John Prior Passes Away

John William Prior, 94, formerly of St. Marys, passed away Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at McCrite Health Center in Topeka. He was born on the family farm one mile west of St. Marys to Andrew T. and Helen Fitzgerald Prior on May 5, 1923. John graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in 1941.  He attended welding school in Wichita and worked in the shipyard in Seattle for a year.  John enlisted in the Navy in 1943 and served in the 96th Seabees as an electric welder.  He served in the Azores, Philippines and China. John was discharged in April 1946.  He returned to the family farm and worked there until 1973 when he started working at Rezac Livestock Commission where he worked for over 34 years. He was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in St. Marys, Knights of Columbus Council #657 and a 4th degree member of Thomas A. McNeive Assembly.  John was a member of Jimmie Lillard Post No. 31 of the American Legion in Rossville and a member of the VFW. John was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Tom and Roderick Prior; two sisters, Geraldine Adams and Shelia Seibert. He was united in marriage to Edna Kincaid on November 7, 1953 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in St. Marys.  She survives of the home. Other survivors include his children, Dennis (Janice) Prior, Rossville, Karen Stockman (Marc Rupp), Arvada, CO., Diane (Severin) DeBacker, Topeka and Patricia Rentfro, Topeka; 7 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank McCrite Health Center and Great Lakes Hospice for the care given to John and his family. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 A.M. Monday, June 26, 2017 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.  Interment with Military Honors will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, St. Marys.  Mr. Prior will lie in state and the family will receive friend from 5:00 P.M. until 6:30 P.M.  with a rosary recited at 6:30  on Sunday, June 25, 2017 at the funeral home.  Because of John's great love of the Seabees memorial contributions may be made to Seabee Museum and Memorial Park and sent to Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple Street; St. Marys, Kansas 66536.  To leave an online condolence please go to www.piperfuneralhome.com

Rattlers Lose To Midwest Athletics.

    The Rossville Rattlers lost to the Midwest Athletics 4-3 on Tuesday night.

Virginia Walters Passes Away

Virginia  "Irene"  Walters, 91, passed away Tuesday, June 20, 2017 at the Apostolic Christian Home in Sabetha.

She was born August 15, 1925 at Glen Elder the daughter of Howard and Anna Josephine Arasmith Oplinger.  Irene grew up in the Jewell community and graduated from Jewell High School.  She also graduated from the Jane C. Stormont School of Nursing in Topeka.

Irene was a R.N. and had been the Director of Nursing at the St. Marys Manor.  She worked at the Friendship House in Wamego after she retired from nursing.  Irene was a member of the Rossville Bible Church.

On September 7, 1947 she married Arthur David Walters at Jewell.  He preceded her in death on June 11, 1970.  She was also preceded in death by her parents and a sister Genieva McAlavey.

Survivors include three sons, Gary (Carol) Walters, Red Oak, IA., Mark (Barb) Walters, Lincoln, NE, and John (Joelle) Walters, Louis Town, PA; a daughter, Ruth Ann (Mike) Gee; a brother, Dan (Janice) Oplinger, CA; a sister, Jennifer Roth, CA: 11 grandchildren 16 great-grandchildren with one on the way.

Funeral Services will be at 10:30 A.M. Monday, June 26, 2017 at Piper Funeral Home in St. Marys.  Interment will be at 2:00 P.M. Monday at Valley View Cemetery, St. Marys.  Memorial contributions may be made to the Irene Walters Memorial Fund and sent in care of the funeral home.

Mary (Page) (46) Clay Obituary

    Mary Ellen Clay Mary Ellen (Page) Clay, Onaga, 91, entered eternal celebration with her Lord on June 17, 2017.
    She was born on February 13, 1926 to Eston and Rhoda (Hoffman) Page at Grove, Kansas just north of Silver Lake. She attended Rossville High School and moved to Topeka shortly afterwards.         She married the love of her life Calvin Clay on April 13, 1952 at Grove, Kansas. They were blessed with two sons William Ross Clay (Darlene), Yukon, Oklahoma and Robert Nathan Clay (Linda), Rogers, Arkansas and one daughter Daisy Marie Parker (Alexander), Berryton, Kansas. She greatly loved her five grandchildren; Page and Abby Parker, Teresa (Nicholas) Sweet and Michael (Sarah) Clay and David (Jenna) Clay, they brought her great joy. She was blessed to have four great grandchildren, Ava Clay, Griffin Clay and Reece and Sarabelle Sweet. Her family was one of the most important things in her life. She was very proud that all three of her children graduated College, an experience she had not had.
    Mary Ellen was preceded in death by her father and mother (Eston Page 1955 & Rhoda (Hoffman) Page 1965), one brother William 1969 and one sister Esther (Page) Knowlton 2006. Her beloved husband Calvin, aka Papa, preceded her in death on February 9, 2017 a little over four months prior to her. They are together again in eternity. Mary Ellen worked for Hallmark Greeting Cards for five years in Topeka, Kansas until she married Calvin and moved to a farm six miles north of Onaga, Kansas. They farmed together as a true team where they raised cattle and pigs. She also raised registered dogs (Collies, Boston Terriers and Miniature Schnauzers) for almost four decades. She was a true Farmers wife helping with everything on the farm along with raising their three children. Mary Ellen enjoyed sewing and made at least a hundred blankets, or more, which she gave to family, friends and strangers. You knew you were loved when you received one of her blankets. She was highly involved in 4-H as a youth and with her daughter. She enjoyed numerous bus trips, activities and the lasting relationships she formed as a vital part of that organization. She was a wonderful mother with a strong spirit and an even stronger sense of family and God, which she passed on to her children along with an eye for a good bargain and the love of chocolate ice cream. Mary Ellen spent the last eight years of her life at Eastridge Care Facility in Centralia, Kansas, where she enjoyed a rousing game of bingo with anyone that would play. She graduated into eternity surrounded by her daughter and one granddaughter. Though she will be truly missed, we are all so glad she made it to heaven in time to spend Father s Day with both her father and Papa. Blessed are those who are pure in heart, for they will see The Lord. Cremation is planned.
    Memorial services will be 1:00 p.m. Saturday, June 24th at the First Congregational Church, UCC in Onaga. Burial will follow in the Neuchatel Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Pottawatomie County 4-H Food Stand, and may be sent in care of Chapel Oaks Funeral Home, P.O. Box 312, Onaga, KS 66521. On-line condolences may be made at chapeloaksfuneralhome.com Mary Ellen Clay

