Kingman Leader Courier

PATRICIA F. FISCHER

HUTCHINSON - Patricia F. Fischer, 70, Hutchinson, died August 23, 2010, at Good Samaritan Center in Hutchinson. She was born Jan. 1, 1940 at Kingman, the daughter of John Francis and Cynthia Faye Spradlin Hodges. She attended school in Kingman and graduated from Kingman High School in 1958. She was caretaker at T.E.C.H.
She married Russell Fischer in Hutchinson. He survives. Other survivors include a daughter, Patricia Denison; a brother, Jim Hodges and wife Barbara, Hutchinson; sisters, Barbara L. Denison, Phoenix, Ariz., Kathryn Crile, Hutchinson and Mary McClellan and husband, Oscar, Okmulgee, Okla.; two grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
Cremation has taken place. No services are planned and a private inurnment will be at a later date at Kingman. Memorial contributions may be made to T.E.C.H., and sent in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS. 67501.

JAMES A. “JIM” WEHKAMP

GARDEN CITY - James A “Jim” Wehkamp, 83, Garden City, died Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010, at homestead Health and Rehabilitation Center in Garden City. He was born Oct. 11, 1926, in Kingman County, to Henry F. and Lucy C. (Meng) Wehkamp.
Jim grew up in Kingman County and attended Catholic school in Waterloo. He was a member of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus #10791, both of Ingalls.
Survivors include his wife, Theresa Wehkamp; two sons, Tom Wehkamp, Garden City, and Dave Wehkamp, Ingalls; three daughters, Kathy Husband, Pierceville, Karen West, Garden City, and Marilyn Stiawalt, Ness City; a brother, Alvin Wehkamp, Cimarron; a sister, Bernita Cooke, New Brighton, Minn.; 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Jim is preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Jerry Wehkamp and Wilford Wehkamp; and a sister, Allene Bolonas.
Funeral mass was held on Saturday, Aug. 28, 2010, at St. Dominic Catholic Church in Garden City, with Fr. Wesley Schawe as celebrant. Burial was in the Valley View Cemetery in Garden City. The family requests memorials be given to St. Dominic Catholic Church, St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, or to the donor’s choice, all in care of Garnand Funeral Home of Garden City. Condolences may be emailed to garnandfh@sbcglobal.net. Arrangements are by Garnand Funeral home, 412 N. 7th St., Garden City, KS. 67846.

DORENE C. GERING

Dorene C. Gering, 90, died Aug. 28, 2010, at Ottawa.
She was born Dec. 15, 1919, at Jackson, Mich., the daughter of William M. and Cora L. Sayre Sines. A former resident of Kingman, she was a high school teacher in Kansas public schools.
She was a member of the Kingman Nazarene Church.
On June 13, 1951, she married Ewalt C. Gering in Horton, Mich.. He died Sept. 19, 1986.
Survivors include a son, Armin Gering, Kingman; daughters, Marilyn Kalmar, Princeton, Sharon Steffler, Uruapan, Mexico and Evelyn Colvard, Princeton; 11 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by brothers, Frank and Myron Sines and Sister Sarah Zeller.
Funeral services were Wednesday at the Livingston Funeral Home, Kingman, with the Rev. Paul Jackson and Rev. Ray Brunet officiating. Burial was in the Hoosier Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the Dorene Gering Perepecha Scholarship Fund in care of Livingston Funeral Home, 1830 N. Main, Kingman, KS. 67068.

Edna M. Heflin

CUNNINGHAM - Edna M. Heflin, 88, died Aug. 29, 2010 at Pratt Regional Medical Center, Pratt. She was born Jan. 4, 1922, to Bruce E. and Ada M. Woods Patterson. She married John L. Heflin July 21, 1942, in Enid, Okla. He died March 30, 2004. Local survivors include a son, Warren of Wichita; three daughters, Glenda Thornhill of Cunningham, Marjorie Hemphill of Pratt, Connie McGovney of Penalosa; Following cremation a memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Ayres Calbeck Mortuary, Pratt, with Reverend Bill Stapleton presiding. Burial was in the Greenlawn Cemetery, Pratt.

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ALBERT DWAYNE “Butch” PIKE

PLEVNA - Albert Dwayne “Butch” Pike, 51, died Monday, Aug. 23, 2010, at Promise Regional Medical Center, Hutchinson. He was born August 14, 1959, at Kingman, the son of Fred and Myrna Wynn Pike.
He fought an almost two-year battle with cancer; stubbornly striving to overcome it.
On May 13, he married Loretta "Lori" Hall at Hutchinson; she survives. Other survivors include their daughter; Gabrielle “Gabby” Pike; father and step- mother, Fred and Lillian Pike, Hutchinson; mother, Myrna Pike, Cheney; four sisters and their husbands, Nancy and Norman Turner, Lyons, Beth Bolia, Arkansas City, Annette Pike, Laramie, Wyo., and Debra and Steve Yoder, Cheney; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother, Jimmy Dode Pike.
Funeral service was Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010, at Plevna Community Bible Church with Pastor David Green officiating. Burial was in Hazen Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be made to Gabrielle Pike Education Fund, Hutchinson Credit Union, in care of the mortuary. Visit www.elliottmortuary.com to leave a remembrance or condolence.

