William (Bill) Robert Baxa was born on a farm outside of Haddam, Kansas on November 24, 1930, the son of Elmer and Ruby (Anderson) Baxa. He left this world to join his wife of 57 years, Arlene (Houdek) Baxa, on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at the Republic County Hospital, Belleville, Kansas at the age of 88 years, 2 months, and 9 days. Bill graduated form Cuba High School with the Class of 1948. All but six months (in Topeka) of his working life, he spent farming east of Cuba, Kansas along the...

Ralph F. Blecha, son of Charley and Leona (Hardenburger) Blecha, was born 13 January 1943 at the R.G. Patterson Memorial Hospital in Belleville, Kansas. He died on 1 February 2019 in Lawrence, Kansas, at the age of 76 years and 19 days. Ralph attended grade school at Tabor Rural Public School, and graduated from Belleville High School in 1961. He then studied at the Conservatory of Music, UMKC, Kansas City, Missouri. He worked from 1967-1976 as opera coach, accompanist and rehearsal pianist...

The casket will remain closed. Phyllis Jean Francis, daughter of Roy M. and Laverna K. (Sauer) Ferguson, was born September 27, 1932 in Belleville, Kansas. Phyllis attended Belleville public schools and graduated from High School with the Class of 1950. In October of 1950 she was united in marriage to Richard Francis and to this union two children, Richard, Jr. and Julie, were born. Phyllis and family lived in the Wichita area for 40 years. They returned to Belleville many years ago and...

Vickie Lynn (Boman) Osborne passed from this life Monday, January 28, 2019 at Salina Regional Health Center with her family by her side at the age of 71 years. Vickie was born on January 11, 1948 in Belleville, Kansas to Wallace and Vida (Elliott) Boman. She graduated from Republic High School in 1966, where she met her future husband Paul during their freshman year. They were married on June 29, 1969, and would have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this year. They raised two sons,...

Charles Fredrick Swanson was born April 17, 1932 near Republic, Kansas to Carl and Inez (Gabrielson) Swanson. He passed from this life, Monday, January 21, 2019 at Hilltop Lodge, Beloit, Kansas at the age of 86 years. On August 27, 1950 he married the love of his life, Mary Lou Topliff at Lovewell, Kansas and to this union six children were born: Dennis, Duane, Craig, Brad, Chris, and Lucinda. The family spent most summer vacations camping and fishing in the mountains. They also enjoyed...

Eugene Charles Hadachek was born August 6, 1922 on a farm east of Cuba, son of Emma Lizzy Junek and Charles Frank Hadachek, and died December 29, 2018 at Republic County Hospital in Belleville, Kans. He was 96. He attended Bates country school, and graduated from Cuba High School in 1940. He was a lifelong farmer-stockman in the Cuba area.  He entered the US Army during World War II, and served more than three years.  He was stationed overseas as an Army T/5 with the 11th Armored...

Marcy Mae Thomasson Chaloupka, 91, daughter of Russell Wells and Thelma A. (Purdie) Thomasson, was born April 18, 1927, in Lake Wales, Florida. She died on Thursday, December 27, 2018 at the Republic County Hospital in Belleville, Kansas. At the urging of family in Kansas and Nebraska, the Thomasson family later moved to Belleville, Kansas. Marcy Mae attended Belleville schools from kindergarten through high school graduating from Belleville High School in 1945. Upon graduation, she...

Josephine Verbena Hofts Simms, 98, daughter of Henry and Rena (Steinman) Hofts, was born April 30, 1920, on the family farm near Ruskin, Nebraska. She died in the presence of her family on Friday, December 14, 2018 at the Republic County Hospital in Belleville, Kansas. The Hofts family later moved to Republic County, Kansas. Josephine graduated from Republic High School in 1940. Upon graduation, she attended Kansas Normal Teachers training; she graduated on June 13, 1940 and taught at a...

Curtis C. Crawford was born on January 17, 1932, in Newton, Kansas, the son of Curtis Chester and Elsie (Burchinal) Crawford, Sr. He left this life to live an eternal life on December 11, 2018, at the age of 86 years. Curtis, known as Junior to many family and friends, lived his grade school years in Lubbock, TX, and graduated high school in Conway Springs, KS, in 1950. He joined the Air Force at the height of the Korean War, but didn’t learn to fly until he was 42 years old! He...

Vida Violet (Elliott) Boman passed away on Tuesday, November 27, 2018, at the Belleville Health Care Center with her family by her side at the age of 93 years, 10 months and 7 days. Vida was born on January 20, 1925, on the family farm near Republic, Kan., to George and Violet Elliott, and she graduated from Republic High School in 1942. She married the love of her life, Wallace Boman, on June 27, 1943. They raised two sons, Wallace “Sonny” and David, and six daughters,...