Marion County RECORD

Teen upbeat about 3rd heart surgery

Karly Hess looks like any normal teenager, but the May graduate of Marion High School is counting the days until her open-heart surgery — the third she has had to endure in 18 years of living with a congenital birth defect known as tetralogy of Fallot. “They will always have to do repairs to her heart,” her mother, Sherry Hess, said.

In record harvest old combine beats new

Jeff Williams and his father, Dean, went to a custom cutter’s auction several years ago and bought an old Massey Harris 82 combine for $400. They intended to restore it. But as time went on, Jeff’s father became ill and later died, and the combine gathered dust in the corner of a barn.

Sports, journalism are new reporter's passions

Sports and journalism are passions for Hoch Publishing’s newest reporter, Joel Wright, who joined the staff Monday, three days after graduating as an honor roll student from Ottawa University. Wright went to Ottawa as a defensive back for the Braves football team and quickly became involved as a freshman, reporting for its biweekly student newspaper, The Campus. He moved up the ladder in short order, becoming sports editor, then managing editor.

County forgos gun exemption

Marion County let Friday’s deadline pass without applying for an exemption to a new state law that requires public buildings to allow concealed guns unless elaborate security is added. Commission Chairman Randy Dallke moved to apply for the exemption to give the commission more time to consider the question. However, commissioner Dan Holub wouldn’t second the motion. Commissioner Roger Fleming was absent.

Dogs get to walk even if master doesn't

Whether she is in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., New Orleans, or Marion, Ruth Reed is surprised by how interested people are in her walking her dogs using a power scooter. “I don’t know why people would be interested in this, but so many are,” she said.

Couple chase storms from outback to plains

A weather-chasing vehicle in Marion County is an unusual sight. Even more unusual is who is driving it. Professional storm chasers Clyve Herbert, a retired train driver for Metro Melbourne, and Jane ONeill, retired national manager with Toner Express, call Hillsboro their second home. Their first is just outside Victoria, Australia, in a place called Trentham.

Youth center closed until fall, needs volunteers

The lights are not on. The doors are locked. The kids are not there. This summer, Marion Youth Center is closed. The center is largely dependent on the goodwill of local volunteers. While there is no shortage of goodwill, there is however a scarcity of volunteers.

Astronaut candidate has local roots

After Tyler Nick Hague saw “Star Wars” with his dad, Don, when he was 4 years old, he wanted to be a space scientist. His dream is becoming a reality. He will begin training as an astronaut candidate next month at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Kids sell fireworks to pay for battlefield tour

Fireworks sold this year will help Marion High School students see where some real firepower was unleashed during World War II. Students and parents were selling fireworks Monday through Thursday outside Carlsons’ Grocery to help pay for a 2015 World War II tour.

Long distance biker visits

Catherine McCormack was an overnight guest June 24 of Mary and Ron Clemmer. McCormack is bicycling the American Discovery Trail from Henlopen, Del., to San Francisco. With the possessions she needs for the journey in a small trailer behind her bike, she says she is “pedaling and pushing.”

Garden tour raises $1,000 for library addition

About 200 visitors went on the Marion City Library garden tour Saturday, raising about $1,000 for a planned addition. “We had a lot of out-of-town people,” librarian Janet Marler said.

Summer school teaches entrepreneurship

Elementary and middle school students sold homemade treats and lemonade to passers-by. Homemade ice cream, and red-velvet brownies with cream cheese frosting were the hit of the week, said teacher Charlene Metcalf. “We sold $148 after groceries,” Metcalf said. “The money will be put back into our start-up fund to use for next year’s classes.”

Donald Louis

The ashes of former Florence resident Donald Ray Louis, 73, of Denton, Texas, who died Dec. 7, will be interred at 10 a.m. Friday at Florence cemetery. Services were Dec. 11 in Denton. He was born Aug. 3, 1939, in Newton to Wilbur Orville and Roberta Jean (Williams) Louis. He was raised on a farm south of Florence.

Glenn Steely

Lost Springs area native Glenn B. Steely, 90, former owner of a Mobil Oil bulk plant in McPherson, died Saturday at McPherson Hospital. Services were to have been this morning at Stockham Funeral Home, McPherson, followed by burial in McPherson Cemetery.

Wendell Morgan

Wendell H. Morgan, 77, husband of former Marion resident Monica Konecny, died June 25 in Hutchinson. He was born April 26, 1936, in Rolla to Ralph and Alma Faye Milburn Morgan. He received an education specialist degree in 1974 from Emporia State University. His career culminated as a chemistry professor at Hutchinson Community College for 34 years. He also taught at Hugoton and Hutchinson high schools.

IN MEMORIAM:

Accidents

Civil

County Jail

Criminal

Emergency

Marriage

Police

Sherriff

Traffic

Combine, field fires mar harvest

Howard Collett had just finished harvest Tuesday night, was putting up his auger and shutting down his Gleaner combine when he noticed a fire. “I looked out and saw the black smoke and thought, “This is bad,” he said.

