Richard C. Flax, age 79, of Ellis, 
Kansas passed away Friday, March 6, 2020 at the Trego Lemke Long Term 
Care Center in WaKeeney, Kansas. He was born December 20, 1940 in Hays, 
Kansas to Carl and Bertha (Honas) Flax. On October 9, 1965 he married 
Charlene (Klaus) at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hays, Kansas.

Richard was a farmer and stockman as 
well as a water hauler in the oil fields and a dump truck driver hauling
 millings for highway construction. He was a US Army Veteran and a 
member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ellis. He enjoyed playing cards 
and spending time with his grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife, Charlene of
 Ellis; three sons, Mark Flax and wife Jackie of Ellis, Gary Flax and 
wife Tricia of Russell and Arlen Flax and wife Rose of Ellis and three 
grandchildren, Jarod Flax of Goodland, Braden Flax of Russell and Emma 
Flax of Ellis.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Norma Jean Flax.

Funeral services will be 10 AM on 
Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ellis. Burial 
will follow in the St. Mary’s Cemetery with military honors.

Visitation will be Monday 6 PM – 8 PM and Tuesday 9 AM until service time all at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

A combined parish vigil and rosary will be 7 PM Monday at the church.

Services in care of Keithley Funeral Chapel 400 E. 17th Ellis, KS 67637.

Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Mary’s School or St. Mary’s Church.

Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or by email at keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583604088451.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Richard C. Flax, age 79, of Ellis, 
Kansas passed away Friday, March 6, 2020 at the Trego Lemke Long Term 
Care Center in WaKeeney, Kansas. He was born December 20, 1940 in Hays, 
Kansas to Carl and Bertha (Honas) Flax. On October 9, 1965 he married 
Charlene (Klaus) at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hays, Kansas.Richard was a farmer and stockman as 
well as a water hauler in the oil fields and a dump truck driver hauling
 millings for highway construction. He was a US Army Veteran and a 
member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ellis. He enjoyed playing cards 
and spending time with his grandchildren.He is survived by his wife, Charlene of
 Ellis; three sons, Mark Flax and wife Jackie of Ellis, Gary Flax and 
wife Tricia of Russell and Arlen Flax and wife Rose of Ellis and three 
grandchildren, Jarod Flax of Goodland, Braden Flax of Russell and Emma 
Flax of Ellis.He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Norma Jean Flax.Funeral services will be 10 AM on 
Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ellis. Burial 
will follow in the St. Mary’s Cemetery with military honors.Visitation will be Monday 6 PM – 8 PM and Tuesday 9 AM until service time all at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.A combined parish vigil and rosary will be 7 PM Monday at the church.Services in care of Keithley Funeral Chapel 400 E. 17th Ellis, KS 67637.Memorial contributions are suggested to St. Mary’s School or St. Mary’s Church.Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or by email at keithleyfuneralhomes@gmail.com

Richard C. Flax

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) —The University of Kansas forcefully objected to charges that its storied men's basketball program, currently No. 1 in the nation, and its football programs had committed significant violations tied primarily to recruiting when it issued its formal response to the NCAA's notice of allegations Thursday night.

In a series of documents totaling nearly 300 pages of arguments and supporting materials, the school claims several facts involving Bill Self's basketball program are in dispute, including charges that Kansas lacked institutional control and its Hall of Fame coach and his assistant, Kurtis Townsend, had committed a series of high-level violations.

“There is no reasonable conclusion that members of the university, including the men's basketball staff, knew or should have known about any violations of NCAA rules,” the response said. “Self had no knowledge of any NCAA rules violations or illicit conduct exhibited by Adidas, its employees or its consultants. ... Voluminous evidence demonstrates uncontestably that Coach Self did, in fact, promote an atmosphere of compliance.”

The NCAA issued its original notice of allegations on Sept. 23, which included five violations for men's basketball — all Level 1, the most severe — and two lesser violations for football. The school then received an amended notice Jan. 30 that added an eighth, low-level violation involving the current football staff led by Les Miles.

While the NCAA's notice does not detail what Kansas is accused of doing, the program was among the most prominent in an NCAA probe into a pay-for-play scheme that began with an FBI investigation into apparel company Adidas. One of its former employees testified at trial that he made payments to the family of one Kansas recruit and the guardian of a current player, and text messages presented in court revealed a close relationship between Self and the Adidas employee.

The school had Thursday deadline to issue its response. Ultimately, a hearing will be scheduled and Kansas will present its case. The NCAA will then issue its ruling, often within several months, and the school retains the right to appeal.

“To be candid with you, I haven't had much to do with it,” Self said Wednesday night, shortly after the Jayhawks beat TCU in their home finale to clinch a share of the Big 12 regular-season title. “I haven't let that bog me down as a distraction. It certainly won't moving forward. That was something that had to happen from a mandatory standpoint, but it is no more than what it was three or four moths ago. It's the next play.”

Kansas is hardly the only big-name program involved in the case. North Carolina State received notice of two violations, among them a failure-to-monitor charge against former coach Mark Gottfied. Arizona, Auburn, Southern California and Creighton are among the other programs that have been caught in the crosshairs.

The former Adidas employee, T.J. Gassnola, testified in October that he made a a $90,000 payment to the family of then-Kansas recruit Billy Preston and $2,500 to the guardian of forward Silvio De Sousa, who just this week finished a 12-game suspension for an unrelated issue — he was involved in a brawl during a game against Kansas State. Gassnola also said he paid $20,000 to Fenny Falmagne, De Sousa's guardian, to pry him loose from an agreement with Maryland.

Gassnola, who avoided prison time by cooperating with the FBI, insisted Self and his coaching staff were unaware of the payments, even though text messages detailed their close relationship. But an attorney for former Adidas executive James Gatto told a jury that his client approved the payment to Falmagne only after Self and Townsend requested it.

The school's response Thursday night goes painstakingly, point-by-point in disputing the vast majority of the NCAA's accusations. Perhaps the biggest claim is that Adidas, which last April signed a 14-year, $196 million contract extension with Kansas, and its employees were representatives of the school's athletic interests during the period of the alleged violations — thus, they were acting on the school's behalf.

“While there is no denying that the conduct of those associated with Adidas may have broken criminal law,” the school's response said, “the University of Kansas and its employees should not be held responsible for that conduct.”

Gatto, former Adidas consultant Merl Code and handler Chris Dawkins already have been found guilty of felony charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the FBI probe. Gassnola was given probation as part of his cooperation agreement with federal prosecutors.

Meanwhile, the Jayhawks (27-3, 16-1) have weathered the off-the-court turmoil to put together one of their best regular seasons in years. They have a chance to win the Big 12 title outright Saturday with a win at Texas Tech or if Baylor loses at West Virginia, and they have the inside track on the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Two of their players, Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike, are front-runners for Big 12 player of the year, and each is present on just about every watch list for national awards. They also are likely to be chosen in the upcoming NBA draft.

“We've dealt with some stuff that's been pretty well-known publicly with basically very little fault to the guys,” Self acknowledged. “I mean, Silvio made a bad, bad error in judgment the one time, but other than that, the guys have handled the distractions as if they're not distractions, and you know, that can be taxing on a team mentally. I think they've been great and I think they've acted maturely.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574643193042.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy University of Kansas Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy University of Kansas Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) —The University of Kansas forcefully objected to charges that its storied men's basketball program, currently No. 1 in the nation, and its football programs had committed significant violations tied primarily to recruiting when it issued its formal response to the NCAA's notice of allegations Thursday night.In a series of documents totaling nearly 300 pages of arguments and supporting materials, the school claims several facts involving Bill Self's basketball program are in dispute, including charges that Kansas lacked institutional control and its Hall of Fame coach and his assistant, Kurtis Townsend, had committed a series of high-level violations.“There is no reasonable conclusion that members of the university, including the men's basketball staff, knew or should have known about any violations of NCAA rules,” the response said. “Self had no knowledge of any NCAA rules violations or illicit conduct exhibited by Adidas, its employees or its consultants. ... Voluminous evidence demonstrates uncontestably that Coach Self did, in fact, promote an atmosphere of compliance.”The NCAA issued its original notice of allegations on Sept. 23, which included five violations for men's basketball — all Level 1, the most severe — and two lesser violations for football. The school then received an amended notice Jan. 30 that added an eighth, low-level violation involving the current football staff led by Les Miles.While the NCAA's notice does not detail what Kansas is accused of doing, the program was among the most prominent in an NCAA probe into a pay-for-play scheme that began with an FBI investigation into apparel company Adidas. One of its former employees testified at trial that he made payments to the family of one Kansas recruit and the guardian of a current player, and text messages presented in court revealed a close relationship between Self and the Adidas employee.The school had Thursday deadline to issue its response. Ultimately, a hearing will be scheduled and Kansas will present its case. The NCAA will then issue its ruling, often within several months, and the school retains the right to appeal.“To be candid with you, I haven't had much to do with it,” Self said Wednesday night, shortly after the Jayhawks beat TCU in their home finale to clinch a share of the Big 12 regular-season title. “I haven't let that bog me down as a distraction. It certainly won't moving forward. That was something that had to happen from a mandatory standpoint, but it is no more than what it was three or four moths ago. It's the next play.”Kansas is hardly the only big-name program involved in the case. North Carolina State received notice of two violations, among them a failure-to-monitor charge against former coach Mark Gottfied. Arizona, Auburn, Southern California and Creighton are among the other programs that have been caught in the crosshairs.The former Adidas employee, T.J. Gassnola, testified in October that he made a a $90,000 payment to the family of then-Kansas recruit Billy Preston and $2,500 to the guardian of forward Silvio De Sousa, who just this week finished a 12-game suspension for an unrelated issue — he was involved in a brawl during a game against Kansas State. Gassnola also said he paid $20,000 to Fenny Falmagne, De Sousa's guardian, to pry him loose from an agreement with Maryland.Gassnola, who avoided prison time by cooperating with the FBI, insisted Self and his coaching staff were unaware of the payments, even though text messages detailed their close relationship. But an attorney for former Adidas executive James Gatto told a jury that his client approved the payment to Falmagne only after Self and Townsend requested it.The school's response Thursday night goes painstakingly, point-by-point in disputing the vast majority of the NCAA's accusations. Perhaps the biggest claim is that Adidas, which last April signed a 14-year, $196 million contract extension with Kansas, and its employees were representatives of the school's athletic interests during the period of the alleged violations — thus, they were acting on the school's behalf.“While there is no denying that the conduct of those associated with Adidas may have broken criminal law,” the school's response said, “the University of Kansas and its employees should not be held responsible for that conduct.”Gatto, former Adidas consultant Merl Code and handler Chris Dawkins already have been found guilty of felony charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with the FBI probe. Gassnola was given probation as part of his cooperation agreement with federal prosecutors.Meanwhile, the Jayhawks (27-3, 16-1) have weathered the off-the-court turmoil to put together one of their best regular seasons in years. They have a chance to win the Big 12 title outright Saturday with a win at Texas Tech or if Baylor loses at West Virginia, and they have the inside track on the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.Two of their players, Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike, are front-runners for Big 12 player of the year, and each is present on just about every watch list for national awards. They also are likely to be chosen in the upcoming NBA draft.“We've dealt with some stuff that's been pretty well-known publicly with basically very little fault to the guys,” Self acknowledged. “I mean, Silvio made a bad, bad error in judgment the one time, but other than that, the guys have handled the distractions as if they're not distractions, and you know, that can be taxing on a team mentally. I think they've been great and I think they've acted maturely.”

