Freda (McCullough) (65)Zemek Passes Away

    St. Marys—Freda V. Zemek, 73, passed away Saturday, February 6, 2021, at a Kansas City Hospital.

     Freda was born to Fred and June Burton McCollough at Topeka on November 8, 1947.  She grew up in the Rossville community, graduated from Rossville High School in 1965, and attended Clark's School of Business in Topeka.

     In her younger years, she worked for Victory Life Insurance Co.  She and her husband Tony owned and operated Mr. Z's restaurant in St. Marys.  Freda was an avid KU and Kansas City Royals fan.  She loved her family, and you could find her at any of her children's or grandchildren's events.  She was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in St. Marys.

     Freda was preceded in death by her parents and a son Mark.

     Freda McCollough and Anthony Zemek were united in marriage on January 7, 1967, at St. Marys.  Tony survives.

     Other survivors are her son, Mike Zemek, Topeka: her daughter, Brenda Ginter, St. Marys; two sisters, Judy (Ralph) Lundin and Jane (Bob) Tripp, all of Rossville; six grandchildren, Courtney Beard, Derek Zemek, Sydnee Ginter, Britnee, Ashley, and Caylee Zemek; six great-grandchildren.

     The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 P.M. Thursday, February 11, 2021, at Piper Funeral Home.  Inurnment will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery in St. Marys at a later date.  Memorial contributions may be made to the Rossville United Methodist Church Food Pantry or St. Marys Food Pantry and sent in care of Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple St., St. Marys, Kansas 66536.   Social distancing and Masks are required.

321A District Wrestling

1   Silver Lake 205.0
2   Rossville 169.0
3   Council Grove 123.0
4   Osage City 109.0
5   Wabaunsee 64.0
6   Eskridge-Mission Valley 60.0
7   St. Marys 48.0
8   Atchison-Maur Hill-Mount Academy 41.0
9   Burlingame 26.0
10 Allen-Northern Heights 12.0
11 Oskaloosa 11.0

RHS Boys Lose To Wabaunsee

Wabaunsee  13  15  23  9   —  60
Rossville       14   8   4   17  —  43

Rossville scoring  

Kenney          1        0-0     2
Garcia            1        0-0     2
Perine            5        1-2     11
Cooney          2        0-0     4
Sowers          5 (2)  0-0    12
Lietz              6         0-1    12

RHS Girls Get Another Win

Wabaunsee   8   9   6   17  —  49
Rossville        9  13 14  19  —  52

Rossville scoring
Perine            5 (1)       7-10     18
Streit              5 (1)       2-6       13
Mitchell         6 (2)      1-2        15
Rabe               1            0-0          2
Porter             2            1-2          5
Gillum            0            0-1         0

Lacock and Hurla Place In District Wrestling

 Girls Division II District Wrestling At Marysville

Team scores

Silver Lake 88, Holton 73, Sabetha 57, Atchison County 47, Chapman 43, Rossville 29, Concordia 25, Marysville 23.5, Atchison 22, Royal Valley 20, Clay Center 12, Wamego 12, Doniphan West 0.

Individual results

106 — No entries. 109 — 1. Robinson, Holton; 2. Cowing, Clay Center. 115 — 1. Lacock, Rossville; 2. Bahner, Silver Lake. 120 — 1. Fitzgerald, Silver Lake; 2. Hurla, Rossville. 126 — 1. Gross, Holton; 2. Henderson, Silver Lake; 3. Stivers, Wamego; 4. Barr, Concordia. 132 — 1. Rose, Marysville; 2. Hogle, Silver Lake; 3. Rokey, Sabetha; 4. Servaes, Atchison. 138 — 1. Ogden, Royal Valley; 2. Gallagher, Holton; 3. Brown, Atchison County. 143 — 1. Workman, Concordia; 2. Gugelman, Sabetha. 155 — 1. Horton, Silver Lake; 2. Simmers, Atchison County; 3. Montgomery, Holton; 4. Gutknecht, Sabetha. 170 — 1. Johns, Chapman; 2. Smith, Atchison. 191 — 1. Forbes, Atchison County; 2. Poe, Sabetha; 3. Mosher, Chapman. 235 — 1. Armbruster, Chapman; 2. Meredith, Sabetha.

Evan and Abigail Thomas Have A Girl

 Abigail and Evan Thomas of  Rossville are the proud parents of a new baby girl born  Feb. 4 at Stormont-Vail.

