MINNEOLA – George Bernard Rooney, III, 88, died at his home north of Minneola, Kansas, on July 16, 2022.
He was born on September 28, 1933 in Dodge City, Kansas, to George “Ag” Bernard Rooney, Jr. and Doris Dockstader Rooney and is survived by his wife, Gay; brother, Noel (Sharon) Rooney; children, George B. (Janice) Rooney IV, Shannon Rooney, Kamas (Carlye) Rooney; stepchildren, John (Megan) Wheeler and Jason (Lori) Wheeler; granddaughters, Olivia and Elise Rooney; step-grandchildren, Morgan (Aubrey) Wheeler, Aspen Wheeler, Gunnar Wheeler, Corbin Wheeler, and Burton Harshman.
Bernard, whose nickname was BIII (B3), attended the University of Kansas, but after having more fun than he should, finished his college degree at Arizona State University. No matter what, he was still a Jayhawk. Stationed in Germany, he served in the U.S. Army for a short time after college. He returned to Minneola, Kansas to farm and to work with The Peoples State Bank, a family-owned bank in Minneola. His commitment to the First Presbyterian Church in Dodge City included serving a number of years as an elder and also as a member of the Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry. Among his many interests, Bernard was an excellent photographer, an amateur genealogist, a pretty decent golfer, and an avid skier. An absolutely dapper dresser, his wardrobe could compete with the executive boardroom, except his closet also included farmer overalls. Along with all of that, Bernard most enjoyed shooting the breeze with friends and people who would become friends. He also gave the best hugs ever. Additionally, as a dog lover, the list of adopted dogs and dogs who found the farm on their wayward journeys is long and filled with tail-wagging, treat-eating, pick-up riding love. Finally, Bernard was a world-class procrastinator, and this proved to be to our advantage when he contracted meningitis in the brain in 2005. After being told repeatedly he did not have long to live, he put off dying for another seventeen years.
Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 21, 2022, at First Presbyterian Church, Dodge City, Kansas, with Barney Korbelik and Ryan Ausmus officiating. Entombment will follow in the Scroggins Mausoleum at Maple Grove Cemetery. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 20, 2022 at Ziegler Funeral Chapel in Dodge City, Kansas. Prior to the service, the family will be available for visitation at the church at 1:15 p.m.
The family suggests memorials to Hospice of the Prairie & Prairie Home Health in care of Ziegler Funeral Chapel, 1901 N. 14th Ave., Dodge City, Kansas 67801. Condolences may be sent to www. zieglerfuneralchapel.com.
