William Cook (Posted 12/8/22)
William S. “Bill” Cook, 88, of Wamego, Kansas, passed away on Wednesday (December 7, 2022) at Wellsprings of Westmoreland, Kansas.
William was born to Shelton and Anita (Wells) Cook at home in St. Marys, Kansas on February 2, 1934 and lived at Belvue, KS and Wamego, KS. Bill attended Pleasantview and Belvue grade schools and graduated from Wamego High School.
On November 27, 1955, William married Lois Johnson. She survives of the home.
William previously worked for various farmers in the area, at the Missile Base and for the City of Wamego. He was also a Reserve Officer for the Wamego Police Department. He retired from PR&W Rural Electric as a lineman after 36 years.
An avid bowler, Bill was the Kansas State Champion in Singles 1970-1971. He was inducted into the Kansas Bowlers Hall of Fame in 1996. Bill was a member of the American Bowling Association, American Bowling Congress and United States Bowling Congress. He was a Life Member, past Vice-President and past Board Director of the Manhattan Men Bowling Association. Bill also enjoyed making wood projects for family and friends.
Survivors include his wife, Lois; a daughter, Kathryn Reed; two sons, Harry S. Cook and William Cook (Della) all of Wamego, KS; two grandsons, Michael Reed (Courtney) and Adam Reed; five great grandchildren, Symphony, Lex, Willow, Abby and Alexa; three sisters, Muriel McClenney of Kansas City, KS, Norma Cook of Exeter, CA, and June Wiseman (Gene) of Atwater, CA; a sister in law, Cheri Cook of Shingle Springs, CA; a brother in law, Robert Johnson of McFarland, KS; and a host of relatives and friends.
Mr. Cook was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Albert Cook (Joan), Cecil Cook (Geraldine) and Guy Cook; a sister, Alberta Cook; and a brother in law, Charles McClenney.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday afternoon at 1:00 at the Campanella & Stewart Funeral Home in Wamego with Rev. Dr. Tony Mattia officiating. Burial will be in the Wamego City Cemetery.
William will lie in state Monday afternoon beginning at 2:00. The family will meet with friends on Monday evening from 5:00 to 8:00 at the funeral home in Wamego.
Memorial contributions are requested to the Wamego Fireworks Fund (c/o City of Wamego, Wamego, KS) or the Wamego Hospital and may be left at Campanella & Stewart Funeral Home, 4370 Salzer Road, Wamego, KS 66547.
Blaine Sparks Jr. (Posted 12/8/22)
Blaine E. Sparks Jr., age 78, of Manhattan, died Tuesday December 6, 2022 at the Ascension Living Via Christi Village in Manhattan.
He was born on May 6, 1944.
Private Services will be held at a later date.
The Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502, is assisting the family with the service arrangements.
Wayne Ubel (Posted 12/7/22)
Wayne Murlin Ubel, 84, of Wamego, Kansas, died Tuesday, December 6, 2022, at the Good Samaritan Society in Wamego. He was a life-long resident of the area.
Wayne was born August 9, 1938, in Wamego, Kansas, the son of Murlin and Elizabeth (Jenkins) Ubel. His family lived six miles north of Belvue, Kansas, on Lost Creek Road. Wayne attended Lost Creek School and then through 8th grade in Belvue. He graduated from Wamego High School in 1956.
He worked for two years for WC Holtman Truck and Tractor Company. He joined the Kansas Army Reserves and served for six years. Wayne then began his forty-two-year career at the Wamego Telephone Company in 1961. He worked as the Treasurer, Comptroller, and Office Manager until his retirement in 2003. Wayne also served as the Treasurer and member of the company’s board of directors for thirty-two years.
Wayne was a member and past president of TASK (Telephone Accountants Service Klub of Kansas), and a board member for the Kansas Telephone Association. He was inducted into the Kansas Telecommunications Hall of Fame in 1996 and received his twenty-five and thirty five year Service Award from the National Telephone Cooperative Association.
Wayne was very active in the community. He was a member of the Wamego United Methodist Church and held several leadership positions over the years. He also served at the chairman of the Wamego Library Board for nine years, and served on the Wamego Planning Commission for eleven years. From 1969 until 1974, Wayne was the Wamego School Board Treasurer. He was 4-H Leader and a member and past president of the Optimist Club. Wayne loved spending time with his family, friends, and especially his children and grandchildren. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and gardening.
