Ronald Aspegren

Ronald Duaine Aspegren, 73, of Courtland, Kansas, passed away on Friday, February 13, 2026. He was born in Belleville, Kansas on May 25, 1952 to Clarence “Delbert” and Norma (Greenslade) Aspegren.

Ron attended kindergarten at Courtland grade school, before the family moved to their farm on Highway 36, where he then attended Scandia schools and graduated from Scandia High School in 1970. Ron went on to attend Cloud County Community College and Fort Hays State University, both on track scholarships. He was working toward a degree in Vocational Agriculture before he returned home to the family farm.

Ron married Connie Hancock in Scandia, Kansas on August 27, 1977 and they welcomed two daughters, Quinn and Sarah. Ron and Connie shared a love of agriculture and enjoyed raising their daughters on the family farm east of Courtland. Ron was a Golden Harvest Seed dealer for 20+ years and had a passion for growing sweetcorn and sharing that corn with family and friends.

Ron loved the Courtland and Scandia communities, never missing an opportunity to visit with his friends and neighbors over coffee, like any good swede…he truly never met a stranger. Ron was a life-long member of the Amana Lutheran Church in Scandia, Freemason Lodge #211 of Courtland, the Courland Rural Fire Department, the Scandia Lions Club and a member of the Cub Scouts as a child. Ron served as a member and president of the Pike Valley USD 426 school board for 12 years and was a Courtland Township Trustee. Each winter, when the weather got cold and there was a little less farming to do, he would swap his trademark overalls for his black and white striped official’s shirt to call junior/senior high school, as well as junior college basketball games across Kansas. Ron was a state of Kansas basketball official for 30 years and when asked how he put up with hecklers in the crowd, he simply said …”I can’t hear them anyway.” If you knew Ron, you knew that he didn’t hear well; though hearing loss affected him since childhood, it never dampened his spirit or enthusiasm to socialize.

Ron loved car racing, and if there were race cars making laps on the Belleville High Banks, he was there. He also enjoyed several trips to the Knoxville Nationals in Knoxville, Iowa and the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, OK. Ron was a proud sponsor and pit crew member for brother-in-law, Doug Hancock’s #32 stock car, enjoying Friday race nights in Red Cloud Nebraska.

Like most farmers, Ron enjoyed being outside. As a kid he loved spending time at Lovewell lake with his parents and sisters, becoming an excellent water skier (though not as good as his sister, Phyllis would often remind him.) In his 20’s, Ron was an accomplished team roper on his favorite horse, Popeye, and over the years his passion for sport grew as he ran the gambit in support of his daughters and grandchildren’s endeavors, even becoming a pageant dad. Ron was an avid K-State fan who wore his purple loud and proud, but he was equally proud of each one of his K-State and KU graduate daughters. Ron’s greatest joy was his family, especially his grandchildren, from their sports to grandparents’ day at school, he loved it all. No matter the field of play, stage or setting, Ron always enjoyed the people around him.

Ron is preceded in death by his grandparents, Clarence and Lorine Aspegren, Duaine and Alice Greenslade; parents, Delbert and Norma Aspegren; father-in-law, Lowell Hancock, mother-in-law, Doris Hancock; sisters-in-law, Cheryl McMullen and Karen Hancock and brothers-in-law Jim Jensik and Stanley Grueber.

He will be remembered by his wife, Connie Aspegren; his daughters, Quinn Rakaskas (Chris) of Thompson Station, TN and Sarah Sadler (Tripper) of Smith Center, KS; his 4 grandsons, Jack Rakaskas, Ron Samuel Rakaskas, Brody Sadler, Drake Sadler, and granddaughter, Sutton Sadler; sisters, Phyllis Jensik, Belleville, KS, Jane Ann Carlgren (Edward), Scandia, KS, and Carrie Stehno (Mark), Nixa, MO; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Services will be held at 11:00am, Monday, February 23, 2026 at Amana Lutheran Church in Scandia, KS with Pastor Kathy Aiello officiating. Overflow services will be livestreamed at the American Legion Auxiliary Post 193, in Scandia KS, with lunch and fellowship at the Legion immediately following the service. Private family interment will take place at a later date. Visitation is Sunday, February 22, 2026 at Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., with family greeting friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Scandia Lions Club or the Courtland Rural Fire Department and can be sent in care of Tibbetts-Fischer Funeral Home, P.O. Box 566, Belleville, KS 66935.