Obituaries

Apr 15, 2021

Robert "Bobby" "Smiley" Orlin Middleton, 81, of Hutchinson, died April 15, 2021, at Hospice House. He was born November 19, 1939, in Cromwell, Oklahoma, to Mart and Pearlie (Meeks) Middleton.

Bobby graduated from high school in Cromwell. In 1963, he began his service in the United States Army. Bobby worked for Eaton Corporation as a machinist for...

Apr 14, 2021

Robert Conway "Bob" Hornbeck, 87, died April 14, 2021, at Hospice House, Hutchinson.  He was born July 27, 1933, in Chanute, to George and Jane (Hamill) Hornbeck.

Bob graduated from Hutchinson High School and worked over 25 years for Panhandle Eastern.  He enjoyed hunting and fishing.

On August 13, 1955, he married Norma June Buckley,...

Apr 13, 2021

Carol Jean Berry, 84, died April 13, 2021, at Hospice House, Hutchinson.  She was born October 1, 1936, in Hutchinson, to Julius and Edna Anna (Thomason) Brack.

Carol graduated from Hutchinson High School.  She retired from Eaton Corporation in 1999, where Carol worked for over 30 years.

Carol is survived by: four nieces, and numerous...

Apr 13, 2021

Tommy Allan 'Tom' Reed, 83, of Hutchinson, died April 13, 2021, at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita. He was born June 16, 1937, in Hutchinson, to Ray and Vara (Gagnebin) Reed.

Tom attended Hutchinson High School and Hutchinson Community College. He served in the United States Navy from 1954 to 1958. Tom worked at Winchester Packing Company for...

Apr 13, 2021

Ronald 'Ron' D. Proffitt, 72, passed away April 13, 2021, at Smoky Hill Rehabilitation Center, Salina.  He was born April 22, 1948, in Sterling, to Gilbert Arlos and Twila 'Jo' (Fleming) Proffitt.

Ron was a 1966 graduate of Sterling High School.  Following graduation, he served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War from 1966 to...

Apr 12, 2021

Betty Ketch Parker Rayl, 91, of Tulsa, OK, died April 12, 2021, at Heritage Point of Tulsa. She was born May 31, 1929, in Douglas, KS, to Ernest and Ollie (Breshears) Ketch.

Betty graduated from Haven High School in 1947, and then attended Adela Hale Business College. She worked for Dillon's in the accounting department, until she...

Apr 11, 2021

Sue Ann Franko, 76, of Hutchinson, died April 11, 2021, at Hospice House. She was born November 13, 1944, in Hutchinson, to Sam and Marian Williams.

Marian died when Sue was 5 years old and Violet Morgan cared for her and legally adopted her after Sam's death.

Sue graduated from Hutchinson High School in 1962...

Apr 11, 2021

Margaret 'Peggy' Louise Watson Engelhardt (Margaret Louise Miller), of Brightwaters, NY, passed away on April 11, 2021.  She was born in Estancia, New Mexico, on March 28, 1929.  Raised in Estancia and Langdon, KS, Peggy received her Bachelor's Degree from the University of Kansas, Master's Degree from Hofstra University, and taught 7th and 8th grade English at Brentwood Junior...

Apr 8, 2021

Rev. Eric John Zacharias, 101, of Pretty Prairie, died April 8, 2021, at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. He was born February 18, 1920, in Herbert, Saskatchewan, Canada, to Rev. John E. and Marie H. (Klassen) Zacharias.

Eric graduated from Herbert High School in 1939, Urbana College in 1941, and both Boston University and Swedenborg School of Religion...

Apr 8, 2021

Mildred Yvonne "Mert" Harness, 80, died April 8, 2021, at her home.  She was born February 13, 1941, in Muskogee, OK, to Luther A. and Oetta P. (Nelson) Crawford, Sr.

After graduating high school, Mert received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing.  She enjoyed her career as a registered nurse, before serving as an interim administrator for...

