Amy Keller Engaged to Tim Shoemaker

    The engagement of Amy D. Keller and Timothy J. Shoemaker is announced by their parents, Dennis and Ann Keller, Rossville, KS, and Alan and Rosemary Shoemaker, Geneseo, IL. They will be married on August 16, 2014, in Chicago at the Bridgeport Art Center's Skyline Loft.
    The bride attended Rossville High School and received a B.S. in Political Science and a B.S. in Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown Law Center, Washington D.C. She is employed as an attorney at Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Chicago.
    The groom attended J D Darnall Senior High School and graduated with a Marketing Degree from North Central College, Chicago. He is a Director of Client Management at Millward Brown, Chicago, and is the Board President of Field of Dreams Uganda.

Georgianne Davis Passes Away

     Georgianne Davis, 96, passed away May 8, 2014 at the Topeka Presbyterian Manor where she had been a resident for over four years.
     She was born April 10, 1918 to George and Rosie Olejnik of Rossvile, KS. She attended Victor 101 school district (north of Rossville) and later completed her GED. She was also a graduate of the Menninger Bible Class. She worked several years in Chicago and later in Topeka for the Kansas Department of Transportation as a data entry operator before retiring in 1983.
    She is survived by a son, Richard Davis, of Kansas City, KS. She is also survived by two sisters, Agnes Wike and Helen Donly. She was preceded in death by one sister, Josephine Pressgrove. She is survived by one brother, William Olejnik. Brothers George, Rudy, Henry and Ed Olejnik preceded her in death. She was laid to rest at Prairie Home Cemetery.

Ronald Wyatt (71) Passes Away

     Ronald D. "Ron" Wyatt, 61, of Paxico, KS passed away Friday, June 20, 2014.
    He was born March 14, 1953 in Holdrege, NE, the son of Robert C. and Edna M. (Bent) Wyatt. He was a 1971 graduate of Rossville High School. Ron was employed and later retired from Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Topeka. He was a member of Rubber Workers Union Local No. 307.
    Survivors include four siblings, Bob (Linda) Wyatt, Raymond, KS, Mike (Joetta) Wyatt, Burlingame, KS, Pat (Edith) Wyatt, Pierceville, KS and Dave (Tracie) Wyatt, Hoyt, KS; his mother, Edna Wyatt, Lyons, KS; several nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews and cousin Ruby Groothuis and family of Nebraska.
    Mr. Wyatt was cremated. A memorial ceremony will be 2 p.m., Friday, June 27, 2014 at the Penwell-Gabel Parker-Price Chapel, 245 NW Independence Ave, Topeka. To leave a special message for the family online, please visit www.PenwellGabelTopeka.com

Betty Mitchell Passes Away

    Betty Jane Mitchell, 89, Silver Lake, died Thursday, June 19, 2014, at Stormont-Vail s Emergency Room.
    She was born January 1, 1925, at Hope, Kansas, the ninth of ten children born to Warner William and Sadie Irene (Garrett) Heim. She was preceded in death by her parents, sisters: Edna Kolzow and Dorothy Steele; and brothers: Roger Heim, Russell Heim, Warner Heim, Jr., Jack Heim, and Milton Heim.
    Betty was married to Stanley Mitchell on January 1, 1948, at Topeka. Together they farmed at Silver Lake. Stan preceded her in death on November 5, 1995. Betty was a member of the Silver Lake United Methodist Church, and the Auxiliary to Jimmie Lillard American Legion Post # 31 of Rossville.
    Surviving are sons: Hon. Daniel L. Mitchell (Linda) and Michael M. Mitchell, all of Silver Lake; grandchildren: Joshua Mitchell of Topeka, Travis Mitchell of the U.S. Navy, Port Hueneme, California, Amanda Mitchell of Kansas City, Kansas, and Lucas Mitchell of Topeka; a sister: Evelyn Bauck (Clem) of Leoti; and a brother: Beverly Sonny Heim (Lee) of Belton, Missouri; and a sister-in-law: Margie Heim of Pilot Grove, Missouri.
    Memorial services will be at 10:30 AM, Tuesday, June 24, 2014, at Silver Lake United Methodist Church, with the family receiving friends at a luncheon to follow. Private interment of cremains will be in Silver Lake Cemetery. The family would like to thank the staff of The Homestead Assisted Living Residence for the wonderful care given to Betty; and to DiAnna Little for the years of devotion and friendship, which greatly enriched Betty s life. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer s Association, 4125 SW Gage Center Drive, Suite LL-15, Topeka, KS 66604; Silver Lake United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 188, Silver Lake, KS 66539; or The Silver Lake Library Building Fund, 203 West Railroad, Silver Lake, KS 66539. To leave a special message for the family online, visit www.PenwellGabelTopeka.com.

