Ron A. Radke

Bryant Funeral Home and Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home

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Ron A. Radke
(March 28, 1945 - June 7, 2011)

Ron A. Radke, 66, died June 7, 2011 at Cherry Village Nursing Home, Great Bend, Kansas. He was born March 28, 1945 at Great Bend, the son of LaVerne F. and Beatrice C. (Hull) Radke. He married Jeanie Becker September 11, 1965 at McPherson, Kansas. A lifetime Great Bend resident, Mr. Radke was owner and operator of Discount Trading. He was a veteran of the United States Navy.

Mr. Radke was a member of First United Methodist Church, NRA, NBRSA, IHMSA, NRCA, and Sunflower Rod and Custom Association. He was a car builder, gunsmith, and certified golf club maker.

Survivors include his wife, Jeanie Radke, of the home; one daughter, Lori Bieberle and husband Greg, Phoenix, Arizona; one sister, Sharon Kubitscheck and husband Larry, Great Bend; and one granddaughter, Ashley Bieberle.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, June 11, 2011 at Bryant Funeral Home. The Reverend Tom Sheldon will officiate. Burial will be in Great Bend Cemetery. Friends may call from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., with the family receiving friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Friday, June 10, 2011 at Bryant Funeral Home. Memorials are requested to Hospice Care of Kansas, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.

Fern Leona Boyce

Beckwith Services & Monuments

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Fern Leona Boyce
(November 14, 1921 - April 24, 2011)

Jetmore - Fern Leona Cowles Boyce, 89, died April 24, 2011 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. She was born on a farm in Ness County, Kansas on November 14, 1921 to Lydia and Walter Cowles. She attended grade school and 3 years of high school in Ness County. The family moved to Hodgeman County where Fern completed her senior year and graduated from Jetmore High School. Everything changed as World War II began. Fern’s sweetheart, Glen Boyce, was drafted and left for service in the United States Army. Fern decided that was what she wanted to do and as soon as she turned 21 (the required age at that time) enlisted in the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corp. She completed basic training and Motor Transportation School at Ft. DeMoines, Iowa. After school she was transferred to Ft. Adams, Rhode Island located about a mile from Newport, RI. There she drove an ambulance, mail truck and staff car for several officers. This job took her all over the area and as far as Boston, Massachusetts. After about 6 months, the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corp was changed to the Women’s Army Corp and staying in required re-enlistment. Fern re-enlisted and served as a Chaplin’s assistant at Ft. Wright, New York doing office work and helping with Sunday services. She applied for a discharge in 1945 to come home to help her father care for her mother who was very ill. Glen was discharged in October, 1945. Fern and Glen Boyce were married on November 23, 1945 in Larned, KS. That marriage was blessed with two daughters. Glen and Fern farmed in Hodgeman County. Fern was a hard working farmer’s wife and mother. She always had a garden and chickens to help put food on the table. She was a very talented seamstress. Although it wasn’t her favorite thing to do, she was a great cook. Fern was a 4-H sewing leader for many years and choir director at the First Baptist Church in Jetmore. She worked part-time during tax season in Jack Dalton’s office while the kids were still in school. Years later, Glen and Fern drove a school bus for 8 years and Fern worked in the business office of Hodgeman County Health Center for 11 years, retiring in 1987. Upon retiring from farming, Glen & Fern resided in Jetmore where she was a member of the Jetmore Senior Center, until the early 2000’s. Fern has resided in assisted care for the past several years. Fern is preceded in death by her mother and father, one brother, Kenneth Cowles, and one sister Ruby Delaney, her husband Glen and her daughter Sandie. She is survived by one daughter, Pat Ardern of Stillwater, OK, 4 grandchildren, Craig Gustin, Christina Humes, Shannon Layman and Jeff Layman and three great grandchildren, Cooper Humes, Andie Humes and Marcus Layman.

Funeral will be at 2:00 p.m. Saturday at the United Methodist Church, Jetmore, with Pastor Dennis Fulton presiding. Visitation will be from 9a.m. to 8p.m. Thursday and Friday at Beckwith Funeral Home, Jetmore. Burial will be in the Fairmount Cemetery, Jetmore.

Memorials may be sent to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in care of the funeral home.

James E. "Pappy" Bell

Bryant Funeral Home and Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home

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James E. "Pappy" Bell
(May 18, 1928 - April 10, 2011)

James E. “Pappy” Bell, 82, died April 10, 2011 at his home surrounded by his loving family in Great Bend, Kansas. He was born May 18, 1928 at Peabody, Kansas, the son of Jesse M. and Anna (Swift) Bell. He married Grace Ann Smith June 15, 1952 at Great Bend. A Great Bend resident for sixty years, coming from Eastern Kansas, he worked for Petro-log and Tomlinson Oil Company until his retirement in 1989. He was a United States Army veteran of the Korean Conflict.

Mr. Bell was a member of King United Methodist Church, Great Bend. He was a loving husband, father, and brother, and could always be found in his garage working on cars, and was an accomplished auto mechanic. He always enjoyed racing and watching his grandkids in football, wrestling, and motorcycle racing.

