A life well lived
It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Leroy Sons, a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and friend. Leroy was born on January 8, 1933, in Sullivan, Missouri, and passed away on April 25, 2023, at the age of 90 in Arvada, Colorado.
Leroy was the son of George W. Sons and Sarah Anna Strothkamp. He grew up in Pacific, Missouri and Horace, Kansas with his five siblings, creating cherished memories and strong family bonds. His surviving sisters, Ethel Kuder, and Betty Gentry of Tribune, Kansas, remember him fondly as a loving and supportive brother.
Leroy is survived by his children, Cheri Nicoloff, Tim Sons, Kelly Mackeen, and Randy Sons, who will always remember their father’s love and guidance. He was also a proud grandfather to 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, who brought immense joy to his life. Leroy is predeceased by his wife, Betty J. Sons, three children, one grandchild, two sisters, and two brothers. His family will forever cherish the memories they shared.
Leroy proudly served in the United States Air Force from September 13, 1951, to September 20, 1961. He achieved the rank of Sergeant (E-5) and demonstrated unwavering dedication and commitment to his country. His service to the nation will always be remembered with gratitude.
Following his military service, Leroy pursued his passion for automobiles and became an accomplished mechanic. He owned several small automobile garages and managed several others, earning a reputation as one of the best mechanics in the area. His expertise and dedication to his craft were widely recognized and respected.
In his free time, Leroy and his wife, Betty, enjoyed going up the hill to Blackhawk for a few hours of playing the slots. He also loved socializing at the local pub in the mornings, where he savored coffee and, occasionally, a few beers with friends. Leroy’s warm presence and lively spirit will be greatly missed at these cherished gathering spots.
Leroy Sons was a man of integrity, kindness, and dedication. He touched the lives of many with his wisdom, sense of humor, and unwavering love for his family. As we gather to celebrate his life, we remember the countless ways he made the world a better place, and we hold his memory close to our heart.
Jacqueline “Jackie” Marie Hutchins, age 92, passed away on Monday, August 18, 2025, at Hope Springs Care Center in Sharon Springs She was born on January 8, 1933, in Mountain View, Missouri, the daughter of Jack Tranbarger and Olive (Gibson) Fecht. Jackie moved... [More]
Richard Marion Martin, age 77, passed away August 16, 2025, at his home in Tribune. He was born May 15, 1948, in Ashley County, Arkansas to Omer C. and Lena Mae (Linder) Lewis. The family moved to Tribune in his childhood years where he attended Greeley County Schools.... [More]
Joan Ray Smith, age 96, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, at the Hope Springs Nursing Home in Sharon Springs. She was born on March 28, 1929, in Doon, Iowa, to Ralph and Alice Kloek Ray. Joan graduated in 1947 from Oak Ridge High School, Oak Ridge, Tennessee,... [More]
Don Henry Stephenson, 79, of Oakley passed away August 15, 2025 at The Kansas City Hospice House after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Don was born August 26, 1945 in Syracuse. He always liked to say he waited for WWII to be over before he would make his appearance.... [More]
Betty Marie (Chilson) Osborn passed away August 7, 2025 at the Greeley County Long Term Care, in Tribune. She was the daughter of William Francis Chilson and Anna Kathleen (Herr) Chilson. She was born on September 17, 1936 in Horace. Betty grew up in Horace and... [More]
Paul Julius Fankhauser passed away on July 18, 2025 in Boise, Idaho surrounded by his family. He was 88. Born and raised in Kansas, it was in high school in Tribune where he met Venita, his wife of nearly 70 years. They married on July 31, 1955 and went on to have four... [More]
Roe Randall Johnson, 84, passed away on Friday, July 25, 2025 at his home in Pratt surrounded by family. Roe was born in Syracuse on March 26, 1941 to Paul and Bernice Johnson. He grew up in rural Greeley County and graduated from Greeley County High School in 1959. He... [More]
Margaret Yvonne Kuder was born near Seward, Kansas on July 9, 1930 to Clifton and Helen Walter in their home south of Great Bend. She was delivered by her grandmother Lucy Lacey Walter. She passed on July 22, 2025 at home, in Weskan. She had just celebrated her 95th birthday... [More]
Photo caption: From left to right, Kevin Govert, Monica Slattery, and A.J. Govert were the 2025 Prairie Ridge Golf Course Club Champions. Kevin won the seniors’ division with an 82-90; Monica claimed the women’s title with a 91-95; and A.J. shot a pair of 73s to claim... [More]
Kaine Chavez tackles the single-man sled at Monday afternoon’s high school football practice. The team’s first outing is a jamboree this Friday night at 5:30 p.m. in Minneola.
Photo caption: Lincoln Shafer, a recent graduate of Greeley County Schools, hit a hole-in-one at Bear Creek Golf Course in Denver last week. Photo by Kyle Shafer. Lincoln Shafer, a 2025 graduate of Greeley County High School, accomplished a rare feat last week when he... [More]
Bud Brandl and Charles Moser, left, won Greeley County Recreation Foundation’s Cornhole Tournament held Saturday, August 2. Heather and Brian Baker came in second. Courtesy photo.
