Walter James Waldren
Walter James Waldren, age 54, passed away on Sunday, March 16, 2025, in Wichita County, Kansas. He was born on October 28, 1970, in Leoti, Kansas, the son of Walter Donald and Carolyn Lea Lemmer Waldren. He was a farmer.
James married Mary Jane Kelley on April 22, 1994, in Scott City, Kansas.
To this union, Ashley Nicohl was born on July 12, 1995.
James graduated from Weskan High School in the spring of 1989. He then attended Northwest Kansas Technical College in Goodland, Kansas for welding and graduated in the spring of 1991.
He liked working with his dad, Donald. He was a master craftsman like his father, making furniture and cutting different designs with a plasma cutter. He would help anyone and he didn’t mind telling you what he thought. James loved his old pickup and his everyday companion, his dog, Sloan. James also loved playing with his grandkids, Landen & Jaxton; he was Papa to them.
Survivors include his daughter Ashley Nicohl Waldren & Jordan Nemechek of Tribune; his mother Carolyn Lea Waldren of Leoti;, three sisters Karolyn & Elias Moreno of Dallas, Texas; Katrina & Eric Hoffman of Horace; and Karla & Rick Dilling of California, Kentucky; two grandsons - Landen & Jaxton Nemechek of Tribune; and many friends, relatives, aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces.
He was preceded in death by his father Walter Donald Waldren.
Graveside Memorial Services were held at 11:00 a.m. (Mountain Time) on Monday, March 24, 2025, at the Greeley County Cemetery in Tribune with Steve Payne presiding.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the James Waldren Memorial Fund in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, P.O. Box 161, Leoti, Kansas 67861.
OBITUARIES
Becky Lynn Keller
Becky Keller, 74, of Olathe, passed peacefully into God’s arms on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Becky was born on July 14, 1951, to her loving and devoted parents, Israel “Harry” and Thelma Trigg in Ottawa. Her childhood was spent in rural southwestern Kansas, where... [More]
Celebration of Life for Derek Justin Smith
A Celebration of Life for Derek Justin Smith will be held Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at the Presbyterian Church in Tribune. Memorials can be given to the Derek Smith Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 433, Tribune, KS 67879.
Shawn Harney
Shawn Harney, age 61, passed away peacefully on May 23, 2026, surrounded by the love of his friends and family. Born on January 14, 1965, in Norfolk, Shawn grew up with a strong work ethic, a love for family, and a passion for the simple things in life. He graduated from Clarkson... [More]
Don E. Moore
Don Eugene Moore was born on March 3, 1962, in Tribune. He was the son of Emmit C. Moore and RoseElla (Kuder) Moore-Graham. He attended Greeley County High School and graduated in 1980. In 1982, he married Cindy Tillis and they had two children Amanda (Bobby) Ward of... [More]
John Warren “Skip” Conard, Jr.
John Warren “Skip” Conard, Jr., born September 1, 1943, in Syracuse, passed away on April 4, 2026, at the age of 82, surrounded by his loving family. He grew up in Coolidge with his brother, Edward Dale Conard, and his sister, Barbara (Conard) Latty; his sister... [More]
Rose Edna Fuller
Rose Edna Fuller, age 81, passed away on Friday, May 15, 2026, at the Greeley County Long Term Care in Tribune. She was born in Utica on November 6, 1944, to Verbin L. and O. Irene McRay Donovan. Rose was a lifelong resident of Tribune. She was a faithful member of the... [More]
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... [More]
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]
More Obituaries
- Ivan Earl Parks
- Carl Levi Evans
- David Northrup
- Lloyd E. Surprise
- Celebration of Life for Daryl Miller
- Derek Justin Smith
- Venita Fankhauser
- Catherine Ann Wilson
SPORTS
GCHS plays at 1A State Golf Meet at Turkey Creek in McPherson
Photo caption: Braxon Mangan shot a 39-40-79 on Day One and a 39-43-82 on Day Two at the 1A State Golf Tournament at Turkey Creek in McPherson. He tied for 12th place in 1A. Photo by Brecken Mangan. The GCHS Golf Team competed at the 1A State Championship Golf tournament... [More]
Seven Jackrabbits compete at all classes KSHSAA State Track Meet
Photo caption: Jailyn Brandl, right, competed in both the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs at the KSHSAA Association meet in WIchita. She placed seventh in the 3,200-meter run, claiming a medal. Photo by Peggy Fischer. Seven members of the Greeley County Jackrabbits High... [More]
Jackrabbits host regional meet; seven qualify for state meet in Wichita
Photo caption: Rowdy Grubb was among seven Jackrabbits who qualified for this weekend’s KSHSAA State Track and Field Meet in Wichita. He cleared 12’6 on the pole vault to secure his place in the tournament. See the track story on page 12. Greeley County Schools... [More]
