Dateline: Colorado Springs, CO

Debbie Horton passed away on September 15, 2016, at Penrose Main, Colorado Springs, Co.
She was born February 3, 1952, in Claflin, Kansas, the daughter of David Andy and Mary Sue Sands.
Debbie is survived by her husband Homer Horton; her children, Pamala Brinson, Janelle Brinson, Nathan (Joanna) Seward, Becky (Chris) Phelps, James (Lora) Horton, Jerry Horton, and Sara (Dustin) Hood. Debbie was also blessed with eleven grandchildren; Austin, Daryl, Lailah, Geoffrey (Wini), Stephen (Sarah), and Richard, Ace, Zoe, Tia, Christa, and Andrew. She had three great grandchildren; Aidan, Catherine and Nikola. She is also survived by; sisters-in-law, Dorothy Brinson, Elaine (Greg) Dean, Carol (Ron) Fay; and her cousin Dorene (Dean) Pense; and many nieces and nephews.

Debbie attended Woodman Valley Chapel in Colorado Springs, CO, and she loved many things in her life. She loved her husband and children unconditionally and she loved to travel to different parts of the country and recently she just went to Alaska and the East Coast. She loved all of the members of her family immediate and extended. It brought her joy to have them all present during the holidays and being able to spend that quality time together. If someone was just passing through or if she was “in the neighborhood” she would do what she could to see them. She loved God and everything that He represents from serving others with joy, forgiving in the name of love and the innocence of life in its simplest form from children to animals and just the sheer beauty of the Northern Lights. She loved the Broncos and was able to meet some of the players.

Debbie was preceded in death by her husband, Darrell Brinson, father David Andy Sands, mother Mary Sue Sands, brother Reverend Ronald Gene Sands and sister Loretta Sands.

Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m., Friday, October 14, 2016, at Hoisington City Cemetery, with Rev. Don Fisher presiding. Arrangements are in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, Hoisington, KS 67544.

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

Larned – Christobelle Huck, 101, passed away October 1, 2016 at her home, Larned.

She was born January 30, 1915 at Ringwood, Oklahoma; the daughter of Henry Herman and Margaret Elizabeth Welch Henning. A lifetime area resident; she was a Beauty Consultant for Fashion Two Twenty Enterprises and also worked at Larned Floral.

She was a member of the Larned United Methodist Church, was a former Methodist Fellowship Chairman and a member of the Kappa Phi Sorority.

On November 2, 1935 she married Harry Herman Huck in Larned. He passed away December 8, 1999.

Survivors include; a daughter, Margarete Darlene Knox, Larned; a sister Dora L. Boman, Larned; two grandchildren, Dana Louise Lewis and husband Pat, Hesston and Denise Lynn Boots and husband Henry, Farmington, Missouri and four Great Grandchildren, Peyton Knox Lewis, Gunnar Knox Lewis, Ashleigh Elizabeth Boots and Austin Henry Boots.

She was preceded in death by; two brothers, David and Mark Henning and five sisters, Grace Keller, Mabel Storey, Augusta Bowlus, Emma Holland and Clara Buhrer.

Funeral will be 11:00 a.m. Wednesday at Beckwith Mortuary Chapel with Rev. Bethann Black presiding. Visitation will be 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at the mortuary. Burial will be in the Larned Cemetery, Larned.

Memorials may be given to the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas in care of Beckwith Mortuary, P.O. Box 477, Larned, KS 67550. Personal condolences may be left at www.beckwithmortuary.com.

GREAT BEND — Juanita May “Nita” Ratzlaff, 73, died Sept. 27, 2016, at her home in Great Bend. She was born May 1, 1943, at Beldenville, Wisc., the daughter of John and Mildred (Klein) Gilbertson. She was a waitress and manager of Hong Kong Restaurant and also had a painting business. She raised and showed Persian cats, and enjoyed cooking, gardening and yardwork.

