Geary County, Kansas Obituaries

BADEN, ANTON

Junction City, Kas., Jan. 26 - Anton Baden, one of the earliest settlers of Central Kansas died at his home near here this morning. He was 74 years old. Mr. Baden came from Germany. In 1857 he walked from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Riley. He arrived with twenty-five cents in his pockets. At that time only one house, a log cabin was on the site now occupied by Junction City. Mr. Baden was one of the wealthiest men of Geary County. (The Kansas City Star, January 26, 1904, page 1 transcribed & submitted by Peggy Thompson)

BEAVERS, MAUDE

Junction City, Kas., Jan. 12 - Miss Maude Beavers, 20 years old, a rural school teacher, died here today from what physicians said was sleeping sickness. She became ill a week ago and was in a stupor for forty-eight hours before her death. Miss Beavers was a graduate of the city high school and the daughter of E. R. Beavers, a prominent Geary County farmer. (The Kansas City Times, January 13, 1920, page 11transcribed & submitted by Peggy Thompson)

BOSTWICK, HELEN

Junction City, Kas., Oct. 20 - Mrs. Helen Bostwick, 85, a resident of Geary County for sixty years, died today after a long illness.(The Kansas City Times, October 21, 1920, page 2 transcribed and submitted by Peggy Thompson)

DERRY FRANKLIN

VERMONT - Franklin R. Derry, 64, of Vermont died at 9:52 a.m. Tuesday, May 9, 1995, in the emergency room of Culbertson Memorial Hospital in Rushville.

He was born Jan. 18, 1931, in Oakland Township, Schuyler County, {IL} to Roscoe R. and Frances Kinne Derry.

Surviving are his mother of Vermont; three sons, Michael S. of Kendallville, Ind., Robert A. of Marion, Ind., and Brian R. of Denver; three daughters, Catherine J. Timmons of Sweetser, Ind., Kay Morgan of Farmersville and Jill Beavers of Denver; 12 grandchildren; one brother, Maurice E. of Industry; and three sisters, Marian Carithers of Vermont, Ill., Mrs. Richard (Evelyn) Lacy of Junction City, Kan., and Mrs. Doug (Joyce) Wright of Tucson, Ariz. He was preceded in death by his father, two brothers, three sisters and an infant daughter.

He was a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge, the Sinkers Club in Summum and the Sportsman Club in Ipava.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Kost Memorial Home in Vermont. Collis Trone will officiate. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 tonight at the memorial home. Burial will be in Phillips Cemetery in Schuyler County.

Memorials may be made to the Sportsman Club in Ipava. (Peoria Journal Star, Peoria, Il., May 12, 1995, page C6)

FREDERICKS, ROBERT

Junction City, Kas., - Robert Fredericks, 50, a lifelong resident of Geary County, died at a hotel in San Antonio, Tex. He was one of the largest land owners in the country. (The Weekly Kansas City Star, November 26, 1919)

FURROW, JAMES G.

Junction City, Kas., May 24 - James G. Furrow, who had lived in Geary County longer than ant other man, died at his home here this morning after a brief illness. Mr. Furrow was 78 years old, and came here in 1854 when 10 years old. His death occurred within thirty-six hours from the time his photograph as the oldest living resident was displayed in a collection of early day pictures here by the Geary County Historical Association. (The Kansas City Star, May 24, 1922, page 2, transcribed & submitted by Peggy Thompson)

KIEHL, BENNETT

Bennett Kiehl, formerly a resident of Junction City, and one of the stage coach drivers of the early days, died at the Presidio, San Francisco, yesterday. The body will be brought to this city for interment.

Mr. Kiehl came to Kansas from Pennsylvania at an early age and in 1880 became a driver for the old Western Stage Coach Line, a position he retained sixteen years. A part of this time he drove a stage from Manhattan to Washington, and later one west through Junction City to the western part of the state. Later he came to Junction City where he and his brother organized the "White Horse" Bus Line, which is still in operation. For forty years this bus line has been known all over the West.