KU objects to NCAA charges in response to allegations

Phillipsburg resident John A. Beim passed away Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at the Phillips County Hospital, Phillipsburg, at the age of 88.

He was born October 22, 1931 in Phillips County, KS the son of Joseph John and Addie Florence (Anderson) Beim.

John was united in marriage to Shirley Klotz on July 22, 1956 in Phillipsburg.&nbsp; She preceded him in death in 2012.&nbsp; He was also preceded in death by a sister, Geneva Burton.

Survivors include his daughter, Paula Lyon of Phillipsburg; 3 sons, Timothy of Phillipsburg, Michael of Keokuk, IA and Perry of Wichita, KS; 8 grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 6, 2020 at the Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Stuttgart, with Pastor Lee Bennight officiating.&nbsp; Burial will follow in the First Lutheran Cemetery, Phillips County, KS.

Mr. Beim will lie in state from noon until 9 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, 1115 2nd Street, Phillipsburg, KS&nbsp; 67661.

Memorial contributions may be made in lieu of flowers to the Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Online condolences:&nbsp; www.olliffboeve.com

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583350256415.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Phillipsburg resident John A. Beim passed away Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at the Phillips County Hospital, Phillipsburg, at the age of 88.He was born October 22, 1931 in Phillips County, KS the son of Joseph John and Addie Florence (Anderson) Beim.John was united in marriage to Shirley Klotz on July 22, 1956 in Phillipsburg.&nbsp; She preceded him in death in 2012.&nbsp; He was also preceded in death by a sister, Geneva Burton.Survivors include his daughter, Paula Lyon of Phillipsburg; 3 sons, Timothy of Phillipsburg, Michael of Keokuk, IA and Perry of Wichita, KS; 8 grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren.Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 6, 2020 at the Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Stuttgart, with Pastor Lee Bennight officiating.&nbsp; Burial will follow in the First Lutheran Cemetery, Phillips County, KS.Mr. Beim will lie in state from noon until 9 p.m. Wednesday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel, 1115 2nd Street, Phillipsburg, KS&nbsp; 67661.Memorial contributions may be made in lieu of flowers to the Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church.Online condolences:&nbsp; www.olliffboeve.com

John A. Beim

By DAN MARGOLIES &amp; PEGGY LOWE, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/judge-allows-wrongfully-convicted-lamonte-mcintyres-civil-case-against-wyandotte-county-proceed#stream/0">Kansas News Service</a>

A federal judge has declined to dismiss most of the counts in a civil
 lawsuit brought by Lamonte McIntyre and his mother over his conviction 
for a double murder he did not commit and his subsequent 23-year 
imprisonment.

The blistering 70-page ruling Tuesday by U.S. 
District Judge Kathryn H. Vratil came in response to motions to throw 
out the lawsuit by the defendants — the Unified Government of Wyandotte 
County; Roger Golubski, a now-retired Kansas City, Kansas, detective who
 was instrumental in framing McIntyre; and other policemen involved in 
the trumped-up investigation.

Although Vratil agreed to dismiss 
some of the lawsuit’s counts on technical legal grounds, she left 
standing most of the counts in the lawsuit, allowing the case to proceed
 to a possible trial.

Cheryl Pilate, one of the McIntyres’ attorneys, said she was gratified by the ruling.

“Lamonte
 and Rosie suffered enormously through the 23 years of Lamonte’s 
wrongful incarceration, and they look forward to presenting their case 
to a jury,” Pilate said in an email.&nbsp;

McIntyre was 17 when he was
 arrested in 1994 for the shotgun killings of Doniel Quinn, 21, and 
Donald Ewing, 34. He was convicted and given two life sentences. He was 
freed from prison in October 2017 after the two alleged eyewitnesses in 
the case recanted their testimony and the Wyandotte County district 
attorney concluded the case involved a “manifest injustice.”

Last
 month, the state of Kansas awarded McIntyre $1.55 million and a 
certificate of innocence under a new Kansas law enacted to compensate 
wrongfully imprisoned defendants.

In laying out the factual 
background of the case, Vratil was unsparing in her description of how 
Golubski acted to coerce witnesses into giving fabricated testimony and 
to railroad McIntyre.

“Since the early 1980s, Roger Golubski used
 his power as a police officer to exploit sex from vulnerable black 
women in the north end of Kansas City, Kansas,” Vratil wrote at the 
outset of her ruling. “To do so, he threatened arrest and prosecution, 
fixed tickets, made warrants disappear and paid money and drugs. He 
would often fixate on particular women, harassing them continually for 
months or even years. These predilections and abuses were well known 
among other officers and supervisors within the Kansas City, Kansas 
Police Department ('KCKPD'). They knew – and even joked about – 
Golubski’s practice of arresting black prostitutes, forcing them to have
 sex (often at the precinct house itself) and then releasing them 
without pressing charges.”

Golubski’s attorney, Morgan Roach, said he did not have a chance to 
thoroughly review Vratil’s ruling and declined to comment. Golubski, who
 retired about a decade ago as a police captain after more than 30 years
 on the Kansas City, Kansas, police force, could not be reached for 
comment.&nbsp;

One of the women Golubski exploited was McIntyre’s 
mother, Rose McIntyre, whom Golubski sexually assaulted at his police 
station office, according to Vratil’s recounting of the facts. Another 
officer who opened Golubski’s door and saw what was happening left 
without saying anything.

Golubski’s harassment continued over 
time even after Rose McIntyre rejected his advances, ultimately leading 
her to move to a new home and change her phone number in the hope he 
would stop terrorizing her.

In April 1994, Golubski ginned up 
evidence against McIntyre for the slaying of Quinn and Ewing as they sat
 in a parked car. Golubski coerced two women, one of whom he had a 
sexual relationship with, into identifying McIntyre as the killer. Both 
were pressured into picking out McIntyre’s photo from an array of five 
photos – three of which were of Lamonte and two of his close relatives.

Golubski
 and other police officer spent no more than six hours investigating the
 murders, Vratil said, before pinning them on McIntyre and arresting 
him.

Evidence later developed by McIntyre’s lawyers showed that 
the murder was committed by Neil Edgar Jr., better known as “Monster,” 
who worked for a local drug kingpin.

McIntyre and his mother 
filed their civil lawsuit shortly after McIntyre was exonerated in 2017.
 They amended the lawsuit in September.

The defendants “regularly
 engaged in improper and illegal acts to obtain unreliable and often 
falsified evidence for the purpose of closing cases and intentionally 
protected certain notorious drug dealers from arrest by wrongfully 
arresting other residents of the community for the dealers' crimes,” the
 lawsuit states.

The nine-count suit seeks unspecified 
compensatory and punitive damages for violations of the McIntyres’ 
constitutional rights and various state laws. While declining to dismiss
 most of the counts against the defendants, Vratil did agree with the 
Unified Government that, under Kansas law, it cannot be held liable for 
punitive damages.

Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor at KCUR. You can reach him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/DanMargolies">@DanMargolies</a>. Peggy Lowe is a KCUR reporter and is on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/peggyllowe">@peggyllowe</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583330843112.png" alt=" The state of Kansas awarded Lamont McIntyre $1.55 million and a certificate of innocence after passing a new law to compensate wrongfully imprisoned defendants. Stephen Koranda / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> The state of Kansas awarded Lamont McIntyre $1.55 million and a certificate of innocence after passing a new law to compensate wrongfully imprisoned defendants. Stephen Koranda / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By DAN MARGOLIES &amp; PEGGY LOWE, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/judge-allows-wrongfully-convicted-lamonte-mcintyres-civil-case-against-wyandotte-county-proceed#stream/0">Kansas News Service</a>A federal judge has declined to dismiss most of the counts in a civil
 lawsuit brought by Lamonte McIntyre and his mother over his conviction 
for a double murder he did not commit and his subsequent 23-year 
imprisonment.The blistering 70-page ruling Tuesday by U.S. 
District Judge Kathryn H. Vratil came in response to motions to throw 
out the lawsuit by the defendants — the Unified Government of Wyandotte 
County; Roger Golubski, a now-retired Kansas City, Kansas, detective who
 was instrumental in framing McIntyre; and other policemen involved in 
the trumped-up investigation.Although Vratil agreed to dismiss 
some of the lawsuit’s counts on technical legal grounds, she left 
standing most of the counts in the lawsuit, allowing the case to proceed
 to a possible trial.Cheryl Pilate, one of the McIntyres’ attorneys, said she was gratified by the ruling.“Lamonte
 and Rosie suffered enormously through the 23 years of Lamonte’s 
wrongful incarceration, and they look forward to presenting their case 
to a jury,” Pilate said in an email.&nbsp;McIntyre was 17 when he was
 arrested in 1994 for the shotgun killings of Doniel Quinn, 21, and 
Donald Ewing, 34. He was convicted and given two life sentences. He was 
freed from prison in October 2017 after the two alleged eyewitnesses in 
the case recanted their testimony and the Wyandotte County district 
attorney concluded the case involved a “manifest injustice.”Last
 month, the state of Kansas awarded McIntyre $1.55 million and a 
certificate of innocence under a new Kansas law enacted to compensate 
wrongfully imprisoned defendants.In laying out the factual 
background of the case, Vratil was unsparing in her description of how 
Golubski acted to coerce witnesses into giving fabricated testimony and 
to railroad McIntyre.“Since the early 1980s, Roger Golubski used
 his power as a police officer to exploit sex from vulnerable black 
women in the north end of Kansas City, Kansas,” Vratil wrote at the 
outset of her ruling. “To do so, he threatened arrest and prosecution, 
fixed tickets, made warrants disappear and paid money and drugs. He 
would often fixate on particular women, harassing them continually for 
months or even years. These predilections and abuses were well known 
among other officers and supervisors within the Kansas City, Kansas 
Police Department ('KCKPD'). They knew – and even joked about – 
Golubski’s practice of arresting black prostitutes, forcing them to have
 sex (often at the precinct house itself) and then releasing them 
without pressing charges.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583330912187.png" alt=" Now retired Kansas City, Kansas, Detective Roger Golubski, who coerced witnesses into giving false testimony against McIntyre. Credit Associated Press" />
 <figcaption> Now retired Kansas City, Kansas, Detective Roger Golubski, who coerced witnesses into giving false testimony against McIntyre. Credit Associated Press</figcaption>
 </figure>Golubski’s attorney, Morgan Roach, said he did not have a chance to 
thoroughly review Vratil’s ruling and declined to comment. Golubski, who
 retired about a decade ago as a police captain after more than 30 years
 on the Kansas City, Kansas, police force, could not be reached for 
comment.&nbsp;One of the women Golubski exploited was McIntyre’s 
mother, Rose McIntyre, whom Golubski sexually assaulted at his police 
station office, according to Vratil’s recounting of the facts. Another 
officer who opened Golubski’s door and saw what was happening left 
without saying anything.Golubski’s harassment continued over 
time even after Rose McIntyre rejected his advances, ultimately leading 
her to move to a new home and change her phone number in the hope he 
would stop terrorizing her.In April 1994, Golubski ginned up 
evidence against McIntyre for the slaying of Quinn and Ewing as they sat
 in a parked car. Golubski coerced two women, one of whom he had a 
sexual relationship with, into identifying McIntyre as the killer. Both 
were pressured into picking out McIntyre’s photo from an array of five 
photos – three of which were of Lamonte and two of his close relatives.Golubski
 and other police officer spent no more than six hours investigating the
 murders, Vratil said, before pinning them on McIntyre and arresting 
him.Evidence later developed by McIntyre’s lawyers showed that 
the murder was committed by Neil Edgar Jr., better known as “Monster,” 
who worked for a local drug kingpin.McIntyre and his mother 
filed their civil lawsuit shortly after McIntyre was exonerated in 2017.
 They amended the lawsuit in September.The defendants “regularly
 engaged in improper and illegal acts to obtain unreliable and often 
falsified evidence for the purpose of closing cases and intentionally 
protected certain notorious drug dealers from arrest by wrongfully 
arresting other residents of the community for the dealers' crimes,” the
 lawsuit states.The nine-count suit seeks unspecified 
compensatory and punitive damages for violations of the McIntyres’ 
constitutional rights and various state laws. While declining to dismiss
 most of the counts against the defendants, Vratil did agree with the 
Unified Government that, under Kansas law, it cannot be held liable for 
punitive damages.Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor at KCUR. You can reach him on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/DanMargolies">@DanMargolies</a>. Peggy Lowe is a KCUR reporter and is on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/peggyllowe">@peggyllowe</a>.

Judge: Wrongfully convicted man's civil case can proceed 

October 10, 1924
 -
 March 2, 2020

An obituary is pending with Stinemetz Funeral Home.

Click <a href="https://www.stinemetzfh.com/obituaries/Milo-Eugene-Worcester-Jr?obId=12275723#/celebrationWall">HERE</a> for service details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583330166614.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>October 10, 1924
 -
 March 2, 2020An obituary is pending with Stinemetz Funeral Home.Click <a href="https://www.stinemetzfh.com/obituaries/Milo-Eugene-Worcester-Jr?obId=12275723#/celebrationWall">HERE</a> for service details.

Milo Eugene Worcester Jr.

TOPEKA — The Kansas Chamber announced Monday its 2020 Leadership 
Kansas class. Leadership Kansas is a nationally recognized program 
focused on developing and motivating Kansas leaders from all four 
corners of the state.


	"The Kansas Chamber is excited to welcome the newest Leadership Kansas 
class. As one of the oldest and most prestigious statewide leadership 
programs in the country, Leadership Kansas has a long history of 
fostering greater awareness and understanding of statewide economic, 
business, and political issues. The program helps develop our state 
leaders to make Kansas a stronger and more vibrant business engine." 
said Kansas Chamber President &amp; CEO Alan Cobb.

Members of this year's class from northwest Kansas include:

• Joni Showalter, Goodland Police Chief

• Tamara Clymer, executive director of the Colby/Thomas County Chamber of Commerce


	This year, Leadership Kansas received more than 600 nominations for the
 program. After a thorough&nbsp;and thoughtful application and selection 
process, the selection committee chose 40 individuals for the 2020 
class.&nbsp;The committee and the Leadership Kansas Board of Advisors make 
every effort to ensure the class reflects the state in regards to 
geographic, ethnic, occupational, and gender diversity.&nbsp;


	The 2020 program begins in late April with an orientation session in 
Lawrence and ends with graduation in October after the completion of six
 sessions. The cities the 2020 class will visit for this year's program 
include Garden City, Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Kansas City, KS, 
Leavenworth, Hays, Pittsburg, Hutchinson, Wichita, El Dorado, Manhattan,
 and Topeka.&nbsp;&nbsp;


	Throughout the six-month program, the class interacts with a variety of
 experts and community leaders through three-day educational training 
sessions. The diverse discussion topics include business, education, 
agriculture, public policy, societal health, economic development, and 
government. &nbsp;


	"Participants in the Leadership Kansas program contribute their unique 
backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to the LK program. They 
recieve once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to meet the business and 
government leaders of Kansas, who help them be better leaders in their 
businesses and communities," said Stan Rasmussen,&nbsp; LK Board of Advisors 
Chairman (Class of 2007)&nbsp; &nbsp;


	Leadership Kansas has more than 1,400 alumni. Jeff "Chappie" Chapman 
(Class of 2012) serves as the Executive Director of the Leadership 
Kansas Program.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583264003733.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Leadership KansasTOPEKA — The Kansas Chamber announced Monday its 2020 Leadership 
Kansas class. Leadership Kansas is a nationally recognized program 
focused on developing and motivating Kansas leaders from all four 
corners of the state.
	"The Kansas Chamber is excited to welcome the newest Leadership Kansas 
class. As one of the oldest and most prestigious statewide leadership 
programs in the country, Leadership Kansas has a long history of 
fostering greater awareness and understanding of statewide economic, 
business, and political issues. The program helps develop our state 
leaders to make Kansas a stronger and more vibrant business engine." 
said Kansas Chamber President &amp; CEO Alan Cobb.Members of this year's class from northwest Kansas include:• Joni Showalter, Goodland Police Chief• Tamara Clymer, executive director of the Colby/Thomas County Chamber of Commerce
	This year, Leadership Kansas received more than 600 nominations for the
 program. After a thorough&nbsp;and thoughtful application and selection 
process, the selection committee chose 40 individuals for the 2020 
class.&nbsp;The committee and the Leadership Kansas Board of Advisors make 
every effort to ensure the class reflects the state in regards to 
geographic, ethnic, occupational, and gender diversity.&nbsp;
	The 2020 program begins in late April with an orientation session in 
Lawrence and ends with graduation in October after the completion of six
 sessions. The cities the 2020 class will visit for this year's program 
include Garden City, Overland Park, Olathe, Lenexa, Kansas City, KS, 
Leavenworth, Hays, Pittsburg, Hutchinson, Wichita, El Dorado, Manhattan,
 and Topeka.&nbsp;&nbsp;
	Throughout the six-month program, the class interacts with a variety of
 experts and community leaders through three-day educational training 
sessions. The diverse discussion topics include business, education, 
agriculture, public policy, societal health, economic development, and 
government. &nbsp;
	"Participants in the Leadership Kansas program contribute their unique 
backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to the LK program. They 
recieve once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to meet the business and 
government leaders of Kansas, who help them be better leaders in their 
businesses and communities," said Stan Rasmussen,&nbsp; LK Board of Advisors 
Chairman (Class of 2007)&nbsp; &nbsp;
	Leadership Kansas has more than 1,400 alumni. Jeff "Chappie" Chapman 
(Class of 2012) serves as the Executive Director of the Leadership 
Kansas Program.

