Melvin Ketter (52) Passes Away

 Melvin (Mel) E. Ketter Sr. passed November 28, 2023, at the age of 89, in Topeka, Kansas.

Mel was born April 12, 1934, in Hoyt, Kansas, the son of Lawrence and Alma Irene (Troughton) Ketter.

After graduating from Rossville High School in 1952, Mel attended Washburn University. He joined the US Army, serving between 1956-1958 in Germany. He married Barbara Ullrich in 1959. Mel worked as a salesman for International Harvester, and later for the Ford Motor Company.

He was a member of St. Matthew’s Catholic Church, serving as an usher for more than 35 years. He enjoyed walking, golfing, and watching sports, especially Kansas University Basketball.

Mel is survived by his wife Barbara, children Mel Ketter Jr., Janet Ketter (Alex Dultmeier), and Linda (Mike) Kozubek.

Services will be held Wednesday, January 3, at St. Matthew Catholic Church, 2700 SE Virginia Ave., Topeka, Kansas, 66605. Visitation will begin at 9:00AM. With a Parish Rosary being prayed at 10:00AM. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 AM. A luncheon will immediately follow Mass at St. Matthew Catholic Church. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary cemetery at 1:30 PM.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Mel’s memory to St. Matthew Catholic Church. Contributions may be left with the church or sent in care of Midwest Cremation, 525 SE 37th Street, Topeka, KS 66605

Kansas Wrestling Coaches Assn. Rankings

Week One (Dec. 5)  1-4A  Girls Wrestling rankings.by KWCA 

Keera Lacock is #1 in the 118# class and Kendra Hurla is #1 in the 120# class after

Week one for 3-1 A boys wrestling has Paxton Willett at #2 in the 175# class and Barrett Lietz is #6 in the 215#  class

Irish Classic Tournament

 The Dawgs and Lady Dawgs competed in the first round of the Irish Classic tournament on Dec. 5. Both teams came home with wins over Bishop Ward.  

The Lady Dawgs prevailed 105-20  and the Dawgs by 56-48. 

Second round of the tournament will be Friday afternoon

3A Girls Basketball Rankings

 3A Girls Ranking per Kansas Basketball Coaches on Dec. 5

1 Silver Lake
2 Topeka - Hayden
3 Colby
4 Seneca-Nemaha Central
5 Hesston
6 Carbondale - Santa Fe Trail
7 Rossville
8 Halstead
9 Cheney
10 Goodland

Wrestling Results For Dec. 1

The Dawgs opened their wrestling season at Wamego. Barrett Lietz was the champion of his class.  Kelton Lacock placed second,  Paxton Willett placed third,  Mason Broce and Ayden Crosswhite placed fourth.

The Lady Dawgs opened their season at Spring Hill.   Keera Lacock and Kendra Hurla won their classes and Hailey Horton placed  second.  Rossville placed 11th of 18  teams competing, however most of the teams had far more competitors and many were larger schools.

Betty (Stiles) Schneider Passes Away

Betty Jean Schneider, 78, passed away Tuesday, November 28, 2023, at a Topeka hospital.

Jean was born November 7, 1945, at Rossville, the daughter of Howard N. and Gertrude Fox Stiles. She was raised in Rossville and graduated from Rossville High School. Jean was a first-generation college graduate earning a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Master of Education from Washburn University.

Jean started her career as an elementary school teacher, then devoted over 35 years as a childcare provider. Jean took great pride in all the children she cared for over the years and followed them all as they scattered out into the world. She was passionate about her local community of Rossville. She believed in civic engagement and was an active member of St. Stanislaus Catholic Church. She loved the Rossville Dawgs.

Preceding her in death were a brother, Howard Dale Stiles; sisters, Marie Owens and Laura Miller.

Jean met a young Army medic, Patrick Schneider, through lifelong friends, and they were married at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church on June 10, 1969. Patrick survives at their home.

Other survivors include two sons, Michael (Kandee) Schneider, McPherson, and Charles Schneider, Chicago; two grandchildren, Hayden and Perrin Schneider, both of Denver.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, December 21, 2023, at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Rossville. The rosary will be recited at 10 a.m. before the mass. Burial will be in the Rossville Cemetery. Family and friends are invited to visit after the burial at Dekat Hall at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Stanislaus Catholic Church or the Rossville Senior Center and sent in care of Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple Street, St. Marys, Kansas 66536. To leave online condolences, go to www.piperfuneralhome.com.

Rossville 2023-24 Girls Wrestling Roster

Weight    Name        Grade

105        Brinley Pottorf  11 
15/120   Keera Lacock   12
120/125 Kendra Hurla   12
125        Shayla Rezac   11  
145        Madelyn Wonnell 9 
155        Hailey Horton  11

Rossville 2023-24 Boys Wrestling Roster

      Name               Class

1.  Kelton Lacock 9 
2.  Remington Droegemeier 9
3.  Mason Broce 12
4.  Jordan Finnesey Alisher 12
5.  Paxton Willett 10
6.  John Mcgrath 12
7.  Charlie Chance 9
8.  Ayden Crosswhite 10
9   Barret Lietz 12

Rossville Vs Atchison Co. BB

The RHS boys basketball team  lost to Atchison Co. by a score of 73-73.  Jack Donovan led the scoring with 20 including three 3pt. makes.  Tayson Horak had 13 points.

The girls basketball team won 71-20.. Emma Mitchell led the scoring with  24 points including four successful 3 pt. shots.  Rylee Dick had 16 points including two 3 treys.

