Henry John Smatla Passes Away

   Henry John Smatla, 93, Meriden, died Thursday, December 12, 2013, at Linnwood Park, Meriden. He was born June 6, 1920, at Maple Hill, Kansas, the son of Thomas and Marie Smatla.
    Mr. Smatla was a member of the Community Church which was located North of Rossville, The Rossville Presbyterian Church and the ZCBJ Lodge. Mr. Smatla served in the C.C.C. in 1938, and enlisted and served in the Navy from 1941 to 1945. He served sea duty for 18 months in the European Theater, for which he received 2 battle stars, and served 26 months in the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign, Fleet Air Wing 17, for which he received 3 battle stars. During that time, he traveled 10 oceans and seas. Mr. Smatla was an AVA Machinist. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1945.
    Mr. Smatla married Alice Laura Hillix, October 19, 1949, in Topeka. She preceded him in death on April 12, 1995. Surviving are a son: Larry Lee Smatla (Linda) of Oskaloosa, a daughter: Marcia Lynn Reiter (Ron) of Topeka; three grandchildren: Laura Marie Smatla Turner (Jim), Travis Lee Reiter (Cait), and Luke Edward Smatla (Heather); great-grandchildren: Garrett and Lydia Turner; and sisters: Lydia Carl and Marie DeVeney.
     Mr. Smatla first farmed north of Silver Lake, Kansas and north of Rossville, Kansas. He moved to a farm north of Meriden in 1954, where grain and cattle were his pride. He was a member of the Meriden United Methodist Church; Topeka North Post # 400 of the American Legion; V.F.W.; D.A.V.; and Moose Lodge # 555. He served as a Board Member of the Meriden Co-op; the Meriden United Methodist Church; and served on the F.H.A. Board for 12 years.
    Funeral services will be at 1:00 PM, Monday, December 16, 2013, at the Meriden United Methodist Church. Military honors will be conducted at Czech-Morovian Cemetery, Delia. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 7:30 PM, Sunday, at the Meriden United Methodist Church. Memorial contributions may be made to Grace Hospice, 3715 SW 29th Street, Suite 100, Topeka, KS 66614 or the Meriden United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 520, Meriden, KS 66512. Penwell-Gabel Parker-Price Chapel is in charge of arrangements. To leave a special message for the family online, visit www.PenwellGabelTopeka.com.

RHS Girls BB Team Whips El Dorado

    The RHS girls basketball team beat El- Dorado in the Fighting Irish Classic at Chapman on Friday,  Dec. 13, by a 41-36 score.  Down 20-14 at the half,  they made a huge 3rd quarter charge to take the lead and eventual win.  They have now won both of their games at this tournament and will face Sacred Heart on Dec. 14.

El Dorado       8       12      6     10     =     36
Rossville          4      10     14     13     =     41

Rossville  scoring:
Nitsch                          3 (2)       3-11      11
Steckel                         2 (2)       3-4         9
Kirk                              2            4-7         8
Hill                                2            0-1         4
VanderPutten                1            1-2         3
Shinn                             1 (1)      0-2         3
Hill                                1            0-0         2
Shinn                             0            1-2         1 

Totals                           12 (5)   12-30      41

RHS Boys BB Team Falls to El Dorado

The RHS boys lost to El Dorado in the second game of the Fighting Irish Classic Tournament at Chapman by a score of 69-39.  Their final game of the tournament  will be against Sacred Heart on Sunday.

Henry Vogel Passes Away

    Henry Hank Daniel Vogel, 95, of Manhattan, passed away Monday, December 9th, at Homestead of Manhattan.
    Hank was born October 29, 1918, in Rossville, Kansas, son of Henry and Myrle (Hall) Vogel. He was a graduate of Berryton High School. He served as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army in Company K, 345th Infantry Regiment, 87th Golden Acorn Division during WWII. He served under General Patton and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, receiving the Bronze Star. Hank was employed as a maintenance supervisor with California Inn Management, retiring in 1988. Mr. Vogel was a life member of Post 17 American Legion and Pearce-Keller Post No. 17 V.F.W., both in Manhattan.
    Hank was married to Betty (Martin) Lorenz in 1942 in Topeka. They had one child, Lawrence. They were later divorced. He married Isla Mae Gates in 1972 and they were later divorced. Survivors include his son and daughter-in-law, Lawrence and Cinda Vogel, of Manhattan; granddaughter Lindsay and husband Clint Silver of Osage City, and great-grandsons, Reed Silver and Chase Silver, of Osage City; sister Reta and husband Calvin Holmes of Topeka, and several nieces and nephews. Hank was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers, Edgar, Thurman, David and Bernard Vogel and a sister, Louise Vogel.
    A memorial service will be held at 2:00pm Friday, December 13th, in the Chapel of the First Presbyterian Church, 801 Leavenworth, Manhattan, with Rev. R. C. Cam McConnell officiating. Private family inurnment will be at the Kansas Veterans Cemetery, Manhattan, KS prior to the service with Military Honors by the Ft. Riley Honor Guard. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Good Shepherd Hospice House, 3801 Vanesta Dr. Manhattan, KS 66503. To send an online condolence or gift, visit www.irvinparkview.com. Services by Irvin-Parkview Funeral Home and Cremation, Manhattan. 