Photo Caption: Despite the overcast skies and cool temperatures, more than 40 walkers and runners headed out for the Greeley County Fair Run/Walk Saturday morning. The race began at 7:30 a.m. and took participants on a designated path around town before they returned to... [More]
Cade Mangan, Greeley County Schools graduate and current K-State student, got a hole-in-one on Hole #2, a 176-yard par 3 at Stagg Hill Golf Club in Manhattan on Sunday, July 13, 2025. Courtesy photo.
The team generally identified as the “high school team,” though it’s made up of a mixture of Greeley County graduates, high schoolers, and other friends, were named the champions of the 2025 Adult Softball League after three and half innings of play in the championship... [More]
Third through ninth grade students were invited to take part in a free Junior Golf Camp hosted by High School Golf Coach Keith Slattery at Prairie Ridge Golf Course last week. Pictured in the front row, from left to right, are Journey Langdon, Tripp Berggren, Kasen Myers, Ryleigh... [More]
Photo caption: A farmer holds up a hybrid wheat kernel (left) compared to a regular wheat kernel (right) in an irrigated plot near Garden City. Photo courtesy of Corteva. Kansas is an important “breadbasket” state because of its massive wheat production, but in... [More]
Regular Meeting August 25, 2025 Notes by Sheryl Crotinger Supervisors present: Scott Steele, Monty Moritz, Alan Waggoner, and Stan Shafer Others present were: County Clerk Jerri Young, Unified Administrator Jeff Crockett, Utility Administrator Stephanie Elliott, Marylin... [More]
Garden City, Kan. – Western Kansas Community Foundation (WKCF) is awarding 19 area nonprofit organizations with grants totaling $66,343 from the Community Betterment Fund, the Kansas Health Foundation Children’s Fund, and various Field of Interest and Unrestricted... [More]
TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced a new round of funding totaling $341,000 is available through the Strategic Economic Expansion and Development (SEED) grant program. Now entering its fourth round, the SEED initiative continues... [More]
Photo caption: This field of sunflowers, located south of Towner, Colo., provided a bright spot of color Sunday afternoon. After a toasty start to the week, temperatures moderated out to the 80s and low 90s over the past seven days. The week’s high of 96... [More]
Ray Ramos and Howard Gibson (not pictured) decided they wanted to paint the wind vane at the Greeley County Airport ahead of the Greeley County Fair. The two former colleagues had a great time working together again, Howard said. Courtesy photo.
Halstead, in Harvey County, will play host to the Kansas Sampler Foundation’s second Big Kansas Road Trip Pop Up of the year on Saturday, September 6. The public is invited. A project of the non-profit Kansas Sampler Foundation, the purpose of the Pop Up event is to provide... [More]
TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced $550,000 in grant funding is available to support the expansion of registered apprenticeship programs across Kansas. The Kansas Office of Registered Apprenticeship grant will be divided... [More]
Saturday, June 14, was the grand finale of the Symphony of the Flint Hills, which celebrated a 20-year run of welcoming guests onto the open prairie to enjoy a performance by the Kansas City Symphony. This year’s theme was “Prairie Sunset” and as the... [More]
By Ben Palen Also published in the Kansas Reflector Back in November, I wrote a column for Kansas Reflector that discussed the likely adverse effects of President Trump’s proposed tariffs on U.S. farmers. The piece noted that 398 million acres of cropland has been... [More]
Donald Trump is not our king. He was elected with less than 50 percent of the popular vote and his margin of victory was 1.5 percent. There is no mandate in those numbers. Our elected members of Congress have a sworn duty to support and defend the Constitution and the... [More]
On March 1 at Oakley in western Kansas, Sen. Roger Marshall held a town hall meeting for area constitutents wanting to know more about activities in Washington DC that have impacts on them. The following written questions were submitted by Louise Ehmke. Unfortunately they were... [More]
Sometimes I wonder what drives our government to do things in our name but don’t make sense. With regard to our School Bond election and the Kansas Attorney General’s ruling, how can it be that a law is enacted that has such serious flaws in it. SB 221... [More]
In about two weeks or so, it will be Election Day. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I cannot wait for it to be over. I will not say another word about the campaigns because my mother told me, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at... [More]
As we celebrate National 4-H Week this week, 4-H Members across the country are celebrating this wonderful youth organization with Friends, Family, and the Communities that support this youth development program. In addition to celebrating the hard-work and dedication of... [More]
In 2023, we visited our good friends Julie and Bill Lawrence of Tribune, Kansas. We fell in love with Tribune! During one of our subsequent visits, we found and purchased a great house and will move in, in 2026. Everyone, and I mean everyone, we’ve come... [More]
©2025 Greeley County Republican. Powered by Pluto Sites.