Wayne married Rita Blanka on August 6, 1965, at the Louisville Methodist Church. She survives.
Wayne is also survived by his children; Loren Wayne Ubel, of Wamego and Lora Elizabeth Graff (Bill), of Riverside, Missouri; his grandchildren, William Wayne Graff and Lily Lei Graff; and his brother, Raymond Ubel (Renita), of Baldwin City. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Wayne will be buried in Wamego City Cemetery. Services will be private. The family suggests memorial contributions to the Wayne and Rita Ubel Scholarship Fund, and those may be sent in care of Campanella and Stewart Funeral Home. Online condolences may be made at www.campanellastewart.com.
Douglas Schoning (Posted 12/7/22)
Douglas Schoning died December 4, 2022 at the age of 85 at Good Shepherd Homecare & Hospice in Manhattan, KS. Doug was born January 14, 1937 in Clay Center, Kansas; son of Walter and Pauline (Rufenacht) Schoning. He graduated from Kansas State University.
Doug taught US History to eighth graders for forty-one years, mainly in Manhattan. He will be remembered as a wonderful and engaging storyteller and was known for making the most boring aspects of history come alive. Doug was able to take a five minute topic and expand it to a half hour. He used to say he never went to work, but went to teach. More important than his love of teaching was his love for his students. He retired from teaching Social Studies at Susan B. Anthony in 1999.
After 4 months of dating, Doug married Polly Armstrong May 31, 1964 in the Congregational Church in Manhattan. They enjoyed numerous road trips with their three children, especially Christmas vacations in Estes Park.
Doug was an avid reader, reading at least a book a week. He was active with the Manhattan Public Library and Manhattan Library Association. Doug served on the Board of Directors of MLA and served as Vice Chair of the annual Book Sale. The Transportation area in the Children’s Library is named in his honor. After retiring, he volunteered to read to elementary students kindergarten aged to second grade; those who needed help developing their reading skills.
He loved cars! Especially new cars, big American made cars. He enjoyed driving a new car at all times. And he also liked to collect model cars from the 50’s and 60’s. Doug liked to search for treasures at auctions and flea markets. He started every morning by walking 5 miles a day at the mall. Many friends and students will remember Doug wearing colorful, bright socks. He enjoyed cooking and loved baking chocolate chip cookies for his grandsons.
His parents and beloved younger brother, Delbert Schoning, preceded him in death. Doug leaves behind his wife Polly of the home in Wichita, daughters Mary Scharfe of Manhattan and Kathleen Kramer of Overland Park, and son David (Jennifer) Schoning of Wichita; along with four grandsons Dawson, Cooper, Walker and William; all of whom he adored. Doug chose cremation with a private ceremony for family. Visitation for friends of the community will be held Monday December 12 th from 5 to 7 pm at Yorgensen-Meloan Londeen Funeral Home on Poyntz. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to the Manhattan Public Library in care of the funeral home.
Online condolences may be left for the family through the funeral home website at www.ymlfuneralhome.com.
Judy Brooks (Posted 12/7/22)
Judith Ann Brooks, age 71, died December 5, 2022, at Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan.
She was born November 21, 1951, in Lawrence, Kansas, the daughter of Robert and Wilma (Shreve) Mays.
Judy grew up in Pittsburg, Kansas, and graduated from Pittsburg High School, and had been a longtime Manhattan area resident.
She worked in housekeeping at the Ramada Inn before working for many years as a screen printer for Ballard’s Sporting Goods.
Judy loved her dogs and enjoyed cheering for the Denver Broncos and the KSU football teams.
She was married to Asa William “Ace” Brooks on December 9, 1972. He preceded her in death on January 9, 1999. She was also preceded in death by her brothers Robert and Ted and both parents.
Survivors include her two sons: Lance Brooks and his wife Rebekah and Jace Brooks and his wife Chasity Ridder all of St. George, KS; one step son Asa ‘Allen’ Brooks and his wife Dawn; four grandchildren: Trenton, Kelliann, Chase and Trace; and four siblings: Bill, Roberta, Maxine and Debbie.
The family will receive friends from 2:00 to 3:00 P.M. Saturday at the Yorgensen-Meloan- Londeen Funeral Home. Interment will be at 3:30 P.M. Saturday at the Valley View Memorial Park east of Manhattan.
