Linda Downie Passes Away

Linda Downie, 80, of Topeka, passed away Friday, May 17, 2019.

She was born March 11, 1939, in Willard, Kansas, the daughter of Ralph and Geraldine (Frieson) Pitts. She graduated from Eskridge High School in 1957.

Linda married Darrell Downie on August 20, 1960 in Miami, Oklahoma.

Linda attended cosmetology school in 1971 and had her own beauty salon in her home. She enjoyed gardening, ranching, quilting and cooking. 

Survivors include her husband, Darrell Downie; son, Bryan (Paula) Downie; daughter, Jodie (Zach) Allen, son, Jared (Beth) Downie; three grandchildren; four great-grandchildren and two sisters, Shirley Henderson and Nancy (Monty) Mercer. 

She was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Ralph Pitts, Jr.

Family will greet friends from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2019 at Parker-Price Cremations, Funerals & Receptions, 245 NW Independence Ave. Topeka, KS.   To share a memory of Linda or leave a message for her family, please click the Share Memories button pn the Parker Price web site--https://www.parkerpricefh.com/Obituary/172037/Linda-Downie/Topeka-KS

A graveside service will be at 11:00 am, Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at the Prairie Home Cemetery, NW 35th & Menoken Rd., Topeka.

RHS Top Ten Senior Scholars

    Rossville High School announced the Top 10 Seniors of the Class of 2019 at graduation exercises on Sunday, May 19, 2019. The following seniors were recognized for their academic accomplishments: Alexander Archer, Derek Balch, Jordan Bittner, MaKenzie Decklar, Dylan Ditch , Kaytlin Dohrman, Caila Hill, Stacey Keithline, Cheyenne Reese, and Ava Stipp.

RHS Top Scholar Awards

RHS VALEDICTORIAN/SALUTATORIAN AWARDS

    Rossville High School announced their top scholars at graduation on May 19, 2019.  Pictured from left are Valedictorians Jordan Bittner and Caila Hill and Salutatorian Kaytlin Dohrman.

State Baseball Tourney Begins Thur.

    The Dawgs play their first game in the 2A State Tournament at Great Bend on Thur., May 23 at 5:45  against Sedgwick, ranked #9 by the KABC.  If they win,  they will play on Friday at 1L15.  Interesting to note that Mission Valley, whom the Dawgs defeated in the Regional final, is ranked #2 by the KABC. 
    You can see the complete 2A bracket at:  http://kshsaa.org/public/ScoreCenter/Brackets/Baseball/2-1AState.cfm?WeekID=3172&Level=9&Class=2-1A&Activity=3

June (Eldridge) Martz Passes Away

June E Martz, 87 years old, of Topeka, Kansas passed over on May 12, 2019 in Baldwin, Kansas.

June was born in Valencia, Kansas on October 18, 1931 to Lynn Boyd Eldridge and Virgie Keeton Eldridge.    

June was a Inventory Manager for over 40 years in Retail and Publishing. Recently, she worked as a Grandparent for KNI in Topeka. She was famous for her home grown tomatoes. June married Joe Martz and celebrated over 30 years of marriage prior to his death in 1999. She raised a daughter, June Louise Keener and loved her son-in-law Everett Keener and grandsons Logan Lee Keener, Cody Louis Keener and his wife Jamie M Keener.

She is survived by sister, Evelyn Anderson, brothers, Jack Eldridge and Harold Eldridge. June was preceded in death by her mother, her father and sisters: Marjorie, Mary Jane and Juanita Sue, brothers: Gene, Roy and Audry.

As per her wishes, June was cremated, A celebration of Life will be announced later.