Apr 8, 2021

Robert Paul "Bob" Fischer, passed away April 8, 2021, at Good Samaritan Society-Hutchinson Village.  He was born November 24, 1924, in Great Bend, to Paul F. and Neva (Mellies) Fischer.

Bob was a 1943 graduate of Hudson High School, Hudson.  He served in the United States Army from 1944 to 1946.  Bob was a farmer and stockman...

Apr 7, 2021

Cheri Burnell, 72, of Hutchinson, died April 7, 2021, at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. She was born on September 13, 1948, in Englewood, Colorado, to Eugene and Betty (Sandstedt) Uphoff.

Cheri graduated high school in Englewood. She worked as a mortgage processor. On March 10, 2001, Cheri married Jerry Burnell in Mansville, Colorado.

She is...

Apr 7, 2021

Linda Mae Chapin, 73, passed away April 7, 2021, at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita. She was born March 22, 1948, in Belleville, Kansas, to Vernest and Velda (Sellars) Kaufmann.

Linda grew up in Mahaska, Kansas, and graduated from Mahaska High School in 1966. She graduated from Kansas State University in 1970, and began her high school teaching...

Apr 4, 2021

On April 4, 2021, this world lost a sweet, kind soul.  Jaiden Michael, the boy who stole my heart, my first love.  With those multiple dimples, that contagious smile, and the most respectable manner, he won the hearts of many.

Born at Hutchinson Hospital on June 11, 1995, he was a lifelong resident of Hutchinson, KS.  Jaiden...

Apr 3, 2021

I. Dolores Troyer, 89, passed away April 3, 2021, at Hospice House, Hutchinson. She was born July 6, 1931, in Quinter, KS, the daughter of John and Frances (Depperschmidt) Wagoner.

Dolores attended Hutchinson High School. She was a homemaker and also worked for Southwestern Bell, Wiley's Home Fashions, NJCAA basketball tournament, Kansas State Fair, and Reno County...

Apr 2, 2021

Lyle Franklin Kahmeyer, 83, of Pretty Prairie, died April 2, 2021, at Salina Regional Health Center. He was born June 18, 1937, in Nashville, to Leonard F. and Velma E. (Knuth) Kahmeyer.

Lyle graduated from Nashville High School in 1955. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1955 to 1958. Lyle worked at Hutchinson Correctional...

Apr 1, 2021

Jack Walter Shaw III, 52, of Inman, Kansas, left this life and entered his eternity on April 1, 2021, at KU Med Center, Kansas City. He was born July 26, 1968, in Hutchinson, Kansas, the first born of Jack and Billie Shaw.

In 1987, he met and fell in love with Michelle Renee Kropf. They married on...

Apr 1, 2021

Mary Ellen Bishop, 83, died April 1, 2021.  She was born December 27, 1937, in Hutchinson, to Julius Henry and Gladys Gertrude (Schmidt) Mueller.

Mary Ellen graduated from high school in 1957.  She and her former husband, Fred, owned Bishop Interiors.  Mary Ellen enjoyed the outdoors: nature, birds, and flowers. She was a devoted member of St....

Mar 31, 2021

Timothy 'Tim' Rance Tracy, 60, passed away March 31, 2021, at Hospice House, Hutchinson.  He was born August 27, 1960, Wichita, to Willard Wayne and Eva Arlene (Mullins) Tracy.

Tim was a 1978 graduate of Fairfield High School, Langdon.  He served in the United States Army.  Tim was employed by Vidir Machine of Manitoba, Canada, working in...

Mar 31, 2021

Robert Leon "Bob" DeWater, 64, of South Hutchinson, died March 31, 2021, at Ascension Via Christi-St. Francis, Wichita.  He was born May 28, 1956, in Tulsa, OK, to Merel Allen and Lois Berniece (Lunnam) DeWater. Robert attended Nickerson schools, and received his GED.  He worked most of his life as a machinist, primarily for Eaton Corporation and Consolidated Manufacturing.  ...