NW Kansans named to 2020 Leadership Kansas class

By KIM BALDWIN McPherson&nbsp;County farmer and rancher

I was recently out of town for a week traveling to multiple locations in the country. My family stayed home to continue the day-to-day routines.&nbsp;While I was gone, our community’s Daddy Daughter Date Night took place. The event had been added onto our family calendar the day the flyer was sent home from school. It was the important topic of conversation during many breakfasts and dinners in our kitchen for weeks leading up to the event.&nbsp;

My 4-year-old daughter, Isannah, obsessed over the idea of a Daddy Daughter Date Night and all of the glamour associated with it. Her voice would instantly rise to an excitedly high-pitched squeak every time she’d mention the words “Daddy Daughter Date Night.”&nbsp;She’d straighten her posture, walk on her tiptoes and prance around the house exclaiming she was going on a fancy date. She also made sure to routinely remind my husband that he, in fact, would be available to take her, and it was going to be fabulous.&nbsp;Both of my children have benefitted from hand-me-downs over the years. With multiple older cousins who grow fast, we’ve been able to add many outfits into the kids’ closets for a new lease on life. Isannah has especially benefited from having an older, stylish girl cousin who routinely sends beautiful clothes to be worn again by my girl. We have established quite a collection of holiday dresses, party dresses and princess dresses thanks to this wardrobe sharing agreement.&nbsp;

When my daughter first presented the handout detailing the Daddy Daughter Date Night event, I knew we wouldn’t need to go dress shopping because we have plenty of options at home.&nbsp;As the special night approached, I was out of town. I worried I wouldn’t be home to do my daughter’s hair, let alone help her pick out her dress for this clearly momentous event in my little girl’s life. Nonetheless, my girl proved she didn’t necessarily need me to be there to help when I received a text message from my mother-in-law with an attached picture.&nbsp;The image showed my little girl sitting on her daddy’s lap with a bright smile before leaving for their date night. She had selected her dress and all of the accessories, and you could tell she was proud to have personally selected her date night outfit all by herself. You could tell she knew that she was going to be the fanciest little girl at the dance.&nbsp;

The dress she chose to wear was not one of her cousin’s fancy, princess-like dresses I had anticipated she’d choose. Instead, it was a beautiful black dress with red ruffles and polka dots I had purchased for her while I was in Madrid, Spain, last year. The “flamingo dress,” as she refers to it, was accessorized with a beautiful red flower hair clip, grey yoga pants and athletic shoes. It was the exact same outfit she excitingly wore in October ... for Halloween!&nbsp;

While I’m sure this will not be the mindset my daughter will have when it comes to prom dresses many years from now, I can’t help but smile whenever I think of how Isannah approached this special night by embracing her own style — obviously without the help of her parents — and totally and fabulously nailing it while enjoying a special evening out with her daddy!&nbsp;

"Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1575904358712.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By KIM BALDWIN McPherson&nbsp;County farmer and rancherI was recently out of town for a week traveling to multiple locations in the country. My family stayed home to continue the day-to-day routines.&nbsp;While I was gone, our community’s Daddy Daughter Date Night took place. The event had been added onto our family calendar the day the flyer was sent home from school. It was the important topic of conversation during many breakfasts and dinners in our kitchen for weeks leading up to the event.&nbsp;My 4-year-old daughter, Isannah, obsessed over the idea of a Daddy Daughter Date Night and all of the glamour associated with it. Her voice would instantly rise to an excitedly high-pitched squeak every time she’d mention the words “Daddy Daughter Date Night.”&nbsp;She’d straighten her posture, walk on her tiptoes and prance around the house exclaiming she was going on a fancy date. She also made sure to routinely remind my husband that he, in fact, would be available to take her, and it was going to be fabulous.&nbsp;Both of my children have benefitted from hand-me-downs over the years. With multiple older cousins who grow fast, we’ve been able to add many outfits into the kids’ closets for a new lease on life. Isannah has especially benefited from having an older, stylish girl cousin who routinely sends beautiful clothes to be worn again by my girl. We have established quite a collection of holiday dresses, party dresses and princess dresses thanks to this wardrobe sharing agreement.&nbsp;When my daughter first presented the handout detailing the Daddy Daughter Date Night event, I knew we wouldn’t need to go dress shopping because we have plenty of options at home.&nbsp;As the special night approached, I was out of town. I worried I wouldn’t be home to do my daughter’s hair, let alone help her pick out her dress for this clearly momentous event in my little girl’s life. Nonetheless, my girl proved she didn’t necessarily need me to be there to help when I received a text message from my mother-in-law with an attached picture.&nbsp;The image showed my little girl sitting on her daddy’s lap with a bright smile before leaving for their date night. She had selected her dress and all of the accessories, and you could tell she was proud to have personally selected her date night outfit all by herself. You could tell she knew that she was going to be the fanciest little girl at the dance.&nbsp;The dress she chose to wear was not one of her cousin’s fancy, princess-like dresses I had anticipated she’d choose. Instead, it was a beautiful black dress with red ruffles and polka dots I had purchased for her while I was in Madrid, Spain, last year. The “flamingo dress,” as she refers to it, was accessorized with a beautiful red flower hair clip, grey yoga pants and athletic shoes. It was the exact same outfit she excitingly wore in October ... for Halloween!&nbsp;While I’m sure this will not be the mindset my daughter will have when it comes to prom dresses many years from now, I can’t help but smile whenever I think of how Isannah approached this special night by embracing her own style — obviously without the help of her parents — and totally and fabulously nailing it while enjoying a special evening out with her daddy!&nbsp;"Insight" is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state's largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.&nbsp;

Kansas Farm Bureau Insight: Embrace your own style

Thelma Joyce (Brack) Elder, age 87, passed away on Sunday, March 1, 2020 at Chisholm Place in Wichita, Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Thelma was born May 22, 1932 at Garden City, Kansas, the daughter and seventh child of Danial &amp; Marie (Riffel) Brack.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thelma attended and graduated from the Wichita County School System, then known as WCCHS.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thelma was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Leoti up until being diagnosed with the onset of dementia.&nbsp;&nbsp;She served on numerous church boards and was always willing and present to help with cooking, serving and preparing church fellowship dinners and meals to shut-ins.&nbsp;&nbsp;She was also active in the Missionary Society for many years.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thelma was the pianist for several years at the church and even taught herself to play the organ.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Thelma had many wonderful credentials.&nbsp;&nbsp;She was a fantastic cook and seamstress, but above all, she was a faithful and loving wife to her farmer husband, whom she worked many hours alongside.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She was a loving and caring mother who will greatly be missed.

On October 7, 1950 she married the love of her life, Ellsworth E. (Red) Elder in Raton, New Mexico.&nbsp;&nbsp;Red passed away in February of 1996.&nbsp;&nbsp;They had shared 45 years of marriage together.

Thelma’s surviving family includes- Two Children, Deandra &amp; Jim Gittlein of Decatur, Arkansas and Dennis Elder of Roosevelt, Arizona.&nbsp;&nbsp;Two grandchildren- Lacy &amp; Pete Williams of Wichita, Kansas and Garrett and Amanda Gittlein of Gravette, Arkansas, and four great grandchildren- Cohan Williams of Wichita, Kansas and Mason, Colson and Madison Gittlein of Gravette, Arkansas.

Her parents, husband and six siblings precede her in death.

Graveside services will be held at 10:30 am Saturday, March 7, 2020 at Leoti Cemetery in Leoti, Kansas with Pastor Kyle Evans officiating.&nbsp;&nbsp;Friends may call from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm Friday at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home in Leoti, Kansas.

Memorials may be given to the Thelma Elder memorial fund in care of the funeral home.

Condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at&nbsp;<a href="http://priceandsons.com/">priceandsons.com</a>

Thelma Joyce (Brack) Elder, age 87, passed away on Sunday, March 1, 2020 at Chisholm Place in Wichita, Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thelma was born May 22, 1932 at Garden City, Kansas, the daughter and seventh child of Danial &amp; Marie (Riffel) Brack.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thelma attended and graduated from the Wichita County School System, then known as WCCHS.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thelma was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Leoti up until being diagnosed with the onset of dementia.&nbsp;&nbsp;She served on numerous church boards and was always willing and present to help with cooking, serving and preparing church fellowship dinners and meals to shut-ins.&nbsp;&nbsp;She was also active in the Missionary Society for many years.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thelma was the pianist for several years at the church and even taught herself to play the organ.&nbsp;&nbsp;Thelma had many wonderful credentials.&nbsp;&nbsp;She was a fantastic cook and seamstress, but above all, she was a faithful and loving wife to her farmer husband, whom she worked many hours alongside.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She was a loving and caring mother who will greatly be missed.On October 7, 1950 she married the love of her life, Ellsworth E. (Red) Elder in Raton, New Mexico.&nbsp;&nbsp;Red passed away in February of 1996.&nbsp;&nbsp;They had shared 45 years of marriage together.Thelma’s surviving family includes- Two Children, Deandra &amp; Jim Gittlein of Decatur, Arkansas and Dennis Elder of Roosevelt, Arizona.&nbsp;&nbsp;Two grandchildren- Lacy &amp; Pete Williams of Wichita, Kansas and Garrett and Amanda Gittlein of Gravette, Arkansas, and four great grandchildren- Cohan Williams of Wichita, Kansas and Mason, Colson and Madison Gittlein of Gravette, Arkansas.Her parents, husband and six siblings precede her in death.Graveside services will be held at 10:30 am Saturday, March 7, 2020 at Leoti Cemetery in Leoti, Kansas with Pastor Kyle Evans officiating.&nbsp;&nbsp;Friends may call from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm Friday at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home in Leoti, Kansas.Memorials may be given to the Thelma Elder memorial fund in care of the funeral home.Condolences may be sent to the family through the funeral home website at&nbsp;<a href="http://priceandsons.com/">priceandsons.com</a>

Thelma Joyce (Brack) Elder

Delma Elizabeth (Uhrich) Dible went home to be with her Lord and Savior 
on March 1, 2020. She passed away at Logan County Manor at age 86. 
Delma’s beautiful smile and graceful quiet demeanor always made everyone
 want to be around her and she made friends wherever she went.  Delma 
was a dedicated mother first and foremost. She treasured her children 
and grandchildren and embraced every moment with them.    


Delma was born on September 3, 1933, on the farm south of Oakley, that 
she and her husband would later make their home. The middle daughter of 
Jacob and Anna Uhrich, Delma enjoyed farm life and even the chores that 
went with it. She attended grade school at Champion County School before
 moving into Oakley where she attended Oakley High School graduating 
with the Class of 1951. She loved documenting the class history and 
keeping up with the members of her class through helping plan class 
reunions and clipping articles and photos of her classmates and their 
families throughout the years. 


On October 5, 1952 Delma married Merle Dible in the Oakley Christian 
Church. To this union were added to children, Nancy and Clay. They 
resided on the farm until “retiring” and moving into Oakley in 1997. 


Until her health condition made it impossible, Delma was active in the 
life of the Oakley Christian Church working with many ministry efforts 
including VBS, teaching Sunday School, serving as Deaconess, and helping
 with Bible Bowl. She enjoyed helping with the churches Centennial 
celebration. 