Rev. John Dutton Passes Away

    Reverend John William "Jack" Dutton, Jr., 73, of Topeka, died Wednesday, May 15, 2019 at St. Francis ER. 
    He was born January 8, 1946 at Warrensburg, MO, the son of John William Dutton, Sr. and Sophie Georgette Hust Dutton. Jack was a 1963 High School Graduate from Smithtown Central, St. James, NY, and attended KSU. He served in the US Army from 1968-1971. He worked for 34 years in retail management. He was also a Pastor for the last 14 years at various churches, serving nine of them at the United Methodist Church in Perry, KS, and was now the pastor of Rossville United Methodist Church.
    Jack married Louvae Lorraine Gibson on January 29, 1967, at Manhattan, KS. She survives of the home. Other survivors include three sons, John "Jack" Dutton, III (Katie), Boerne, TX, Joshua Samuel Dutton (Carrie), Anderson, IN, Jeffery Drew Dutton, Denver, CO, a daughter, Krissa Louvae Schandelmaier (Nick), Berlin, Germany, a brother, Peter Alan Dutton, Green Cove Springs, FL and six grandchildren.
    Church Services will be 10:00 AM Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at the Rossville United Methodist Church. Burial will follow at Gypsum Hill Cemetery in Salina, KS. Visitation will be 6 to 8 PM Tuesday evening at the church. Memorials may be made to the Rossville United Methodist Church or the Topeka Rescue Mission, sent in care of Barnett Family Funeral Home, PO Box 602 Oskaloosa, KS 66066.

Graduation May 19

RHS graduation is 2 PM on Sunday, May 19.

2A Track Regional May 17

  RHS Track and Field team competed in the 2A Regional at Jeff North on Friday, May 17.  The teams competing were:

Blue Rapids-Valley Heights HS Effingham-Atchison Co Community HS Eskridge-Mission Valley HS Horton HS Jackson Heights HS Lawrence-Bishop Seabury Academy Lyndon HS McLouth HS Olathe-Heritage Christian Academy Oskaloosa HS Prairie Village-Kansas City Christian HS Richmond-Central Heights HS Rossville HS Shawnee-Maranatha Christian Academy Wabaunsee HS Winchester-Jefferson County North HS

Thederahn Injured In Accident

    Jon Thederahn, 54, of Rossville, was injured Thursday afternoon when his motorcycle crashed on I-70 near K-99 in Wabaunsee County.  The crash was reported at 3:50 PM and he was taken to Stormont Vail Hospital with suspected minor injuries.      According to the Kansas Highway Patrol,  Thederahn, on a 2018 Honda Goldwing motorcycle, was northbound on K-99 making a right turn onto the eastbound I-70 on-ramp where he lost control of the bike, causing it to roll.  He was wearing a helmet.

RHS Wins Baseball Regional

    By totally dominating their opponents by a combined score of 42-0, the Dawgs won their 2A Regional this year.  After defeating Northern Hts., 9-0, and Lyndon, 13-0, on Monday in the first two rounds of the regional,  The Dawgs really cranked it up on Wednesday and scorched Mission Valley 20-0 in three innings.
    You can see the results of the regional at:   http://kshsaa.org/Public/ScoreCenter/Brackets/Baseball/2-1ARegional.cfm?Activity=3&Class=2-1A&WeekID=3314

State 2-lA State Championship
May 23 – 24, 2019

Great Bend Sports Complex, 41 McKinley St, Great Bend, KS 67530, USA (map)

National Honor Society Members

RHS ANNOUNCES NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY MEMBERS

Rossville Jr./Sr. High School inducted 13 new members into the National Honor Society at the Spring Awards Night on May 8, 2019.  Seniors Payton Bolte and Katie Glotzbach;  Junior Emma Streit; and Sophomores Destiny Bergstresser, Breck McCrory, Jaycee Fiedler, Peyton Price, Tatum Gentry, Jordan Quinones, Brody Jackson, Gracie Rabe, Parker Kenney, and Julia Streit lit the candle of honor and recited the pledge as new members.

RHS existing members are Seniors Jordan Bittner, Kaytlin Dohrman, McKenzie Decklar, Caila Hill, Stacey Keithline, Cheyenne Reese, and Ava Stipp and the Junior members are Kaleb Badura, Danielle Bittner, Kody Davoren, Erika Hatina, Leah Hudson, Kinlyn Lundin, Danielle Moore, Randy Morelli, Taylor Morelli, Michaela Paulsen, Jenna Rodehorst, and Sydney Wonnell.

