Obituaries – November 15, 2016

William L. “Bill” Lawrence, 80, Bennington, died Monday, November 14, 2016 at the Salina Regional Health Center after battling leukemia for almost 20 years and lymphoma for almost two years. He was born April 28, 1936 in Quincy, IL to Floyd and Mary (Pickens) Lawrence.

Bill attended many schools as his family moved around the United States. He was a 1954 graduate of Minneapolis High School. On February 11, 1955, Bill was united in marriage with Grace Schur in Minneapolis. They celebrated their 61^st wedding anniversary in 2016. Bill worked for KDOT for over thirty years; retiring in 1997 due to failing health.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Dick and Gene.

Survivors are his wife, Grace, of the home; son, Chris and wife Sandy of rural Venedocia, OH; and the godson Chris and Sandy took into their home, John Copeland.

Cremation has been chosen. Visitation will be Thursday from 2:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at Wilson Family Funeral Home, Minneapolis, where the family will receive friends from 5:00 to 7:00. Memorial services will be at 11:00 A.M., Friday at the funeral home. Private family inurnment will be in the Bennington Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Bennington Ambulance. The family is so thankful for the many times they were there to help them.

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Anton Jay “A.J.” Andersen, 81, of Salina, died Oct. 30, 2016. He was born Nov. 25, 1934, in Salina, to Anton C. “Tony” Andersen and Victoria “Vic” Sape.

He was a lifelong resident of Salina, growing up on Highland Avenue, attending Franklin Elementary School and graduating in 1952 from Salina High School. He briefly attended Kansas State University. Early on in his work life, he was co-owner, with his father, of Farm Equipment Sales and Services in Salina. He then worked for many years in sales and marketing for agricultural-related companies. During his career with Rickel Manufacturing, Salina, he traveled extensively within the United States, Canada and Mexico. Later, he worked as the manager of pre-need arrangements for Ryan Mortuary, Salina. AJ was a 69 year member of First Presbyterian Church, Salina, singing tenor in the church choir nearly all those years. He served his church as a Deacon, Ruling Elder and member of the Board of Trustees. He was a 33rd Degree Mason, member of Salina Lodge No. 60, Isis Shrine Director’s Staff, Scottish Rite, Shrine 100 Million Club and a former member of the Royal Order of Jesters. He was a member of the Salina Country Club, playing golf regularly, as long as his health permitted, and was co-organizer of the annual Wally Beets Salina Invitational golf tournament. He served as Executive Secretary of the Kansas State Men’s Senior Golf Association, on the Board of Trustees of St. John’s Military School and on the Board of Directors of Central Kansas Flywheels Association (operators of Yesteryear Museum). AJ’s family and friends were of utmost importance to him. He was good humored and interested in everyone he knew. He loved sharing stories and jokes, especially with the 10 a.m. coffee group at East Iron Burger King.

He is survived by: Mary, his wife of 60 years; daughters, Melanie Trump (Tim), of Tulsa, Okla., and Monne Andersen, of Huntington Beach, Calif.; son, Anton Chris “Tony” Andersen (Carol), of Overland Park; and grandchildren, Jay Trump, Caroline Trump, Claire Trump, Alison Andersen, Allison Dreiling and Todd Dreiling.

He was preceded in death by: parents; and four sisters, Dorothy Andersen, Evelyn Moser, Phyllis Cranton and Barbara Hurlburt.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at First Presbyterian Church, Salina. A private inurnment burial will be held in Gypsum Hill, Salina.

Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, in care of Ryan Mortuary, Salina.

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MENTOR — Gerald B. Lilly, 88, died Thursday, November 10, 2016, in Salina. He was born Sept. 12, 1928, in Roxbury, the fourth child of Charles and Margaret (Tolle) Lilly.

When he was 6 years old, he moved with his family to Mentor. Gerald worked for Johnson’s Elevators for forty-three years until his retirement in 1991. He was an active member of Mentor United Methodist Church for 75 years. In Sept. 2003, the church honored him for his longtime monetary and personal support. The minister acknowledged that Gerald had been a Sunday School attendee and offering taker “forever” and had been voluntarily mowing the church lot “since lawn mowers were invented.”

Gerald enjoyed sports all his life and played competitive fast pitch softball until his early 50s. During his retirement years, he filled his time attending sporting events for area high schools, as well as for Kansas State University, Brown Mackie and Kansas Wesleyan University. In 2011, as a tribute to his continuous attendance and commitment since 1948, KWU established the annual Gerald Lilly Award. He was the inaugural winner of the award. For years, the license plate on his car has read KSUKWU. He served his country in an Army artillery unit in Korea.

Gerald is survived by: sisters, Virginia Major, of Mentor, and Janice Miller, of Ankeny, Iowa; brothers, Keith (Bernice) and Kendall (Virginia), both of Mentor, and Dennis (Judy), of Salina; 19 nieces and nephews; and numerous grandnieces and grandnephews.

Preceded in death by: parents; brother-in-law, Bernie Major; grandniece, Mindy Reese; and nephew-in-law, Larry Seim.

Cremation was selected, and memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18, at Ryan Mortuary, Salina. Visitation will be from 2-3 p.m. with the service following.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Mentor United Methodist Church, 616 E. Mentor Rd., Mentor 67416, or Kansas Wesleyan University, 100 E. Claflin Ave., Salina 67401.

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Arlene May Wickersham Hoeffner, 83, of Salina, died Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016. She was born Nov. 14, 1932, in Salina to Arthur and Edith (Pierce) Hughes. She was a homemaker.