Delma’s hobbies included square dancing, photography, writing, 
traveling, including a very special anniversary trip to Europe and 
helping raise all the wonderful and unique animals on the farm.  She 
loved hosting all the various area school’s field trips each spring.  
Especially enjoyable was seeing the kids that they hosted return in 
later life with their kids and then their grandkids.


Delma was a founding member of the Camilla Club and remained an active 
member throughout the organizations time. She also loved her Red Hats 
organization going on many day trips with them throughout the years. She
 loved scrapbooking and documenting the actives that each organization 
was involved with.  


She is preceded in death by her husband Merle, her parents, her sister Laura Ann, and nephew Nicholas. 


She is survived by her children, Nancy (Don) Bartell, Wamego and Clay 
(Jeannie) Dible, Wichita; grandchildren, Tina Hawkins and Dakota 
(Kaylin) Bartell; Great-granddaughter, Shyloh Hawkins; sister, Glennis 
(Lyle) Boyd, of Oakley; brother in law, Harry (Lori) Dible; sister in 
law, Judy Cooley;  and a host of nieces and nephews. 


Visitation will be Thursday, March 5th from 5-7 pm at Baalmann Mortuary,
 Oakley, with service at the Oakley Christian Church, 200 E. 4th St., 
Oakley, KS, on Friday, March 6th, 2020 at 10:00 am. Burial will take 
place in the Oakley City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial 
donations may be made to the Oakley Christian Church-The Cave, 
Alzheimer’s Association or the Logan County Manor and can be sent in 
care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 204, Oakley, KS 67748. For information
 or condolences visit www.baalmannmortuary.com

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583251836769.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Delma Elizabeth (Uhrich) Dible went home to be with her Lord and Savior 
on March 1, 2020. She passed away at Logan County Manor at age 86. 
Delma’s beautiful smile and graceful quiet demeanor always made everyone
 want to be around her and she made friends wherever she went. Delma 
was a dedicated mother first and foremost. She treasured her children 
and grandchildren and embraced every moment with them. 
Delma was born on September 3, 1933, on the farm south of Oakley, that 
she and her husband would later make their home. The middle daughter of 
Jacob and Anna Uhrich, Delma enjoyed farm life and even the chores that 
went with it. She attended grade school at Champion County School before
 moving into Oakley where she attended Oakley High School graduating 
with the Class of 1951. She loved documenting the class history and 
keeping up with the members of her class through helping plan class 
reunions and clipping articles and photos of her classmates and their 
families throughout the years. 
On October 5, 1952 Delma married Merle Dible in the Oakley Christian 
Church. To this union were added to children, Nancy and Clay. They 
resided on the farm until “retiring” and moving into Oakley in 1997. 
Until her health condition made it impossible, Delma was active in the 
life of the Oakley Christian Church working with many ministry efforts 
including VBS, teaching Sunday School, serving as Deaconess, and helping
 with Bible Bowl. She enjoyed helping with the churches Centennial 
celebration. 
Delma’s hobbies included square dancing, photography, writing, 
traveling, including a very special anniversary trip to Europe and 
helping raise all the wonderful and unique animals on the farm. She 
loved hosting all the various area school’s field trips each spring. 
Especially enjoyable was seeing the kids that they hosted return in 
later life with their kids and then their grandkids.
Delma was a founding member of the Camilla Club and remained an active 
member throughout the organizations time. She also loved her Red Hats 
organization going on many day trips with them throughout the years. She
 loved scrapbooking and documenting the actives that each organization 
was involved with. 
She is preceded in death by her husband Merle, her parents, her sister Laura Ann, and nephew Nicholas. 
She is survived by her children, Nancy (Don) Bartell, Wamego and Clay 
(Jeannie) Dible, Wichita; grandchildren, Tina Hawkins and Dakota 
(Kaylin) Bartell; Great-granddaughter, Shyloh Hawkins; sister, Glennis 
(Lyle) Boyd, of Oakley; brother in law, Harry (Lori) Dible; sister in 
law, Judy Cooley; and a host of nieces and nephews. 
Visitation will be Thursday, March 5th from 5-7 pm at Baalmann Mortuary,
 Oakley, with service at the Oakley Christian Church, 200 E. 4th St., 
Oakley, KS, on Friday, March 6th, 2020 at 10:00 am. Burial will take 
place in the Oakley City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial 
donations may be made to the Oakley Christian Church-The Cave, 
Alzheimer’s Association or the Logan County Manor and can be sent in 
care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 204, Oakley, KS 67748. For information
 or condolences visit www.baalmannmortuary.com

Delma Elizabeth (Uhrich) Dible

Pebble (Marie) Johnson, age 86, died on Sunday, February 23, 2020 at the Ranch House in Garden City, Kansas.  She was born on September 7, 1933 in Arkansas, the daughter of Roscoe and Genelda Madole Bush.  She was member of the Garden City community since 1969 having moved from Wichita, Kansas.

She worked as a book keeper of Oklahoma Tire &amp; Supply in Garden City, KS. and was a member of the First Southern Baptist Church.  

On October 18, 1952 she married Dan A. Johnson in Wichita, Kansas.  He Survives.

​Two Children​​​ Dr. Michael L. Johnson of Garden City, Kansas

​Brenda L. Cagwin of Farmington Hills, Michigan

​One sibling The ​​​Rev. James R. Bush of Newton, Kansas

​Five grandchildren and two great grandchildern.

She is preceded in death by her parents, and two sisters, Betty Graham, and Dorothy A. Welter.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home of Garden City from 10:00A.M. to 8:00 P.M. with the family present from 5-7pm.

Funeral services will be on Thursday, March 5, 2020 at the First Southern Baptist Church of Garden City at 2:00 P.M.

Interment will be held at Valley View Cemetery in Garden City.

Memorials are suggested in lieu of flowers to the First Southern Baptist Church in care of Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, 620 N. Main St. Garden City, Kansas 67846.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583245644031.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Pebble (Marie) Johnson, age 86, died on Sunday, February 23, 2020 at the Ranch House in Garden City, Kansas. She was born on September 7, 1933 in Arkansas, the daughter of Roscoe and Genelda Madole Bush. She was member of the Garden City community since 1969 having moved from Wichita, Kansas.She worked as a book keeper of Oklahoma Tire &amp; Supply in Garden City, KS. and was a member of the First Southern Baptist Church. On October 18, 1952 she married Dan A. Johnson in Wichita, Kansas. He Survives.Other Survivors include:​Two Children​​​ Dr. Michael L. Johnson of Garden City, Kansas​Brenda L. Cagwin of Farmington Hills, Michigan​One sibling The ​​​Rev. James R. Bush of Newton, Kansas​Five grandchildren and two great grandchildern.She is preceded in death by her parents, and two sisters, Betty Graham, and Dorothy A. Welter.Visitation will be held on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home of Garden City from 10:00A.M. to 8:00 P.M. with the family present from 5-7pm.Funeral services will be on Thursday, March 5, 2020 at the First Southern Baptist Church of Garden City at 2:00 P.M.Interment will be held at Valley View Cemetery in Garden City.Memorials are suggested in lieu of flowers to the First Southern Baptist Church in care of Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home, 620 N. Main St. Garden City, Kansas 67846.

Pebble (Marie) Johnson

Leona Emma (Messer) Green passed away on Saturday, February 29th, 2020, at Via Christi Village Care Center, Hays, Kansas.

Leona was born December 21, 1929, in Miles City, Montana, to Frank and Barbara (Ventner) Messer.&nbsp; She met the love of her life, Leroy Green in Tacoma, Washington, and they were married October 6th, 1951, in Tacoma. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Leona was a director of nursing at Norton State Hospital for 25 years and retired in 1990.&nbsp; She lived in Jennings, Norton, Great Bend, and then moved to Hays in 2009. &nbsp; &nbsp;

She grew up in Vananda, Montana, and attended Sacred Heart High School in Miles City and received her nursing license from Presentation School of Nursing in Miles City. Leroy and Leona's love of dancing created a very large circle of friends that shared their hobby and kept them active throughout their golden years.

Leona is survived by her husband, Leroy, of 68 years, Via Christi Village; four sons, Mike Green and wife, Beverly, Marvell, AR; Kevin Green and wife, Lisa, Victoria, KS; Keith Green and wife, Donna Hays, KS; Kerry Green and wife, Hope Jennings, KS; two daughters, Karen Beal and husband, Brett, Wichita, KS; Kim Green, Colorado Springs, CO.; 16 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her son, Dennis Patrick Green; six brothers: Paul, Phillip, Leo, Joseph, Jacob and Louie Messer; six sisters: Clara Messer, Frances Hendrix, Elzora Stein, Vivian Mickelson, Viola Messer and Florence Messer.

Funeral Services will be at 3:00 P.M. Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas.&nbsp; A private family inurnment will be held at later date.

Visitation will be from 2:00 to 3:00 P.M. Tuesday, at Cline’s Mortuary of Hays.

The family suggests memorials to Fort Hays State University Foundation: for Nursing Department.

