Obituaries

Ella May Byers

Ella May Byers died peacefully, surrounded by her family on January 15, 2023. Born in Olney, Oklahoma, on May 23, 1938 to Roy and Lucinda Lee, she grew up in the Coalgate, OK area and moved to Lewis, Kansas with her family in 1956. In 1968 the family moved to Dodge City. Beginning in 1973 she and Jesse Byers were married for 14 years. Education was important to her, she earned her GED and went on to graduate with an associate’s degree from Dodge City Community College. She owned and operated the Diet Center for many years, had a embroidery business, and worked in the offices at Methodist Youthville until she moved from Dodge City. As an active member of the Methodist Church she was a Stephen’s Minister and enjoyed the fellowship there.

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Debbie Buehler

Debbie Buehler, 70, died January 5, 2023, at The Shepherd’s Center, Cimarron, Kansas, surrounded by her family. She was born January 18, 1952, in Great Bend, Kansas, the daughter of Bernard and Marion (Wirth) Schauf. Debbie was the youngest of four girls and they were all very talented musicians. Debbie could play the piano by ear and was a gifted singer. The four sisters would travel around the state singing under the name The Teen Timers & Debbie. Debbie graduated from Claflin High School in 1970, where she was known as a happy and bubbly girl that was active in many activities including cheerleading. She then attended Kansas University for a couple of years before finding her calling in Cosmetology School. After receiving her cosmetology license she returned to Claflin and opened her own shop called The Clip Joint. On July 21, 1971, she married Jere Buehler in Dubuque, in 1978 they were blessed with a son, B.J. Tragically in 1979 a car ran a stop sign and hit the car Debbie was a passenger in. Miraculously she lived but sustained a traumatic brain injury which changed her life. Even though Debbie was disabled she never let it dull her bright personality. She was a dynamic and positive individual, who lived life fully, inspiring those around her. She loved cheering on her KU teams, especially basketball, and more importantly cheering on her grandchildren in all of their activities. Survivors include; her son, B.J. Buehler and wife Taunya of Ellinwood; four grandchildren, Brooklyn, Bailee, Kelby, and Kasch Buehler; three sisters, Sally Punte and husband Larry of LaGrange, California, Pat Talbott and husband Ned of Topeka, and Judy Burnes and husband Rich of Silver Springs, Maryland; ex-husband, Jere Buehler of Claflin; and many close cousins and friends. Vigil and Rosary will be 7 p.m., Thursday, January 12th, at Nicholson-Ricke Funeral Home, with family to greet friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m., Friday, January 13th, at Imm

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Allene Ivy (Day) Pauls

Allene Ivy (Day) Pauls was born December 6, 1938, in Beeler, Kansas, at home to Ivy and Everett Day and big brother Dean. She attended elementary through high school in Beeler with graduation in 1956. She worked hard on the farm during times of sickness and health of her parents and pursued nursing school after high school. She attended St. Mary of the Plains in Dodge City for 2 semesters then on to Wichita where she graduated in 1959. She met her husband, a farmer from Ulysses, Kansas in 1960. They married September 17, 1961. They started their lives farming alongside his brother Irv and sister-in-law Rosella until health issues forced a move from farming to Garden City, KS. She worked part time in the Ulysses Hospital and Garden City at St. Catherine’s. They adopted Merrile in 1963 and Luellen (Lou) in 1966. In 1968 they moved to Dodge City, KS where she worked at Trinity Hospital and later worked at Humana Hospital in surgery until retirement in 2004. She was heavily involved in church as church organist for many years at College Heights Nazarene in Dodge City as well as sang solo for weddings and funerals. She volunteered her time in the care of the church building and grounds. She and Eldon gardened every year and shared the bounty with others as well as providing care for her mother and uncle until their deaths. They moved to Hutchinson, KS in 2004 to be close to Eldon’s remaining family, Lou and her husband Max. Merrile joined the party in Hutchinson in January of 2006. Nothing brought her more joy to her life than the love of the Lord and her grandchildren (Alex and Grant Wiens plus Aaliyah King, ward of Merrile) being close. Allene was a lover of animals. This love of animals was taught to her by her parents and grandparents on the farm at an early age and continued through her life as there were always pets near and dear to her heart. After she moved to Hutchinson, she no longer kept pets at home, and the pets in her children’s homes became her “gr

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Brant “Smiley” Ray Hensley

Brant “Smiley” Ray Hensley, 67, of Hoyt, KS, took his last breath Saturday, December 24, 2022 surrounded by his family. Brant was born August 18, 1955 in Bucklin, KS to Orvis and Maxine (Gum) Hensley. He married the love of his life, Linda, on September 24, 1994, combining their families and raising four children together, Brandon, Blaine, Danielle and

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Judith Delight (Gardner) Hoover Olszewski (“Judy O”)

Judy O passed away peacefully on December 24th, 2022, in Durango, Colorado at Mercy Hospice House after a short illness. She was 88 years old, born February 4th, 1934, in Wichita Kansas to Melva (Cheatum) and Sam Gardner. She grew up in Midway Kansas, working in the family’s restaurant, service station and rental cabin businesses. At a very young age, Judy was waiting tables and running the cash

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