Obituaries
Updated 5/7/08
NOTE: Obituaries published in the Holton Recorder will
be placed
on this page and kept here for observation until
roughly
10 days after the date of death, or longer in some cases
where 10 days
does not provide adequate notice. "Paid ad" obituaries
will be edited for
Recorder/Associated Press free obituary style and content
(i.e. limiting
survivors to relatives by blood or
marriage) prior to website placement.
If you wish to submit an obituary for publication, please
contact the
mortuary handling funeral arrangements to send obituary
information
Bontrager
Gerald "Jerry" Bontrager, 71, Holton, died May 7, 2008,
at his home. He was born Nov. 26, 1936, in Wetmore, the
son of Donald and Helen Meers Bontrager. He was a 1955
graduate of Holton High School. Mr. Bontrager lived in
Wichita from 1976 to 2000 and was a marketing manager for
Derby Refinery in Wichita. He relocated to Holton in
2000. He married Karen S. Pollock on Oct. 20, 1957, in
Holton. She survives. Other survivors include a daughter,
Jerri Truman and husband Wayne, Valley Center; a son,
Craig Bontrager, Wichita; two sisters, Ruth Craig and
Doris Bontrager, both of Holton; two brothers, Calvin
Bontrager, in Oklahoma, and Harold Bontrager, Sedona,
Ariz.; and six grandchildren. Funeral services will be
held at 10 a.m. May 10 at Mercer Funeral Home in Holton.
Burial will be in Olive Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be
held from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. May 9 at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to HCH Home Health,
sent in care of Mercer Funeral Home, P.O. Box 270,
Holton, KS 66436. Online condolences may be sent to
www.mercerfuneralhomes.com
Fitch
Scott E. Fitch, 38, Augusta, died May 3, 2008. Mr. Fitch
was a self-employed mechanic and transmission specialist.
Survivors include his parents, Bill and Mary Doyle Fitch,
Towanda; two brothers, Steve Fitch and wife Amy, Andale,
and Brad Fitch, Andover; his grandparents, Joe and Mary
Doyle, Holton; and a niece, Maddison Fitch. Funeral
services were held May 7 at Dunsford-Zeiner Funeral Home
in Augusta, with Pastor Larry Snodgrass officiating.
Interment followed in Kuster Cemetery, Augusta. Memorial
contributions may be made to Kansas Wildlife Fish and
Game, sent in care of Dunsford-Zeiner Funeral Home, 201
E. Fifth St., Augusta, KS 67010.
5/5/08
Royer
Milton Lee, Royer, 84, Valley Falls, died April 30, 2008,
at a Winchester care center. He was born Nov. 4, 1923, in
the Coal Creek community north of Valley Falls, the son
of Clark and Orpha Dickey Royer. He attended Valley Falls
High School. Mr. Royer served in the U.S. Army Air Corp
in North Africa during World War II. He was a
construction laborer and also farmed north of Valley
Falls. He was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, a
life member of Grahem-Herbers Post 3084, Veterans of
Foreign Wars, and a member of Laborer's Union Local 142
in Topeka. He married Joyce Frederick Simonsen on June 3,
1971, in Miami, Okla. She survives. Other survivors
include a daughter, Barb Raine, Auburn; three
stepdaughters, Garlinda Walls, Hattiesburg, Miss., Gloria
Blankinship, Oklahoma City, Okla., and Gail Ross, Holton;
a brother, Donald Royer, Carbondale; eight grandchildren;
14 great-grandchil-dren; and a great-great-granddaughter.
He was preceded in death by three brothers, Claude Royer,
Kenneth Royer and Harold Royer. Funeral services were
held May 3 at Mercer Funeral Home in Valley Falls. Burial
was in Valley Falls Cemetery with military honors
conducted by Grahem-Herbers VFW Post 3084. Memorial
contributions may be made to Grahem-Herbers VFW Post 3084
or Jefferson County Hospice, sent in care of Mercer
Funeral Home, 810 Broadway, Valley Falls, KS 66088.
Online condolences may be sent to
www.mercerfuneralhomes.com
Sanders
Agatha M. Sanders, 85, Havensville, formerly of
Centralia, died May 2, 2008, at her daughter's home. She
was born June 3, 1922, at St. Bridget, the daughter of
Bernard and Wilamena Hunninghake Sunnenberg. She
graduated from Centralia High School in 1941. Mrs.
Sanders was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church at
Lillis and a former member of St. Patrick's Catholic
Church at Coal Creek and the Altar Society at the church.
