Thelma (Smith) (51) Dick Passes Away

    Thelma Jean (Smith) Dick, age  81, formerly of Holton, passed away Sunday, April 20, 2014, at Lexington Park in Topeka, Kansas, with loved ones at her side.
    She was born September 20, 1932 in Pottawatomie County, Kansas, the daughter of Stanley and Emma Susan (Williams) Smith. She graduated from Rossville High School in 1951.
    She married James I. S. Dick on March 7, 1952, in the Presbyterian Church, of Rossville. They later divorced.
    Thelma retired August 18, 1994 after 29 year of service with the State of Kansas in the Motor Vehicle Division. She was a member of the First Baptist Church and served as a deacon and a member of the Dorcas Circle. Thelma was a loving and devoted mother, grandmother, sister and aunt and a loyal friend to many. She enjoyed her church and time spent with family and friends.
    She is survived by a daughter, Jana Lutz (Jerry) of Holton, and a son, Bruce Dick (Kim) of Delia and two sisters, Martha Miller, of Wamego, and Helen Fouraker, Miles City, Montana and 6 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Claude and Louis, and three sisters, Nona Rafferty, Dorothy Perry, Ruth Mahoney.
    Funeral services will be 1:00 p.m. Friday, April 25, 2014 at the First Baptist Church in Holton. Burial will follow in the Silver Lake Cemetery. Thelma will lie in state at Mercer Funeral Home in Holton through Thursday evening. She will lie in state Friday morning at the church where family greet friends from noon to 1:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made payable to First Baptist Church sent in care of Mercer Funeral Home, P.O. Box 270, Holton, Ks 66436. To leave a special message for the family, please visit www.mercerfuneralhomes.com. 

VanVlecks Have a Boy

Willie and Danielle VanVleck of Rossville are the proud parents of a new baby boy born April 19 at Stormont-Vail.

Nancy Pelfrey Passes Away

     Nancy D. (Conner) Pelfrey, 55, passed away Saturday, April 19, 2014 at her home near Rossville after a 16 year battle with cancer.

     She was born on January 10, 1959 at Waco, TX, the daughter of Elbert and Opal Stem Conner.  Nancy graduated from Wabaunsee High School.

     Nancy was an LPN for Cotton-O’Neil for 22 years.

     She was preceded in death by her parents, step father, Walter L. Rice, Jr.; two brothers, Stephen E. Conner and Terry L. Conner.

     On May 26, 1979 Nancy was united in marriage to Randall G. Pelfrey in Rossville.  Randy survives of the home.

     Other survivors include, her daughter, Sara R. (Lewis) Tams, Rossville; her son, John R. (Chelsea) Pelfrey, Rossville; two sisters, Judy L. (Stephen) O’Neil, San Bernardino, CA, and Martha J. (Stephen) Cook, Topeka; a step-sister, Trudy K. (Gary) Filkins, Topeka; her brother, Jerry E. (Jaye) Conner, Topeka, two grandchildren Emma K. and Conner G. Tams, along with numerous Nieces and Nephews.

     Funeral services will be at 1:30 P.M.Wednesday, April 23, 2014at Piper Funeral Home in St. Marys.  Interment will be in the Maple Hill Cemetery.  Mrs. Pelfrey will lie in state and the family will receive friends on Tuesday, April 22, 2014 from 6:00 until 7:30 P.M.at the funeral home.  Memorial contributions may be made to Midland Hospice and sent in care of the funeral home.    You can sign a guestbook at   http://piperfuneralhome.com/obituaries/nancy-d-conner-pelfrey/

Osage City Invitational Golf Tourney

    The RHS boys golf team competed in the Osage Invitational on April 17.  The team standings were as follows:
Osage City        367
Council Grove   385
Silver Lake        385
Rossville          392
Santa Fe Trail    399
St. Marys          401
West Franklin    408
Lyndon              412

    Top finisher for the Dawgs was Gabe Marney with an 89 score good for 7th place.  In 11th place overall was Devin Warton with a 95.  Colby Hadall was third on the team with a 101.
    Complete results can be read at:
http://www.kawvalley.k12.ks.us/schools/rjshs/athletics/boys_golf/14/14_oc.pdf

Softball Team Gets Double Win at St. Marys

    The RHS softball team picked up two additional league wins defeating the St. Marys Bears 16-5 and 15-5 on April 17.   Their record is now 9-1 overall and 5-1 in league play.