Junction City Wins at Rossville

    The Rattlers lost  in extra innings to the league leading Junction City Brigade on Friday night at Joe Campbell Stadium  by a score of 12-7.
    For video highlights of the game,  go to:
http://kansasfirstnews.com/2014/06/20/rossville-rattlers-vs-junction-city-brigade-friday/

J. C. Bridage Defeats Rattlers Thur. Night.

   On Thursday night,  the visiting Junction City Brigade unleashed an offensive barrage to  down the Rattlers 22-10.

Senators Get 4-3 Win Over Rattlers

From CJOnline
    Chase Knott twice came through in the clutch, lifting the Topeka Senators to a 4-3 win over Rossville on Wednesday.
    With the win, the Senators improved to 6-4 and are now tied for second place with the Junction City Brigade in the Mid-Plains League.
    Knott, a shortstop from Rogers State (Okla.) University, hit a game-winning home run in the eighth inning on a 3-0 count. It was a swing in which Knott did not have the green light.
    “I just decided to go,” Knott said. “In a tied ballgame with a short porch, I just decided to take a cut.”
    Rossville loaded the bases in the ninth inning against closer Tanner Gragg, and Knott, who had not pitched in three years, came in and finished the game by inducing a grounder.
    “I had not pitched since my senior year in high school in 2011,” Knott said. “We were out of pitching so someone had to come in.”
    The Rattlers jumped out to a 3-1 lead, one of the runs scored via a solo home run by first baseman Harrison Hill.
    Senators second baseman Andrew Ramirez tied the game in the sixth by hitting a two-run double down the left-field line.
    “We needed a big hit down two runs,” Ramirez said. “The pitcher went down and away, and I just got the job done.”
    Anthony Miele earned the win throwing two-plus innings of scoreless relief. It was the second appearance for Miele in the three-game series. Miele, a side-armed pitcher from Allen County Community College, did not give up a hit and is becoming someone Senators coach Chris Graves can lean on for big outs.
    “I loved the fight tonight,” Graves said. “And Miele did a great job. I love the sidearm. I think everyone loves the side-armer. If he picks up a few miles an hour, he has a chance to become a great closer.”
Topeka got multiple-hit nights from Austin Culwell, Kameron Clark and Chase Ray.
    Rossville wasted a strong outing from former Topeka West Charger Ben Ramberg, who threw five solid innings. Rossville left 12 runners on base and the loss drops the Rattlers to 1-8 in Mid-Plains play.


Topeka (6-4)   000 012 010 — 4 9 2
Rossville (1-8) 011 010 000 — 3 7 2

Michaels, Miele (6), Gragg (9), Knott (9) and Gragg, Hay (9). Ramberg, Plassmeyer (6 ) and Christian. W — Miele. L — Plassmeyer. S – Knott. 2B — Topeka: Ramirez, Rossville: Schaareman. HR — Topeka: Knott, Rossville: Hill.