Online condolences may be left for the family through the funeral home website at ymlfuneralhome.com.
The Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502, is assisting the family with arrangements.
Dean Kubin (Posted 12/6/22)
Lyle Honig (Posted 12/5/22)
Lyle H. Honig, 86, died November 29, 2022, in Manhattan, Kansas. He was born on September 7, 1936, in Wheaton, Kansas to Otto and Adele (Figge) Honig. He was the youngest of four children.
He grew up on the family farm and graduated from Onaga High School in 1954. He worked briefly at the Onaga Herald newspaper before joining the Wamego Times newspaper in 1956, for H. O. and Maxine Dendurent and continuing for Mark Portell in 1980. He retired in 2015, a loyal employee for nearly 60 years. He joined the Army Reserves in 1959 and was honorably discharged in 1965. He was a member of the American Legion Post 172 in Wamego.
He was active in the community. He loved playing cards, spending time with his family, and meeting
with friends for coffee at the Friendly Cooker. He was a member of Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in
Wamego until his death.
He married Thelma (Anderson) Boskill on June 8, 1968, in Topeka, Kansas. She preceded him in death in
2007. He embraced his role as father to the four daughters she brought to their marriage. They settled
in Wamego. A son, Lyle Jr., was born in 1969. He was a loving father, grandfather, great-grandfather,
and uncle.
He is survived by his children, Susan (Larry) Rush, Elana Mishelle, Janet Boskill, Patti (Wayne) Schierkolk,
and Lyle (Robert) Honig Mojica; grandchildren, Jared Schierkolk, Jessica (Jay) Long, Ryan (Sara) Rush, and
Tyler Rush; eight great-grandchildren; sisters, Lavina Kolterman and Marcella Fairbanks; in-laws, Ginger
(Larry) Self, Jim (Marinell) Anderson, Don (Bernice) Anderson, and Richard Anderson; and many nieces
and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Thelma; his parents, Otto and Adele Honig, and his brother,
Norman Honig.
He was cremated and a Celebration of Life will be held from 4-7 p.m., December 23, 2022, at Iron Clad,
427 Lincoln, in Wamego. Memorials may be made at the American Legion Post 172, Wamego, or Wamego
Senior Center meal program and may be left in care of Campanella & Stewart Funeral Home 4370 Salzer Rd, Wamego, KS 66547.
Charles King (Posted 12/4/22)
Charles William King, age 82, a longtime Deep Creek Community resident, died November 26, 2022, at Brewster Place in Topeka, where he had lived since July of 2022.
He was born September 10, 1940, in Centralia, Illinois, the son of William Charles and Frances Marian (Purcell) King.
On September 12, 1970, in Springfield, Missouri, he was married to Patricia Louise Stokes. Mrs. King survives Charles in Topeka. Additional survivors include his three children: Denise King and her husband Uwe Haensel of Bad Homburg, Germany, Cayla King and her husband Troy Brown of Rossville, KS, and William King and his wife Jessie King of Manhattan; one sister Patricia King of Manhattan; and five grandchildren: Blake Laurel and Dalton Brown, Isabell King and Avery Jones.
Charles served for 22 years in the United States Army, and honorably retired at the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4, on January 1, 1982. His area of work was criminal investigations and as a polygraph examiner. He had received numerous awards and commendations including National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with one Silver Star, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm, Army Commendation Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon “2“, and the Legion of Merit.
Charles always aspired to learn. In his retirement, he attended Kansas State University and earned several Masters Degrees in Animal Science, Agronomy, and Spanish. Charles also farmed in the Deep Creek Community, and enjoyed hunting, fishing, traveling and woodworking. He was a member of the Rural Water District for many years, the American Legion Post 31 in Rossville, and the Optimist Club in Manhattan.
The family will receive friends from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. Friday, December 9th, at the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, December 10th, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 4483 Vinyard Road, Wamego, KS. Interment with military honors will follow in the Pleasant Valley Cemetery near Zeandale. The family will have a lunch and celebration of Charles’ life from 12:00 P.M to 3:00 P.M at the Deep Creek Community Center.
Online condolences may be left for the family through the funeral home website at www.ymlfuneralhome.com.
Memorial contributions may be made to either the Optimist Club or the Wounded Warriors Project. Contributions may be left in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502.