Dawgs Shut Out Bears

    The RHS baseball team mauled the St. Marys Bears in two games on April 17 with both being shortened to 5 innings with the Dawgs leading 12-0 in the first game and 11-0 in the second game.  The Dawgs are now 6-0 for the season.
    In game one,  eight Dawgs had RBIs with shortstop Corbin Horak leading the team with three of the RBIs.  Zach Nitsch had two RBIs
    In game two,  third baseman Marcus Catron led the team with four singles in four times at the plate.  He scored three runs and brought his season batting average up to .750.

Royal Valley Invitational Track and Field

    Rossville High competed in the Royal Valley Invitational Track and Field Meet on April 15.
    The scoring of the boys teams were:
Royal Valley    157
Osage City    66
Rock Creek    64
St. Marys    59
Sabetha      59
Rossville   50
Hayden      39
Jackson Hts.  28
Santa Fe Trail    18
Council Grove    17

     RHS placed first in the 4 x 800 relay which was ran by Balch, Sowers, Rubio, and Jenkins.

   The scoring for the girls teams were:
Sabetha     129
Royal Valley    106
Hayden    70
Rock Creek    66
St. Marys    46
Council Grove    44
Rossville    40
Osage City    33
Jackson Hts.   16
Santa Fe Trail    7

    The complete results of the meet can be read at:  http://www.kawvalley.k12.ks.us/schools/rjshs/athletics/track/14/14_rv.pdf

MVP Sports Mag Photos

Displays from Shawnee County MVP Sports Magazine of April 2014 featuring baseball players Devin Morris, Zach Nitsch, Marcus Catron and softball players Cheyanne Daniels, Therese VanderPutten, Taylor Brecheisen, and Taylor Kirk.

Dawgs Defeat Manhattan Twice in Softball

    The RHS softball team added two more wins on April 15 to push their record to 7-1.  They beat Manhattan 1-0 and 7-3.

Rattlers Add Final Six Players

The Rossville Rattlers are pleased to announce the final six signings for the summer 2014 team. The Rattlers are excited to welcome in three more area players, adding to our mix of local and national talent.

Tanner Triggs (IF - Washburn University) Tanner is a 6'2, 185-lb infielder who is a red shirt freshman at Washburn. Triggs is a 2013 graduate of Hayden High School where he lettered in baseball his final two years for the Wildcats. He earned all-city and all-league both years and helped his team win a 4A state championship as a senior.

 

Cody Renfro (IF - Silver Lake High School) Cody is a infielder from Silver Lake High School. Renfro was a 2013 All Mid-East League honorable mention during his sophomore season. Cody was also a member of the 3A State Championship team last season with Silver Lake.

 

Jeff Christen (Catcher/IF - Butler Community College) Jeff is a 6'0, 170-lb catcher/utility player with Butler Community College. Christen was a 2013 All Mid-East League first team selection out of St. Marys High School.

 

The Rattlers are also pleased to welcome back a pitcher from the 2013 squad.

 

A.J. Doolittle (RHP - Southwestern Oregon Community College) A.J. returns for his second summer in Rossville. Doolittle, a 6'1, 200-lb pitcher from Medford, Oregon, is finishing up his Sophomore season at SWOCC and is looking for a spot next fall. Currently he is attracting interest from Division I and Division II schools. In 27 innings last summer, he allowed 25 hits, 12 runs with 9 earned runs. His ERA was 3.00 as he racked up an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio of 26-5.

 

We also welcome in two more Division I pitchers, both playing in the state of North Dakota.

 

Ellery Bresnahan (LHP - University of North Dakota) Ellery is a 5'8 left handed pitcher from Casselton, North Dakota. His senior year in high school, Bresnahan owned a 3-0 record with a 0.43 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 16.1 innings-pitched. A two-time American Legion Class B state champion, he finished 5-1 with 64 strikeouts in 30 innings-pitched as a junior. Ellery is currently a closer for North Dakota. Bresnahan was also named the 2013 Gatorade North Dakota Player of the Year.

 

Kyle McCulloch (RHP - North Dakota State University) Kyle, a 6'1, 180-lb right handed pitcher from Olathe, Kansas. Kyle played baseball for two years at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa. There he made 14 appearances as sophomore out of relief. McCulloch finished with a 2.30 ERA in 27 innings pitched while he struck out 21 and walked six. He was a member of 2012 JUCO World Series championship team that went 62-6. He was named 2010 Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches' Pitcher of the Year with Desoto High School.

