Kensington will be buzzing with many KHS
Alumni coming back for their annual
banquet and class reunions on Saturday,
May 24. The Class of 1988 will be the
host and all classes ending in "8" will
be honored. A time of strolling the
halls of their high school Alma Mater
will be available beginning at 3 p.m. in
the afternoon with trophies and
memorabilia displayed in the hallways
along with the traditional black and
gold regalia. A social time will precede
the banquet which will be served at 6:30
p.m. by Legion members.
Most of the
honored classes are planning reunions.
Please report these to your
correspondent on Monday for publication
next week. Call Ruth Bienhoff at
476-2801 or e-mail her at
ruthb@ruraltel.net.
The Kensington American Legion,
Auxiliary and Sons of the American
Legion will have the memorial services
at the cemeteries near Kensington on
Sunday, May 25. The group will gather
for worship at the Athol Congregational
Church at 9 a.m. before going to the
various cemeteries.
The schedule for the ceremonies is St.
John Lutheran Cemetery near Athol, 10:15
a.m.; Pleasant View (Myers) Cemetery,
10:40 a.m.; St. John Lutheran Cemetery
at Kensington, 11:30 a.m.; Lunch for
participants at Legion at noon.
They will continue at Olive Branch
Cemetery, 1:15 p.m.; Stone Cemetery,
1:50 p.m.; and Germantown Cemetery, 2:15
p.m.
There will be no worship services at
Heartland Worship Center near Agra on
Sundays, May 25 and June 1, because of
the Woodston Family Camp.
All children in the
community, Pre-Kindergarten thru Grade
6, are invited to come to Bible School
hosted by the United Church of
Kensington and First St. John Lutheran
and St. John Lutheran Churches Tuesday,
May 27 thru Friday, May 28.The theme
will be "God's Big Backyard." Sessions
will be from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Registration is not required; children
are urged to come.
Pre-school thru Kindergarten (no nursery
class this year) will meet at First St.
John Lutheran on Highway 36. Tamara
Portenier (785-543-6612) will be the
host teacher. Grades 1, 2, & 3 will
gather at the United Church of
Kensington. Stacy Cole (785-476-2253)
will be able to answer your questions.
Grades 4, 5 & 6 will have their sessions
at St. John Lutheran Church (north) with
Robin Billings (785-476-2692) in charge
The KHS Gym was filled to standing room
only as parents, grandparents, and
friends gathered for the graduation of
the Class of 2008 late Saturday
afternoon. The usual power-point
presentation was held along with the
traditional program.
The valedictorian, Erin Ferguson, and
salutatorian, Lindsey Grauerholz, were
introduced and addressed the assembly.
Awards were given as follows: National
Honor Society--Erin Ferguson, Lindsey
Grauerholz, Randall Irving, and Melissa
Nonamaker; Kansas Board of Regents--Erin
Ferguson and Melissa Nonamaker; American
Legion--Erin Ferguson and Ethan Kuhlmann;
Kansas State High School Activities
Association Citizenship--Lindsey
Grauerholz and Randall Irving; Currey
Citizenship--Melissa Nonamaker and Ethan
Kuhlmann; Dale M. Dennis
Excellence--Erin Ferguson.
Scholarship presented were the American
Legion Scholarship--Lindsey Grauerholz;
Sons of the American Legion--Jacob
Christie; American Legion
Auxiliary--Erin Ferguson and Melissa
Nonamaker; Edward G. Beckman
Trust--Randall Irving; D.C. Duer--Ashley
Bertholf and JayDee Hudson; Ross and
Frances Ferguson Memorial--Erin Ferguson
and Lindsey Grauerholz; Carl and Martha
Grauerholz Memorial--Jacob Christie;
Arnold (Tarzan) Levin Memorial--Amanda
Sarr; Ted and Irma Rathert
Foundation--Aubrey Hunter and Wyatt
Bauman; Harry B. Sweet--Erin Ferguson;
Other scholarship awarded were Bill and
Julia Thomas Charitable Scholarship
Trust--Erin Ferguson, Lindsey Grauerholz,
JayDee Hudson, and Ethan Kuhlmann;
VadaBonnett Memorial--JayDee Hudson;
USD-238 West Smith County Education
Assn.--Ethan Kuhlmann and JoAnn Yoxall;
Junior Bug Backers--Jacob Christie,
JayDee Hudson and JoAnn Yoxall; Ryan
John Struckhoff Memorial---Aubrey
Hunter, Ryan Schirm, and JoAnn Yoxall;
Margaret Nelson Castle College--Jacob
Christie, Randall Irving, and Melissa
Nonamaker; Margaret Nelson Vo-Tech
Scholarship--Lindsey Grauerholz;
Daughers of the American
Revolution--Erin Ferguson; Jesi Sue
Gordon Memorial--Aubrey Hunter and
Ashley Bertholf; Mel Schremmer
Memorial--Melissa Nonamaker.
