Max Gwaine Steele
Max Gwaine Steele, age 86, passed away on May 9, 2026, at the Greeley County Long Term Care in Tribune. He was born on January 5, 1940, in Dodge City to Robert Dale and Helen May (Wilcoxen) Steele.
After Max graduated as the valedictorian and class president from Ford High School in 1958, he attended what was known as Dodge City Junior College back then. He went on to graduate from Kansas State University in 1963 with a degree in agronomy. He loved sharing memories of playing sports in high school. Max really enjoyed football but was also on the basketball team and threw shot put and discus for track and field.
He had a love for flying and received his pilot’s license at age 16. He was an ROTC member at KSU. He was accepted into the US Air Force Academy but ended up returning to farming after his father broke his hip falling off a combine.
Max married the love of his life and high school sweetheart, Sharon Kay Gaul, in Ford, on January 5, 1960. She preceded him in death.
They moved to Greeley County in 1963, where he spent his life farming. He served on the ASCS Committee and as a Greeley County Commissioner. Max was a member of the United Methodist Church and an honorary lifetime member of the Greeley County Historical Society.
Max is survived by his son Scott and Christine Steele of Tribune; daughter Stacia and Jobie Langston of Sun City Center, Fla.; brother Larry Steele of Tribune, eleven grandchildren and twenty great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, parents, brother Alan, and sisters-in-law Linda Steele and Arlyce Steele.
Graveside services will be at 10:30 a.m. (MTN) on Friday, May 15, 2026, at the Greeley County Cemetery in Tribune, with Pastor Nick Talbott-Dixson presiding.
Public viewing will be at the Price and Sons Funeral Home, 322 2nd St. in Tribune, on Wednesday, May 13, from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. (MTN) and on Thursday, May 14, from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. (MTN).
Memorials may be given to the Max Steele Memorial fund, in care of Price & Sons Funeral Home, PO Box 161, Leoti, Kansas 67861.
See ya in the funny papers, Dad.
OBITUARIES
Pauline (Finkenbinder) Fecht
Pauline (Finkenbinder) Fecht passed away at St. Catherine’s Hospital in Garden City on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at the age of 94. She was born in Garden City on July 19, 1931, to Paul Harden Finkenbinder and Amy Clyde (Kellum) Finkenbinder, who were long-time residents of Syracuse.... [More]
Ivan Earl Parks
Longtime Goodland resident Ivan Earl Parks, 95, passed away on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 at the Greeley Long Term Care Facility in Tribune. Ivan was born on February 22, 1931, in Stockton to Earl and Pearl (South) Parks. He attended school in Stockton through the 8th grade.... [More]
Carl Levi Evans
Carl Levi Evans, age 42, passed away on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at the Greeley County Hospital in Tribune. He was born on August 5, 1983, to Carl Albert and Synthia Lynne Evans in Tribune. He was a dedicated husband, father, son, brother, uncle, cousin, and... [More]
David Northrup
David Northrup passed away on April 9, 2026. Born on October 18, 1950, Northrup was 75 when he passed away. David graduated from Greeley County High School in 1968. He was a member of the basketball team that won a state title that year. Services were held on... [More]
Lloyd E. Surprise
Lloyd E. Surprise, age 92, passed away on April 10, 2026 at Scott County Hospital in Scott City. He was born on September 3, 1933, in Greeley County, Kansas, the son of Mark and Effie Surprise. Lloyd went to grade school in Weskan. His family moved to Greeley County, where... [More]
Celebration of Life for Daryl Miller
The family of Daryl Miller warmly invites all Daryl’s friends to join them on Saturday, April 18, at 3 p.m. at the Greeley County 4-H Building for his “Going Away” party. Family and friends will gather to honor and celebrate Daryl’s life. All are invited... [More]
Derek Justin Smith
Son, even though you didn’t make it to the end of our story, we will always have the corner folded down on your page because it was one of our favorites. - Dad and Mom With heavy hearts and the world becoming quieter and dimmer, we mourn the traumatic and heartbreaking... [More]
Venita Fankhauser
Venita Fankhauser (née Stewart), aged 89, passed away peacefully on March 4, 2026, in Meridian, Idaho. Born on September 3, 1936, in Littlefield, Texas, Venita lived a life filled with love, dedication, and community. Venita met the love of her life, Paul Fankhauser,... [More]
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- Catherine Ann Wilson
- Carl Eugene Le Blanc
- Jaqualine “Jackie” Smith
- Ethel D. Kuder
- Graveside Services scheduled for Carl LeBlanc
- Celebration of Life scheduled for Derek Smith
- Darrell Piper
- Daryl Eugene Miller
SPORTS