Rattlers Shut Out Senators

From CJOnline
    Two Rossville pitchers combined for a one-hit shutout as the Rattlers won their first game in the inaugural season of the Mid-Plains League.
    Kansas State pitcher Bryce Ward threw seven innings of one-hit ball, while North Dakota’s Ellery Bresnahan threw two hitless relief frames in Rossville’s 4-0 win over the Topeka Senators on Tuesday night.
    “It feels good and we definitely got a great pitching performance from Bryce Ward tonight,” Rattlers coach Toby Cowdin said. “He threw seven strong innings with nine strikeouts, and without him we would probably still be struggling. It was a big night for the ace to come out and do what he does.”
    Ward got ahead of hitters all game long and kept his pitch count low by only having one inning with a pitch total of more than 15. He finished the night needing just 87 pitches to get through seven innings. Twice he struck out the Senators in order.
    “I got ahead with first-pitch strikes multiple times. I felt good,” Ward said. “I was throwing my breaking ball for strikes, and when you can throw all of your pitches for strikes, you can do whatever you want in the count.”
    Ward also benefited from pitching with a lead as Rossville scored single runs in the second and third innings. McKenzie McAfee led off the second inning with a solo home run to right field, while Washburn Rural product Luke Bordewick hit an RBI single in the third.
    “Our offense and defense was outstanding tonight,” Ward said. “We got a couple of early runs and that’s all we needed.”
    Bordewick, a Pittsburg State Gorilla, was 2 for 4 on the night with two singles and the one RBI. This is the third season Bordewick has played with the Rattlers, so he knows all too well how important it was to get the win for Toby Cowdin, whose father, former Rossville coach Brett Cowdin, died late last year.
The Rattlers wear No. 14 patches on their jerseys in memory of their former coach and mentor.
    “Coach (Brett) Cowdin will never be forgotten; we have his patch on our jerseys and I’ve been thinking about him a lot,” Bordewick said. “He was a great man. I loved him as a coach and a person.
    “It feels good to win. We’ve been on each other a little because we have been losing, but hopefully this win will start us on a roll. We’re starting to get in more of a rhythm and we finally got that win.”
Rattler second baseman Tim Schaarman, from Nebraska-Omaha, had a 4-for-4 night that included a two-run homer which capped the Rossville scoring.
    Ryan Colombo hit a solid single for the Senators in the first inning, but his hit would be the only one of the night for Topeka (5-4).

Senators (5-4) 000 000 000 — 0  1  1
Rattlers (1-7)   011 200 00x — 4 11 1

Colombo, Edwards (8) and Hay. Ward, Bresnahan (8) and Srna. W — Ward. L — Colombro 2B — Rossville: Srna. HR — Rossville: McAfee, Schaareman.

Senators Win With Late Homers

From CJ Online:
   Two late-inning home runs served as the run differential in the Topeka Senators’ 9-6 Mid-Plains League victory over the Rossville Rattlers late Monday.
Ryan Colombo, a Seaman graduate playing at Drury University, hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning to break a 6-6 tie. That home run was followed by a solo shot in the ninth inning by Missouri Western’s Andrew Ramirez.
   Colombo hit the home run chasing in Topeka’s Grant Arnold, who reached base in all six plate appearances with four singles and two walks. The Senators’ No. 1 and 2 hitters in the lineup combined for 6 hits, 4 runs, and 4 RBIs.
   “You couldn’t ask for more from those guys at the top. About five or six games in we switched Grant to the top of the order, and he’s done everything we have asked him to do,” Senators coach Chris Graves said. “Colombo always gets him over. That’s the job of the No. 2 guy, and he’s been getting it done.”
The offensive performance backed a solid outing from the Senators bullpen. Buddy Fellers earned the win in relief. Fellers threw 3 2/3 innings, striking out two batters. Anthony Miele earned the save by recording the final four outs, the first a strikeout that stranded a Rossville runner on the base path.
   “Buddy told me before the game that he was feeling it, so I told him he would be the first out of the pen,” Graves said. “Miele and I worked out two hours before the game, and I showed him some pointers. The side-arm thing is new for him, but tonight he looked like a veteran.”
   The bullpen backed up an up-and-down outing for starting pitcher Scott Shinn. Shinn, a graduate of Rossville High School and a former Rattler, pitched his first game in Rossville since the passing on Rossville Baseball mentor Bret Cowdin. Shinn struggled to get ahead of hitters, falling behind in the count to the first three batters he faced.
   Rossville plated two first-inning runs before Shinn settled in to strike out five batters over four innings.
“It was definitely something else. I really wanted to pitch against Rossville. It was a really nice thing to get to pitch here in front of Toby and coach Cowdin’s family. This was just special to be a part of it,” Shinn said.
With the win the Senators improve to 5-3 in Mid-Plains action coming off the heels of a tough series against the Junction City Brigade.
   “It’s a big win. We lost 10-0 to Junction City, and they have a great ball club out there. It’s great to just come out and show some fight. Our bullpen pitched really well, and we made some big defensive plays,” Colombo said.
    Colombo will take the mound for game two of the series against the Rattlers, who fell to 0-7 in league play.