Doris Mae Givens (Posted 12/4/22)
Doris Mae Givens, age 95, of Manhattan, died November 24, 2022, at Honstead House – Meadowlark Hills.
She was born March 10, 1927, in Manhattan, the daughter of Thomas O. and Gladys M. (Howenstine) McClung. Both preceded her in death.
Doris was married to Jay Edwin Givens on October 5, 1947, in Manhattan. He preceded her in death on April 5, 1989.
Doris was a homemaker and enjoyed crafts and decorating. She assisted with establishing a federation for the mentally retarded in Manhattan, Kansas.
She was a member of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Survivors include her daughter Mary Givens of Manhattan, and her step-daughter Faith Rupp of Tucson, AZ.
She was also preceded in death by one daughter Virginia Beth Givens on June 21, 2002, and by her older sister Betty Lovell and her younger brother Thomas McClung.
Memorial services will be held at 3:00 PM Saturday, December 10th, through zoom at link: 81797529111 with passcode of: futurehope.
Online condolences may be left for the family through the funeral home website at www.ymlfuneralhome.com
Memorial contributions in memory of Doris may be made to the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Contributions may be left in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502.
Barbara Tomb (Posted 12/4/22)
Barbara Suzanne Tomb, age 80, passed away Ad Astra on November 27, 2022, at Ascension Via Christi hospital in Manhattan, KS, with her family by her side.
Barbara was born on April 27, 1942, to Irving and Pauline (Warner) Gallup in Troy, NY. The family later moved to Tulsa, OK, where Barbara graduated from Marquette High School. She attended the University of Oklahoma and received BS and MS degrees in microbiology. During her undergraduate years, Barbara worked as a med tech assistant in a Washington, DC, hospital – she delighted in recalling her time there and was always proud to have been in the city the summer of 1963, when the March on Washington occurred.
Following her post-secondary degree, Barbara briefly moved to New Jersey to work for Merck Pharmaceutical Labs; however, she felt compelled to move closer to home and found work at the Research Clinical Pathology Lab at the University of Texas MD Anderson Hospital in Houston, TX.
It was in her building at the hospital that she met the love of her life, Andrew Spencer Tomb III, who, on their first date in February 1967, took her to a Galveston, TX, beach and showed her his new book on plants, as a budding botanist does. She fell in love with him anyway, and they married on September 2, 1967, in Tulsa, followed by a honeymoon in Mexico which allowed Spencer to collect very romantic plant specimens.
While Spencer pursued his post-secondary education at the University of Texas – Austin, Barbara worked in a university biochemistry lab. She then enrolled in night school classes to earn a high school teaching certificate and taught earth science and chemistry for two years at Crockett High School in Austin while supporting Spencer through his degree programs. She was a valuable field assistant – ever-ready to assist in plant specimen collecting in the deserts and mountains of the western United States for Spencer’s dissertation and post-graduate work.
The couple briefly lived in the suburbs of Chicago, IL, where Barbara again found work in a medical lab, before the now-family-of-three moved to Manhattan.
Barbara gave birth to three sons, Andrew and twin boys, Sean and Mark. Because of the lack of ultrasound technology at the time, they hoped her second pregnancy would produce a girl – delivery proved to be a surprise to mom, dad, and doctor, close family friend Dr. Ron Marshall, when two boys were born one after the other. Upon the birth of the twins, Barbara became a stay-at-home mother.
Later in life, Barbara worked at the K-State Sensory Analysis Center in Manhattan as a sensory analyst. She tasted various foods and sampled products from around the world and provided feedback along with her fellow analysts. She always suspected it, but it was confirmed through her work that her palette was very, very sensitive to garlic. She loved the work and her co-workers. A highlight was a working trip to Berlin, Germany, with her co-workers.
Barbara was an avid artist – sewing, needlepoint, cross-stitching, knitting, macrame, weaving, wheat weaving, smocking, painting, toll painting, and stained glass. She loved cooking and creating her own recipes. She was a prolific reader of mysteries and suspense novels, somehow always managing to place the first hold on a new book at the Manhattan Public Library just a moment before everyone else. It is unknown if there was ever a British series on PBS that she did not watch and enjoy. Christmas was a favorite holiday – the Christmas tree was always beautifully decorated, with bright, sparkling presents with homemade bows stacked underneath, the result of her year-long attempt to find just the perfect gifts. And, as the mom of three growing boys, Barbara could coupon and shop for deals with the best of them – on anything.
