Dateline: Great Bend, Kansas

Name of Deceased: Marvin Ellis Riggs                                             Age: 92

Date of Death: October 13, 2017

Place of Death: Almost Home, Great Bend, Kansas

Date of Birth: August 1, 1925 at Rush County, Kansas

Parents Name: Lester and Josephine Emma (Smith) Riggs

 

OBITUARY INFORMATION

Marvin married Ruth Barker June 1, 1947 at Great Bend.  She died September 5, 2004.

Marvin was employed as a clerk for the U.S. Postal Service, Great Bend.  A lifetime resident of Great Bend, Marvin was a devoted man of prayer and member of the First Church of the Nazarene, Great Bend, where he taught Sunday School, served as a bus driver and a Minister to Seniors.  Marvin served his country in the U.S. Navy during WW II, in the South Pacific Theatre.

 

SURVIVORS

Three sons: Terrence Eugene Riggs and wife Shelia of Oklahoma City, OK

Dale Allen Riggs and wife Betty of Great Bend, KS

Keith Ellis Riggs and wife Kathy of Great Bend, KS

One daughter: Marcia Gwen Burhenn of Great Bend, KS

One sister: Neva Morris of Denver, CO

Nine Grandchilden

Seven Great Grandchildren

He was preceded in death by two brothers, Virgil Riggs and Gerald Riggs; and by two sisters, Gladys Radke and Marjorie Riggs.

 

SERVICE INFORMATION

Funeral Service: Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Time of Service: 10:00 am

Place of Service: First Church of the Nazarene in Great Bend

Officiant: Pastor Josh Foster

Interment: Great Bend Cemetery, Great Bend, Kansas

Visitation:    1:00 to 9:00 p.m., Monday, October 16, 2017 at Bryant Funeral Home.

Memorial Fund: Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, 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: Claflin, Kansas

Robert A. Poppelreiter, 79, died October 10, 2017, at Leisure Homestead, St. John, Kansas.  He was born August 13, 1940, in rural Bushton, the son of Joseph and Ella (Brunin) Poppelreiter.

On May 1, 1965, he married Betty Radenberg, at Holy Name Catholic Church, Bushton, Kansas.

They then moved to Claflin and were longtime residents there.

Robert farmed until the late 1980s and also worked for the Holyrood Coop until he retired at age 62.

He was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, the Claflin Volunteer Fire Department, and a former member of the Elks Lodge in Great Bend.  Robert also served in the National Guard.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Betty Poppelreiter; daughters, Julie Pletcher and husband Dan of Portis, and Amie Attebery and husband Eric of Kansas City, Missouri; brother, Clarence Poppelreiter and wife Dee of Holyrood; sisters, Joyce Wright of Kansas City, Wilma Blackstock and husband Bill of Tyler, Texas, Donelda Davis of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and grandchildren, Jade Colclasure, Dane Colclasure, Ocean Attebery, Callie Attebery, Macy Attebery, and Ava Attabery.

He was preceded in death by brothers, William and Tom Poppelreiter, and sisters, Stella Dietz and Mary Frances Arensdorf.

A Rosary will take place at 8 p.m. Sunday.

Friends may sign the book only, as cremation has taken place, from 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday with family to greet friends from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the funeral home.  And from 9 a.m. until service Monday.

Memorial service will be 2 p.m., Monday, October 16, 2017, at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home.  Inurnment will follow in Claflin Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the Humane Society or the Alzheimer’s Association in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, Hoisington, KS 67530.

GREAT BEND — Shelby Ray Jones, 78, died Oct. 8, 2017, in Great Bend, following an extended illness. He was born Sept. 23, 1939, at Mount Pleasant, Pa., the son of Elmer Cleo Jones and Jennie Mae (Bever) Jones Rice. He married Martha A. Saffer Jan. 8, 1965, at Alva, Okla. A Great Bend resident most of his life, Mr. Jones was a captain for the Great Bend Fire Department for 38 years and worked for Haz-Mat Response for 17 years. He was a United States Marine Corps veteran.

Mr. Jones was a member of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #3111, Lake Barton Golf Club and Great Bend Fire Department Honor Guard, all of Great Bend.

Survivors include his wife, Martha A. Jones, of the home; three daughters, Shana Smith and her husband Russ of Derby, Wendy Karr and her husband David of Olathe, and Paige Jones and Isabel Gomez of Houston, Texas; and five grandchildren, Sean Smith, Shelby Beyer, Dana Karr, Cody Jones and Morgan Karr.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017, at Bryant Funeral Home with Bishop Peter G. Solie officiating. Burial will be in Great Bend Cemetery. Friends may call from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the family receiving friends from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017, at Bryant Funeral Home. Memorials have been established with the Great Bend Fire Department Social and Charity 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

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Donald James Komarek         1931 – 2017      

Donald James Komarek, 86, died Aug. 15, 2017, at Great Bend, following a brief illness. He was born June 3, 1931, at Ellinwood, the son of Frank and Emilie (Peschka) Komarek. He graduated from Ellinwood High School in 1949 and received his Bachelor of Science degree in History and Government (American/Russian) from Kansas State University in 1954.  Donald and Beverly Phillips were united in marriage on Aug. 22, 1954, at the First Congregational Church in Great Bend.