Terry Knight of North Platte, Neb., has
announced his retirement from the
teaching profession effective at the end
of this current school year. Terry
taught sixth grade at Eastern Heights
from 1974-1981. He taught sixth grade
for six years and finished his career
teaching eighth grade math and algebra
for the North Platte Public Schools.
Terry is proud of the fact that he never
once used a sick day in his thirty-four
years of teaching.
A retirement party is planned for
Saturday, June 7, from noon until ????
at 709 South Sycamore in North Platte.
Friends are encouraged to car pool and
go to North Platte to help Terry
celebrate.
Eight members of the K-town Kates met
for a buffet meal at the Pizza Hut in
Phillipsburg Tuesday evening, May 13. A
short business meeting was held. The
secretary's, treasurer's and Food Pantry
reports were given and approved. The
Pantry has been restocked. Loretta
Struik and Janet Hoverson hosted the
Pantry on May 10. It was open a week
earlier this month as the Senior Center
was rented for a graduation party on the
regular date. Tentative plans are to
attend the Theatre of the American West
Sunday, June 22. More details will be
announced later.
The Kates offer sympathy to their
president, Loretta Struik, on the death
of her brother-in-law in Iowa from an
auto accident.
There will be no meals served or
delivered at the Kensington Senior
Center Monday, May 26, because of
Memorial Day. Pinochle will be played
Tuesday evening, May 27 at 7 p.m.
Twenty-nine persons came for dinner on
Thursday, May 15 to help five persons
celebrating May birthdays. They are
Mildred Dettmer, Sandy Powell, Ken Wynn,
Marion Stephenson, and Phrocene Hoff.
Menus
Monday, May 26--Center closed; Memorial
Day
Tuesday, May 27--Hamburger, hash brown
casserole, corn, bun, blushing pears
Wednesday, May 28--Chicken fajita salad,
5-cup salad, crackers, cherry crisp
Thursday, May 29--Meat loaf, augratin
potatoes, peas, bread, cantaloupe
Friday, May 30--Turkey & noodles, cheesy
cauliflower, applesauce gelatin, roll,
cookie
Adrienne Samia, daughter of Teresa and
Joe Samia and granddaughter of John and
Jacklyn Stewart of Kensington and Louisa
and Kamil Samia of Southern Lebanon,
graduated from Valley Center High School
Saturday, May 10 at Koch Arena on the
campus of Wichita State University.
Adrienne was one of ten valedictorians
and received awards for National Honor
Society (3 years), National Forensics (4
years), VC Ambassador and Governor's
Scholar.
Adrienne will be attending Ft. Hays
State University in the fall to major in
Graphic Arts and English. Adrienne's
great-great-grandmother,
great-grandmother, grandmother,
grandfather, and mother all graduated
from Ft. Hays. Her father, Joe,
graduated from Arkansas University after
beginning his education in the United
States at Fort Hays.
Adrienne was honored by her family,
teachers, classmates and friends at a
party Friday evening.
David Rice, 92, died May 13, 2008, at
his home in Erie, Colo. He grew up in
the Athol area, the son of Jess and Theo
(Barnes) Rice. He graduated
from Kensington High School in 1934. He
was a psychiatrist.
He was preceded in death by his wife
Pauline. Survivors are sons, Terry of
Erie, Colo., and Sam (and Linda) Rice of
Kensington; and daughters, Gemma VanHole
of Boise, Idaho, and Robin Rice of
California.
Graveside services were held Monday
morning at Olive Branch Cemetery, rural
Kensington, with Pastor Patsy Koeneke
officiating.
Word was received here Sunday evening,
May 18, of the death of Linda (Dettmer)
Gauer, 98, of Wichita. She leaves a
daughter, Judy Gauer of the Kansas City
area. She was preceded in death by her
husband, Willard (Bud) Gauer, and a
brother, Cleon Dettmer.
A graveside service at Olive Branch
Cemetery near Kensington is planned for
sometime next week. .