Services are entrusted to Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 E.22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601.&nbsp; Condolences can be sent via e-mail to <a href="mailto:clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net">clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net</a> or can be left at guest book at <a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a> &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583166206872.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Leona Emma (Messer) Green passed away on Saturday, February 29th, 2020, at Via Christi Village Care Center, Hays, Kansas.Leona was born December 21, 1929, in Miles City, Montana, to Frank and Barbara (Ventner) Messer.&nbsp; She met the love of her life, Leroy Green in Tacoma, Washington, and they were married October 6th, 1951, in Tacoma. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Leona was a director of nursing at Norton State Hospital for 25 years and retired in 1990.&nbsp; She lived in Jennings, Norton, Great Bend, and then moved to Hays in 2009. &nbsp; &nbsp;She grew up in Vananda, Montana, and attended Sacred Heart High School in Miles City and received her nursing license from Presentation School of Nursing in Miles City. Leroy and Leona's love of dancing created a very large circle of friends that shared their hobby and kept them active throughout their golden years.Leona is survived by her husband, Leroy, of 68 years, Via Christi Village; four sons, Mike Green and wife, Beverly, Marvell, AR; Kevin Green and wife, Lisa, Victoria, KS; Keith Green and wife, Donna Hays, KS; Kerry Green and wife, Hope Jennings, KS; two daughters, Karen Beal and husband, Brett, Wichita, KS; Kim Green, Colorado Springs, CO.; 16 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.She was preceded in death by her parents; her son, Dennis Patrick Green; six brothers: Paul, Phillip, Leo, Joseph, Jacob and Louie Messer; six sisters: Clara Messer, Frances Hendrix, Elzora Stein, Vivian Mickelson, Viola Messer and Florence Messer.Funeral Services will be at 3:00 P.M. Tuesday, March 3, 2020, at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas.&nbsp; A private family inurnment will be held at later date.Visitation will be from 2:00 to 3:00 P.M. Tuesday, at Cline’s Mortuary of Hays.The family suggests memorials to Fort Hays State University Foundation: for Nursing Department.Services are entrusted to Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 E.22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601.&nbsp; Condolences can be sent via e-mail to <a href="mailto:clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net">clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net</a> or can be left at guest book at <a href="http://www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com">www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com</a> &nbsp;

Leona Emma (Messer) Green

Longtime Yuma, Colorado, resident and a short-time resident of Goodland, KS, Douglas Lee Sheldon passed away on Feb 28, 2020, at Grace Manner in Burlington, CO. He was 88 years old.

Douglas Lee Sheldon was born on December 25th, 1931, in Ogallala Nebraska to Marvel and Wallace (Slim) Sheldon.

He graduated from Ogallala high school in 1948. Shortly after graduation, he attended FBI school in Washington D.C.

During Doug’s Military years he became a Mess Sgt. Chef in the Army where he, oversaw meals for over 1000 men and the troops train meals from Illinois to California. This set the skills for him to give people his opinion for their cooking skills, no matter what restaurant he went to. Following he continued his service in the National Guards.

On October 9, 1954, he married Betty Lou (Rutter) Sheldon in Raton, New Mexico. They were married 57 yrs.&nbsp;

After marriage, they lived in Ogallala, NE where their beloved daughter, Penny Lynn was born. They moved to Pendleton, Oregon where their first son Kim Douglas was born in September 1957. They moved to Lewistown Montana where the second son was born, Dirk Allen in September 1958. They moved to Burlington, Colorado where their last child, Tadd Darrin was born Feb 3, 1965. After he was born Mom told Dad she wasn’t moving ever again. They went on to move at least 30 more times.

Doug was skilled in many areas. He was reliable and hardworking which led to many career opportunities.&nbsp; He primarily worked in agriculture as a logger, farm hand, and grain elevator operator. He also drove a semi for Mayflower Moving Co, built military bases, and was a golf cart mechanic.

Even after Betty Lou had talked to Doug about not moving again, the year 1990 came upon them they moved to Yuma, Colorado. In Yuma is where they Doug received a job at the Kelandy Center where Doug operated a woodshop teaching the disabled.&nbsp; Doug loved working with his hands. There wasn’t a piece of machinery he couldn’t operate or project he couldn’t build.

During their time in Burlington CO, they sponsored over 30 foster kids.

Doug was a huge fan of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Denver Broncos, and could cut a rug dancing the jitter bug with Betty Lou, in the kitchen. Doug loved fishing, hunting and camping with the family.

Douglas is preceded in death by his parents Marvel and Wallace (Slim) Sheldon, sister Sharon Nemcek and wife Betty Lou. Brother in law Leo Rutter and one Great granddaughter Giovanna Alexander.

He is survived by his brother; David Sheldon (Linda) of Ogallala, Nebraska, his daughter; Penny Helderman (Robert) of Kanorado Kansas, sons Kim Sheldon (Lolli) of Colorado Spring Colorado, Dirk Sheldon (Pam) of Goodland Kansas, and Tadd Sheldon of Denver CO.

Grand children: Monta (Gail) McCauley, Blake (Amber) Helderman, Chelsea (Shawn) Myers, Megan (Jeremy) Kemp, Stephine Sheldon, Amber Alexander, Adam and Aaron Alexander, and Tanner Sheldon.

Great Grandchildren: Dezerea and Brett Kaza, Preston and Kaprice Helderman.&nbsp; Jackson, Ember and Pierce Kemp and Sebastian Myers. Anthony, Bonnie, Sophia, Bella.

Great Great Grandchild, Xander Kaza and Saoirse Alexander.&nbsp;

Funeral services for Doug will be held on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at 10:30 AM MT at Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland with Pastor Don Smith officiating.&nbsp; Burial will follow in the Goodland Cemetery.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM MT at Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.

Memorial contributions may be designated to the Grace Manor Care Center in Burlington and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.

Online condolences for the family may be left at <a href="http://www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com">www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com</a>.

Services have been entrusted to Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.

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 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1583108896105.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Longtime Yuma, Colorado, resident and a short-time resident of Goodland, KS, Douglas Lee Sheldon passed away on Feb 28, 2020, at Grace Manner in Burlington, CO. He was 88 years old.Douglas Lee Sheldon was born on December 25th, 1931, in Ogallala Nebraska to Marvel and Wallace (Slim) Sheldon.He graduated from Ogallala high school in 1948. Shortly after graduation, he attended FBI school in Washington D.C.During Doug’s Military years he became a Mess Sgt. Chef in the Army where he, oversaw meals for over 1000 men and the troops train meals from Illinois to California. This set the skills for him to give people his opinion for their cooking skills, no matter what restaurant he went to. Following he continued his service in the National Guards.On October 9, 1954, he married Betty Lou (Rutter) Sheldon in Raton, New Mexico. They were married 57 yrs.&nbsp;After marriage, they lived in Ogallala, NE where their beloved daughter, Penny Lynn was born. They moved to Pendleton, Oregon where their first son Kim Douglas was born in September 1957. They moved to Lewistown Montana where the second son was born, Dirk Allen in September 1958. They moved to Burlington, Colorado where their last child, Tadd Darrin was born Feb 3, 1965. After he was born Mom told Dad she wasn’t moving ever again. They went on to move at least 30 more times.Doug was skilled in many areas. He was reliable and hardworking which led to many career opportunities.&nbsp; He primarily worked in agriculture as a logger, farm hand, and grain elevator operator. He also drove a semi for Mayflower Moving Co, built military bases, and was a golf cart mechanic.Even after Betty Lou had talked to Doug about not moving again, the year 1990 came upon them they moved to Yuma, Colorado. In Yuma is where they Doug received a job at the Kelandy Center where Doug operated a woodshop teaching the disabled.&nbsp; Doug loved working with his hands. There wasn’t a piece of machinery he couldn’t operate or project he couldn’t build.During their time in Burlington CO, they sponsored over 30 foster kids.Doug was a huge fan of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Denver Broncos, and could cut a rug dancing the jitter bug with Betty Lou, in the kitchen. Doug loved fishing, hunting and camping with the family.Douglas is preceded in death by his parents Marvel and Wallace (Slim) Sheldon, sister Sharon Nemcek and wife Betty Lou. Brother in law Leo Rutter and one Great granddaughter Giovanna Alexander.He is survived by his brother; David Sheldon (Linda) of Ogallala, Nebraska, his daughter; Penny Helderman (Robert) of Kanorado Kansas, sons Kim Sheldon (Lolli) of Colorado Spring Colorado, Dirk Sheldon (Pam) of Goodland Kansas, and Tadd Sheldon of Denver CO.Grand children: Monta (Gail) McCauley, Blake (Amber) Helderman, Chelsea (Shawn) Myers, Megan (Jeremy) Kemp, Stephine Sheldon, Amber Alexander, Adam and Aaron Alexander, and Tanner Sheldon.Great Grandchildren: Dezerea and Brett Kaza, Preston and Kaprice Helderman.&nbsp; Jackson, Ember and Pierce Kemp and Sebastian Myers. Anthony, Bonnie, Sophia, Bella.Great Great Grandchild, Xander Kaza and Saoirse Alexander.&nbsp;Along with many nieces and nephews.Funeral services for Doug will be held on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at 10:30 AM MT at Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland with Pastor Don Smith officiating.&nbsp; Burial will follow in the Goodland Cemetery.Visitation will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM MT at Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.Memorial contributions may be designated to the Grace Manor Care Center in Burlington and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.Online condolences for the family may be left at <a href="http://www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com">www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com</a>.Services have been entrusted to Koons-Russell Funeral Home in Goodland.

Douglas Lee Sheldon

COLBY - Young adults and community members can sign up for a drawing to win a $500 higher education scholarship by attending a community “story-sharing” event in Atwood. The “Our Community’s Story: Shaping the Future of Rawlins County” event will take place from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 16 at the Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School, 100 N. 8th Street, Atwood. 

Registration for the free event includes a box lunch. Participation is limited to 150 people. Register to attend by Tuesday, March 10, by visiting <a href="https://www.livewellnwk.org/events/the-story-of-rawlins-county">www.LiveWellNWK.org/events/the-story-of-rawlins-county</a>.

In 2019, LiveWell Northwest Kansas (LiveWell) partnered with the University of Kansas’ Center for Public Partnerships and Research (CPPR) as part of their “Our Tomorrows” campaign to collect and share stories of what life in northwest Kansas is like. The stories centered on the ability of families to thrive, or merely survive. 

“LiveWell partnered with area residents and youth to collect stories from families throughout the region,” explained LiveWell Director Travis Rickford. “Additionally, a middle-school student worked with local employers and programs to collect over 100 stories himself. As a result of his work, a $1,000 donation was made to his school in Atwood and the program gained state-wide and national recognition.” 

The successful “Our Tomorrows” story-collecting work in Rawlins County also garnered interest from early childcare and health organizers at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an international organization observed by the United Nations, and was featured at the Governor’s Symposium on early childhood education in October 2019. 

“The stories that were gathered last year relate to the value of frontier life and rural living, economic hardships and community supports. These stories of hope and struggle help us gather wisdom about the ways in which things could, and should, be going better, and to shape the future of Rawlins County and the greater northwest Kansas community. By attending the event in Atwood on March 16, people will learn how families thrive and about the disrupters that can prevent this from happening.” 