2/2/21 KWCA 3A Rankings

     This week Layne Hurla maintained his #3 ranking at 145# and Colby Hurla  moved up to #5 at 132# in the 2/2/21 KWCA rankings. 

Dawgs-St. Marys Boys BB

Feb. 2,  2021 

St. Marys  9 17 18 14 -- 58
Rossville    3  5  10  9 -- 27

Rossville scoring 
Garcia       1 (1)    0-0    3
Cooney      1         0-2    2
Brown       1         2-3    4
Jackson     0         2-2    2
Sowers      5 (1)    2-2  13
Lietz          1         1-4   3

Jeff Co. No. Boys BB

Jeff County North  7  13  12  11 -- 43
Rossville             11    5   3  14 -- 33

Rossville scoring:

Garcia       3 (2)    0-0      8
Perine       7 (3)    0-0     17
Cooney     1          3-4      5
Sowers     0          1-2      1
Lietz         1          0-0      2

Rossville Girls Get Win Over St. Marys

St. Marys Girls Basketball Feb. 2, 2021.

St. Marys    12    10    19    10  –   51
Rossville     12    23    18    16  —  64

Rossville scoring  

Perine                2           5-7     9
Streit                  3  (2)   0-3     8
Mitchell             7 (2)    6-6   22
Bergstresser     1           2-4     4
Rabe                  5           4-7    14
Porter                1 (1)     4-4      7
Gillum               2           1-2 

Rock Creek Girls BB

Rossville-Rock Creek Girls Basketball Jan. 28

Rossville           6   5  11  17  —  39
Riley County  15  18  9  14  —  56

Rossville scoring 

Perine             3          7-12     13
Streit               2 (2)   0-0        6
Mitchell          2 (1)    0-0        5
Bergstresser   1          0-0        2,
Rabe                0          0-2        0
Porter              1 (1)     3-4        6
Gillum             1           5-8        7

Golden Giants Back In Rossville

 The Topeka Golden Giants will be back for the summer of 2021.

But it’s an entirely new look for the baseball club with major changes under a new ownership, owner J.R. Bond announced on Tuesday.

The Golden Giants won’t be calling Topeka home, instead moving their home games this season to Joe Campbell Stadium in Rossville. Bond said the main focus for the organization this summer will be on entertainment and fan experience.

“Our new branding, along with our partnership with the Rossville community, will allow baseball fans in Topeka to enjoy a true minor-league baseball experience,” Bond said in a news release. “We are very excited for the future of fans-first baseball in the Topeka area.”

Enhancements to the fan experience will include the addition of a beer garden, party deck and all-inclusive VIP packages. Several promotional nights have already been planned with an Opening Carnival Night on June 4 and a Bark at the Park Night on July 1.

Fans will also be able to participate in on-field competitions and be able to meet the new Golden Giant mascot. Games will also be broadcast on the Golden Giant TV app, which will be available on Amazon, Android, Roku and Apple TV app stores.

Jacob Kirmer will return for his second year as head coach of the Golden Giants with Holton native Justin Rieschick joining the staff as an assistant. Fans can visit www.goldengiants.us for roster, promotional schedule and season ticket packages. Single-game tickets go on sale in the spring.

George Mergenmeier Passes Away

      SFC George B Mergenmeier, Ret., 84, Topeka, KS, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 28, 2021 at his home with his spouse by his side.

      George was born on July 23, 1936, south of Seneca in Nemaha county, KS to George W. and Stella (Lierz) Mergenmeier.

     He graduated from St. Peter and Paul Grade School in Seneca, KS. He worked several jobs as a young man and in March 1955 he enlisted in the U.S. Army where he received his GED. He served 2 years with 14 months of that time in Germany. After an honorable discharge, he worked at Goodyear Tire and Rubber, Co. Topeka, KS, from August 1957 to May of 1978.

     George joined the Kansas Army National Guard in 1975. August 1980 he was employed full time by the Guard. George went to Germany with the Fort Riley First Infantry Division on Reforger 1979, in January 1979. He attained the rank of Sergeant First Class before his medical discharge in 1986. George was proud to have served in the U.S. Army. He served as a recruiter from 1980 until he retired in 1986 and loved meeting with people at schools, fairs, celebrations, etc. in Kansas to talk about Army opportunities. He drove a truck with a “shooting gallery” that always drew a crowd where he set up.     