Moran sees drones in farming's future

Sen. Jerry Moran predicted at an unmanned aircraft demonstration Tuesday in Salina that drones will contribute to U.S. agriculture, with Kansas poised to lead the way. “There is real potential for this platform to be used responsibly and safely in an industry already booming in Kansas: agriculture,” he said. “The number of ways farmers and ranchers can utilize them are endless, from mapping the spread of disease or insects within a field to applying fertilizer to a specific area of crops, and I look forward to continued progress in this field.

Lack of rain hurting hay

Brad Wiens’ alfalfa crop was doing well, but a lack of rain in the last couple of weeks could change that, evidenced by growing cracks in the soil. “It started out as a real good year growing hay. We had a lot of spring rains, and that helps the hay to really grow,” he said. “Now it’s kind of turned. We haven’t had rain for a while, so the hay’s kind of quit growing.”

Permits required for haying ditches

Hay harvesting on the right of way along state and federal highways without a permit is illegal, according to Kansas Department of Transportation. Haying applications are available at KDOT offices and are good for one season, April 1 to the end of the year. Permits may be canceled by either party.

Buying propane now can lead to savings

The heat may be soaring, but John Garrard and his family are thinking about how to heat the house when snow starts falling. They recently converted from a wood stove to an all propane system. “We’re used to paying about $500 for propane a year, but this year we expect that amount to triple,” he said.

Elevators scramble to keep from filling

Warm weather and dry conditions created a speedy harvest for Marion County farmers. Elevators in the area were struggling to keep up with harvest as it came in from the fields. “Many of our customers are reporting 60-plus-bushel fields,” Lyman Adams, general manager of Cooperative Grain and Supply in Hillsboro, said. “If you can get 60 you’re having great yields. Many of our customers were reporting a yield higher into the 70s and said this was their best year ever. We have taken record receipts here, and in Marion and Canton.”

Chaplain inspired other POWs

The lieutenant masterfully directed the defense of the small circle of Americans who were completely surrounded. In four letters written with painstaking accuracy and profound sorrow, yet with unbounded admiration, Lt. Mayo creates a picture of Father Kapaun, before and after his capture, that is nothing short of heart-rending: Dear Father Tonne:

Part 13

Couple celebrate 50th anniversary

Eugene and Margaret Ann Wetter of Norton recently observed their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple was married June 22, 1963, at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church, Pilsen.

Mother, daughter travel to Louisiana

Sharon Kelsey of Marion and her daughter Kristine Hardisty of Salina were recent guests of Sharon’s sister and brother-in-law, J.B. and Margie Geisler, in Metairie, La. Additional guests for a shrimp boil June 18 were Jay and Shawn Goering and Jace of Keller, Texas; Shannon Schmidt of Newton; Melissa Parenti and Joseph, Wayne and Joycelyn Geisler, and Cimarron Ensminger, Leland and Maxwell.

Couple exchange vows in Missouri

Sarah Jeffery and Erik Korte were married May 4 at Wine Country Gardens, Defiance, Mo. Ian Michael Korte officiated at the evening ceremony. Readers were Kyle Jeffery and Erin Hauser. The bride is a daughter of Karen and Bryan Jeffery, St. Louis, Mo., and granddaughter of Don and Wanda Jeffery, Florissant, Mo.; Dorothy Robinson of Richards, Mo.; and the late Bruce Robinson.

Sieger attends Democrat convention

Marion County Democratic Women will have entertainment by Tallgrass Express String Band as part of Kansas Day festivities Jan. 29, 2014. Eileen Sieger attended the state Democratic Women convention Saturday in Wichita.

Crew assembles senior newsletter

The crew that puts out the center’s newsletter came in June 24 to assemble pages and put on address labels. The group included Elsie Reiswig, Mary Ann Timm, Pat Busey, Nora Richter, Jane Makovec, Shirley Moore, Fred Puttroff, Al and Gloria Ash, and Wanda Hamm. They were supervised by Lanell Hett and Gayla Ratzlaff. Robin Nelson, who is a dining room volunteer, shared with us some flowers from her yard.

Missionaries will speak at Eastmoor

English teachers Chris and Tami Harbin and missionaries Colin Eurit and Bob Priest will tell of their work at 6 p.m. July 14 at Eastmoor United Methodist Church, Marion. Eurit, a Marion High School graduate and Kansas State University student, will speak about his work with A Call to Greatness, a student group giving Christian witness at Cardiff University, Wales.

Muellers, Alexanders go to Minnesota for reunion

Vivian and Norman Mueller of Hillsboro and Jo and Wade Alexander of Marion were among the descendants of Reuben and Enid L. (Powers) Pope who gathered June 19 to 23 at Grand View Lodge, Gull Lake, Nisswa, Minn., for their eighth reunion. Hosts were the family of Wayne and Donna Pope, Watertown, S.D.; Mary and Jim Labesky, Rachel Christopuals, and Jackson Jostad, Sioux Falls, S.D.; and Adam and Jennifer Findall and Anna, Albuquerque, N.M.

MEMORIES:

Fishing derby tags catfish

Swim team wins 3-way home meet

Marion Swim Team won a home meet Saturday against the Hesston Wahoos and Peabody Super Swimmers. Marion scored 580 points to Hesston’s 443 and Peabody’s 417. Coach Greta Smith said she was grateful for all of the donations of time and food needed to put on a good meet.

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