 

Softball Team Adds Two More Wins

    The RHS softball team picked up two additional league wins against Wabaunsee on April 11 to push their record to 3-1 in the Mid-East league and 5-1 overall.
    The RHS girls won with scores of 9-5 and 19-3

Senior Prom Pictures

    Photos of the April 12, 2014 Senior Prom are at:
http://spotted.cjonline.com/galleries/index.php?id=489753

Wabaunsee Invitational Track Meet

Wabaunsee Invitational Track and Field Meet, April 11, 2014.

Team scores
BOYS
Silver Lake 108, Rock Creek 90, St. Marys 73, Northern Heights 63, Santa Fe Trail 57, Rossville 55, Wabaunsee 47, Cornerstone 30, St. Xavier 3
GIRLS
Silver Lake 119, Northern Heights 113.5, Rock Creek 94, St. Marys 71, Rossville 43.5, Wabaunsee 33, Santa Fe Trail 23, Cornerstone 18, Wabaunsee JV 4, St. Xavier 3

Individual results
BOYS
100 dash — Miller, Rossville, 11.56.
200 dash — Smith, Silver Lake, 23.19.
400 dash — Zaldivar, Santa Fe Trail, 51.87.
800 — Johnson, St. Marys, 2:11.12.
1600 — Powell, Cornerstone, 4:52.81.
3200 — Powell, Cornerstone, 10:38.71.
110 hurdles — Schneider, Rock Creek, 15.86.
300 hurdles — Schneider, Rock Creek, 41.95.
4x100 relay — Silver Lake, 46.03.
4x400 relay — St. Marys, 3:45.30.
4x800 relay — Rossville, 9:22.12.
400 thrower’s relay —Rossville, 50.70.
High jump — Tooley, St. Marys, 6-02.00.
Long jump — Smith, Silver Lake, 20-09.00.
Triple jump — Schneider, Rock Creek, 43-02.00.
Shot put — Austin, Silver Lake, 46-08.00.
Discus — Frederikesen, Northern Heights, 132-03.
Javelin — Larson, Northern Heights, 141-05.
GIRLS
100 dash — White, Silver Lake, 13.35.
200 dash — White, Silver Lake, 27.07.
400 dash — Houston, Northern Heights, 64.59.
800 — French, Northern Heights, 2:39.75.
1600 — Shoemaker, Silver Lake, 5:57.49.
3200 — Dunnaway, Santa Fe Trail, 13:33.82.
100 hurdles — Schlochtermeier, Rock Creek, 17.64.
300 hurdles — Forrester, Rock Creek, 52.81.
4x100 relay — Silver Lake, 54.54.
4x400 relay — Silver Lake, 4:27.49.
4x800 relay — Northern Heights, 11:20.18.
400 thrower’s relay — Rossville, 62.79.
High jump — Shoemaker, Silver Lake, 5-02.00.
Long jump — Schlochtermeier, Rock Creek, 16-07.00.
Triple jump — White, Silver Lake, 33-09.00.
Shot put — Lowe, St. Marys, 37-01.00.
Discus — Leffler, Northern Heights, 94-06.
Javelin — Lowe, St. Marys, 102-00.

Benjamin Simecka Passes Away

  Benjamin Joseph Simecka, 88, passed away on Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at the Rolling Hills Manor in Topeka.      He was born May 23, 1925 in Delia, Kansas, the son of Joseph and Mary (Cander) Simecka. Ben graduated from Delia High School in 1943 and farmed on the "Home Place"  until retirement.  On June 1, 1949 he was united in marriage to Norma Jean Fechner who preceded him on January 30, 2006.  Survivors include two daughters, Sheryl Gudenkauf (Mike), Topeka; Michelle Simecka, Montana; four sons, Joe Simecka (Coleen), Silver Lake; Dave Simecka, Delia; Mark Simecka (Tonya), Ozawkie; Bennie Simecka (Mary), Olathe;  9 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, an additional great grandson expected July 2014.  One sister, Josephine (Simecka) Constant survives.  Ben was preceded in death by 2 grandchildren, 3 brothers & 3 sisters.  A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 AM Saturday, April 26, 2014 at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Rossville.    Private inurnment will be at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in St. Marys. Memorial Contributions may be made to Midland Hospice, Topeka or Delia Sacred Heart Oratory in care of Piper Funeral Home, 714 W Maple St., St Marys, KS, 66536.   Online condolences may be sent to www.piperfuneralhome.com.