Dateline: Great Bend, Kansas

Name of Deceased: Edgar “Ed” Titsworth                                       Age: 89

Date of Death: December 22, 2015

Place of Death: Great Bend Regional Hospital, Great Bend, Kansas

Date of Birth: December 31, 1925 at Sayer, Oklahoma

Parents Name: William L. and Artie (Hilley) Titsworth

 

OBITUARY INFORMATION

He married Naomi Emaline Thomas August 2, 1947 at Carson City, Nevada.  She died March 11, 2005.

He was a forklift operator for Fiberboard Paper Mill.

Mr. Titsworth was a Great Bend, Kansas resident since 2004 coming from Tracy, California.

He was a United States Army veteran, serving during World War II.

He was a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, where he served as Past Commander.

Survivors include one son, Roy Titsworth and his wife Norma of Great Bend; two daughters: Iola Titsworth of Great Bend and Debbie Pereira and her husband Carlos of Manteca, Calif.; one daughter-in-law, Lori Titsworth of Great Bend; one sister, Hazel Smith of Sacramento, Calif.; nine grandchildren: Jennifer Broom and her husband John of Jefferson, Ohio, Sherri Titsworth of Penn., Sarah Hinman and her husband Steven of Hoisington, Kan., Jennifer Mueller and her husband Lorin of Vancouver, Wash., Maria Pereira of Manteca, Calif., Chris Pereira and his wife Desiree of Manteca, Calif., Kellie Bouillon and her husband Pat of Greene, Iowa, William Titsworth of Talihina, Okla., and Landon Titsworth of Great Bend, and nine great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by two sons, William L. Titsworth and Paul Gene Titsworth; four brothers, A.C. Titsworth, Troy Titsworth, Larence Titsworth, and Alva Titsworth, and one great-granddaughter, Kayla Marie Titsworth.

A celebration of his life will be held at 10 a.m., June 18, 2016, at First Assembly of God, Great Bend, with Pastor Dwight Dozier officiating. Inurnment will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park with military rites conducted by the American Legion Riders Post 180 and the Fort Riley Honor Guard, Great Bend, Kansas. Memorials are requested to American Legion Riders, in care of Bryant Funeral Home

 

Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net

                      Arrangements by    Bryant Funeral Home         1425 Patton Road       Great Bend, Kansas         67530

Nina Lou Smither, 79, of Muskogee, Oklahoma passed away Sunday, June 12, 2016. She was born on January 16, 1937 in Haskell, Oklahoma to Frank and Gladys Pregler where she grew up and attended public school.
Nina met and later married Charles Smither on March 14, 1956 in Haskell. They shared more than 60 years of life and marriage together.
Nina will always be remembered for her love of raising her family and being a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother.
She will be truly missed.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Nina is survived by her husband, Charles, of the home; son, Dwayne Smither of Great Bend, KS; daughter, Brenda Eubanks and husband James of Muskogee, OK; grandchildren, Travis Smither and wife Bridget of Olathe, KS, Brianna Eubanks and James W Eubanks, both of Muskogee, OK; along with other family members and friends.
Funeral services for Nina will be 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, June 15, 2016 at Cornerstone Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Donnie Echols officiating. Interment will follow at Haskell Cemetery with Brian Eubanks, Pascal Eubanks, Will Eubanks, Fred Smither, Travis Smither, and Kenneth Smither serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearer will be Jerry Gragg.

Dateline: Great Bend, Kansas

Name of Deceased: Jay Allen Riegel Age: 59
Date of Death: June 10, 2016
Place of Death: Great Bend Regional Hospital, Great Bend, Kansas
Date of Birth: February 8, 1957 at Great Bend, Kansas
Parents Name: Jerry M. & Colleen (Fowler) Riegel

OBITUARY INFORMATION
A lifetime Great Bend, KS, resident, Jay was a stone mason and worked for Wal-Mart as a night stockman.

SURVIVORS
One brother: Jeffrey Riegel of Great Bend, KS
Nephews and niece: Bryce Riegel of Great Bend, Abra Riegel and Ryan Oeser of Claflin, and Jason Riegel and wife Amy of Hays

He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, LuAnne Riegel.

SERVICE INFORMATION

Memorial Service: Friday, June 17, 2016
Time of Service: 10:30 am
Place of Service: Bryant Funeral Home
Visitation: No visitation will be held as cremation as taken place
Officiant: Rev. Dick Ogle
Interment: Great Bend Cemetery, Great Bend, Kansas

Memorial Fund: Jay Riegel Funeral Expense Fund, in care of Bryant Funeral Home

Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net
Arrangements by Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road Great Bend, Kansas 67530

Dateline: Great Bend, Kansas

Name of Deceased: Jane Helen Bowyer                                            Age: 85

Date of Death: June 9, 2016

Place of Death: Leisure Homestead, St. John, Kansas

Date of Birth: March 21, 1931 at Ellis, Kansas

Parents Name: Fred W. and Aethel (Bruegel) Homburg

 

OBITUARY INFORMATION

She married LaVern George Bowyer June 5, 1955 at St. John Lutheran Church, Ellis, Kansas.  He died February 12, 2006.

A Great Bend, Kansas resident since 1986, coming from rural Albert, Mrs. Bowyer was a homemaker, retired dairy farmer and farm wife, Avon Lady and owner and operator of the Jayhawker Motel, Great Bend.

She was a member of Peace Lutheran Church, Albert, where she played an active role in church activities, ELCW, Sunday School Teacher, church choir, church custodian, and flower committee.