JOEL L. STROHL

PRETTY PRAIRIE - Joel T. Strohl, 86, died Aug. 27, 2010, at his home in Pretty Prairie.
He was born March 22, 1924, at Isabel, the son of Frank and Maude Tilden Strohl. A resident of Pretty Prairie since 1951, he was the retired owner of Strohl Oil Company and was a retired Lt. J.G. Navy pilot.
He was a member of the Pretty Prairie United Methodist Church; the Kingman VFW; and the Mariner Marlin Association.
On June 24, 1944, he married Connie Smith at Norwich. Other survivors include two sons and their wives, Scott and Cathie and Sid and MaryAnn; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by brothers, Frank, Richard and Jason; and two sisters, Peg Holden and Pat Edmonds.
Funeral services were Tuesday at the United Methodist Church, Pretty Prairie. Burial was in the Lone Star Cemetery, Pretty Prairie.
Memorials may be made with the Pretty Prairie United Methodist Church or the Prairie Sunset Home, both in care of Livingston Funeral Home, 1830 N. Main, Kingman, KS. 67068.

NORBERT HENNING

WICHITA - Norbert Henning, 85, retired from Cessna after 38 years, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010. Funeral Mass was held Saturday, Aug. 28, at Christ the King Catholic Church. Wichita.
Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Alice Henning; daughter, Sandra (Steve) Poteete, Houston, Texas; sons, Darrell Henning of Omaha, Neb., Mark (Carol) Henning of Clearwater, Ron (Jackie) Henning of Wichita; brothers, Michael Henning and Cletus (Vida) Henning, both of Wichita, Harold (Kathy) Henning of Topeka, and Paul (Maxine) Henning of Dallas, Texas; sister, Clara Swanson of Topeka; grandchildren, Alissa, Luke, Matt, Nick and Emma.
He was preceded in death by his parents, August and Elizabeth (Hilbert) Henning; brothers, Lawrence and Al; sisters, Loraine Mertens, Mildred Erdman and Lucille Lewis.
Memorials can be made with Christ the King Catholic Church, 4411 W. Maple, Wichita, KS 67209, or Bishop Carroll Catholic High School, 8101 West Central Avenue, Wichita, KS. 67212. Downing & Lahey Mortuary West, were in charge of the services; www.dlwichita.com.

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JAMES A. “JIM” WEHKAMP

Viola ann henning

Viola Ann Henning, 92, died Aug. 30, 2010, at Hospice House of Reno County.
She was born March 8, 1918, at Oconta, Neb., the daughter of Joe and Anna Mertens Kathman. A resident of Waterloo most of her life, she was a homemaker.
She was a member of the St. Louis Catholic Church, Altar Society and the Quilter Club, all of Waterloo, and the Willowdale D of I.
On Nov. 12, 1940, she married Otto Henning at Willowdale. He died June 26, 1997. Survivors include sons, Don, Butch, Wayne and Ron; daughter, Diana Thimesch; sisters, Rose Adelhardt, Evie Simon, Judy Tiemeyer, Kathy Reiter, Jane Ward, Anna May Seal and Edna Schneweis; 16 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren. She was also preceded in death by a son, Gary; brother, Rich; and sister, Emma Adelhardt.
Parish rosary was at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 1, at St. Patrick Catholic Church, Kingman. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m., Thursday at St. Patrick Catholic Church. Burial will be in the St. Louis Cemetery, Waterloo.
Memorial may be made with the St. Patrick Grade School or Hospice House of Reno County, both in care of Livingston Funeral Home, 1830 North Main, Kingman, KS 67068

Harold G. Dierking

COLORADO - Harold G. Dierking, 80, of Longmont, Colo., passed away Aug. 27, 2010, at his home.
He was born on March 25, 1930, in Palmer, Kan., to George and Dora (Peters) Dierking. Harold was baptized at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Palmer, and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Nashville. He remained strong in his faith and active in the Lutheran Church throughout his life.
Harold graduated from high school in 1948 in Nashville. He then worked as a wheat farmer in western Kansas from 1948 until 1952, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Harold was stationed at Camp Hale and then Ft. Carson and was honorably discharged in 1954. Following Harold’s discharge, he went to work for the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. in Colorado Springs, Colo. While with Firestone, he was involved in the construction of the U.S. Air Force Academy.
He married Kay Shelton on May 14, 1961, at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Following Harold’s retirement from Firestone in 1982, he started his own business maintaining commercial buildings in Colorado Springs. After retiring a second time in 1995, Harold and Kay moved to a small acreage outside Elizabeth, Colo., and built their retirement home. Harold kept horses and a farm tractor to entertain his grandchildren and raised a large vegetable garden. He also drove a bus part-time for the Elizabeth public schools. Harold and Kay moved to Longmont in 2005. Harold worked part-time helping to take care of commercial properties in Boulder, Colo.
Harold loved his family and friends and enjoyed playing cards. He worked throughout his lifetime and did not like to be idle, even after “retiring.” He loved sports and closely followed the Broncos, Rockies, Nuggets, Avalanche and CU Buffs.
Harold was preceded in death by his parents, and by his eldest son, Stan Dierking, in January 2006.
He is survived by his loving wife, Kay Dierking of Longmont; his son, Bruce Dierking, daughter-in-law, Carleen, and their children, Kyla and George, all of Hygiene, Colo.; his daughter, Shelly Dierking, her fiancé, Jerry Kromer, and their son, Zack Kromer, all of Centennial, Colo.; his grandson, Scott Dierking, of Greeley, Colo.; his sister, Darleen Keller, of Wichita; his nieces and nephews, Terry, Gary, Barbara, and Nancy and numerous cousins and other relatives from the Dierking, Westerman and Peters families in and around Nashville, Palmer and Hutchinson, Kan.
Funeral service was 11 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010, at Messiah Lutheran Church, Longmont, Colo. Interment was at Longmont Mountain View Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Messiah Lutheran Church, 1335 Francis Street, Longmont, CO. 80501. Share condolences and memories with the family at www.ahlbergfuneralchapel.com.