Harold G. "Ole" Oelkers, 86, loving husband and father, of South Hutchinson, died Jan. 9, 2013, at Wheaton House at Mennonite Friendship Communities.

Ole was born Aug. 2, 1926, at Clyde, Kan., the son of Francis D. and Irene A. Boling Oelkers.

He graduated in 1944 from Neal High School and later attended Salt City Business College. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army. Ole retired from Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. as an outside plant engineer. He had worked for SWB for 36 years. Ole was a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, was a 4th Degree Knight with the Knights of Columbus Council 612, the American Legion Lysle Rishel Post 68, the Telephone Pioneers, and had served four years on the South Hutchinson City Council including one year as mayor.

Ole married Florence E. Theis on April 7, 1951, in Hutchinson. She survives.

Other survivors include: two sons, Dana Oelkers and wife Susan of Glenwood, Minn., and Darin Oelkers of Wichita; two daughters, Alana Oelkers of South Hutchinson, and Jana Oelkers of Wichita; a sister, Peg Bewley of Eureka; three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Caryol Dean Oelkers and Francis Dale Oelkers.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 14, 2013, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church with Father Ned Blick and Father Nicholas Voelker presiding. Burial will be in the Penwell-Gabel Cemetery and Mausoleum, Hutchinson. Graveside military honors will be provided by the U.S. Army Honor Guard from Ft. Riley. Visitation will be from 1 to 9 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Elliott Mortuary, Hutchinson. A parish rosary will be recited at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, followed by a Knights of Columbus rosary, and the family greeting friends until 8 p.m., all at the church.

Memorial contributions may be sent to the American Lung Association or the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, sent in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501.