Jackrabbits place third at sub-state, secure spot at state meet
Photo caption: Braxon Mangan, left, and Guilherme (G) Evans placed first and tenth respectively at the sub-state tournament in Sharon Springs on Monday, May 18. Photo by Brecken Mangan. The GCHS Golf Team played in the sub-state tournament on Monday, May 18, at... [More]
Kansas State High School Clay Target League State Tournaments quickly approaching
Kansas – Students from all across the state are getting ready to participate in the 2026 Kansas State High School Clay Target League (KSSHSCTL) State Tournaments soon. This year a total of 2,263 athletes from 175 teams will be participating across four different tournaments... [More]
Jackrabbit golfers score wins at home, named Northwest Kansas League champions
Photo caption: Junior Braxon Mangan made school history last Monday, May 11, when he became the first Greeley County High School golfer to shoot under par at a high school tournament. Photo by Brecken Mangan. Editor’s Note: We were pleased to learn that the... [More]
Junior High Track finishes season at NWK League Tournament in Oberlin
Photo caption: The 4x100-meter relay team made up of Scarlett Shafer, Ellie Schneider, Kamri Myers, and Ayda Mangan were league champs. They placed first with a time of 57.49, setting a new team record. Photo by Trista Shafer. Compiled from information submitted by Coach... [More]
High School Track competes in NWK League meet, prepares to host Regionals
Photo caption: Coach Haylee Hennick looks on as Gracelyn Graham finishes a race at the League Track Meet in Oberlin last Thursday, May 14. Photo by Trista Shafer. Compiled with results shared by Coach Haylee Hennick The Jackrabbits High School track team competed in the League... [More]
More Sports
- Jackrabbits compete in Dighton Meet
- Varsity Golf competes at Oakley, Johnson
- Junior High Jackrabbits compete in Tribune, Dighton
- Golfers bring home JV, Varsity medals
- High School Jackrabbits compete in Leoti, Quinter meets
- High School Jackrabbits compete in track meets at Scott City, Montezuma
- Golf team competes in varsity tournament in Grinnell
- Junior High Jackrabbits compete in Cheyenne Wells, Colo. meet
NEWS
Keep on Cruisin’ entertains in Tribune Sunday
Photo caption: More than 30 cars lined the 400 block of Broadway Sunday afternoon for the Horace Greeley Museum’s second annual Keep on Cruisin’ event. Julie Claeys and Pete Mass, on the left, and Coriander and Dustin Myers and girls, on the right, were among the... [More]
Candidate Filing
Justin Phillips has filed for At-Large Supervisor.
Summer Kickoff set for Friday, Saturday
A fun-filled line-up of events is planned for this Friday, June 5, and Saturday, June 6. Community Wide Garage Sales Friday, June 5, will kick off the Community-Wide Garage and Sidewalk Sales. Most of Friday’s sales will run from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Maps will... [More]
Greeley County Health Services awarded more than $2 million in Kansas Rural Health Transformation Program Grants
KDHE Awards Nearly $80M to Strengthen Rural Health Care Across Kansas Through the Kansas Rural Health Transformation Program Topeka - The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced the recipients of the Regional Partnerships Grant Program (RPGP) and Rural... [More]
Coach Josh Gooch, Gael Yanez honored as “Most Positive” in Kansas
Photo caption: Coach Josh Gooch walks through a tunnel of high fives after a 12-point win over the Rawlins County Buffaloes earlier this year. DALLAS, TX (May 27, 2025) – For the first time in its history, the Positive Athlete organization is recognizing local... [More]
The Greeley County History Hunt has begun
The Greeley County Historical Society continues the celebration of our Nation’s 250th birthday with the Great Greeley County History Hunt! The quest begins this week. We have created youth and adult scavenger hunts for you to explore historic locations throughout Greeley... [More]
All Things Plainview...
Photo caption: The End of the 2025-2026 School Year By Ruth Fees On Wednesday, May 20 (The final day of student contact from now on is decreed to be Miss Fees Day), the students finished up—they cleaned lockers, cleaned up the grounds around the school, checked... [More]
Community Development News
Welcome, Payton! We’re extremely excited to welcome Payton Walk as Greeley County’s Community Development director. Her first day in the office was Monday, and later this week, she and I will travel to Kinsley to attend economic and community development meetings... [More]
More News
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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