Survivors include his wife, Grace Ann Bell, of the home; one son, Jimmy Bell and wife Elysia, Hoisington, Kansas; four daughters: Karen Birzer and husband David, Cody, Wyoming; Janis West and husband Marty, Wichita, Kansas; Rhonda Spencer and husband Kevin, Gering, Nebraska; and Jamie Boor and Raymond Horton, Hoisington; two sisters: Naydene Hefner and husband Ray, Austin, Texas; and Betty Lewis, Kerrville, Texas; twelve grandchildren; fourteen great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by one daughter, Lisa Jo Bell; three brothers, Howard Bell, David Bell, and Raymond Bell; and one sister, Grace Bell Petre.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, April 14, 2011 at Bryant Funeral Home with the Reverend John Grummon and Pastor Scott Tempero officiating. Burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park. Friends may call from 1:00 to 9:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 13, 2011 with the family receiving friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Memorials are requested to Golden Belt Home Health and Hospice, in care of the funeral home.

Rock Wayne Becker

Bryant Funeral Home and Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home

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Rock Wayne Becker
(September 14, 1960 - February 26, 2011)

Rock Wayne Becker, 50, died Saturday, February 26, 2011 as a result of an automobile accident. He was born September 14, 1960 the son of Wayne and Karen (Brenner) Becker. He married Ivy Buhrle December 31, 2006 at Great Bend, Kansas. A lifetime Great Bend resident, he was president of WHB, Inc., and a director and part owner of Becker Tire. He founded Vine Foundation and Proclaim Jesus King Ministries.

Mr. Becker was an active elder and member of Faith Community Church. He was a certified judge of Kansas City Barbeque Society and founded Golden Belt Regional Food Program, an affiliation of Angel Food Ministries and was active in broadcasting a radio program to Africa and the Middle East with World Harvest Radio.

Survivors include his wife, Ivy Becker, of the home; three sons: Heath Duntz and wife Wanita, St. John, Kansas; Jered Becker, Wichita, Kansas; and Malaki Becker, of the home; two daughters: Vienna Becker and Adelia Becker, both of the home; two sisters: Tammy A. Hayden and husband Randy, Great Bend; and Teri K. Stephenson and husband Todd, Hutchinson, Kansas; one brother, Ricky D. Becker and wife Johnita, Hutchinson; and three grandchildren.

Funeral service will be at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, March 3, 2011 at First United Methodist Church. Pastor Sandy Kennedy will officiate. Burial will be in Great Bend Cemetery. Friends may call from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 2, 2011 with the family receiving friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., all at Bryant Funeral Home. Memorials are requested to Barton County 4-H or American Bible Society, in care of the funeral home.

Connie Virginia Keller 1934-2011

PAWNEE ROCK - Connie Virginia Keller, 76, died Jan. 18 at Promise Regional Medical Center, Hutchinson.

She was born August 22, 1934 in El Paso, Texas, the daughter of Carlos and Maria Ruth Padron Baca. A resident of Pawnee Rock, formerly of Larned, she managed Bunny Lane Salvage south of Larned, for several years.

She was of the Christian faith.

On March 17, 1975, she married Melvin J. Keller at Larned. He survives.

Other survivors include: two sons, William Padron, Larned, Will Keller, Timken; two daughters, Virginia Vestal, Leoti, Lurene Keller, Hutchinson; two brothers, Carlos Baca Jr., Phoenix, Ariz. and Jesus Baca, of California; two sisters, Jessie Lascurain, Yuba City, Calif., Josie Burg, Bellflower, Calif.; 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

Memorial Service will be at 11 a.m. Jan. 26 at Morell Funeral Home, Larned, with Pastor Johnny Augmon presiding.

Memorial may be sent to Alzheimer's Association in care of Morell Funeral, Home, P.O. Box 124, Larned, KS 67550-0124.

Personal condolences may be left at www.morellfuneralhome.com.

Funeral arrangements provided by
Morell Funeral Home
P.O. Box 124
Larned, KS 67550-0124
620-285-2177
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Jan. 23, 2011

2010 Necrology

Jean (Morelli) Alexander
23 Aug 1929-14 Jan 2010

Paul Matthew Schweitzer
12 Nov 1920-23 Jan 2010

Frances R. (Allen) Plaster
6 Oct 1922-31 Jan 2010

Jon Ramon Keller
18 Aug 1938-10 Feb 2010

Martha Kate (Robinson) Abram
21 Apr 1929-13 Feb 2010

Marilyn Jo (Querry) Becker
12 Apr 1948-24 Feb 2010

Krystal Lynn Arnold
10 Apr 1984-14 Mar 2010

Lesley Everett Reed
26 Sep 1944-14 Mar 2010

Lois Maxine (Roberts) Reed
19 Sep 1924-16 Mar 2010

Margaret Ruth (Hixon) Bivens
22 Jun 1934-30 Mar 2010

Bobby Haynes Roberts
22 Feb 1928-14 May 2010

Virginia (Price) Brown
16 Jun 1924-21 May 2010

Cecil Eugene Smith
5 Jul 1925-24 May 2010

Donna Mae (Rowley) Wegele
1 May 1943-5 Jul 2010

Gail Keller Hixon
24 Feb 1927-12 Aug 2010

Robert Collins Truax
3 Sep 1917-17 Sep 2010

Dewey Dean Haddon
20 Jul 1938-20 Sep 2010

Shirley June (Truax) Hoyer
21 Feb 1934-29 Oct 2010

Mary Carolyn (Weldon) Gasaway
7 Jun 1918-30 Oct 2010

Gary Edward Swanson
13 Sep 1956-1 Nov 2010

Gregory Lewis Barber
15 Aug 1959-22 Nov 2010

Steven Ray Roberts
23 Feb 1945-14 Dec 2010

Ruby Marie (Baker) Shumaker
10 Jun 1919-21 Dec 2010

Gone, But Not Forgotten