Survivors include former husbands, Bob Cruse and John Ratzlaff; two sons, Bill Ratzlaff of Tawas, Mich., and Tim Cruse and wife Tammy of Wichita; five daughters: Sheila Crank and husband Adam of Hutchinson, Tammy Fry and husband Brian of Great Bend, Shelly Rhodes and husband Dustin of Kansas City, KS, Brenda Grabast and husband Ken of Hudson, and Kara Grover and husband James of Larned; one sister, April Sarnstrom and two brothers, Bruce Gilbertson and Mike Gilbertson, all of Wisconsin; grandchildren, Travis, Tobias, Tierra, Heather, Kyle, Renee, Cody, Ciara, Kristan, Savana, David, Aubri, Rocky, Britani, Derek, Croix, Nicholas and Joeb; and five great-grandchildren, Axel, Brayden, Bryson, Kayden and Estin. She was preceded in death by her parents.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m., Nov. 25, 2016 at First Church of the Nazarene, Great Bend. Inurnment will be at a later date in Wisconsin. Memorials are requested to Golden Belt Humane Society, 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

GREAT BEND — Duane Lee Huntwork, 78, died Sept. 26, 2016, at Hays Medical Center. He was born March 16, 1938, at Huron, S.D., the son of Ralph and Doris (Skinner) Huntwork. After their deaths, Duane was raised by his guardian-aunt, Bernice Forber and her husband Frank. He married Margaret Ball March 9, 1958 at Severy. A Great Bend resident since 1974, coming from Wichita, he was a plumber for Peterson Mechanical.

Mr. Huntwork was a member of A. F. and A. M. Masonic Lodge #15 and Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie #646 of Great Bend, and Isis Shrine of Salina. He enjoyed golfing, fishing and sports.

Survivors include his wife, Margaret Huntwork, of the home; two daughters, Julie Huntwork of Hoisington, and Missy Parker of Great Bend; one granddaughter, DeAnna Parker; one sister, Donna Fox and her husband Bob of Wichita; one half-brother, David of Portland, Ore.; one brother-in-law, Jim Ball and his wife Dolores of Eureka; and one sister-in-law, Sue Wade of Russell. He was preceded in death by his parents, one daughter, Susan Julian, one brother, Jimmy, and his guardian parents two brothers-in-law, Joe Ball and Lloyd Wade, and two nephews, Timmy Ball and Lloyd Allen Wade.

Memorial service will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, October 8, 2016 at Bryant Funeral Home with the Rev. Dick Ogle and Pastor Mike Joiner officiating. There will be no visitation as cremation has taken place. Memorials are requested to Kans for Kids or Sunflower Shrine Travel 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: Hoisington, KS

Linda F. Spires, 72, died September 27, 2016, at her home in Hoisington, Kansas. She was born May 27, 1944, in Garden City, Kansas, the daughter of William Lee and Lorena May (Yount) Smith. She married Clayton Lee Spires on June 22, 1973, in Garden City, Kansas.

A resident of Hoisington since 1978, she was a homemaker and had also worked as a waitress and as a grocery clerk. Before moving to Hoisington she had lived in Midland, Texas, and was also a resident of Garden City, Kansas, for 32 years. Linda was a member of Hoisington Bible Church.

She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Clayton Spires; six children, Machelle Mujica of Garden City, Shelly Bownes of Hoisington, Lorrie High of Washington, Penn., Bonnie Brungardt of Hoisington, Cindy Anderson of Wichita, and Clayton Lee Spires, Jr. of Rochester, N.H.; a brother, Dennis Smith of Prince George, British Columbia, Canada; a sister, Doris Dyer of Garden City; 18 grandchildren and many great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, three brothers, and two infant sons.

Memorial service will be 1 p.m., Sunday, October 2, 2016, at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home Chapel, with Rev. Gary Clark presiding. Inurnment will follow in Hoisington Cemetery. Friends may sign the book 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Friday, with family to receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Per her wishes, cremation has taken place. Memorials may be made to the Linda Spires Memorial Fund in care of Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, PO Box 146, Hoisington, KS 67544.

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