                                               

NHS officers for the 2019-2020 school year were recently elected and are as follows: President Danielle Bittner, Vice-President Kody Davoren, Secretary Taylor Morelli, & Treasurer Kaleb Badura.

Membership in the National Honor Society is based on a student’s performance in the areas of scholarship, service, leadership, and character.  In order to be eligible, students must first have a grade point average of at least 3.2 and have made significant contributions to their school and community, as well as maintain strong moral character.

RHS Curriculum Completers

ROSSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL ANNOUNCES CURRICULUM COMPLETERS

Rossville Jr./Sr. High School had 6 seniors this year who completed the required curriculum as set forth by the Kansas Board of Regents and earned the designation of State of Kansas Curriculum Completer.  In order to earn this distinction, students must have completed 4 years of English, 4 years of Math, 3 years of Science, 3 years of Social Studies, and 2 years of Foreign Language. The students who met these criteria are Alex Archer, Jordan Bittner  , Katie Dohrman, Caila Hill, Stacey Keithline, & Cheyenne Reese

           All Curriculum Completers are then eligible to be considered for an additional award.  The Kansas Board of Regents on behalf of the Kansas Legislature ranks these Curriculum Completers based on their GPA and ACT scores. Alex Archer & Caila Hill were designated as 2019 Kansas State Scholars.

RHS Scholarships Awarded 2019

ROSSVILLE HIGH SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED

Rossville High School held its annual Spring Awards Night on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 to bestow awards and scholarships to deserving students.  The counselor, administration, and faculty would like to thank all of the scholarship contributors and presenters for their donations and interest in the students of Rossville.  Your dedication to our students is greatly appreciated.

The following scholarships were presented:

Custom Wood Products Scholarship: ($1000 renewable)

Presented to Stacey Keithline. The scholarship was established by Donald and Pamela Lake to further Custom Wood’s commitment to the communities of Rossville and St. Marys.

Rossville Booster Club Scholarship: ($500)

Presented by Patti Kirk to Katie Glotzbach and Caila Hill. The award began in 2012 and the recipient must have participated in a KSHSAA activity throughout high school.

Bryan Lindstrom Inspirational Scholarship: ($1000)

Presented to Katie Glotzbach. This scholarship is a tribute to Bryan, who was an inspiration to others and lost his life to cancer in 2013.

Rossville High School Alumni Association: ($1500)

Presented by Kathy Kovar to Garrett Carver, Katie Glotzbach, and Jordan Bittner. The Association was founded in 1998 and has awarded over $33,000 to deserving students in this 22-year period. The award’s recipient must meet high standards set out by the association and be a good representative of RHS as they move on through college and begin their career. 

Rossville United Methodist Church: ($2000 renewable scholarship)

Presented by Tricia Conley to Stacey Keithline.

The award is given to seniors that are members of the church.

Shawnee County Farm Bureau Scholarship: ($500)

Presented by Randol Walker and Pat Miller to Katie Glotzbach. Recipients must have a parent or grandparent that is a member of Shawnee County Farm Bureau.

Bank of the Flint Hills Employee Donor Advised Scholarship: ($500)

Presented by Kyle Maxwell and Ester Miller to McKenzie Decklar. This fund combines the generous gifts of bank employees to provide scholarships to area seniors.

Doug Perine Memorial Scholarship: ($500)

Presented to Payton Catron. The scholarship was established in 2012 to honor Doug, a longtime community figure, and is given to an RHS student planning to continue their education.

Les & Dorothy Hallmark Memorial Scholarship: ($500)

Presented to Katie Glotzbach. The scholarship was established by Dorothy Hallmark in memory of her husband Les who was an Art teacher at Rossville High School for many years. Dorothy was a media specialist for many years at RHS and, following her passing last year, their son Alan has continued the scholarship to honor both of his parents. The recipient must have an interest in Art.

Laurel Stone Jackson Scholarship: ($500)

Presented to Caila Hill.

This is the 4^th  year for the scholarship established by Mrs. Jackson following her retirement as the school librarian. Applicants are required to write an essay over a book they have read.

