PEABODY Gazette-Bulletin

Historian finds long children near Peabody

It was an emotional family history and a deep magnetic pull that drew Brian Stucky of Goessel into the search for 17 children, whose gravesites were lost 138 years ago and found by him recently near Peabody. “I vividly remember my grandmother telling us her story, with tears in her eyes, how Freni, her baby sister, died and she did not know where she was buried,” Stucky said. “She spent many years looking for her, as did the relatives of the other children. One day I figured I could help and that is why I became involved.”

Roller skating postponed at Florence

Roller skating at the Florence gymnasium has been postponed until June, Mayor Mary Shipman said. Spring Fling was scheduled for April 28 and the annual alumni banquet was scheduled for May 26, with both events taking place in the gym on a previous roller skating night. Shipman said those events took precedence over roller skating. Former Florence Recreation Director Holly Periello said she tried to convince Florence City Council to have roller skating and the other event simultaneously. She said the organizations that scheduled other events did not consult with her.

Peabody-Burns route approved for resurfacing

Marion County Commission approved a bid from APAC-Kansas, Inc., Shears Division Friday for four road projects scheduled to begin May 15. The bid from APAC totals to $3,172,260. The largest project is 330th Road, from Meridian to K-15, which accounts for $1,009,836 of the total.

Train hits truck near Sunflower Road

A train collided with an empty vehicle on tracks south of U.S. 50 near Sunflower Road on March 27. Austin Jost, 19, of rural Marion, was stuck on the track after trying to turn around a 2003 Dodge pickup truck just before 1 a.m.

Citywide garage sale May 5

The city of Peabody and its trash collection contractor, Waste Management, have selected the second week in May as spring cleanup week. “We usually try to schedule the citywide garage sale the weekend before cleanup week,” Deputy City Clerk Stephanie Ax said. “That way, individuals with left-over merchandise they don’t want to deal with again can just box it up and set it at the curb.”

Farmers market to start in Burns

Burns will join the list of Marion County communities with a farmers market this year. Organizer Cindy Ward began asking around last year whether Burns residents had an interest in having a farmers market in town, as she sought advice from Scott Zogelman at the Florence Farmers Market. The response was positive, so the Burns Farmers Market will begin May 4.

Youth hunts turkey

Memories of last year’s turkey hunt propel Keenan Stultz, rural Hillsboro, out into the tree row this year. Even though the-14-year-old got what might be considered by some to be a record bird last year, when he hears the big tom’s gobbling in the fields nearby at dusk, he can hardly wait to try his hand at hunting one again this year. The spring turkey season runs from April 11 to May 31, according to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. However, archery hunters, youth 16 years or younger, and those with disability permits got a jump-start, opening April 1 through 10.

Lincolnville mechanic builds reputation

Kevin Tidwell, formerly of Hillsboro and now living in rural Lincolnville, is the head mechanic at Shields Auto Service and Supply in Lincolnville. Tidwell began working there in September, doing small jobs. He now mainly does engine and transmission jobs.

Computers key to Williams in Marion

Starting in about 1998, major car manufacturers made the switch to heavily computerizing engine tuning, and Stan Williams of Marion believes it was a change for the better. Fine-tuning an engine using a computer can take a lot of time and a lot of work, but it is much more customizable than in the past.

Race experience enhances Serene's engine skills

Bruce Serene started racing cars when he was 13-years-old in Herington. That interest developed over the years into a successful business of rebuilding engines, and he depends on skills learned on the job to stay on top of the workload at his Hillsboro shop. “To be good at racing you have to be a great multi-tasker,” Serene said. “Racers make split second decisions and they have to be good ones, or it’s over.”

Marcel Wenceslaus Benda

Marcel Wenceslaus Benda, 79, of Pilsen died March 28, at St. Luke Hospital in Marion. He was born Oct. 5, 1932, near Pilsen to William J. and Lillian Bina Benda. He attended Pilsen Grade School and graduated from Lincolnville High School. He was a farmer and stockman and lived in the Pilsen community most of his life.

Robert Bob Cordts

Robert “Bob” Cordts, 82, of Hillsboro died March 28, 2012, at Parkside Homes in Hillsboro. He was born March 21, 1930, in Chicago, Ill., to William and Thelma (Weaver) Cordts. He was a bookkeeper.

Geraldine Frick

Geraldine Frick, 93, of Durham died April 1, 2012, in Enterprise. She was born Jan. 31, 1919, in Durham to Henry and Mattie Grant (Garrett) Christiansen. She was a homemaker. She married Melvin Frick on May 25, 1940, in Durham. He preceded her in death in 1996.

Boyd Victor Higgins Jr.

Boyd Victor Higgins Jr. was born on a farm in Marion County, Kan., on Dec. 20, 1925, the son of Boyd Sr. and Hazel Jones Higgins. He was a graduate of Marion (Kan.) High School and Kansas State Teachers College at Emporia, Kan., he went on to serve in the U.S. Marine Corp from 1944 to 1946 with the 3rd Marine Division in the Pacific Theater including Iwo Jima and China.

Don D. Klein

Don D. Klein, 67, of Tampa, died March 27, 2012, in rural Tampa. He was born April 10, 1944, in Hillsboro to Leonard Francis and Elma (Hamm) Klein. He was a farmer. He married Sharon Pschigoda on May 8, 1965, in Durham. She survives of the home.