Mr. Kiehl was sheriff of Geary County for twelve years in the days when the peace officers had to be handy with a "gun." Later he entered the government service as a guide and then became a watchman, which position he held at the Presidio at the time of his death. Bennett Kiehl was 75 years of age. He is survived by a widow and a brother. (The Kansas City Star, May 5, 1911, page 3, transcribed & submitted by Peggy Thompson)

KOERNER, PETER

Junction City, Kas., Aug. 10 - Peter Koerner, 63, for almost a half century a resident of Kansas, died at h is home here today. He had been prominent in politics for many years and served as sheriff of Geary county two terms, retiring eighteen months ago. (The Kansas City Star, August 11, 1920, page 9, transcribed & submitted by Peggy Thompson)

LUTHL, WALTER

Junction City, Feb. 23 - Unable to solve the mystery of how Walter Luthl, a 19-year-old Geary County boy, was killed, a coroner's jury late last night returned a verdict to the effect that he came to his death by a gunshot wound at the hands of an unknown person.

The verdict followed a six-hour inquest at which the boy's family told a connected story the different parts of which _____ perfectly,

Walter Luthl was found in a manger of his father's barn at 5 o'clock Saturday afternoon by a brother, Emil, who took him into the house. A doctor pronounced the boy dead and called Coroner J. S. Steadman and Sheriff M. D. Peeso, who examined the body and found a small bruise back of the left ear.

The Undertakers found a wound in the boys chest and a post-mortem examination showed that a .22-caliber bulltet had pierced the heart and lungs and lodged against a rib in the back. A careful examination of the barn Saturday night revealed nothing, but yesterday a .22 caliber rifle and a moist dark spot were lying on the floor of the loft of barn. Sheriff Peeso testified at the inquest that neither the gun nor the shot had been there Saturday night.

The bib of the dead boy's overalls had a bullet hole, but no holes were found in his shirt or undershirt. The later was only slightly bloodstained.

Mr. Luthl, the father, testified that he had left the boy digging post hold around 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon and had gone to Alida, a nearby village, on ____. Another son, John drove into ____ shortly after 5 o'clock and told him that Walter was "seriously ill," ___ the members of the family testified that the boy was alive when found at ___ o'clock. The attending physician and coroner both testified that he apparently had been dead a long time when they reached the scene. (Kansas City Star, February 23, 1920, transcribed & submitted by Peggy Thompson)

MATTHEWS, J. W.

Junction City, Kas., July 20 - J. W. Matthews, 53, a prominent Geary County farmer, died today at his home east of Junctino City after a month's illness. A wife and three children survive him. (The Kansas City Times, July 21, 1920)

O'MALLEY, ANN

Junction City, Kas., - May 14 - Mrs. Ann O'Malley, who came here in the early '50's, and who has made her home in Geary County since that time, died today. (The Kansas City Star, May 15, 1910, page 6)

PAULEY, JOHN

Junction City, Kas., Jan. 9 - John Pauley, 71 years old, for forty years a Geary County farmer, died at his home near this city today. Two daughters survive. (the Kansas City Times, January 10, 1920, page 7)

PLEAT, BERNHARD

Junction City, Kas., Feb. 17 - Bernhard Pleat, 80 years old, a pioneer resident of Geary County, died today after a short illness. (The Kansas City Star, February 18, 1917)

SCHMEDEMAN, FRED

Junction City, Kas., Jan. 1 - Fred Schmedeman died yesterday at his home near here after a brief illness. He was 76 years old and came to Geary County in 1866, homesteading a farm east of town. (Weekly Kansas City Star, January 1, 1919, page 15)

WETZEL, LOUIS

Junction City, Kas., Dec. 25 - Louis Wetzel, 52 years old, prominent Geary County farmer, died at his home near here last night as the result of an accident yesterday afternoon. (The Kansas City Times, December 26, 1919, page 5)