Topeka (5-3)      0 1 3 0 0 2 0 2 1    =  9 13 2
Rossville (0-7)    2  0 1 2 0 0 1 0 0   =   6  7  3

Rattler's Lose on Brett Cowdin Night

   The Rattlers lost to the Baldwin City Blues on Saturday night 11-8 after retiring the jersey of former coach and founder Brett Cowdin.
    The Rattlers will play at home Tue. through Sat. night weather permitting.  The Tue and Wed games will be against the Topeka Senators and the Thur-Sat games against Junction City.

Scholarships Awarded to RHS Seniors

Rossville High School held its annual Spring Awards Night on Wednesday, May 7, 2014 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:

Rossville United Methodist Church: ($2000 renewable scholarship)

Presented by Pastor Lori Schwilling to Ashlynn Biehler and Davis Warton.  Ashlynn plans to attend Cloud County Community College and has also received the Cloud County Cheer Scholarship. Davis will attend William Jewell College to study BioChemistry and has also received football and academic scholarships.

Custom Wood Products Scholarship: ($1000 renewable)
Presented to Davis Warton. 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: ($200)
Presented by Shari Gentry to Davis Warton. The award began in 2012 and the recipient must have participated in a KSHSAA activity throughout high school. Davis has also received the Kansas National Guard Foundation Scholarship.

RHS Opportunity Scholarship: ($300)
Presented to Davis Warton. This is the 2nd 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.

H & R Block Scholarship: ($300)
Presented by Wayne Kellner to Cheyanne Daniels. She will attend Allen County Community College to study Biological Systems and has also received a softball scholarship.

Shawnee County Farm Bureau Association Scholarship: ($500)
Presented by Randol Walker, Board President, to Samantha Thompson. Samantha will attend K-State to study Accounting and has received the KSU Leadership Scholarship.

Lloyd and Pearl Burley Memorial Scholarship: ($500)
Presented to Samantha Thompson. The award was established by relatives of the Burleys to honor the Univ. of New Mexico teachers. Recipients are chosen from Shawnee County based on their strength of transcript, resume, and essays. Samantha has also received the Elks Scholarship.

Rossville High School Alumni Association: ($1000)
Presented by Dean Page to Karey Stublett-Nichols and Samantha Thompson. The Association was founded in 1998 and has awarded over $11,000 to deserving students in this 16-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.

P.E.O. Scholarship: ($300)
Presented by Lynette Hudson to Karey Sublett-Nichols. This scholarship is awarded annually to young ladies from each of the area high schools. Karey has previously received the Washburn Academic and ABWA Scholarships.

Kaw Valley Education Association: ($250)
Presented by Deanna Hill to Karey Sublett-Nichols. KVEA annually raises money and presents scholarships to an RHS and SMHS student planning to pursue a career in education.

Duane Parr Memorial Scholarship: ($500)
Presented to Karey Sublett-Nichols. This scholarship was established by J.D. Parr and his family and friends as an endowment to honor Mr. Parr, who passed away in January of 2006. Since the Parr family has a strong interest in music, the recipient must have participated in high school band. Karey participated in band all 4 years and plans to attend Washburn University to major in Elementary Education and minor in Music. She auditioned for and was selected as a member of the elite Trumpet Studio that only consists of a director and a few chosen students.

