Obituaries

May 29, 2025

Donald Scott Phillips, 65, of Colby, Kansas, passed away on Thursday, May 29, 2025, after a long battle with cancer. Don was born on July 12, 1959, in Great Bend, Kansas, to Melvin and Joanna (Howe) Phillips. Don was the youngest of three children, and they were raised on a farm in Rush County, Kansas where it was early to...

May 28, 2025

Charles Henry Huelsmann, 86, of Grinnell, died Wednesday, May 28, 2025. He was born September 21, 1938, in Oakley, KS, to Henry and Louise (Baalmann) Huelsmann. Charlie graduated from Grinnell High School and went on to serve in the United States Army. He spent his career working for the Grinnell schools as a custodian and bus driver and was a...

May 26, 2025

Kathleen Margaret O’Neal was born the middle child of John Henry and Artie Holmwood (Smith) Faber on October 13, 1931, on a farm north of Campbell, Nebraska. She was baptized June 1, 1932. When she was small, the family moved to a farm in Rawlins County, Kansas, where she grew up. She loved everything about the farm, especially “the smell...

May 26, 2025

May 25, 2025

Elaine Heussman, 88, of Atwood, died Sunday, May 25, 2025. She was the first-born daughter of Fred and Grayce Stute and was born in her grandmother’s home in Haigler, Nebraska, on February 18, 1937. She would later be joined by 4 sisters: Carol, Judy, Cathy, and Lori. Two brothers died in infancy.

Elaine graduated from Haigler High School in 1954 and...

May 25, 2025

Darrel Eugene Wark was born May 17, 1937, on the farm northwest of Rexford, KS that his grandparents homesteaded. He passed away on May 25, 2025, at Citizens’ Medical Center in Colby, KS, with his wife, Valerie (Flipse) of 69 years by his side.

Darrel and Valerie met at a soda fountain in Colby in the summer of 1953 and were...

May 24, 2025

James Lee Bartlett, 90, of Colby, passed away Saturday, May 24, 2025. He was born June 21, 1934, in Ft. Morgan, CO, to Lee and Marguerite (Dornon) Bartlett. Jim grew up on a farm southwest of Monument, KS with his granddad Frank Dornon. He was a 1952 graduate of Monument High School, where he enjoyed playing baseball and basketball. Jim...

May 22, 2025

Doran Neil Lorimer died May 22, 2025, at the Rawlins County Health center in Atwood, KS at the age of 94. He was born on August 26, 1930, in Rawlins County Township of Celia to Dewey and Laura Lorimer. He was the fourth child born to the couple. He was raised on the family farm near Beardsley, in Rawlins County....

May 22, 2025

Daniel Edward Thomas was born to Adrian and Joy (Brown) Thomas on December 6th, 1947, at St. Thomas Hospital in Colby, Kansas. He grew up on a farm East of Atwood, Kansas. He began his education in a one room country schoolhouse and graduated from Atwood High School in 1965. While in high school, Dan played many sports with wrestling...

May 19, 2025

Anita (Kastens) Focke, 94 of Colby Kansas, passed away May 19th, 2025, at Hays Medical Center. She was born January 30, 1931, in Rawlins County to Albert and Louise (Carstens) Kastens, being the last of nine children.

Anita was baptized and confirmed into the Christian faith at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ludell, Kansas. She graduated from Atwood High School in 1948.

On...

May 16, 2025

Lindle K. Harold, 71, of Colby, died Friday, May 16, 2025. He was born June 13, 1953, in Goodland, KS to Lloyd and Jenelle (Boudreau) Harold. Lindle grew up on a small rural farm southwest of Brewster, Kansas. During high school, he balanced farm work with playing sports and graduated in 1971. After graduation, he moved away and held several...

May 9, 2025

Mildred “Stephanie” Esposito, age 95, passed away peacefully on May 9, 2025, in Herndon, VA. A longtime resident of Tarpon Springs, FL for 24 years, she spent her final year near her daughter and family.

Stephanie was born on July 22, 1929, in Atwood, KS to Adolf and Mary Horinek. She dedicated her life to helping and serving others through her...

May 6, 2025

May 6, 2025

Francis Henry “Ted” Kastens was born on September 24, 1930, on the family homestead north of Ludell, Kansas. He was the youngest child of Herman J. and Katharine (Gansberg) Kastens. He passed on to his heavenly home on May 6, 2025, at 94 years of age surrounded by his family. He was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church, Ludell,...

May 5, 2025

Sophie (Depperschmidt) Ochs, 96 of Park, Kansas, passed away on May 5th, 2025, at the Sheridan County Long Term Care Facility, Hoxie, Kansas. She was born to Alex and Josephine (Younger) Depperschmidt on July 11, 1928, at the family farm in Sheridan County.

Sophie attended country school grades 1st to 6th in Sheridan County. She experienced living in a sod house...

May 5, 2025

David Joseph Brungardt, 55, of Grinnell, died Monday, May 5, 2025. He was born September 4, 1969, in Hoxie, KS, to Elmer and Twona (Zerr) Brungardt. David was a 1988 graduate of Grinnell High School. He was a lifelong farmer and rancher and enjoyed gardening, flowers, building fence and caring for his cows. David was very kindhearted, and he loved...

Apr 30, 2025

Shirley Ann Durham was born on August 25th, 1940, to Edward and Rose (Kral) Hamm, and sadly passed away on April 30th, 2025. She was 84 years old.

Shirley was a tenacious lady, who loved life. She was smart as a whip and could do anything she put her mind to. She believed in telling the truth, even when others didn't,...

Apr 29, 2025

Larry L. Chambers, age 86, of Rexford, Kansas, passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.

Larry was born on June 12, 1938, in Colby, Kansas, to Herman Chambers and Lily Owens Chambers (later Plummer). He graduated from Levant High School in 1958 and proudly served in the U.S. Army attending basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri...

Apr 29, 2025

Jeanice Gayle Beagley better known as “Niecy” in her later years, passed away peacefully on April 29, 2025, at Gove County Medical Center in Quinter, Kansas. She was born in Oakley, Kansas on June 17, 1961, to Stanley Curtis Smith and Virginia Marie (McDowall) and was the oldest of their four children.

She graduated from Oakley High School in 1979. Shortly...

Apr 28, 2025

Lloyd Robert Swart, 91, passed away peacefully on April 28, 2025, at Logan County Hospital in Oakley, Kansas, surrounded by the love and laughter of his children—just the way he would have wanted it. A lifelong Oakley-area resident, Lloyd lived his life with purpose, passion, and a good story always ready to share.

From the time he bought his first tractor...