, and having someone 
playing piano or other instruments along with him.&nbsp; He sang with a men’s
 quartet at church. Elmer served on the board at Goodland Bible Church, 
the Goodland Christian School, and the McPherson Township Board.&nbsp;

He is preceded in death by his parents; 3 sisters, Minnie Brazda, Irene Jewel and Ruth Sears.&nbsp;

Elmer is survived by his wife, Joyce of Sherman County; children, 
Terri (Jerry) Spooner of Fort Morgan, CO, Tammy (Tim) Rensberger of 
Buchanan, MI, Stan (Becky) Purvis of Sherman County, Steve (Carrie) 
Purvis of Niles, MI, Tracy (John) Adams of Troy, IL; grandchildren, Jill
 (Tanner) Dixon, Drew (Kinsey), Zach (Jamie), Zeb (Karent) Tedford, 
Bryce (Malorie) Rensberger, Lance (Caitlin), Tiffany and Lisa (Logan) 
Veer, Mac, Katie, LJ, Kamie Purvis, Tyrel (Alyssa) Purvis, Trey 
(Kelsey), Taylor (Chelseah) Purvis, Jaather, Luke and Kara Adams; 
great-greatgrandchildren, Wyatt and Lane Dixon, Mason Tedford, Emma, 
Ella, Ezra, Ezekiel Tedford, Kinsley and Levi Rensberger, Elias and 
Sadie Rensberger, Paisley, Presley and Phoenix Purvis, Aurora, Zulina 
Purvis and Savannah Purvis; brother, Wayne and sister, JoAnn James as 
well many nieces and nephews.&nbsp;

Memorials may be designated to Life Action Ministries, Ethnos360 or 
Goodland Bible Church and may be left at the service or sent in care of 
Bateman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 278, Goodland, Kansas 67735.&nbsp; Information
 and online condolences www.batemanfuneral.com

Click <a href="https://www.batemanfuneral.com/obituary/Elmer-Purvis">HERE</a> for service details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654882390638.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Elmer Reno Purvis, age 83, lifelong resident of Sherman County, passed away Thursday, June 9, 2022, at Topside Manor.&nbsp;Elmer was born to Ralph and Murel (Moore) Purvis on the family farm 
in Sherman County. He attended Sandy Hill and Smokey Hill Country 
schools until the 8th grade. He completed diesel mechanics training and 
received a diploma from Interstate Training Service for Diesel and Heavy
 Equipment. On June 5, 1960, he married Joyce Tracey in Texhoma, 
Oklahoma.&nbsp; Elmer lived all his life in Sherman County, except for 4 
years while working for Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, he 
returned to the family farm in October 1961.&nbsp;He was raised in a Christian home and fondly recalled his mom reading
 Bible stories and praying with him. He especially remembered the time 
when he was 4 years old, while riding on a trailer of wheat with his 8 
year old sister, JoAnn. His father was turning onto a cement slab to 
dump the wheat when Elmer decided to climb off over the side, slipped 
and slid under the trailer, the tires went over the pelvis area, 
breaking his hips and causing severe internal injuries.&nbsp; Doctors in 
Goodland didn’t expect him to live and was keeping him sedated, after 24
 hours they called in Dr. Renner who performed a life-saving surgery.&nbsp;Elmer loved to farm and could hardly wait each spring to be out in 
the field.&nbsp; He put down an irrigation well in 1965, and irrigated by 
ditch-type for many years, laying out pipe, changing water morning and 
night and all that goes with it.&nbsp; Later he changed to using sprinkler 
systems. The kids said that dad decided to go to center pivots after 
there was no children to help move pipe and change water.&nbsp; He was 
blessed when Stan and Becky agreed to move back to Sherman County and 
help farm.&nbsp;As the grandkids came along, he loved giving them tractor and combine
 rides. Elmer loved music, playing his steel guitar, and having someone 
playing piano or other instruments along with him.&nbsp; He sang with a men’s
 quartet at church. Elmer served on the board at Goodland Bible Church, 
the Goodland Christian School, and the McPherson Township Board.&nbsp;He is preceded in death by his parents; 3 sisters, Minnie Brazda, Irene Jewel and Ruth Sears.&nbsp;Elmer is survived by his wife, Joyce of Sherman County; children, 
Terri (Jerry) Spooner of Fort Morgan, CO, Tammy (Tim) Rensberger of 
Buchanan, MI, Stan (Becky) Purvis of Sherman County, Steve (Carrie) 
Purvis of Niles, MI, Tracy (John) Adams of Troy, IL; grandchildren, Jill
 (Tanner) Dixon, Drew (Kinsey), Zach (Jamie), Zeb (Karent) Tedford, 
Bryce (Malorie) Rensberger, Lance (Caitlin), Tiffany and Lisa (Logan) 
Veer, Mac, Katie, LJ, Kamie Purvis, Tyrel (Alyssa) Purvis, Trey 
(Kelsey), Taylor (Chelseah) Purvis, Jaather, Luke and Kara Adams; 
great-greatgrandchildren, Wyatt and Lane Dixon, Mason Tedford, Emma, 
Ella, Ezra, Ezekiel Tedford, Kinsley and Levi Rensberger, Elias and 
Sadie Rensberger, Paisley, Presley and Phoenix Purvis, Aurora, Zulina 
Purvis and Savannah Purvis; brother, Wayne and sister, JoAnn James as 
well many nieces and nephews.&nbsp;Memorials may be designated to Life Action Ministries, Ethnos360 or 
Goodland Bible Church and may be left at the service or sent in care of 
Bateman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 278, Goodland, Kansas 67735.&nbsp; Information
 and online condolences www.batemanfuneral.comClick <a href="https://www.batemanfuneral.com/obituary/Elmer-Purvis">HERE</a> for service details.

Elmer Reno Purvis

Theodore V. “Teddy” Gingrich, 80, passed away June 6, 2022, at Salina Regional Health Center, Salina, KS.

He was born October 12, 1941, in Larned, the son of Ted Warder and 
Lola Emma Buhrer Gingrich.&nbsp; A lifetime area resident, he was a 
Farmer/Stockman.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654710252890.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Theodore V. “Teddy” Gingrich, 80, passed away June 6, 2022, at Salina Regional Health Center, Salina, KS.He was born October 12, 1941, in Larned, the son of Ted Warder and 
Lola Emma Buhrer Gingrich.&nbsp; A lifetime area resident, he was a 
Farmer/Stockman.He was a member of the Church of Christ, St. John, where he served as
 an Elder.&nbsp; He enjoyed Church, Farming and spending time with family and
 his dog, Roxie.On October 22, 1961, he married Carol Ann McBride in St. John, KS.&nbsp; She survives.Other survivors include: three daughters, Shari (Jim) Soukup, Desert 
Hills, AZ, Serena (Tim) Neidig, Belpre, KS, Lori (Brent) LaMar, Desert 
Hills, AZ; two sisters, Martha (Vince) Guzzo, Overland Park, KS, Vivian 
Johnston, Lenexa, KS; four grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.He was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved dog, Roxie.Cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be 10 a.m. 
Saturday, June 11, 2022, at Larned United Methodist Church with Carl 
Feril presiding. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, June 
10, 2022 at Beckwith Mortuary, Larned.&nbsp; Inurnment will be in the 
Pleasant Valley Cemetery, Zook, KS.Memorials may be given to Church of Christ, St. John or Tunnel to 
Towers in care of Beckwith Mortuary, P.O. Box 477 Larned, KS 67550.&nbsp; 
Condolences may be left at <a href="http://www.beckwithmortuary.com">www.beckwithmortuary.com</a>.