Kansas Masonic Grand Lodge Essay Contest:

Presented to Josh Schaefer (1^st place) and Kaylyn Betty (2^nd place). Each year, Rossville High School juniors and seniors participate in an essay contest conducted by the Masonic Grand Lodge of Kansas. The local Masonic Lodge from Delia organizes, selects, and provides awards to the school winners. This year, students were asked to write an essay to support their stance on whether to maintain or reform the current Electoral College system.

Bryan Lindstrom Inspirational Scholarship: ($500)

Presented by Craig Stromgren to Therese VanderPutten. This scholarship is a tribute to Bryan, who lost his life to cancer in 2013 and was an inspiration to others. Therese will attend Dodge City Community College where she has also received a softball scholarship.

Doug Perine Memorial Scholarship: ($500)

Presented to Therese VanderPutten. 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 in an area related to medicine.

Les Hallmark Memorial Scholarship: ($200)

Presented to Therese VanderPutten. The scholarship was established by Dorothy Hallmark and is awarded annually in memory of Les who was an Art teacher at Rossville High School for many years. Therese has also received the Topeka Legal Professionals Scholarship.

Marjorie Helen Lanning Scholarship: ($1500)

Presented to Therese VanderPutten. The 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.

Cecile Zlatnik Memorial Scholarship: ($250)

Presented to Hailey Dick. The scholarship is presented annually to recognize individuals who demonstrate outstanding character, service, and leadership. Hailey has previously received the KSU Leadership and YWCA Future Leaders Scholarships. She will attend KSU in the fall to study Political Science.

Cole Arnold Memorial Scholarship: ($500)

Presented by Toby and Ann McCullough to Caleb Falk.

The award is presented annually in memory of their son Cole who died in a car accident the summer before his Senior year. Caleb plans to attend Ozark Christian College to study Youth Ministry.

Rossville Community Development Committee (RCDC) Scholarship: ($300)

Presented by Kelli Kenny to Jacob Gentry and Caleb Falk. The scholarship is based on achievements, community involvement, and contributions to the community of Rossville.

Rossville Rustlers 4-H Scholarship:

Presented by Laurie Glotzbach to Jacob Gentry. Jacob had previously received the Kaw Valley Limousine Livestock Scholarship and will attend Washburn Institute of Technology to study Electricity.

Pete Darting Memorial Scholarship: ($150)

Presented by Rod Brown to Tagen Lambotte. The award was established in 2008 by the Darting family to honor Mr. Darting, an avid supporter of the Rossville Dawgs. Tagen will attend the University of Iowa to study BioChemistry, where he has also received a wrestling scholarship.

Ron Monhollon Memorial Scholarship: ($300)

Presented by Ronda Channel to Rocky Welch. The award was established by the Monhollon and Channel families and is awarded to a student planning to continue their education in a vocational program. Rocky will complete his education in the fall at Washburn Institute of Technology in the Automotive Technology program.

Rossville High Senior Awards

ROSSVILLE HIGH AWARDS

During the annual Spring Awards Night at Rossville Jr./Sr. High School , the following awards were presented:

KSU OUTSTANDING MATH & SCIENCE AWARD
Each year, in conjunction with Kansas State University’s College of Engineering, Rossville High School’s math and science teachers are asked to nominate one individual they believe is the best student in each of these two subjects. This year, teachers selected Davis Warton to receive this honor.

AMERICAN LEGION AWARDS
The American Legion Jimmy Lillard Post 31 awards two students each year from Rossville High School with a certificate and medal. The students are chosen by the faculty based on the criteria of courage, honor, leadership, patriotism, scholarship, and service.
 This year, the American Legion, represented by Ken Wichman, awarded Davis Warton and Hailey Dick with the honor.

TOPEKA CAPITAL-JOURNAL ALL STATE ACADEMIC AWARD

This award is sponsored by the Topeka Capital-Journal. Every Kansas high school selects one individual to represent their school based on academic and extracurricular performances. Davis Warton was named to the Topeka Capital-Journal All-State Academic Team.