    George belonged to the Knights of Columbus, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and the Topeka ARC. He served on the Pottawatomie County Planning Board. George was a member of Immaculate Conception Church, St. Marys, and later a member of Christ the King Church in Topeka and St. Stanislaus Church in Rossville, KS. George married Nadine Rilinger on April 12, 1958, at St. Patricks Catholic Church in Corning, KS. They lived in St. Marys, KS. area from 1959 to 1992 when he moved to the Goff area. In 1999 they moved to the Dover area in Shawnee County, and in 2018 they moved to Brewster Place in Topeka.

      He was preceded in death by a daughter, Jacqueline in December 1961 and a son James, in February 2006. He was also preceded in death by his parents, his brother Melvin Mergenmeier, and three sisters, Rosie McMurphy, Marie Catherine Welch and Dorothy Mae Koch.

     He is survived by his spouse Nadine of 62 years. His children; Willie (Shirley)Mergenmeier, St. Charles, MO, Jan (Jim) Hinterweger, Lebo, KS, Andy (Becky) Mergenmeier, Montpelier, VA and Sue (Mat) Flach, Paxico, KS, fourteen grandchildren and eighteen great grandchildren. He is also survived by two sisters, Eleanor Rusche, Seneca, and Jeanette Graham, Casper, WY.

  Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, February 13, 2021 at 10:00 A.M. at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in St. Marys.  George will lie in state and the family will receive friends from 5:00 until the Rosary at 7:00 P.M., Friday, February 12, 2021 at the church. Interment will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery, St. Marys.

  Masks will be required at all events.

  Memorials may be made to Capper Foundation, (Individual Support Systems, the organization that provided care for Jim joined Cappers in 2012) or Brewster Foundation. They can be sent in care of Piper Funeral Home, 714 Maple Street, St. Marys, KS 66536.

     The rosary and funeral will be live-streamed on Facebook page Piper Funeral Home

Cleo Muller Passes Away

 

Cleo H. Muller, 87, a resident of Blue Springs, MO passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones Thursday, January 28, 2021 at his home.

He was born February 7, 1933 to Herman and Cecilia (Cunningham) in Rossville, KS. Cleo was united in marriage to Yvonne E. LeMoine on February 11, 1956 in Concordia, KS, from that union 17 children were born. He served his country proudly in the United States Army during the Korean War. Cleo earned his Bachelor's Degree in Philosophy from Rockhurst University graduating in 1955 and his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, graduating in 1962. In September of 1962 Cleo began practicing law while teaching at law school. Before long he entered into private practice with the firm of Muller and Muller. Early on in the practice Cleo worked in all phases of general law, later he moved to specialize in real estate, landlord tenant law, retail and commercial collection. Cleo also had extensive practice at both the Associate and Circuit levels and in Federal Bankruptcy Court. In 1966 he started Muller's Apple Orchard on the family farm until 1982. He served on the Executive Board of Jackson County Fruit Growers Association. Cleo was a long-time parishioner of St. John LaLande Catholic Church. Cleo was a member of the American Bar Association, Missouri Bar Association, Kansas City Bar Association, and Knights of Columbus.

Survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Yvonne Muller of the home; 16 children, Marilyn Muller, Joanne Gordon (Dave) of Blue Springs, MO, Kathy Baumstark (Denis) of Hermann, MO, Dianne Dallin of Longmont, CO, John Muller of Blue Springs, MO, Suzanne Hestwood (Kevin) of Blue Springs, MO, Judy Delp of Tallahasse, FL, Shelly Graef (Eric) of Blue Springs, MO, Patty Closser (Steve) of Blue Springs, MO, Terri Gilligan(Neil) of Tucson, AZ, Steve Muller of Boulder, CO, Tim Muller (Majorie) of Columbia, MO, Matthew Muller (JoAnn) of Wheat Ridge, CO, Nancy Williams (Herb) of Oak Grove, MO, Paul Muller (Hollee) of Oak Grove, MO, Mark Muller (Rebecca) of Lafayette, CO; 47 grandchildren; 39 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great grandchildren; sister, Margaret Mary Muller of Lee's Summit, MO.

Cleo is preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Cecilia Muller; daughter, Denise Muller; sister, Doris Mae Ahrens; brothers, James and Dennis Muller.

His family will receive friends and family from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday, February 6, 2021 at St. John LaLande Catholic Church, 805 N.W. RD Mize Rd, Blue Springs, MO. The Rosary will be prayed at 10:30 a.m., Mass of Christian Burial celebrating Cleo's life will commence at 11 a.m., with Rev. Ron Elliot presiding. Inurnment will immediately follow at the Koger Cemetery.