“Our Community’s Story: Shaping the Future of Rawlins County,” is a youth-led event and will highlight stories in Rawlins County. 

Space for this event is limited, reminds Rickford, and people must go online to <a href="https://www.livewellnwk.org/">www.LiveWellNWK.org</a> to register under the events section.

“Youth involvement has been a major factor in the success of the “Our Tomorrows” program and as our leaders of tomorrow, we hope to pass on valuable information that will not only benefit our next generation personally but can ensure our community’s ability to thrive in the future,” says Rickford. 

Not only will the event be facilitated by youth, but to encourage more participation, a drawing to win a $500 scholarship will take place. 

Rickford says that the winner must be present to accept the scholarship in person and any child or adult in attendance may register to win. The scholarship may be used at any time, either personally or gifted to another individual, and may be used at any accredited higher learning institute.  

The “Our Tomorrows” project spearheaded by CPPR allows people across the state to share important stories about their life and interactions. Each story allows for a new learning opportunity and can be used to shape policy and programming decisions in small communities across the state and across the country. 

Through the “Our Tomorrows” project, people get the opportunity to share and reflect, and CPPR is able to hear new, unique perspectives. Stories are added to CPPR’s story-based research tool called SenseMaker, and patterns are examined allowing for new understandings about what families need to thrive, not merely survive. 

Rickford explains that stories, patterns and data collected from the Sensemaking tool will have many implications—internationally, regionally and even locally. 

“The Sensemaking platform will help us acknowledge life barriers that people encounter,” he says, “and better understand the needs of our residents and steps people can take to make stronger, more thriving communities.” 

Visit <a href="https://www.livewellnwk.org/news/categories/our-tomorrows">www.LiveWellNWK.org/news/categories/our-tomorrows</a> to learn more.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574704875654.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>News releaseCOLBY - Young adults and community members can sign up for a drawing to win a $500 higher education scholarship by attending a community “story-sharing” event in Atwood. The “Our Community’s Story: Shaping the Future of Rawlins County” event will take place from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 16 at the Rawlins County Jr./Sr. High School, 100 N. 8th Street, Atwood. Registration for the free event includes a box lunch. Participation is limited to 150 people. Register to attend by Tuesday, March 10, by visiting <a href="https://www.livewellnwk.org/events/the-story-of-rawlins-county">www.LiveWellNWK.org/events/the-story-of-rawlins-county</a>. THE EVENT In 2019, LiveWell Northwest Kansas (LiveWell) partnered with the University of Kansas’ Center for Public Partnerships and Research (CPPR) as part of their “Our Tomorrows” campaign to collect and share stories of what life in northwest Kansas is like. The stories centered on the ability of families to thrive, or merely survive. “LiveWell partnered with area residents and youth to collect stories from families throughout the region,” explained LiveWell Director Travis Rickford. “Additionally, a middle-school student worked with local employers and programs to collect over 100 stories himself. As a result of his work, a $1,000 donation was made to his school in Atwood and the program gained state-wide and national recognition.” The successful “Our Tomorrows” story-collecting work in Rawlins County also garnered interest from early childcare and health organizers at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an international organization observed by the United Nations, and was featured at the Governor’s Symposium on early childhood education in October 2019. “The stories that were gathered last year relate to the value of frontier life and rural living, economic hardships and community supports. These stories of hope and struggle help us gather wisdom about the ways in which things could, and should, be going better, and to shape the future of Rawlins County and the greater northwest Kansas community. By attending the event in Atwood on March 16, people will learn how families thrive and about the disrupters that can prevent this from happening.” “Our Community’s Story: Shaping the Future of Rawlins County,” is a youth-led event and will highlight stories in Rawlins County. Space for this event is limited, reminds Rickford, and people must go online to <a href="https://www.livewellnwk.org/">www.LiveWellNWK.org</a> to register under the events section. THE SCHOLARSHIP “Youth involvement has been a major factor in the success of the “Our Tomorrows” program and as our leaders of tomorrow, we hope to pass on valuable information that will not only benefit our next generation personally but can ensure our community’s ability to thrive in the future,” says Rickford. Not only will the event be facilitated by youth, but to encourage more participation, a drawing to win a $500 scholarship will take place. Rickford says that the winner must be present to accept the scholarship in person and any child or adult in attendance may register to win. The scholarship may be used at any time, either personally or gifted to another individual, and may be used at any accredited higher learning institute. MORE INFORMATION The “Our Tomorrows” project spearheaded by CPPR allows people across the state to share important stories about their life and interactions. Each story allows for a new learning opportunity and can be used to shape policy and programming decisions in small communities across the state and across the country. Through the “Our Tomorrows” project, people get the opportunity to share and reflect, and CPPR is able to hear new, unique perspectives. Stories are added to CPPR’s story-based research tool called SenseMaker, and patterns are examined allowing for new understandings about what families need to thrive, not merely survive. Rickford explains that stories, patterns and data collected from the Sensemaking tool will have many implications—internationally, regionally and even locally. “The Sensemaking platform will help us acknowledge life barriers that people encounter,” he says, “and better understand the needs of our residents and steps people can take to make stronger, more thriving communities.” Visit <a href="https://www.livewellnwk.org/news/categories/our-tomorrows">www.LiveWellNWK.org/news/categories/our-tomorrows</a> to learn more.

Community story-sharing event in Atwood will be March 16

Wilma M. (Holcombe) Welch, age 65, Stockton, passed away on Wednesday,
 February 26, 2020 in Hays, Kansas. Wilma was born on May 19, 1954 at 
St. Joseph Hospital in Wichita, Kansas to Doyle and Neva (McCormick) 
Holcombe. She grew up in the Sedgwick and Rooks County area. She met and
 married Charles Welch on October 3, 1998 at the Methodist Church in 
Woodston, Kansas. After their marriage they moved to Winkleman, Arizona 
until her husband’s retirement from the copper mines in 2003. They 
returned to Rooks County where they resided in Woodston and later 
relocated to Stockton, and finally, Plainville. 


Wilma enjoyed ancestry and spent a lot of time on genealogy. She was
 very artistic, earning awards with her talents creating ceramics. Wilma
 was an animal lover, and she cherished her beloved dogs and her family.
 Her caring nature and kindness will be remembered by those who knew 
her. She will be greatly missed.


Wilma is survived by her husband Charles of Plainville; brother, 
Garold Holcombe and wife Judy of Maud, OK; niece, Melissa Weidow and 
husband John of Geronimo, OK; nephew, John Holcombe and wife Dr. Brianne
 of Ft. Bragg, NC; great-nephews, John Garold Weidow, Trenton and Rhylan
 Holcombe; as well as cousins in the surrounding Rooks County Area.


She is preceded in death by her parents, Doyle and Neva Holcombe; and siblings David Leon and Carol Jean Holcombe.


A Graveside service will be held on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 
the Stockton City Cemetery starting at 11:00 AM. Visitation will be held
 on Friday, February 28, starting at 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM at the 
funeral home in Stockton.


Memorials have been suggested to Humane Society-High Plains or other
 animal shelter affiliation of donor’s choice and may be sent in care of
 Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 723 North First, Stockton, Kansas 67669.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582898457306.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Wilma M. (Holcombe) Welch, age 65, Stockton, passed away on Wednesday,
 February 26, 2020 in Hays, Kansas. Wilma was born on May 19, 1954 at 
St. Joseph Hospital in Wichita, Kansas to Doyle and Neva (McCormick) 
Holcombe. She grew up in the Sedgwick and Rooks County area. She met and
 married Charles Welch on October 3, 1998 at the Methodist Church in 
Woodston, Kansas. After their marriage they moved to Winkleman, Arizona 
until her husband’s retirement from the copper mines in 2003. They 
returned to Rooks County where they resided in Woodston and later 
relocated to Stockton, and finally, Plainville. 
Wilma enjoyed ancestry and spent a lot of time on genealogy. She was
 very artistic, earning awards with her talents creating ceramics. Wilma
 was an animal lover, and she cherished her beloved dogs and her family.
 Her caring nature and kindness will be remembered by those who knew 
her. She will be greatly missed.
Wilma is survived by her husband Charles of Plainville; brother, 
Garold Holcombe and wife Judy of Maud, OK; niece, Melissa Weidow and 
husband John of Geronimo, OK; nephew, John Holcombe and wife Dr. Brianne
 of Ft. Bragg, NC; great-nephews, John Garold Weidow, Trenton and Rhylan
 Holcombe; as well as cousins in the surrounding Rooks County Area.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Doyle and Neva Holcombe; and siblings David Leon and Carol Jean Holcombe.
A Graveside service will be held on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 
the Stockton City Cemetery starting at 11:00 AM. Visitation will be held
 on Friday, February 28, starting at 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM at the 
funeral home in Stockton.
Memorials have been suggested to Humane Society-High Plains or other
 animal shelter affiliation of donor’s choice and may be sent in care of
 Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 723 North First, Stockton, Kansas 67669.

Wilma M. (Holcombe) Welch

Lorena I. Pate was born October 14, 1923 in a farmhouse in Jewell County, Kansas to Sarah (Gilbert) and George Walker. She departed this life on Friday, February 21, 2020 at the SunPorch of Smith Center in Smith Center, Kansas at the age of 96 years, 3 months and 7 days.

Lorena received her formal education and graduated from the Mankato High School in 1941. She was united in marriage with Neil Pate on April 1, 1950. They made their home on the farm south of Esbon. This union was blessed with five children, Eldon, Terry, Michael, Greg and Nancy. Lorena lost Neil in 1962, due to an accident on the farm. She continued to live on the farm another five years and then moved into Esbon. She worked several years at the café, she was a cook at the school in Esbon and purchased the café and operated it for several years. Lorena sold the café in 1998, and in 1999, moved to Hays where she worked for First Call for Help and the Sternberg Museum.

As her health began to fail, she moved to SunPorch in Smith Center in 2018.

Lorena was a hard worker and a great cook. She had many roadblocks in her life but her family was the highlight of her life.

Preceding her in death were her parents; four brothers; her husband, Neil, and a grandson, Neil Russell Pate.