Cecile Zlatnik Memorial Scholarship: ($200)

Presented to Payton Bolte. The scholarship is presented annually in memory of Cecile to recognize individuals who demonstrate outstanding character, service, and leadership.

Cole Arnold Memorial Scholarship: ($500)

Presented by Toby and Ann McCullough to Garrett Carver.

The award is presented annually in memory of their son Cole who died in a car accident the summer before his Senior year.

Rossville Community Development Committee (RCDC) Scholarship: ($500)

Presented by Morgan Hansen & Casey Graves to Caila Hill. The scholarship is based on achievements, community involvement, and contributions to the community of Rossville.

Rossville Rustlers 4-H Scholarship: ($250)

Presented by Laurie Glotzbach to Garrett Carver, Katie Glotzbach, and Elizabeth Foster. Recipients must be members of Rossville Rustlers 4-H and have made a significant contribution to the group.

P.E.O. Scholarship: ($500)

Presented by Lynette Hudson to Stacey Keithline and Elizabeth Foster. This scholarship is awarded annually to young ladies from each of the area high schools.

Pete Darting Memorial Scholarship: ($150)

Presented to Jordan Bittner. The award was established in 2008 by the Darting family to honor Mr. Darting, an avid supporter of the Rossville Dawgs.

RHS Opportunity Scholarship:

This is the 7^th year for the award, which is provided by an anonymous donor. Recipients are chosen based on GPA, ACT, resume, strength of schedule, and an essay over an experience that made an impact in their life. Students must plan to pursue a career in Engineering, Science, Medicine, Math, or a related field. $500 scholarships were awarded to Alex Archer, Jordan Bittner, Katie Glotzbach, and Caila Hill.

Ron Monhollon Memorial Scholarship:

Presented by Ronda Monhollon to Bryson Hase. The award is given to a student planning to continue their education in a vocational program.

Duane Parr Memorial Scholarship: ($500)

Presented to Ava Stipp. This award is made possible by donations from family and friends as an endowment to honor Mr. Parr, who passed away in January of 2006.  The recipient must have participated in high school band.

Marjorie Helen Lanning Memorial Scholarship: ($1500)

Presented to Katie Glotzbach. This scholarship was established in 2000 in memory of Ms. Lanning and is awarded to a young woman in the Shawnee County area who has participated in basketball or golf, which were two of her favorite sports.  

Dana & Louise Hummer Scholarship: ($1000)

Presented to Ava Stipp. This award was established in 2017 to benefit Shawnee County students planning to attend school in Kansas.

Harriet Hayes Austin Memorial Scholarship: ($1000)

Presented to Caila Hill and Jordan Bittner. This scholarship was established in the year 2003 in memory of Ms. Austin, to carry on her legacy of caring for others and is awarded to students planning to pursue a degree in nursing.

Pomme de Terre Muskies, Inc.: ($500)

Presented by Robert Viscek to Payton Bolte. Muskies, Inc. is a non-profit conservation organization that promotes catch and release fishing for Muskies. This award is presented in honor of Fred Wehrli, who was a long time member of the organization.

Washburn Tech Certification:

Rossville High School would like to recognize the following students for completing their programs of study at Washburn Tech:

Derek Balch—

Brock Dick—Phlebotomy

Justin Jordan—Welding

Nathan Lekanoff—

Jacob Tuckel-Wolford—Welding

Highland Community College Certification:

Rossville High School would like to recognize the following student for completing her program of study at Highland Community College:

MaKenzie Decklar—CNA and EMT certification

Kaytlin Dohrman--CNA

Congratulations on your accomplishments!

Donald Meenen Passes Away

   Donald Meenen of Topeka passed away May 12, 2019, Memorial services will be held on Saturday, May 25th 10:30 a.m. at the Rossville Methodist church. Inurnment of his ashes will be in the family plot at Riverdale Cemetery, south of Clifton at a later date.
    In lieu of flowers, Don requested memorials to Avalon Hospice, Rossville Methodist Church, or Kansas Specialty Dog Service and sent in care of Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple Street, St. Marys, Kansas 66536.
    For a full obituary, go to:  http://piperfuneralhome.com/obituaries/donald-w-meenen/