KSHSAA CITIZENSHIP AWARDS

The Kansas State High School Activities Association each year awards one male and one female student from each high school with a citizenship award. Individuals receiving this award must demonstrate respect for fellow students, the citizens of the community, adults, and their country. They must also show respect and tolerance for others, good sportsmanship, and good citizenship. Skylar Olson and Samantha Thompson were given this award.

DALE DENNIS AWARD
The Dale Dennis Excellence in Education Award was established in 1996 by Kansas administrators to honor the long and valuable service that Dale Dennis gave to Kansas education. It is based on Citizenship, Service, Scholarship, and Common Sense. The award was presented to Miranda Martin.

BENNY STACH AWARD

Benny Stach was a Rossville student who lost his life in an auto accident during his Senior year. His classmates and family began the award in Benny’s memory.

It is awarded to an RHS student who displays many of the qualities Benny possessed. Nominations and the final selection are made by the faculty based on several qualities, including friendliness, helpfulness, understanding, and warmth for others. Ashlynn Biehler was presented the award.

U.S. ARMY SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARDS

The U.S. Army presented the Scholar-Athlete Awards to Tegan Lambotte and Therese VanderPutten. Recipients of this award are determined by faculty nominations and must demonstrate commitment to both academics and athletics.

U.S. MARINES OUTSTANDING STUDENT AWARDS

The U.S. Marine Corps presents awards in three different categories. The Scholastic Excellence Awards were presented to Devin Morris and Macy Gillum for their academic achievements. The Semper Fidelis Award was given to Cassie Sanders for excellence and commitment to the band program. The Distinguished Athlete Awards were presented to Marcus Catron and Cheyanne Daniels for their accomplishments in sports throughout the school year.

JOHN JOHNSON LEADERSHIP AWARD

The John Johnson Leadership Award was created to honor Mr. Johnson for his years of dedication to the students of Rossville High School. The award began in 2007 and is presented annually to the student who demonstrates quiet leadership and service. Tegan Lambotte was chosen as the eighth recipient of this award.

SENIOR INSPIRATION AWARD

The Senior Inspiration Award was presented to Rocky Welch. Rocky has maintained a positive outlook on life and his future, even though he has faced many challenges this year. He has impressed many of his friends and teachers with his strength, integrity, and maturity in the face of these adversities. Rocky will complete his education in Automotive Technology next year at Washburn Institute of Technology.

MICHAEL KELLER AWARD

The Michael Keller Award is presented to honor the long and dedicated service provided to RHS by Mr. Michael Keller. Mr. Keller began his teaching career in 1978 and dispensed his wisdom, sense of humor, and discipline to countless students over this 35-year period. The recipient of this award must display strong citizenship, respect for others, attention to details, and have excellent attendance and punctuality. The 2^nd recipient of the Michael Keller Award was Caleb Falk.

PRUDENTIAL SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY AWARD

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program was created in 1995 in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals to recognize volunteer community service in youth at various levels. Caleb Falk has dedicated many hours to the betterment of others, averaging close to 20 hours per week in volunteer service.

RONALD REAGAN STUDENT LEADER AWARDS

This year, Rossville High School was asked to nominate students that exemplify the meaning of student leadership to honor Pres. Reagan’s legacy of leadership and service. Students were chosen for their participation in extracurricular activities and pursuit of leadership roles that make a positive difference in their school and community. Recipients must value education, have an affinity for discovery and lifelong learning, and display drive, integrity, and good citizenship. RHS presented Davis Warton, Caleb Falk, and Hailey Dick with a certificate and silver coin to recognize them as Ronald Reagan Student leaders.

Photos of all the above named seniors can be seen at:  http://rossvilleksphotos.blogspot.com/

Brett Cowdin Jersey Retired

    The Rossville Rattlers honored former coach and team founder Brett Cowdin by retiring his jersey on June 14.  You can view the television coverage of the even at:
http://kansasfirstnews.com/2014/06/14/rossville-rattlers-honor-brett-cowdin/

Cross Creek Bridge At Rossville?

    Is this the old Rossville bridge on Cross Creek?  

If so,  where is the railroad bridge?
Or is this the bridge south of Rossville?