This blog is for posting all news of Rossville residents and Rossville High alumni. Bookmark this page and send any appropriate news (births, deaths, engagements, marriages, anniversaries, job changes, honors, etc.) items to: Frank.Ruff@juno.com . Feel free to add comments to any of the articles. Check this site often because I sometimes delete items. There are SEARCH (top left of page) and LINK (bottom of page) features. For photos, see link at bottom.
Monday, June 21, 2021
Giants Get 8-5 Victory
Andy Burdett (76) Passes Away
Andrew Lee Burdett, 63, of Portsmouth, VA, passed away on Sunday, June 20, 2021, surrounded by his family.
He was the son of the late Walter Lee Burdett, Jr and Dorothy Marie Kisner Burdett. Andy is survived by his daughter, Tabitha Burdett; son, Michael Burdett (Desiree); sister, Stephanie Burdett; brother, Chuck Burdett (Kim); his for-ever soulmate, Karen Burdett: several grandchildren; one great grandchild; and several nieces and nephews.
He retired after 21 years of service in the US Navy, following his retirement he worked in the Naval Shipyard for 20 years performing nuclear quality assurance on submarines. He enjoyed hunting, especially with his lifelong best friend, Bob Flick, and was member of South Norfolk Hunt Club and Claremont Hunt Club.
A memorial service with Military honors will be held on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, 2 p.m. at Little’s Funeral Home, Smithfield, VA. Online condolences may be registered at www.littlesfuneralhome.com.
Andrew was a member of the RHS Class of 1976.
Sunday, June 20, 2021
Shawnee Co. Sports Awards
The nominees have been announced for the 16th annual Topeka Shawnee Country High School Sports Awards, the ceremony being held June 30 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel's Maner Conference Center Sunflower Ballroom.
This year's program will be presented by TopSports.news, in conjunction with Envista Credit Union and A-1 Lock and Key. Awards will be made for the top female and male athletes in the fall, winter and spring sports seasons, as well as overall female and male athletes of the year.
Among those nominated are Bo Reeves, Fall Sports; Alex Sherer, Spring Sports; Gracie Rabe, Spring Sports; and Kaiden Brown, Most Inspirational Male.
Knights Defeat Braves 15-5
The Golden Knights defeated the Sabetha Braves 15-5 in seven innings Sat. night at Joe Campbell Stadium. Calvin Delich led the Knight offense with 5 RBIs.
Saturday, June 19, 2021
Pamela Turner Passes Away
Tecumseh - Pamela "Pam" Jean (Budden) Turner, 70, of Tecumseh, Kansas, passed away Wednesday, June 9, 2021. She has been a resident of Rossville since 2013.
She was born June 22, 1950, in Topeka, the daughter of Frederick and Jean (Ward) Budden. She graduated from Shawnee Heights High School in 1968 and went on to attend Washburn University.
Pam worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield for a few years before she joined the St. Francis Hospital as a switchboard operator and retired after working for 25 years. In the course of her work, she met her husband.
Pam married Joe Turner on February 28, 1976, in Tecumseh, Kansas, at the Tecumseh United Methodist Church.
In her spare time, Pam enjoyed bird watching, knitting, crafting, and gardening. She was an avid reader and was devoted to her husband. They enjoyed packing up the camper and heading to the lake for a weekend of fishing and camping.
Pam was preceded in death by her husband and her parents. Survivors include her brother, Rick (Diane) Budden; sister, Sally (Alvie) Price; niece, Annie (AJ) Saenz; nephew, Chip (Anne) Price; niece, Rebecca (Eric) Stevenson; nephew, Richard (Samantha) Budden; niece, Regina (Adam) Stephenson; nephew, Russell Budden; eight great-nephews; and six great-nieces.
A memorial ceremony will be at 3 p.m., Saturday, June 26, 2021, at Mount Hope Cemetery in Topeka, with reception to follow at the family home in Tecumseh. She will be laid to rest next to her husband. Memorial contributions may be made to Tecumseh United Methodist, 334 SE Tecumseh Rd, Tecumseh, KS, 66542, www.tecumsehumc.com.