She married Joseph E. Sanders on Aug. 7, 1946 at
Baileyville. He survives. Other survivors include a son,
Joe Bernard Sanders, Centralia; four daughters, Patricia
Kolterman and husband Donald, Onaga, Nancy Flowers and
husband Sam and Jena Lotridge and husband Eddie, all of
Havensville, and Nelda Dulac and husband Greg, Goddard; a
daughter-in-law, Sharon Sanders, Topeka; a sister, Mary
Keegan and husband Glen, Axtell; many nieces and nephews,
including a special nephew, Jim Sunnenberg, St. George;
21 grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren. She was
preceded in death by a son, Kenneth Sanders; seven
brothers, Clem, Ben, Harry, Tony, Ted, Herman and Frank
Sunnenberg; and five sisters, Anna Gockel, Josephine
VanWinklin, Cecilia Baker, Emerentina Becker and Adelaide
Mitten. Mass of Christian burial was held May 5 at St.
Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Onaga. Burial followed
in St. Patrick's Cemetery in the Coal Creek Community.
Memorial contributions may be made to Midland Hospice in
Topeka or Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca,
sent in care of Tessendorf-Chapel Oaks Funeral Home, P.O.
Box 300, Onaga, KS 66521. Online condolences may be sent
to chapeloaksfuneralhome.com
Zachariasen
Imogene Fern Zachariasen, 69, Meriden, died April 30,
2008, at her home after a battle with cancer. She was
born Nov. 30, 1938, in Topeka, the daughter of Herman H.
and Nellie E. Tobler Stolle. Mrs. Zachariasen worked as a
secretary for the Youth Center at Topeka and for USD 337.
She was a member of Meriden United Methodist Church. She
married Delbert Zachariasen on Sept. 9, 1956, in Hoyt. He
survives. Other survivors include two sons, Deon
Zachariasen and wife Mary and Keith Zachariasen and wife
Tammy, all of Topeka; three daughters, Royce Schafer,
Blue Ridge, Texas, Joy Powell, Hiawatha, and Nancy Hug,
Mayetta; a brother, Walter Stolle, Silver Lake; two
sisters, Phyllis Schuette, Blaine, and Mildred Plants,
Gainesville, Ga.; and nine grandchildren. Funeral
services were held May 3 at Penwell-Gabel Parker-Price
Chapel, 245 NW Independence, Topeka. Interment was in
Meriden Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to
Heart of America Hospice, 3715 S.W. 29th St., Suite 100,
Topeka, KS 66614; or Northeaset Kansas Parkinson's
Association, 1631 S.E. 37th Terr., Topeka, KS 66609-1501.
Online condolences may be sent to
www.PenwellGabel.com
4/30/08
Ashton-Tindall
Morgan Rene Ashton-Tindall, 16, Topeka, formerly of
Holton, died April 28, 2008, at her home after a battle
with cancer. She was born in Topeka and attended Holton
elementary and middle schools and Topeka High School.
Survivors include her mother and stepfather, Betty E. and
Anthony J. Buckland; her father, Karl T. Tindall; six
brothers: Sean Ashton-Tindall and wife Danielle, Joel
Ashton-Tindall, Quinn Carley, Anthony J. Buckland II,
Andrew Buckland and Cody Myers-Tindall; and three
sisters, Kiamoni Myers-Tindall, Ann M. Buckland and
Allison K. Buckland. Funeral services will be held at 1
p.m. May 1 at First Christian Church, 1880 Gage Blvd.,
Topeka. Family will greet friends at the church one hour
prior to the service. The family requests no black
clothing be worn to the funeral and that all flowers be
sent to the church. Memorial contributions may be made to
Children's Mercy Hospital/Children's Cancer Unit. Online
condolences may be sent to www.NewcomerFamily.com
Murphy
Brian Gene Murphy, 49, Holton, died April 28, 2008, at
his home. He was born Nov. 2, 1958, in Abilene, the son
of Delbert and Lena Rowe Murphy. He lived in the Holton
community for 13 years and previously lived in Topeka.
Mr. Murphy retired from the U.S. Army National Guard,
714th Maintenance Co. after serving for 22 years. He
worked as a heavy duty floor technician and was last
employed at Harrah's Casino (later Prairie Band Casino)
for five years. He attended Lakeview Faith Chapel south
of Holton. He married Lisa Borders in 1985. They
divorced. He married Larice R. Dean Bennett on Jan. 12,
2001 in Holton. She survives. Other survivors include a
daughter, Pamela Murphy, Topeka; three sons, Sean Murphy,
Gardner, Jeremy Murphy, Holton, and Colyn Murphy, of the
home; two sisters, Judy Lincoln, Englewood, Fla., and
Joyce Marts, Topeka; three brothers, Lawrence "Butch"
Murphy, Geneseo, and Dale Murphy and Allen Murphy, both
of Topeka; and four grandchildren. He was preceded in
death by his parents and a brother, Darryl Murphy.
Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. May 2 at
Mercer Funeral Home in Holton. Burial will be in Olive
Hill Cemetery. Family will greet friends from 6 p.m. to 7
p.m. May 1 at the funeral home. Memorial contributions
may be made to the Colyn Murphy Education Fund, sent in
care of Mercer Funeral Home, P.O. Box 270, Holton, KS
66436. Online condolences may be sent to
www.mercerfuneralhomes.com