 

SURVIVORS

one son: Ernie Bowyer of Great Bend

two sisters: Doris Betthauser of Dexter, Kan., and Kay Enna of Kansas City, Mo.

one sister-in-law, June Bowyer-Sowell of Chico, Texas

one grandson: B. J. Bowyer

four great-grandchildren: A. J. Bowyer, Alvin Bowyer, Jackson Bowyer and London Bowyer

 

She was preceded in death by one son, Vernie Bowyer, and one sister, Ione Buchheister.

 

SERVICE INFORMATION

Memorial Service: Monday, June 13, 2016

Time of Service: 1:00 p.m.

Place of Service: Peace Lutheran Church in Albert

Officiant: The Reverend Shelly Klingensmith

Inurnment: Peace Lutheran Church Cemetery, Albert, Kansas

Visitation:  1:00 to 9:00 p.m., with the family receiving friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Sunday, June 12, 2016 at Bryant Funeral Home

Memorial Fund: Peace Lutheran Church, in care of Bryant Funeral Home

 

Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net

                      Arrangements by    Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road       Great Bend, Kansas         67530

ROWENA  F.  KEENER

 

Rowena Frances (Thompson) Keener, age 83, of Great Bend, Kansas passed away on Wednesday morning, June 8, 2016 at her home in Great Bend after a long battle with cancer.  She was born on September 16, 1932 at Lincoln, Nebraska to George Ellis and Freida Madeline (Hackstadt) Thompson.  Rowena was a Great Bend Resident since the early 1950s, and she worked in the laundry at Central Kansas Medical Center in Great Bend for many years.  Rowena loved to sew, making clothing for her family for many years leading to sewing and alterations for friends and neighbors.  She enjoyed quilting, tole painting, and crocheting – creating beautiful rugs from rags and yarn.  She once crocheted a 12 by 16 foot rug from black and white yarn…such a huge endeavor done with so much love.  In later years, reading (something she had enjoyed her whole life) became even more important, taking her to places she could only dream of.  Word puzzles and challenges for her brain became her passion as she was determined to keep her spirits high and her mind sharp.

Rowena is survived by two daughters:  Freda F. Chapman of Great Bend, Kansas and Paula S. Keener of La Crosse, Kansas; three sons:  John W. Keener of Great Bend, Kansas, William L. (and his wife, Brenda) Keener of La Crosse, Kansas, and Dalton L. (and his wife, Barbara) Keener of Pawnee Rock, Kansas; 15 grand-children, 44 great-grandchildren, 6 great-great-grandchildren and one on the way; one brother, Keith M. Thompson of Otis, Kansas; many nieces and nephews too numerous to count.  She was preceded in death by her parents, a younger brother Gordon E. Thompson, and a tiny precious great-grandson, Ethan Gentry Riley Keener.

According to Rowena’s wishes, cremation has been chosen. There will be no viewing or visitation.  Memorial Graveside Services will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, June 18, 2016 at the Pawnee Rock Cemetery, Pawnee Rock, Kansas with a Celebration of Life beginning mid-afternoon the same day at Paula’s home in La Crosse, Kansas.  Memorials may be made in care of the Heartland Cancer Center, Great Bend, Kansas.  Online condolences may be left for the family and a complete obituary may be viewed at https://www.charterfunerals.com/locations/great-bend.php.

Arrangements Entrusted To

Charter Funerals

2115 Washington St.

Great Bend, KS  67530

(620) 793-6161

GREAT BEND — Olga Louise Welch, 102, died June 5, 2016 at Great Bend Health and Rehabilitation Center. She was born January 25, 1914, at Coffeyville, the daughter of Henry Ernest and Bertha (Sitz) Pomrenke. She married James Arthur “Jim” Welch September 24, 1947, at Great Bend, Kansas.  He died September 2, 2001.

Olga had been a Great Bend resident since 1947. Before her marriage, she was an office manager for several Western Union offices in Kansas and Missouri and later was a nurses’ aide at Central Kansas Medical Center.  Olga was a devoted wife, mother, and daughter. In addition to raising her four children, she cared for her father for many years until his death at the age of 86.

She was an expert farmer, gardener, cook and seamstress. Following her retirement from nursing, she established, owned and operated the Country Bazaar gift shop. Among the items she sold were her own beautifully stitched, hand-embroidered items.

She was an inspiration to many–not just for the length of her life, but for its quality. She remained active and independent until one month before her death, and even then did not lose her sense of humor, kindness, and warmth.  She will be sorely missed by her adoring family.

She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Great Bend, and was a long-time Boy and Girl Scout leader and volunteer.

Survivors include three sons: Jim Welch and his wife Shirley of Great Bend, David Welch and his wife Tonya of Great Bend, and Paul Welch and companion Tom Taylor of Pueblo West, Colo.; one daughter: Kathy Welch Porter and her husband Bruce of Topeka nine grandchildren: Jennifer Kaiser and her husband Mike, Jon Welch and his wife Jamie, Cristan Gottschalk and her husband Clint, Bradley Ridgel and his wife Jamie, Stacy Yeager and her husband Galyn, Magen Albert, Nathan Welch, Allyson Porter Haverkamp and her husband Stetson, and Mitchell Porter; 12 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter. She was preceded in death by her sister, Eda Roberts, of Emporia.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m., Monday, June 13, 2016 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Great Bend with The Reverend Richard Monson officiating. Burial will be in Great Bend Cemetery. Friends may call from 1 to 9 p.m., Sunday, June 12, 2016, at Bryant Funeral Home. Memorials are requested to Cedar Park Place, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

 

Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net

                  Arrangements by  Bryant Funeral Home
1425 Patton Road   Great Bend, Kansas      67530