Jackrabbits compete in Dighton Meet
Photo caption: Shaydan Howell competed in the triple jump at last Friday’s meet in Dighton. Photo by Trista Shafer. The Jackrabbits traveled to Dighton on Friday, May 8, to compete in the Dighton High School Invitational meet. “Our track team had another good... [More]
Varsity Golf competes at Oakley, Johnson
Photo caption: The varsity team placed second overall at Thursday’s meet in Oakley. Pictured from right to left are Coach Keith Slattery, Marco Coello, Guilherme Evans, Braxon Mangan, Caleb Young, Knox Mangan, and Luke Clevenger. Courtesy photo. The Greeley County... [More]
Junior High Jackrabbits compete in Tribune, Dighton
Photo caption: Brielle Harkness, left, and Kendrix Mangan, second from right, finished fourth and first, respectively, in the 100-meter hurdles at Thursday’s meet in Tribune. Compiled with results shared by Junior High Coach Keli Myers The Junior High Jackrabbits track... [More]
Golfers bring home JV, Varsity medals
Photo caption: Charlize Shafer shot a 70 at Leoti’s JV tournament on Monday. Photo by Trista Shafer. The GCHS Golf Team had another busy week this past week, especially the junior varsity. The JV attended three tournaments throughout the week, while the varsity... [More]
High School Jackrabbits compete in Leoti, Quinter meets
Compiled with results submitted by High School Track Coach Haylee Hennick Photo caption: Jeryn Stewart, left, and Bailey Moritz, center, competed in the 800-meter run at the meet in Leoti on Monday. Stewart placed second and Moritz placed seventh in the event. Photo by Trista... [More]
High School Jackrabbits compete in track meets at Scott City, Montezuma
Photo caption: Samuel Warner threw the shot put at the Scott City Relays on Tuesday, April 21. Photo by Sheryl Crotinger. Compiled with information submitted by High School Track Coach Haylee Hennick Greeley County High School Track and Field traveled to Scott City on Tuesday,... [More]
Golf team competes in varsity tournament in Grinnell
Photo caption: Maggie Votruba, a senior golfer, has competed with both the varsity and junior varsity squads this year. This photo was taken at a JV meet earlier in the year. Photo by Drew Zerr. The Greeley County Golf team had a slow week this past week with only one varsity... [More]
Junior High Jackrabbits compete in Cheyenne Wells, Colo. meet
Photo caption: Jackrabbit runners Ruben Coello, Deacon Gooch, and Paul Marcelino chase a runner from Burlington during last Thursday’s meet in Cheyenne Wells. Photo by Trista Shafer. Compiled with information submitted by Junior High Track Coach Keli Myers The... [More]
More Sports
- Jackrabbits compete in track meet in Elkhart last Thursday
- Golf team competes at Goodland, Grinnell, and Atwood
- JH Tracksters break records at two meets
- Golfers tee off season with three first-week meets
- Jackrabbits place fourth, fifth as teams at home opener
- Junior High Jackrabbits break four school records at first meet
- Mangan breaks one free throw record, ties second
- Four Jackrabbits named to Northwest Kansas All-League Teams
NEWS
Spring concerts held in Greeley County
Photo caption: From left to right, Tristen Evans, Tyler Berry, Quinn Kleymann, Mallory Walk, Yoni Gutierrez, Cyril Kleymann, James Marquardt, Johnathan Aitken, and Aidan Hill played with the sixth-twelfth grade band at Wednesday night’s spring concert. Greeley County... [More]
Graduation Ceremony Saturday
Greeley County Schools will host its high school commencement ceremonies this Saturday, May 16, in the gymnasium. Graduation will begin at 11 a.m. The Class of 2026 includes Traceur Alexander, Kaine Chavez, Ashelynn Cole, Kiarra Cole, Peyton Jenkins, Kaden Jones, James Marquardt,... [More]
Eighth Grade Promotion Sunday
Greeley County Schools will host its eighth-grade promotion ceremony this Sunday, May 17, in the gymnasium. The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. Members of the eighth-grade class include Tyler Berry, Brooklyn Clevenger, Klayton Davignon, Tristen Evans, Yahaira Labra, Paul Marcelino,... [More]
Save the Date for the Great Greeley County History Hunt
By Jennifer Vogt-Crockett The celebration of our Nation’s 250th birthday continues with the Great Greeley County History Hunt, beginning May 31 and running through the end of August. Sign up begins at the Senior Center during the car show on May 31. We... [More]
Elementary Spring Concert
Photo caption: The kindergartners and first grade students performed several songs at Tuesday night’s elementary spring concert. The pre-kindergarten through fifth grade students performed their spring concert Tuesday, May 5, beginning at 7 p.m. in the Greeley County... [More]
GCHS kicks off Healthcare Week with third annual Color Walk/Run
Even the four-legged friends joined in on Saturday morning’s Color Walk/Run. John Kennedy sprays color on Tiana Bontrager’s dog as Courtney Victoria stands nearby.