To leave a message for the family online, please visit www.penwellgabeltopeka.com.
MEL All-League Softball Team
First team
Destiny Bergstresser, Rossville; Taryn Burkhardt, Silver Lake; Brinley Dyche, Rossville; Grace Gehl, Rock Creek; Brooklyn Goehring, Rock Creek; Kara Hafenstine, Wabaunsee; Jordan Harrison, St. Marys; Sophia Haverkamp, Rock Creek; Ellington Hogle, Silver Lake; Ashtyn Kulp, Riley County; McKenna Mayhew, St. Marys; Makenzie McDaniel, Silver Lake; Paxton Meyer, Wabaunsee; Gracie Rabe, Rossville; Jenna Weers, Rock Creek.
Honorable mention
Hailey Horton, Silver Lake; Ryleigh Jones, Wabaunsee; Kaibryn Kruger, Silver Lake; McKinley Kruger, Silver Lake; Jordan Magette, Wabaunsee; Josie McFall, Rock Creek; Catherine Moylan, St. Marys; CJ Rignell, Riley County.
MEL All-League Baseball Team
First team
Nic Allen, sr., Riley County; Zac Becker, jr., Rock Creek; Kaden Brown, jr., Rossville; Avery Holle, sr., Riley County; Conner Holle, sr., Riley County; Will Homan, sr., St. Marys; Camden Horak, fr., Rossville; Torrey Horak, jr., Rossville; Daigen Kruger, jr., Silver Lake; Kolton Payne, jr., Riley County; Conner Pruyser, sr., Silver Lake; Trent Reamer, sr., Silver Lake; Mason Sturdy, sr., Rock Creek; Brooks Whaley, sr., Rock Creek; Ben Wick, sr., Rock Creek.
Honorable mention
Ethan Bohnenblust, sr., Riley County; Tanner Christensen, sr., Rock Creek; Aiden Garcia, jr., Rossville; Luke Homan, jr., St. Marys; McGwyre Leathers, jr., Rossville; Joe McGrath, sr., Rossville; Eli Mumpower, sr., Wabaunsee; Bo Reeves, sr., Rossville; Bryton Reeves, so., Wabaunsee; Dylan Roush, sr., Silver Lake; Max Strecker, sr., Silver Lake; Dawson Zenger, sr., Rock Creek; Deacon Zordel, sr., Silver Lake.
Friday, June 18, 2021
Chester Williams, Sr., Passes Away
We are sad to announce that on June 10, 2021, at the age of 96, Chester Alexander Williams Sr. in Rossville, Kansas passed away.
Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Chester Alexander Williams Sr. to pay them a last tribute at https://www.echovita.com/us/obituaries/ks/rossville/chester-alexander-williams-sr-12892460
Thursday, June 17, 2021
3A Baseball All State Team
Baseball coaches from around the state have released the Kansas high school baseball all-state teams for the 2021 season. McGwyre Leathers was selected to the Second Team for 3A and Torrey Horak made Honorable Mention.
Tuesday, June 15, 2021
Golden Knights Get 10-6 Win
The Golden Giants defeated the Midwest As 10-6 on Monday night at Joe Campbell Stadium
Monday, June 14, 2021
Daniel Brunin Passes Away
St. Marys—Daniel L. “Dan” Brunin, 62, aka, “Farmer Dan” left this world for greener fields on Wednesday, June 9, 2021 after a long fight with kidney disease, and the most insidious disease no one has ever heard of, calciphylaxis.
He was born September 22, 1958, in Topeka, the son of Robert J. and Veronica J. Muller Brunin. Dan was raised in the St. Marys community and graduated from St. Marys High School in 1976. He was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in St. Marys.
