Deaths (Week of Dec. 24, 2008)

Jack Beaston

Jack V. Beaston, 79, a butcher and grocer, died Dec. 17, at his home in Marion.

A memorial service was Saturday, Dec. 20 at Valley United Methodist Church, with pastor Phil Smith officiating. A private family inurnment has taken place in the Marion Cemetery.

He was born April 6, 1929, to Jay and Esther (Herbel) Beaston. On Oct. 1, 1950, he was married to LaVerna ?Vernie? Knight, who survives.

Other survivors are a daughter Marty and her husband Chuck Heigert of Alma; son Brook of Jackson, Tenn.; and three grandchildren.

A memorial has been established for Unified School District 408, Marion/Florence School.

Harry Koslowsky

Harry Koslowsky, 77, a retired Kansas Department of Transportation employee, died Dec. 16 at his residence in Marion.

A memorial service is at 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 20 at Marion Christian Church with pastor Carl Helm officiating.

A private family inurnment was held at the Marion Cemetery.

He was born April 4, 1931, to Henry and Elma (Seibel) Koslowsky in Peabody. On June 17, 1955, he was married to Theodora Longhofer, who survives.

Survivors are sons Jim and wife Marlene of Fayetteville, Ga., and John and wife Susan of Towanda; daughter Jeanne Brooks of Orlando, Fla.; four brothers and sisters, Bonnie and husband Howard Kerns of Reading, Penn., Shirley Bartel of Albuquerque, N.M., and Sharon and husband Jerry Melson of Santa Maria, Calif.; and one brother Martin and wife Sonja Koslowsky of Peabody, along with aunts, an uncle, cousins, nieces and nephews.

A memorial fund has been established for the church. Zeiner Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Ruth Ratzlaff

Ruth Ratzlaff, 91, a homemaker, died Sunday, Dec. 21. at Newton Medical Center.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26, at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church in Goessel with pastors Linda Ewert and Joel Schroeder officiating.

Burial will be at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Cemetery. Visitation is from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Dec. 26, at Miller Funeral Home in Goessel.

She was born Oct. 21, 1917, to John and Sara (Schroder) Janzen in Goessel. Her first husband, Ernest Pankratz, died in 1945, and Jacob Ratzlaff predeceased her in 1976.

Survivors include son Ernest Pankratz Jr. of Peabody; daughters Lois and Lloyd Musser of Newton, Diane and Kerwin Voth of rural Newton and June and Don Hiebert of Goessel; daughter-in-law Lou Ratzlaff of Midlothian, Texas; 15 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren.

A memorial fund has been established for Alexanderwohl Church Children?s Ministries.

Rachel Reimer

Rachel Reimer, 97, a homemaker and Salem Hospital and Home employee, died Sunday, Dec. 21, at Bethesda Home in Goessel.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 27, at the Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church in Goessel. Burial will be at the Alexanderwohl Cemetery. Visitation is from 10 a.m. until service time.

She was born to Frank and Anna Banman in Canton. On Sept. 8, 1934, she was married to Karl C. Reimer, who predeceased her.

Survivors include three daughters, Darlene and husband Arlo Schmidt of rural Newton; Ruth Warkentin of Santa Barbara, Calif., and Velma Schuessler of Sedgwick; seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to Bethesda Home or Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice in care of Miller Funeral Home, Goessel.

Ray Richmond

Ray D. Richmond, 71, a farmer and former parts dispatcher for Boeing, died Dec. 18 at McPherson Care Center in McPherson.

A memorial service was held at 1 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22, at Zeiner Funeral Home in Marion, with pastor Beth Ann Black presiding. Inurnment with military honors was in the Marion Cemetery.

Visitation was after the service at the Aulne United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall in Aulne.

He was born July 6, 1937, to Glen E. and Etta (Druse) Richmond. On May 30, 1981, he was married to Jimmie M. Prince, who predeceased him in 2002.

He is survived by his siblings, Roger and Betty Richmond of Marion, Bonnie and Jerry Stage of Olathe and Judy Grentz of McPherson; and many nieces and nephews.

Memorial funds have been established with McPherson Care Center or St. Luke Foundation in care of the funeral home.

Alice Schroeder

Alice Martha Schroeder, 95, a homemaker, died Dec. 18 at Memorial Home in Moundridge.

Services were at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Canton. Interment was in the church cemetery.

She was born Aug. 25, 1913, to Dora (Vanderlaan) and Richard Jahn in rural Canton. On April 6, 1933, she was married to Edwin G. Schroeder, who predeceased her.

Survivors include three daughters, Janice Brightwell of Dallas, Texas, Virginia Miller and husband Ralph of Highland Village, Texas, and Norma Barnes and husband, Clifford of Hutchinson; three grandchildren; one step-grandson; six great-grandchildren and many step great-grandchildren.

A memorial has been established with the church or The Lutheran Hour in care of Olson?s Mortuary, 139 N. Main, Canton, KS 67428

Walter Wiens

Walter D. Wiens, 82, a farmer, died Dec. 20 at Mercy Hospital in Moundridge.

Services were at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23, at Inman Mennonite Church in Inman with pastor Eric Buller officiating. Burial was in North Inman Cemetery in Inman.

Visitation was from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 22, at Buhler Mortuary in Buhler.

He was born on July 2, 1926, in McPherson County to Katie (Heidebrecht) and Daniel Wiens. On Sept. 3, 1947, he was married to Kathryn Friesen, who predeceased him.

Survivors are two sons, Gail and wife Lois of Inman and Randall and wife Lindy of Hillsboro; two daughters, Carrie Moser and husband Keith of Libertyville, Ill. and Connie Luty and husband Scott of Wichita; one brother, John and wife Darlene of Topeka; one sister, Florence Wiens of Hesston and nine grandchildren.

Memorials may be sent to either MCC or Habitat for Humanity in care of Buhler Mortuary, 120 N. Main, Buhler, KS 67522.

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