Darin and Brooke (Scott) McDowell of
Fairbury, Neb., announce the birth of
their son, Brillon Clayton, on May 14.
Brillon weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz.
Grandparents are Clayton and Vivian
McDowell of Kensington and Wave Scott of
Smith Center. Great-grandparents include
Sid and Beth Scott of Smith Center and
Alice Rietzke of Kensington.
Kylie and Jordan Thomas announce the
birth of their sister, Kamryn Elizabeth.
Their parents are Staci (Krein) and
Clint Thomas of Garden Plain. Kamryn,
who weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz and was 19 1/2
inches long, was born May 15 at the
Wesley Hospital in Wichita.
Grandparents are Harvey and Evelyn Krein
of Salina and Doug and Judy Thomas of
Jetmore. Great-grandpaents are Arliss
Weinman of Phillipsburg and Ralph Black
of Gunnison, Colo. Harvey and Evelyn are
spending a week at the Thomas home
spoiling their eighth grandchild.
Matt Sidman returned home from the
hospital in Kearney on May 11. He is
making satisfactory recovery from
injuries suffered in a vehicle accident
near Scottsbluff, Neb.
Don and Jan Hoverson have had a busy
week. On Sunday, May 11, they attended
the 8th grade graduation of their
granddaughter, Brenna McKee, at
Brewster. On Monday they and their
daughter, Lori Hoverson of Hays, went to
Kansas City to attend the funeral of a
brother-in-law, Ted Loyd, 77. He is the
husband of Don's sister, Donna, and died
unexpectedly of complications following
surgery. This weekend their son and
children, Dan Hoverson, Ryan and Dylan
of Valley Center spent the weekend while
the wife and mother, Michelle, was in
Hays with her father following open
heart surgery.
Kensington Elementary students, K-Grade
6, were off to the Rolling Hills
Wildlife Adventure and Zoo near Salina
Monday morning with George and Sandy
Powell driving the two large busses.
It's going to be a warm day with temps
in the 90's so red-faced, tired children
will be returning this evening after a
great field trip. Students will return
for their final day of school as
Goldbugs Tuesday. Dismissal will be at
12:15. The busses will run after lunch.
Spring has sprung with much warmer
temperatures over the weekend. Rain
showers would be welcome again. Heads
are emerging from the wheat fields, but
a later harvest is predicted because of
the cooler weather. Farmers are busy and
lawns are keeping the mowers busy.
Peonies are loaded with buds and it is
hoped they will open in time for the
earlier Memorial Day.
The usual activities begin each day. A
Mother's Day Tea was held Monday
afternoon. Bingo was played Tuesday
afternoon. The Adopted Grandkids came
for their last visit of the school term
Wednesday morning. This is always a
joyous time for both residents and
students. It is hoped the students have
a wonderful summer. A BBQ was held at
noon and root beer floats were served in
the afternoon. First St. John Lutheran
Church had the Thursday morning Bible
study followed by fellowship. Hands were
the afternoon topic.
The local news was read from the Pioneer
Friday morning. The May birthdays were
celebrated in the afternoon. Cake and
ice cream was served. Residents having
May birthdays are Leonard Beckmann
(5-14), Phillips Doctor (5-24), and
Lucille Schoeni (5-29). Staff with May
birthdays are Bonita Smith and Marlene
Wolf.
The usual puzzles, cards, search-a-words
are evening entertainment. Movies are
also often watched.
St. John Lutheran Church had the Sunday
morning Bible study and afternoon
communion worship. Pastor Koeneke was
assisted by Steve and Linda Miller with
Ruth Bienhoff as pianist.
Dorine Kuhlmann accompanied her family
to the graduations of wo of her
grandsons, Ethan Kuhlmann from
Kensington High School on Saturday and
Kirby Rice from Smith Center High School
on Sunday.
Visitors signing the register were Karen
Pollock, Carol Thompson and Jan and Bob
Zeigler wih Lucille Schoeni; Annalee
Ratliff with Pearl Ratliff; Maria
Seemann and Carolyn Billings with
friends; Mary Sweat with Elsie Jankovsky
and Martha Currey; Ada Gaines with
Francis Gaines; Francis and Helen Roller
with Lois Roller; Pat Bienhoff with
Douglas and Mae Donovan and Montra and
Mary Jones; Vernon Kuhlmann with Doris
Kuhlmann; Gilbert Kuhlmann with Betty
Kuhlmann.