After participating in ROTC at Kansas State, Col. Komarek received his commission as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force in 1954. For the next 20 years, he served his country in the United States, Japan, Vietnam and Turkey. His areas of expertise included imagery interpretation and intelligence.  He received special commendation for his leadership as the Chief of the Photo Interpretation Section during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  As Protocol Officer with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), he established and managed photographic and information management related to the Turkish and Greek air reconnaissance programs.

At the end of his military career, Col. Komarek received the Meritorious Service Medal for his contributions as Chief of the Technical Support Division, Directorate of Intelligence Support and Resources, and Deputy Chief of Staff – Intelligence at Langley Air Force Base, Va.

Col. and Mrs. Komarek returned to Great Bend in 1975, where he took on the role of Managing Director and President of Phillips Sporting Goods, LLC.

Donald was a member of the American Legion Argonne Post 180, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #3111, Barton County Historical Society, Great Bend Zoological Society, and many other civic groups. He managed his family farms, gardened, enjoyed birdwatching, and was an avid outdoorsman. He served many years as a certified observer for the National Weather Service.

Survivors include his wife, Beverly Komarek, of the home; daughter Dr. Dana Townsend and her husband Harvard of Wheaton, Ill.; son, Stefan Komarek and his wife Catherine Besley of Grandview, Mo.; and daughter Tracy Aris and her husband Stephen of St. Charles, Ill.; five grandchildren, Sarah Townsend and her husband Eric Ramseier, Michael Townsend and his wife Christina, Dr. Daniel Townsend and his wife Claire, Kyle Komarek and his wife Jackie, and Corinne Horsch and her husband Eric; and six great grandchildren, Nolan Townsend, Max Townsend, Jonah Townsend, Esme Townsend, Hayley Komarek and Avery Horsch. He was proceeded in death by two brothers, Norman and Franklin Komarek of Ellinwood; and one sister, Verline Petz of Haviland.

Memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, at the Ray Schulz Library at Barton County Historical Society. Private family inurnment will be in Great Bend Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the Barton County Historical Society, in care of Bryant Funeral Home. Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net.

GREAT BEND — Viola M. Wagner, 99, died Oct. 2, 2017, at Woodhaven Care Center, Ellinwood. She was born Oct. 24, 1917, at Bunker Hill, the daughter of Frank E. and Maggie (Addington) Parker. She married Elmer F. Tobias Nov. 17, 1934, and then later divorced. She married John Alfred Wagner April 17, 1970, at Great Bend, Kansas.  He died February 12, 2017. A long time Great Bend resident, Mrs. Wagner worked for Roy’s Hickory Pit in Great Bend and Colonial House in Hesston.

Mrs. Wagner was a member of Central Baptist Church where she was deaconess and secretary and treasurer of her Sunday School class. She enjoyed crocheting.

Survivors include one son, Gary G. Tobias and his wife Sonnie of Lampassas, Texas; three daughters, Beverly Roberts and her husband Rob of Mesa, Ariz., Judy Burke of Grand Lake, Colo.; and Debra Potter and her husband Shane of Great Bend; three step-sons, Matthew T. Wagner of Axtell, Mark H. Wagner and his wife Alma of Axtell, and Rick A. Branson and his wife Khrista of Ashland; three step-daughters, Patricia Stallbaumer and her husband Galen of Topeka, Mary E. Krouse and her husband Butch of Bonner Springs, and Vicki A. Ellis of Wichita; one sister, Betty Lucido of California; 13 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; 25 step-grandchildren; and 16 step-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by two daughters, Shirley Spitzmiller and infant Patty Lou Tobias, and two sisters, Marie Huff and Zella M. Gatton.

Funeral services will be at 9 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, at Central Baptist Church in Great Bend, with the Rev. David Walters officiating. Burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park. Friends may call from noon to 9 p.m., with the family receiving friends from 6-8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 6, 2017, at Bryant Funeral Home. Memorials have been established with Central Baptist 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

WOODWARD, Okla. — David Duane McCullum, 43, died Sept. 17, 2017, in Medford, Okla. He was born April 20, 1974, in Great Bend, the son of Robert and Joyce (Clawson) McCullum. A resident of Woodward, Okla., David worked as a fumigator for Central States Enterprises. He loved to spend time with his children and was a Dallas Cowboys fan.

Survivors include his children, Montana, Katy and Morgan McCullum all of Salina; his father, Robert McCullum of Great Bend and his mother, Joyce McCullum Stout of Great Bend; one sister, Tina Stout of Great Bend; one step-brother Doyle Stout; former wife Amanda Wright; nephews, Ian and Chase Stout; niece, Talaya Stout; and many cousins. He was preceded in death by his grandparents.

Memorial service will be 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, at Bryant Funeral Home, Great Bend, with the Rev. William F. Johnson officiating. No visitation will be held as cremation as taken place. Memorials are requested to the children’s education fund, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.