Spring to winter and back again
Photo caption: Giant slow flakes fell over downtown Tribune Wednesday, May 6. An early May snowfall brought needed moisture last week, but by Saturday, the high temperature was 84. The week’s high of 85 degrees was recorded for Monday, May 4. A low of 30 degrees was... [More]
Board of Supervisors meeting notes
Notes by Sheryl Crotinger Monday, May 11, 2026, 1 p.m. Supervisors present: Chairman Steve Mangan, Monty Moritz, and Stan Shafer Others present: Deputy County Clerk Kaylie Carney, Unified Administrator Jeff Crockett, Utility Administrator Stephanie Elliott, and Sheryl Crotinger... [More]
More News
- Adult Community Center News
- Loyalty Day Show Results
- Kleymann, Osborn Bring Home Medals from State Speech and Drama Festival
- Hopkins competes in State Youth Entrepreneurial Challenge, recognized in top 10
- Board of Supervisors special meeting notes
- Greeley County Health Services, Inc. Board of Directors meeting minutes
- Wheatland Electric Membership Elects New Trustees & Passes Bylaw Changes Following 2026 Annual Meeting
- Welcome rain falls on April 30
OPINIONS
From the editor's desk
Change isn’t my favorite. Though I like to think I’m open-minded and forward-looking, I can become rooted in patterns, comfortable in the way things are done. If I can navigate the mental maze of getting from point A to point Z several times, then just follow... [More]
Letter to the Community: We need lifeguards
How lucky are we to have a small-town swimming pool? Honestly–very. It’s more than just a place to cool off. It’s where summers happen. Kids learn to swim, teens hang out, families relax, and the whole community comes together in one spot. In a small... [More]
In Pursuit: Lesson #1 – From George Washington
Editor’s Note: The Kansas Press Association and Kansas Humanities have partnered to provide access to a series of essays honoring the 250th Anniversary of our nation. There is so much we can learn from the lessons of our past. In Pursuit is a new initiative from... [More]
FFA isn’t all sows, plows, and cows
Photo caption: Anna Marquardt, left, attended the ACC Conference in Lakin last week. Courtesy photo. FFA is growing tomorrow’s leaders, instilling confidence in members, and preparing members for career success and the ACC Conference did just that. ACC stands for authentic,... [More]
Letter to the Editor: Passing the Rotor Act is Plane Common Sense
Failure to pass it means another day, week, month that we put at risk the safety of all passengers who fly our skies. By U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) March 6, 2026 Crafted as a response to the deadly midair collision that occurred over the Potomac River in January... [More]
Letter to the Editor
Many of your readers may be interested to learn an artist of national reputation has painted a landscape entitled, Greeley County Summer. It may be viewed on the artist’s website: catherinefreshleyart.com. Click on prints, select paper or canvas and scroll until you find... [More]
Letter to the Editor: Trump promises handouts to farmers. Politicians promise development benefits. We pay for it all.
As has been widely speculated, Monday brought news that the Trump administration will provide several billion dollars in bailouts to farmers, with an emphasis on corn and soybean growers. Only a small portion may go to Kansas wheat farmers. Predictably, political dances followed... [More]
Letter to the Editor
After watching about three hours of the Supreme Court debate over tariffs, I learned something significant. As of Wednesday, November 5, tariffs amount to an 18% tax on all of us. On top of all the other taxes, that 18% shocked me. That number was shared in the Supreme Court... [More]
More Opinions
- Right to repair
- Letter to the Editor
- Letter to the Editor
- Letter to the editor: Political uncertainty shakes Kansas farmland values, and prosperity hangs in the balance
- From the Editor’s desk: Reflecting on the Symphony in the Flint Hills
- Letter to the Editor: With Trump and Musk driving U.S. policy, Kansas farmers have been played for suckers
- Letter to the Editor: Donald Trump is not our king
- Open letter to Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall
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