She will be greatly missed by her children, Eldon (Delilah); Terry (Joan); Michael of Esbon, Kansas; Greg (Michaela, Lucas; Nancy (friend Curt) of Hays, Kansas. Her grandchildren, Jennifer (Kyle) Clark, Ryan Pate (Kendra, Kristi (Bryce) Haverkamp, Elisha (Jim) Bolte, Ericia (Emerson) Prothro, Kasha (Josh) Alcorn, Justin Pate, Nicole Brown, Stehanie Pate, Sarah (Ryan) Brown, Patrick (Ashley) Bergman, Rachel (Albert) Kraus, along with 23 great grandkids, nieces, nephews and friends.

The Mass of Christian Burial was Monday, 2:00 pm, February 24, 2020 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Esbon, Kansas with Fr. David Michael officiating. Interment was at the Esbon Cemetery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582813569318.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Lorena I. Pate was born October 14, 1923 in a farmhouse in Jewell County, Kansas to Sarah (Gilbert) and George Walker. She departed this life on Friday, February 21, 2020 at the SunPorch of Smith Center in Smith Center, Kansas at the age of 96 years, 3 months and 7 days.Lorena received her formal education and graduated from the Mankato High School in 1941. She was united in marriage with Neil Pate on April 1, 1950. They made their home on the farm south of Esbon. This union was blessed with five children, Eldon, Terry, Michael, Greg and Nancy. Lorena lost Neil in 1962, due to an accident on the farm. She continued to live on the farm another five years and then moved into Esbon. She worked several years at the café, she was a cook at the school in Esbon and purchased the café and operated it for several years. Lorena sold the café in 1998, and in 1999, moved to Hays where she worked for First Call for Help and the Sternberg Museum.As her health began to fail, she moved to SunPorch in Smith Center in 2018.Lorena was a hard worker and a great cook. She had many roadblocks in her life but her family was the highlight of her life.Preceding her in death were her parents; four brothers; her husband, Neil, and a grandson, Neil Russell Pate.She will be greatly missed by her children, Eldon (Delilah); Terry (Joan); Michael of Esbon, Kansas; Greg (Michaela, Lucas; Nancy (friend Curt) of Hays, Kansas. Her grandchildren, Jennifer (Kyle) Clark, Ryan Pate (Kendra, Kristi (Bryce) Haverkamp, Elisha (Jim) Bolte, Ericia (Emerson) Prothro, Kasha (Josh) Alcorn, Justin Pate, Nicole Brown, Stehanie Pate, Sarah (Ryan) Brown, Patrick (Ashley) Bergman, Rachel (Albert) Kraus, along with 23 great grandkids, nieces, nephews and friends.The Mass of Christian Burial was Monday, 2:00 pm, February 24, 2020 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Esbon, Kansas with Fr. David Michael officiating. Interment was at the Esbon Cemetery.

Lorena I. Pate

By LYNN HORSLEY <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/what-1918-flu-pandemic-taught-kansas-city-about-dealing-outbreaks-coronavirus#stream/0">Kansas News Service</a>

As the widening coronavirus outbreak stokes fears of a worldwide 
pandemic, it’s worth remembering that the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic may 
have started in Kansas. And it hit Kansas City particularly hard.

Lessons from that time still resonate today.

“It’s
 always a good idea to remember your history so you don’t repeat those 
mistakes,” says Susan Sykes-Berry, a retired nurse and librarian with 
the UMKC Health Sciences Library who wrote a graduate thesis about the 
1918 pandemic flu in Kansas City.&nbsp;

Some researchers say the 1918 flu outbreak, the deadliest pandemic in history, <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/latest-news/article194909839.html">may have started in Kansas</a>.
 A Haskell County doctor is believed to have first documented the deadly
 flu strain and it was believed that soldiers from Haskell County 
transported the disease to Fort Riley. Camp Funston at Fort Riley was 
particularly hard hit. And then U.S. troops sent from Fort Riley to 
fight in World War I in Europe may have carried the virus with them and 
it spread from there.

Eventually, the 1918 pandemic is said to 
have claimed between 50 million and 100 million lives (and possibly 
millions more lives worldwide, with as much as one-third of the world’s
 population infected.

In Kansas City, the disease infected more 
than 11,000 people and killed more than 2,300, or nearly 10 percent of 
the population. <a href="https://www.influenzaarchive.org/cities/city-kansascity.html#">Kansas City experienced one of the worst outbreaks of any city in the U.S.</a>, according to a report by the University of Michigan Center for the History of Medicine.

Of
 course, advances in medical science, vaccines, antibiotics and other 
treatments have vastly improved in the last 100 years. But many public 
health experts say the world is still insufficiently equipped to 
effectively battle another pandemic outbreak, and more public health 
resources and global cooperation are needed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582757243794.png" alt=" Streetcars in Kansas City, Missouri, never closed in 1918 during the flu pandemic. Courtesy of the Missouri Valley Room / Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri" />
 <figcaption> Streetcars in Kansas City, Missouri, never closed in 1918 during the flu pandemic. Courtesy of the Missouri Valley Room / Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri</figcaption>
 </figure>By LYNN HORSLEY <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/what-1918-flu-pandemic-taught-kansas-city-about-dealing-outbreaks-coronavirus#stream/0">Kansas News Service</a>As the widening coronavirus outbreak stokes fears of a worldwide 
pandemic, it’s worth remembering that the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic may 
have started in Kansas. And it hit Kansas City particularly hard.Lessons from that time still resonate today.“It’s
 always a good idea to remember your history so you don’t repeat those 
mistakes,” says Susan Sykes-Berry, a retired nurse and librarian with 
the UMKC Health Sciences Library who wrote a graduate thesis about the 
1918 pandemic flu in Kansas City.&nbsp;Some researchers say the 1918 flu outbreak, the deadliest pandemic in history, <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/latest-news/article194909839.html">may have started in Kansas</a>.
 A Haskell County doctor is believed to have first documented the deadly
 flu strain and it was believed that soldiers from Haskell County 
transported the disease to Fort Riley. Camp Funston at Fort Riley was 
particularly hard hit. And then U.S. troops sent from Fort Riley to 
fight in World War I in Europe may have carried the virus with them and 
it spread from there.Eventually, the 1918 pandemic is said to 
have claimed between 50 million and 100 million lives (and possibly 
millions more lives worldwide, with as much as one-third of the world’s
 population infected.In Kansas City, the disease infected more 
than 11,000 people and killed more than 2,300, or nearly 10 percent of 
the population. <a href="https://www.influenzaarchive.org/cities/city-kansascity.html#">Kansas City experienced one of the worst outbreaks of any city in the U.S.</a>, according to a report by the University of Michigan Center for the History of Medicine.Of
 course, advances in medical science, vaccines, antibiotics and other 
treatments have vastly improved in the last 100 years. But many public 
health experts say the world is still insufficiently equipped to 
effectively battle another pandemic outbreak, and more public health 
resources and global cooperation are needed.Lesson One: Politics matter.<a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/seg-1-flu-season-1918-and-today-seg-2-tvs-tomorrow#stream/0">In a 2018 interview with KCUR’s Central Standard</a>, Sykes-Berry said Kansas City was hit very hard by the 1918 flu “because of politics.”The beginning of the outbreak was reported by The Kansas City Star in September 1918.&nbsp; It raged until&nbsp; spring 1919.Sykes-Berry
 said the city was divided in its response between public health 
advocates and followers of Tom Pendergast.&nbsp; The Board of Health ordered 
schools, theaters and churches closed. But business owners resisted.“Tom
 Pendergast controlled saloons,” she said. “When they did finally get 
around to putting in a quarantine, saloons were exempt. They just let 
them stay open because nobody wanted to challenge Tom Pendergast.”In addition, she said, other business owners and managers of the streetcars didn’t want streetcar ridership limited.“It was a business decision,” she said.While
 schools closed in Kansas City, Kansas, the order to close schools in 
Kansas City, Missouri, was lifted in October 1918. And the epidemic 
spread more rapidly in Kansas City, Missouri.There was no vaccine and no good treatment. But Sykes-Berry notes some approaches worked and are still relevant today.“The
 best treatment you could get was good nursing care,” she noted. “And 
the Visiting Nurses Association, they have records that show that they 
treated 2,300 some people and they only had 35 deaths in that number.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/2/1582757305466.png" alt=" St. Joseph Hospital on Linwood and Prospect saw many flu patients during the pandemic. Some of it nurses and doctors reportedly died of the disease. Credit Courtesy of the Missouri Valley Room / Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri" />
 <figcaption> St. Joseph Hospital on Linwood and Prospect saw many flu patients during the pandemic. Some of it nurses and doctors reportedly died of the disease. Credit Courtesy of the Missouri Valley Room / Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri</figcaption>
 </figure>Lesson Two: The quarantine worked.“St. Louis
 had a very strict quarantine and St. Louis had about half the death 
rate that we did,” she told KCUR. “Kansas City, Kansas, and the whole 
Kansas side, they had a better response because they weren’t politically
 divided.”While 1918 still resonates, the good news is that 
Kansas City and the world have seen tremendous advancements in medical 
approaches since then.Researchers are already working on a 
coronavirus vaccine, and clinical trials should start soon, although it 
may not be widely available for many months.In the 2018 
interview with KCUR’s Central Standard, Dana Hawkinson, an infectious 
disease specialist with the University of Kansas Health System, said flu
 vaccines work. Good hand washing and hygiene are also preventive 
measures.“Promote good health practices,” he said. “That means 
promoting good vaccine rates, promoting hand hygiene, all those things 
help reduce influenza infection but also the severity from influenza.”Susan
 Sykes-Berry, retired nurse and librarian with the UMKC Health Sciences 
Library and Dana Hawkinson with the University of Kansas Health System 
spoke with <a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/seg-1-flu-season-1918-and-today-seg-2-tvs-tomorrow#stream/0">KCUR’s Central Standard in November 2018</a>.KCUR contributor Lynn Horsley was a long-time reporter for The Kansas City Star. Follow her on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/LynnHorsley">@LynnHorsley</a>.