Her family will miss their knitted winter hats they received each Christmas, her infectious laugh, her kindness and friendship, and of course, her extraordinary cooking – cheesecake, jam cookies, the annual “Christmas goodies plate” and her special Christmas jam, German chocolate cake, lime pie, and her apple butter, orange jam, and orange marmalade.
Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, brother Joseph Gallup, and brothers-in-law Bill Taylor and Norman Brode. Survivors include her husband, Spencer Tomb of the home, sons Andrew Tomb (Amanda Meek) of Riley, KS, and Sean Tomb (Heather O’Hara) and Mark Tomb (Julie Finn), both of Lawrence, KS, and granddaughter Aleana Tomb of Olathe, KS.
Other survivors include brother Jim (Jackie) Gallup of Woodridge, VA, sisters-in-law Helen Tomb-Taylor of Conroe, TX, and Sarah Brode of Crystal Beach, TX, nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends.
Following cremation, a visitation will be held on Thursday, December 8th, from 4-6 p.m. at Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home. Memorials may be made in honor of Barbara to the Manhattan Public Library. Any memorials may be directed to the family in care of Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502.
A Celebration of Life service will occur at a later date.
Online condolences may be left for the for the family by clicking on “Share A Memory” on this page.
Jerome Berry (Posted 12/4/22)
Gerald “Jerome” Berry passed away at the Wroten House, Meadowlark Hills, Manhattan on Thursday, November 18th, 2022, following an extended battle with Parkinson’s disease. He enjoyed the staff and residents at Wroten House and would express his contentment with his situation and the hand he had been dealt. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the staff at Wroten house for the care they provided Jerome.
Jerome was born at home in Pottawatomie County on July 4th, 1941, the son of Jerry Berry and Opal Tilton Berry. He attended elementary schools in both Yakima, Washington, and Garrison Kansas, and graduated from Randolph high school with the class of 1959. His family relocated to Manhattan because of the construction of Tuttle Creek Dam. He later attended barber college in Topeka and barbered for several years before beginning to work for the Topeka Capital-Journal newspaper, first in distribution and later as district manager until retirement.
Jerome was united in marriage to Sonja Ericson on August 11th, 1962. A daughter Jada was born into this union. Jada was united in marriage to Steve Hinrichs and two granddaughters Misty and Ashley were added to the family along with Misty’s son Cameron Opat, the great-grandson. Being a great-grandpa brought him great happiness. He and Cameron were buddies with riding scooters, and motorcycles, doing yard work, and various projects.
Jerome enjoyed country music, westerns, movies in general, and especially the TV show “Heartland.” He loved K state sports, especially football having attended games since the 1960s, he had season tickets until he moved to Meadowlark and attended as many of the bowl games as possible.
Besides his family, coaching softball was probably his greatest joy. He spent many years coaching girls’ fast-pitch softball starting when Jada played city league and on to traveling teams. Long after Jada no longer played, he started the “Lady Lightning” teams. With the help of an earth-moving construction company, team families, and friends, he built a ball diamond in the field behind his house. The friendships he developed with the girls and their families were so important to him and many of those relationships remain still today. His teams were highly competitive, and he only scheduled those types of tournaments every weekend all summer long in surrounding states. One of his teams had all but one starting player go on to start college scholarships in one sport or another. He used to say with pride that the girls were so talented that many times all that he needed to say as their coach, was “sic em.”
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Billy; a sister Nadine and her husband Henry Peterson; a brother Jerry Don and a sister Adeline Schwedt. He is survived by his wife Sonja of the home, daughter Jada Hinrichs and husband Steve; granddaughters Misty and Ashley Hinrichs; great-grandson Cameron Opat and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.
Jerome enjoyed talking to people, whether he knew them or not, and made friends easily. He loved to make people laugh and have a good time and was often found at the center of a group of people enjoying themselves.
Cremation has taken place, and a private inurnment will be held at a later date.
A celebration of life will be held at the Manhattan Union Pacific Train Depot
A Memorial Fund is planned in Jerome’s honor to help local girls in tough economic situations to have equal access to sports opportunities. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the Jerome Berry Girls in Sports Memorial Fund with the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation and may be directed to either the foundation or the funeral home.