Judy E. Schroeder

Judy E. Schroeder, 73, of Hillsboro died April 1, 2012, in Marion. She was born Sept. 4, 1938, in Goessel to Jake and Bertha (Epp) Ratzlaff. She was a nurse at Salem Hospital.

William E. Ubben Jr.

William E. Ubben Jr., 76, died March 28, 2012, at St. Luke Hospital in Marion. He had been a Lincolnville resident the past 20 years. He was born Nov. 27, 1935, at Marion to William C. and Mable Brown Ubben. He was a 1954 graduate of Marion High School, served in the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s, and was a member of the American Legion.

Judith Ann Wiens

Judith Ann Wiens, 79, of Wichita died March 22, 2012, at Lakepoint in Wichita. She was born Feb. 24, 1933, in Corn, Okla., to H.R. and Barbara (Kleinsasser) Wiens. She was an aide in pediatrics.

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County to cancel trash fees appeals

“We don’t care if you’re generating trash or not,” Deputy County Clerk Tina Spencer said Friday. “You’re paying for the transfer station like you’re paying for roads.” Spencer was summarizing the requests of Environmental Health Director Tonya Richards and Transfer Station director Rollin Schmidt written into a draft of the county’s solid waste resolution presented to the Marion County Commission. The draft, as written would eliminate the appeals process that allows seasonal residents and residents who otherwise do not generate trash to avoid the transfer station fee.

Colonoscopy song, verse three

On Saturday night as I watched the Kansas Jayhawks come back onto the court after halftime of their Final Four contest with Ohio State, I caught a commercial by Ozzy Osborne for a colonoscopy sweepstakes. Now there is a message to make one sit up and take notice! The contest included a free flight to New York City, lodging and a tour of famous NYC spots, plus the highlight — a free medical procedure at New York Presbyterian Hospital to diagnose what might be in your very own colon. I thought, “Oh my,” watched the Jayhawks win over Ohio State, and the next morning wondered if I dreamed the whole thing.

Enjoying the countryside

Sunday evening I decided to try something I hadn’t done in years, probably not since cross-country season my senior year of high school. I went for a walk out in the country. I started my house and walked the back roads out to Marion County Park and Lake, and back home again. As near as I could figure, it was a walk of about five miles.

BALANCING ACT:

DAYS OF YORE:

HOPE IN THE HEARTLAND:

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:

Commodities available April 12

USDA food commodities will be available at Marion County senior centers on April 12. Each senior center will distribute goods according to the center’s own schedule.

Easter hymn sing is Sunday at Ebenfeld

A special Easter community hymn sing will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday at Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren Church, 1498 Kanza Road, rural Hillsboro. The service will include singing, prayer, and scripture reading. Those attending will have the opportunity to select favorite hymns to sing. The theme will be “The Four Empty Things of Easter.” Steve Vincent will be the leader. Choral music will be provided by Parkside Voices.

Florence film to be featured

The documentary “Florence, Kansas” by filmmaker Steve Lerner will make it to the big screen April 13 and 14 as a featured film in the 2012 Kansas City Film Fest. “Not very often does a little small town get notoriety unless it’s in a bad light, and it’s nice that this is in a good light,” Florence Historical Society President Judy Mills said. “I’m excited it will put Florence in another venue for people to see our town.”

Wild horse tour is June 9

The Bureau of Land Management will have an all-day public tour of two wild horse long-term holding pastures June 9 at El Dorado. The free tour will give the public an opportunity to observe wild horses roaming in a pastoral setting across thousands of acres from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Florence gets garden grant

The Fred Harvey Community Garden in Florence got good news recently to start its second year. The garden received a grant from the Kansas Health Foundation through Kansas State University of $4,104 to put in a garden shed, arbor, benches, raised beds, compost bins, rain barrel, and to purchase hoses, organizer Phoebe Janzen announced Thursday.

Conservation applications due

Friday is the application deadline for farmers wanting to participate in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general sign-up 43 sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. CRP is a voluntary program through which farmers receive rental payments for planting long-term conservation covers on qualifying land to improve water quality, control soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat. Farmers may also qualify for cost-share assistance.

20th Century Club meets

Six members and one guest met March 26 in the home of Dorene Kirkpatrick for the March meeting of the Burns Twentieth Century Club. In the absence of the president, Vice President Rhonda Brenzikofer opened the meeting with all members giving the club collect and the flag salute.

CORRESPONDENTS:

Tabor College plans spring play

The Tabor College theater department will produce two shows of “Another Antigone” April 26 and 28, directed by Judy Harder. The play features Tabor College English professor Chris Dick as professor Henry Harper, Ashley Bird as Judy Miller, Nolan Dirks as David Appleton, and Maria Loewen as Diana Eberhart.

BCC announces honor rolls

Butler Community College in El Dorado announced the President’s and Dean’s honor rolls for the fall 2011 semester. Students qualifying for the President’s Honor Roll achieved between a 4.0 and 3.5 grade point average; Dean’s List students earned between 3.49 and 3.0 GPA. President’s Honor Roll

Panzer runs ultra-marathon

Kodi Panzer said one of the characteristics of a great runner is a devotion to preparation. She has already started packing her luggage for the Cedro Peak Ultra Marathon, April 7 in New Mexico.

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