Obituaries

Mar 17, 2018

Melody Ann Winter, 59, died March 17, 2018, at her home. She was born June 24, 1958, in Ulysses, the daughter of Dwaine and Gay (Hatton) Newton. Melody graduated from Nickerson High School in 1976 and attended Hutchinson Community College. She was co-owner of Winter Trucking. On December 27, 2003, Melody married Mike Winter in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He survives....

Mar 17, 2018

Robert G. 'Bob' Hodgkinson, age 83, of Hutchinson, died March 17, 2018, at Brookdale of Hutchinson. Bob was born January 20, 1935, in Wichita, Kansas, the son of Robert R. and Bertha (Mettscher) Hodgkinson. He was a 1953 graduate of Pratt High School, then attended Garden City Community College and Wichita Business College, earning his business degree. He proudly served...

Mar 16, 2018

A Celebration of Life will be held in memory of Julie Ann Tomlianovich, of Hutchinson, who died March 16, 2018, from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, August 25, 2018, in the Event Room at the Airport Steakhouse, 1100 Airport Road, Hutchinson. We will be gathering to share memories and stories of Julie with family and friends. Come and go as...

Mar 16, 2018

Clifford R. 'Cliff' Bass, 86, of South Hutchinson, died Friday, March 16, 2018, at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita. He was born November 19, 1931, in Hutchinson, to Clifford and Mamie (Burton) Bass. Cliff retired as a butcher for Winchester Packaging. He loved to fish and spend time with his beloved dog, Sassy. Cliff is survived by: children, Johnnie Bass (Sheryl),...

Mar 16, 2018

Julie Ann Tomlianovich, 64, of Hutchinson, died March 16, 2018, at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center. She was born February 11, 1954, in Canton, IL, the daughter of George and Martha (Ellis) Tomlianovich. Julie was a graduate of Canton High School, did her undergraduate work at MacMurray College and Illinois State University, and received her Masters in Library Science from the...

Mar 16, 2018

Ira D. Bontrager, 97, of Hutchinson, died Friday, March 16, 2018. He was born June 11, 1920, in Reno County, the son of D.Y. and Susan (Nissley) Bontrager. He was a carpenter for USD #308 Hutchinson Schools and later for Hutchinson Community College. During the summer months he enjoyed teaching carpentry to crews of young men who worked for him....

Mar 15, 2018

Norma Jean Darrah, 85, of Hutchinson, died March 15, 2018, at Hester Care Center, Hutchinson. She was born July 25, 1932, in Sterling, the daughter of William Allen and Vera Belle (Reynolds) Coonfer. Norma Jean graduated from Lyons High School in 1950. In addition to being a homemaker, she worked for Lyons Manufacturing and Lyons State Bank. After moving to...

Mar 10, 2018

Dr. Joyce Randolph Sumner passed away on Saturday, March 10, 2018. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1926, Joyce Sumner was raised by her parents, Pearl and Gould Randolph. As she prepared to enter college, she was torn between becoming a clothing designer or a doctor. Because she hated sewing, she decided to go into medicine (choosing anesthesia over surgery for...

Mar 8, 2018

Raymond Ralph 'Ray' Welch, 83, of Hutchinson, died March 8, 2018, at Hospice House, Hutchinson. He was born December 25, 1934, in Wichita, to Raymond H. and Mildred (Griffith) Welch. Ray had a number of jobs over the years; he worked for Foy Construction, TWA at Cape Canaveral, and Decker & Mattison. He also owned Welch Heating and Air...

Mar 7, 2018

Michael Eugene "Mike" Roeder, 70, of Hutchinson, died March 7, 2018, at Newton Medical Center. He was born May 28, 1947, in Hutchinson, the son of Alfred E. and Betty J. (Lyman) Roeder. Mike worked at Hesston Corporation for many years, retiring as union president in 2005. He loved dirt track racing and was involved at 81 Speedway for many...