Dan was a farmer and a truck gardener. On many weekends you would find him selling his produce in Downtown St. Marys. Gardening and farming were his passion. He especially loved raising sweet corn, tomatoes, and pumpkins. Brunin Sweet Corn was his pride and joy, and has been eaten in almost every state, and several different countries. In the last several years, his name “Farmer Dan” was used interchangeably with “Dan the Pumpkin Man,” by the many kids that went to pick pumpkins from his patch. He also loved growing corn and soybeans, and watching the grain market prices was one of his favorite pastimes. Even in his last days, he would excitedly ask for updates on grain prices, which his family and friends happily provided. In addition to farming, Dan operated Brunin Catering with his wife Donna, fulfilling yet another dream. He loved cooking for his friends and family, and his ribeye steaks and prime rib were legendary. His made-to-order omelet bar on Christmas morning was a tradition. One of his family’s biggest regrets is that he didn’t get to fix that one last prime rib for us as he hoped to do before he went to KU Med. Before farming and cooking, Dan had been a painter and he and his wife Donna owned and operated Brunin Paint and Decorating in St. Marys. As a painter, his skill, attention to detail, and quality was unmatched. He loved painting, and making his customers happy. Through both the Paint Store and his painting, he made friends from all walks of life in many different communities. He also skillfully refinished furniture, and was a tile layer. If handiwork was involved, he excelled at it, and enjoyed doing it. Dan fully embodied the saying, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
In addition to his professional talents, Dan was a skilled outdoorsman. He was an amazing fisherman. He set lines on the Kansas River, and caught flathead catfish from an early age. However, catching those fish was always better when he checked those lines with friends and family. His morel mushroom hunting ability was unparalleled. As his son Darin said, “…he could probably smell a morel mushroom from a ¼ mile away.” Many friends inquired as to whether he would give up his favorite morel spots to them before he passed. He did not. Some secrets are forever. However, he did share his wonder and love of nature with his children and grandchildren, and every Bald Eagle, every Monarch butterfly, and every Zinnia that flowers will be a reminder of him. His family and many, many friends meant the world to him.
He was preceded in death by his parents. Dan was united in marriage to Donna Jenssen on April 20, 1979, in St. Marys. She survives of the home.
Other survivors include his daughter, Danielle (Erik Chaney) Brunin, Lawrence (or Republic of Lawrence, as he loved to tease her); and four sons, Dustin (Lacey) Brunin, Topeka, Darin (Kellyn) Brunin, Lawrence, Dylan Brunin, Topeka and Derek (Victoria) Brunin, Rossville; four brothers, Edward (Annie) Brunin, Eudora, David (Kathy) Brunin, and Thomas (Debbie) Brunin, all of St. Marys and Steve (Vanessa) Brunin, Emporia; seven grandchildren, Noah, Marshall, Quinton, Henry, Kensley, Charles, and Claire, with one grandbaby on the way. He is also survived by his best dog pal, Spuds.
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, June 15, 2021, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Interment will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, St. Marys. Dan will lie in state and the family will receive friends Monday, from 5:00 until the rosary at 7:00 P.M. at the church.
The family would like to thank the doctors and staff at the University of Kansas Hospital for their kind and respectful care, and efforts while Dan was hospitalized. In lieu of flowers, consider cooking a meal for those you love, or go buy vegetables at your local Farmer’s Market in his honor. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Kidney Foundation, Wild Animal Sanctuary, or Little Prairie Donation Garden and sent in care of Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple Street, St. Marys, Kansas 66536. To leave online condolences go to www.piperfuneralhome.com.
Memorial For John Rogers (89)
MEMORIAL
JOHN W. ROGERS
1970-2021
A time for remembering and celebrating
John and saying good-bye
Sat. June 19, 2021
Rossville Methodist Church
Rossville, KS
Lunch follows. All are welcome.
Please share with friends and familiy
John died Jan. 22, 2021
John's obituary can be read at:
https://rossvilleksalumninews.blogspot.com/search?q=rogers
Sunday, June 13, 2021
Shrine Football Game June 26
The Kansas Shrine Bowl will take place for the 48th time Saturday, June 26th, 2021 at Gowan's Stadium in Hutchinson, KS. Bo Reeves from Rossville will be on the East team.
Each player selected has the opportunity to play in one of the most prominent all-star games in the nation and for a worthy cause. All players will be representing their high school, the Kansas Shrine Bowl and most importantly the Shriners Hospitals for Children and their patients. All proceeds from the game go to benefit the network of 22 hospitals.