Latest Willard Bridge Photos

Steven Scott Injured In Accident

From the Capital-Journal:

Steven Scott of Rossville escaped serious injury Monday morning after a crash just northwest of Silver Lake, officials said.

The crash was reported at 9:08 a.m. at N.W. US-24 highway and Davis Road. The location was about midway between Silver Lake and Rossville.

Kansas Highway Patrol officials at the scene said the vehicle — a 2006 Ford Escape — was eastbound on US-24 when it drifted off the right, or south, side of the two-lane road.

The driver then over-corrected, the official said, and the vehicle veered across the westbound lane of US-24.

After it left the roadway on the north side, the vehicle overturned and came to rest on its driver’s side in a grassy area between US-24 and the Union Pacific railroad tracks.

The driver, identified as Steven C. Scott, 66, of Rossville, was transported to a Topeka hospital by American Medical Response ambulance. The Kansas Highway Patrol’s online crash log said Scott was wearing a seat belt.

There was no report of any additional occupants in the vehicle.

Traffic on US-24 was restricted to one-lane for about 45 minutes as crews cleared the scene.

Rattlers Defeat Midwest Athletics

    The Rossville Rattlers pulled out a 12-10 victory at Joe Campbell Stadium on Monday night.   Quite a feat against the team leading the league in victories for the season.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
MDWS	5	2	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	10	8	0
RTTL	3	0	0	0	0	0	9	0	X	12	15	3

Robert Davis Warton (14) On Dean's List

Robert Davis Warton, Rossville, was named to the Dean's List at William Jewell 
College in Liberty, Mo. for  the spring 2017 semester.

Mary Clay (46) Passes Away

Mary Ellen Clay was born on February 13, 1926 and passed away on Saturday, June 17, 2017.

Mary was a resident of Onaga, Kansas at the time of passing.

She attended Rossville High School, graduating in 1946, and moved to Topeka shortly afterwards.

Memorial services will be 1:00 p.m. Saturday, June 24th at the First Congregational Church, UCC in Onaga. Burial will follow in the Neuchatel Cemetery.

Police Report

From the Rossville Police Department:
June 18th 2017 in downtown Rossville at approximately 2:45am: The on duty Rossville Officer drove past 2 subjects on a motorbike. After the officer turned around to drive back, the subjects were no longer in sight. A quick check of the area revealed they had ducked down an alley to the next street over. The officer ran the tag finding the motorbike had recently been reported stolen out of the City of Topeka. The subjects were detained while the theft was confirmed. 2 backup officers from the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Department responded to Rossville to assist. The female passenger was released on the scene and the male driver, who had a suspended license as well as a warrant for theft from a neighboring state, was arrested for possession of stolen property. The stolen motorbike was recovered by the Topeka Police Department to be returned to the rightful owner. During the incident, electronic scales of the type commonly used to weigh narcotics were taken into evidence. The suspect will be prosecuted in Rossville Municipal Court.

Mid Plains League Standings

The Mid-Plains League standings as of 6-17 are below.  

However,  this does not appear to include the Saturday games.

Rattlers Lose At Sabetha

    The Sabetha Lobos defeated the Rossville Rattlers on both ends of their double header on Saturday at Sabetha.  The first game was 4-3 and the night-cap was 5-2.

BAK At Rossville On Thur.

    The Biking Across Kansas caravan passed through Rossville on Thursday.  The WIBW video below was taken around Rossville as the bike riders went through.
http://www.wibw.com/content/news/Scorching-weather-didnt-stop-bicyclist-from-taking-on-this-years-Bike-Across-Kansas-Tour-428739873.html

Daria Dennison Inducted Into Honorary

Daria Dennison of Rossville was initiated into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi at Washburn University.