Mar 6, 2018

Jeffrey Dean 'Jeff' Myrick, 60, of Hutchinson, died March 6, 2018, at his home.  He was born February 8, 1958, in Liberal, to Gene and Glenna (Clodfelter) Myrick.

Jeff graduated from Hugoton High School and from Kansas State University.  Prior to his retirement, he was a reporter for the Hutchinson News.  Jeff enjoyed the outdoors, the K-State...

Mar 6, 2018

Dick Strano, 73, of Hutchinson, died March 6, 2018, at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita. He was born November 4, 1944, in Columbia, South Carolina, the son of Angelo and Sophia (Moskowski) Strano. Being raised in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Dick was a 1962 graduate of Punxsutawney Area High School and a 1966 graduate of Southwestern College, Winfield, where he met his...

Mar 6, 2018

Venancio 'Benny' Rodriguez, 93, died Tuesday, March 6, 2018, at Hospice House, Hutchinson. He was born May 28, 1924, in Staples, Texas, the youngest child of 17 children, born to Rodrigo and Bernabe (Gonzales) Rodriguez. Benny worked for Santa Fe Railroad, the Salvation Army and retired as a welder for a mobile home plant. He loved to walk up and...

Mar 6, 2018

Benjamin Junior 'Ben' Davis, 74, died March 6, 2018, at his home in Hutchinson. He was born May 24, 1943, in Fairview, OK, to Benjamin and Verna (Cornelson) Davis. Ben served in the United States Air Force from 1962 to 1966, serving in both Korea and Vietnam. He worked as a salesman for DuBois Chemicals for over 25 years. Ben...

Mar 5, 2018

Bessie L. Birt died peacefully, with her family by her side, on Monday, March 5, 2018, at Sunshine Meadows Retirement Community in Buhler, at the age of 96. She was born June 13, 1921, in Baca County (about 20 miles west of Campo, Colorado), the oldest daughter of Lillie Pearl Wiley Welch and Richard Raymond Welch. Bessie had been a...

Mar 3, 2018

Nancy J. Chapman, 67, of Hutchinson, died March 3, 2018, at Via Christi Hospital St. Francis, Wichita. She was born April 1, 1950, in Larned, to Ray and Lucille (Walton) Clarkson. She is survived by: son, Darren Chapman (Chandra); daughter, Amie Chapman; granddaughters, Aftyn and Brynlee Chapman, all of Hutchinson; sisters, Linda Mollnow (Dan) of Osage City, KS, Peggy Brannan...

Mar 3, 2018

Mildred Virginia 'Millie' Thach, 87, died Saturday, March 3, 2018, at Mount Hope Nursing Center. She was born December 18, 1930, in Burrton, to Vernon Joseph and Mary Burnice (Ansel) Hill. Millie graduated Burrton High School in 1948. She was a lifelong resident of rural Burrton. Millie was a homemaker and farmer's wife. Her most important role was that of...

Mar 2, 2018

A celebration of the life of Rick Mayfield, 69, of Hutchinson, who died March 2, 2018, will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 23, 2018, at Hutchinson Art Center, 405 N. Washington. Memorials may be made to Hutchinson Art Association, in care of Elliott Mortuary, 1219 N. Main, Hutchinson, KS 67501.

Mar 2, 2018

Kerren Marlene Krehbiel, 79, passed away March 2, 2018, at her home. She was born May 30, 1938, in Kingman, to Elmer C. and Tillie A. (Albrecht) Ewy. Kerren graduated from Kingman High School in 1958, and was a retired housekeeper at Mennonite Friendship Communities. She was a member of First Mennonite Church of Hutchinson and the Gideons Auxiliary....

Mar 2, 2018

Richard Douglas Mayfield of Hutchinson, was born October 26, 1948, in Hutchinson, Kansas. He was a 1967 graduate of Hutchinson High School. Rick then attended Hutchinson Community College. On June 23, 1995, he was united in marriage to Kathy Wiese in Hutchinson. They made their home in Hutchinson. Rick owned Rick Mayfield Construction, building Wick buildings for the past 23...