She is survived by: special friend, Elmo Dauber; sons, Steve Wickersham (Patty), of Clay Center, Jerry Wickersham (Diana), of Olathe, Jack Wickersham (Debbie), of Abilene, and Michael Wickersham (LuAnn), of Salina; daughter, Jayne Wilson (Mike), of Salina; 16 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; stepsons, R. Doug Hoeffner, of Salina, David Hoeffner, of Amarillo, Texas, Darrel Hoeffner, of Salina, Dennis Hoeffner, of Buford, Ga., and Daren Hoeffner, of Suwanee, Ga.; and stepdaughter, Laurie Mullen, of Solomon.

Arlene was preceded in death by her first husband, Harold T. Wickersham, in 1992; and her second husband, Richard Hoeffner, in 2009; and a brother, Arthur Hughes.

Visitation: noon-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, with Vigil service at 5 at Ryan Mortuary, Salina, with the family receiving friends from 4:30-6.

A Mass of Christian Burial: 10 a.m. on Thursday, November 17, at Sacred Heart Catholic Cathedral. Burial: Mount Calvary Cemetery, Salina.

Memorials: Sacred Heart Parish or Presbyterian Manor.

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HILLSBORO, Mo. — Edyth L. (Wasmar) Garcia, 83, formerly of Salina, Kan., passed away Nov. 4, 2016, in Hillsboro. Edyth was born Dec. 10, 1932, in Buffalo to Marian Stowe and Irvin Wasmar.

Edyth lived in Salina most of her adult life. She had a smile that could light up a room. She loved cooking, gardening, dancing, sewing, playing cards and especially spoiling her family. Her former places of employment include Wells Department Store, Phil Rose and Son Jewelers and Walmart.

Her survivors include: children, Gary Garcia (Denise), of Derby, Kan., Diane Rumbley (Bob), of Hillsboro, Lynn Sumners (Eddie), of Salina, and Billie Joe Williams, of Hutchinson; grandchildren, Melanie and Jeremy Garcia, Alicia Hawkins and Cody Hawkins (Ashley); and great-grandchildren, Addison and Ethan Hawkins.

She was preceded in death by her parents; and siblings, Charlie, Raymond, Elsie, Etta Mae and Edna. Edyth’s beloved husband John died in 2012, after 63 years of marriage.

Visitation will be from 4–8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, at Ryan Mortuary, Salina, with a rosary at 7:30.

Memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Salina, with Fr. Keith Weber officiating. Inurnment will follow at All Saints Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sisters of St. Joseph, in care of Ryan Mortuary, 137 N. Eighth St., Salina KS 67401.

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Kimberly Ann Peterson, 45, of Salina, died Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016. She was born in Salina on July 18, 1971, to Edward and Ann (Sheppard) Jilka. She was a Business Administrator for Comcare, Salina.

She is survived by: husband, Rod Peterson; children, Symphony Peterson, Nicholas Peterson (Katelyn), of Ionia, Mich., and Hannah Peterson, of Salina; many children that have touched their lives; grandchildren, Noah, Emma and Logan Peterson; her mother and father, Ed and Ann Jilka, of Salina; brother, Bryan Jilka (Carol), of Elk Grove, Calif., and their children, Riley and Chase; her paternal grandfather, Harold Sheppard, of Augusta, Ga.; an aunt and uncle, Kay and Wayne Sexton, of Lusby, Md., and their children, Bradley and Amanda; and uncle, Gerold Jilka, of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Kim is preceded in death by: paternal grandparents, Celeste and Edward Jilka; and her maternal grandmother, Johna Sheppard.

Friends may call from noon-8 p.m. today, Nov. 15, at Ryan Mortuary, where the family will receive friends from 5-7.

Funeral will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 1st Covenant Church, Salina. Burial will be in Gypsum Hill Cemetery, Salina.

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MINNEAPOLIS — Christopher M. Hohner, 44, passed away Nov. 4, 2016. He was born Oct. 21, 1972, to Kelvin and Cheryl (Luckert) Hohner in Goodland. Christopher loved to hunt, fish and be outdoors.

Survivors include: children, Tyler and Miranda Hohner, of Minneapolis, Brice DeWitt and fiancée Sarah, of Salina, and Devin Hohner, of Minneapolis; sister, Kelsey Senn, of Miltonvale; niece, Abigail Seen; and many other aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Emil and Doris Hohner and William and Iona Luckert.

Christopher’s wishes were to be cremated and there will no services at this time.

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Kenneth E. “Kenny” Fager, 85, passed away Monday, November 14th, in Abilene. He was born August 12, 1931 in the Elmo community, the son of John and Lena A. (Doyle) Fager. Growing up in the area, Kenny attended local schools. He was a Marine veteran having served in Korea. On June 4, 1954, Kenny married Thyra M. Betts in Abilene. All of their married life was spent in the Abilene area. Kenny owned and operated the Fager Repair Shop specializing in diesel repair. Thyra preceded him in death June 7, 2015. He enjoyed his work, restoring John Deere equipment, children and animals. Kenny was also preceded in death by; his parents; a sister, Helen Bickford and three brothers, Lawrence, Harold and Maynard Fager.
He is survived by: two sisters, Evelyn Woods of Carlton and Leona Bradford of Tecumseh; nieces and nephews.
Graveside services will be held 1:30 PM Thursday, November 17th, at the Abilene Cemetery with Fr. Jerry Rankin officiating. The family suggests memorial contributions in his name be made to the Elsie Brooks Cancer Fund. They may be left at or sent in care of the Danner Funeral Home POB 758 Abilene, Kansas 67410.

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David Michael Hazelwood, age 66, entered into rest on November 14, 2016, at Via Christ-St. Francis, in Wichita, Kansas.  He was born September 21, 1950 in Salina, Kansas to Henry U. and Shirley M. (Marott) Hazelwood.