Obituaries

Lola Marie (Nickles) Simon, of Plainville, passed away on December 26, 2022, at the Rooks County Health Center in Plainville, at the age of 95. She was born on November 12, 1927, to Clarence and Gladys (Buffington) Nickles in Furley, Kansas.

Billye June (Clark) Yowell was born on July 22, 1935, in Penokee and died on Dec. 27, 2022, at her home in Delphos. Billye was the seventh child of 10 to John and Margaret Clark. She attended school in Hill City graduating in 1953.

John Orlando Ross, of Hays, Kansas, passed away on December 23, 2022, at Rush County Memorial Hospital swing bed unit in LaCrosse, Kansas. He was born July 9, 1955, in Plainville, Kansas to Emmett Alvin Ross and Julia Sarah (Smith) Ross.

A full obituary is pending. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Plainville on Tuesday, January 3, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. A book signing will be available on Monday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with a Vigil Service at 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home in Plainville.

Theresa L. “Tressie” Koehler, of Plainville, passed away on December 25, 2022, at the Hays Medical Center in Hays, at the age of 90. She was born on May 20, 1932, to Thomas and Matilda (Weigel) Phlieger in Plainville. She married Fred Koehler on January 15, 1952, in Plainville.

William E. “Bill” Thompson, age 83, of Schoenchen, Kansas died Monday, December 19, 2022, at Hays Medical Center, surrounded by his family. He was born March 11, 1939, in Bristow, Oklahoma, the son of Ben and Faye (Blackmore) Thompson. Bill graduated from Codell High School in 1957.

Gregory A. Balthazor passed away on December 23, 2022, at his home in Stockton, at the age of 77. He was born on April 26, 1945, to Philip Paul and Dorothy Ellen (Warren) Balthazor in Hays. He married Karla Smith-Tripe on November 5, 1977, in Stockton.

Our beautiful and talented mother, Wanda Sammons, 94, of Kansas City, Kansas passed away Monday, December 19, 2022 at The Piper in Kansas City, Kansas. She was born December 11, 1928 in Detroit, Michigan to Everett and Vivian (Foster) VanHorn.

Gary Austin, age 70, of Hays, Kansas, died Monday, December 12, 2022 at his home in Hays.  He was born in Hays, Kansas, on March 26, 1952, to Jackie Eugene and Mary Eloise (Hillegiest) Austin. He attended and graduated from Ventura High School in Ventura, California.