RHS Girls Advance Over Chapman Girls

    The RHS girls won the first round of the Fighting Irish Classic tournament at Chapman with a 35.30  win over  Chapman  on Tue night, Dec. 10

Rossville                    8     8     9     10     =     35
Chapman                  2     6      5     17     =     30

Rossville scoring: 

    Nitsch                       2 (2)       6-8     12 
    Hill                           3            0-2       6
    Kirk                          1            3-6       5 
    Steckel                     2           1-1        5 
    VanderPutten            1            0-4       2   
    Dick                         1            0-0        2 
    Little                         1           0-0        2 
    Shinn                        0           1-4        1 
    Totals                      11 (2)      11-25   35

Rossville Defeats Chapman

    The Dawgs won the first round of the Fighting Irish Classic tournament at Chapman with a 54-45  win over the Chapman boys on Tue night, Dec. 10

Rossville         10     14     11     19     =     54

Chapman        15     10       7     13     =     45

Rossville  scoring: 

Th. Horak                         6 (2)         4-5       18
C. Horak                          3 (1)         4-6       11
Schultz-Pruner                 4               1-4        9
Tu. Horak                         1              4-5         6
Woodcock                       1              4-4         6
Roduner                           1               0-3        2
Justice                              1              0-0        2
Sowers                             0              0-0        0

    Totals                         17  (3)      17-27     54

Mission Valley Invitational Wrestling

    The RHS wrestling team finished 3rd out of 15 teams, behind Marysville (189) and Chapman (171) with 150.5 points at the Mission Valley Invitational on Dec. 7.

The highest placing RHS grapplers were:
Jacob Gentry       2nd   132#
Alex Bird             6th    138#
Derek Gentry     5th    145#
Tagen Lambotte 1st     152#
Nick Reesor       2nd   160#
Isaac Luellen      1st     170#

The complete results of the tournament can be read at: 
http://www.kawvalley.k12.ks.us/schools/rjshs/athletics/wrestling/13-14/13_mv.pdf

3A All State Football Team

    The Capital-Journal has released their 3A  All-State Football Team.
    RHS players Marcus Catron and Tucker Horak  both made the team.    Marcus is listed as a 5-11, 170 pound lineman and he is a senior.  Tucker Horak is listed as 5-9, 175 pound  defensive back and he is a sophomore.  Tucker also had an outstanding season as a quarterback.
    RHS also had four players make the Honorable Mention list.  They are juniors Thatcher Horak and Nick Reasor and seniors Davis Wharton and Tagen Lambotte.

Wamego Girls Triumph

The Wamego Girls defeated the RHS Girls on Thur. night 49-14.

Wamego      11     18     11     9    =   49

Rossville         0       4       6     4    =   14

Rossville scoring:
Hill                               4
Steckel                       3
Little                            3
Kirk                             2
Shinn                          2
Total                         14

Wamego Defeats RHS Boys

WAMEGO 83, ROSSVILLE 49

Wamego     27     25     15     16   =   83

Rossville       6      12     13     18  =    49

Rossville  scoring:  

Schultz-Pruner                    4           4-6       12
Horak                                   3 (1)     4-7       11
Horak                                   3 (1)     1-2         8
Horak                                   2 (1)     0-2         5
Woodcock                           0           5-6         5
Sowers                                 0           4-8         4
Hammer                               1            0-0         2
Roduner                               1            0-4         2
Totals                                 14 (3)    18-38     49

Matt Taylor Recruiting Page

    Matt Taylor,  senior wide receiver at RHS,  has a recruiting web page and highlights video at:
http://www.ncsasports.org/football-recruiting/ks/rossville/rossville-high-school1/matthew-taylor13

Dr. Eugene McKenzie Passes Away

EuGene F. McKenzie DDS, 80, died Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at the St. Marys Community Hospital, the result of complications from a stroke he suffered a year ago.

He was born August 25, 1933 in Hannibal, MO, the youngest of eight children of the late Leo and Grace Elliston McKenzie.   On June 15, 1957 he was united in marriage to Patricia Passman at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in St. Marys. EuGene graduated from McCooey High School in Hannibal in 1952 and then enlisted in the US Army where he served for two years during the Korean War. He graduated from St. Benedict's College in Atchison in 1959 and UMKC School of Dentistry in Kansas City in 1963.

While attending dental school, he drove a bookmobile for Kansas City area libraries and worked for Mr. Claude Clark, a builder in Overland Park, KS.    After receiving his doctorate, Dr. McKenzie worked in Topeka at a clinic for underprivileged children and on weekends for Dr. Al Morley in Atchison. A year later he opened his dental office in Dr. Fred Brown's Clinic in St. Marys.  Dr. McKenzie practiced in St. Marys for 46 years before his retirement in 2010.  He was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and the Kansas Dental Association.   Dr. McKenzie sang in various choirs and had sung at many weddings and funerals. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, of the home, and his son, John Patrick McKenzie, of  Rockville, MD.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, December 7, 2013 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in St. Marys.   Interment will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, St. Marys.   Dr. McKenzie will lie in state after 2:00 P.M. Friday, December 6, 2013 at the church, where the family will receive friends after 5:00 P.M. and the rosary will be recited at 6:00 P.M.  Memorials are asked to be in the form of Masses for the repose of his soul and may be sent to Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple Street, St. Marys, KS 66536.   Online condolences may be expressed at www.piperfuneralhome.com.

Derek Dick Interview in MVP Magazine

The Dec. issue of Shawnee County MVP Sports Magazine has an interview of RHS basketball coach Derek Dick on pages 23-25.
http://www.mvpsportsmagazine.com/magazine/

Tagen Lambotte (14) in MVP Magazine

    There is an article about Tagen Lambotte on page 8 of MVP sports magazine.  Go to:
http://www.mvpsportsmagazine.com/magazine/