Buddy Lee Taylor Passes Away

     Buddy Lee Taylor, 83, of Lawrence, Kansas, passed away Wednesday, November 29, 2023, at his home surrounded by his loving family.  
    Graveside services will be held 2:30 pm, Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at Richmond Cemetery, Richmond, Kansas. 
     Family will greet friends from 1:00 – 2:00 pm, Wednesday, December 6, 2023, at Dengel & Son Mortuary, Ottawa.
     He was born Monday, July 15, 1940, in Rich Hill, Missouri to William "Stub" and Erva Taylor.
    In 1943, the family moved to a farm near Lane, Kansas. He graduated from Lane High School in 1958.
    Buddy joined the Air Force in 1958, stationed in Albany, Georgia until 1960. He then transferred to Forbes in Topeka, Kansas, in 1960. After discharge in 1963, he worked for a private contractor doing maintenance for base housing.
On October 2, 1960, he married Mary Smith (RHS class of 1960) in Rossville. They later divorced.
    In the late 1960s, he went to work at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. in Topeka. While living in Rossville, he enjoyed many civic projects and activities. Buddy moved to Ottawa in 1983 and went into business with his brother at Taylor Construction and they formed Taylor Brothers Construction. In 1986, they bought Andy's siding and Bud ran that until 1993 when they sold Andy's and purchased Rent Masters. Bud continued to run that until his retirement in 2002.  
    On May 23, 1986, he married Dianna Carey in Ottawa.  They enjoyed traveling and he liked the fact that they had been in every state including Alaska and Hawaii. They spent ten years being snowbirds going to Texas for the winter. There they learned pen turning and making wooden bowls. He attended many craft shows and also made many Christmas and birthday gifts. In summers, they enjoyed camping with friends.
    He was preceded in death by his parents; six sisters Fay Taylor, Alice Mason, Blanche Lowe, Vera Shurtz, Betty Hamblin, and Rita Taylor; six brothers Dale Taylor, Garland Taylor, Carl Taylor, Darroll Taylor, Roy Taylor and Ray Taylor; and one step son Vance Carey.
    Survivors include wife Dianna; two sons Jeff Taylor (Darla) of Topeka and Buddy Taylor, Jr. (Beth Martinez) of Ozawkie; daughter Martha "Marti" Clark (Chris Wichman) of Topeka; step son Bret Carey (Nicole) of Pomona; step daughter-in- law Stacey Carey of Ottawa; brother Ralph Taylor of Ottawa; sister Wanda Lynch of Cincinnati, Ohio; ten grandchildren; and fifteen great grandchildren.
    The family suggests memorial contributions to Douglas County Visiting Nurses c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory, Ottawa, Kansas 66067.

Boys 2023-24 Basketball Roster

No  Name    Class   Height 

0 Jakoby McDonnell 10 5'5" 
1 Alex Mattia 10 5'8"
2 Saint Mildren 11 6'4"
3 Jack Donovan 10 5'11"
4 Cael Horgan 9 5'11"
5 Conner Bush 10 5'11"
10 Mason Jones 11 6'4"
11Cameron Miller 10 6'4"
12 Tayson Horak 11 5'10"
13 Avery Crosswhite 12 6'3"
15 Mahki Jackson 11 5'10"
20 James Wuensch 10 5'9"
22 Kameron Badura 11 6'3"
23 Bogdan Mihajlovic 12 5'9"
24 Andre Johnson 10 5'10"

Girls 2023-24 Basketball Roster

No  Name  Grade  Height

1 Brooklyn Horgan 12 5’3” 
2 Kinsey Perine 12 5’9” 
3 Shyanne Haehn 11 5’3”
4 Emma Mitchell 12 5’11”
5 Kinley Porter 12 5’10” 
11 Ellie Sanders 9 5'6" 
12 Rylee Dick 10 5'6" 
13 Maggie Sanders 10 5'4"
14 Lilly Mitchell 10 5'5"
15 Payton Dick 9 5'4"
21 Leni Lewis 9 5'6"
22 Nora Burdiek 9 5'10"
25 Katie Spielman 12 5'11"
30 Grace Olejnik 9 5'7"
32 Beya Boumaiza 11 5'2"
33 Valentina Mammi 11 5'6"
35 Tatum Miller 9 5'1"
42 Katie Aubert 9 5'6 

Vic Miller To Run For Senate

Senate Minority Leader Vic Miller, DTopeka, filed paperwork with the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office to run for Topeka’s newly drawn District 19.

Miller has a long history representing Topeka in the Statehouse, first joining the House in 1979 and serving three terms. Miller served 15 years on the Shawnee County Commission, eight years on the Topeka City Council and four years as Topeka Municipal Court judge.

It would be Miller’s second tenure in the Senate. In 2019, Gov. Laura Kelly appointed Miller to fill the seat she vacated to serve as governor. He held the seat for two years before returning to his House seat with a successful 2020 campaign.

Betty Jean Schneider Passes Away

Betty Jean Schneider (Rossville, Kansas),  passed away on November 28, 2023, at the age of 78, 

A rosary will be held on Thursday, December 21st 2023 at 10:00 AM at the St. Stanislaus Catholic Church (703 Main St, Rossville, KS 66533). A mass of christian burial will be held on Thursday, December 21st 2023 from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM at the same location. A burial will be held on Thursday, December 21st 2023 at 11:30 AM at the Rossville Cemetery (13651 NW 54th St, Rossville, KS 66533).