Flora Vargas Pérez , a beloved artist and cherished matriarch, passed away peacefully on August 13, 2025, in Liberal, Kansas, at the age of 82. She was born on May 26, 1943, in Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo, México to Enrique Vargas Islas and Isabel Perez Pasten. Flora married Oscar M. Bustillos P. on March 24, 1966 in Mexico City; he preceded her in death on April 22, 2021. She poured her h...

Lewis G. Collins, 70, of Perryton, Texas passed away Friday, August 8, 2025 at home in Perryton , Texas. A memorial service for friends and family will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 7, 2025 at the Museum of the Plains in Perryton, Texas.  Cremation arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home, Inc. of Perryton, Texas. Lewis was born on August 14, 1954 in Liberal, Kansas to Lor...

Services for Loren Gene Ogletree, 77, of Ada are 3:00 p.m. Sunday, August 17, 2025, at the Criswell Funeral Home Chapel in Ada, Oklahoma; Rev. Richard Hood will officiate.  Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday at Liberal Cemetery in Liberal, Kansas with Pastor Dawn Epp presiding. Mr. Ogletree passed away Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at his home.  He was born on November 21, 1947, in Liber...

Josephine M. Taul, age 93, died Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at Western Prairie Senior Living Memory Care in Ulysses, Kansas. She was born on February 28, 1932, in Wright, Kansas, the daughter of Salvador DeLa Rosa and Juanita Dee (Santiago) Sosa.  Josephine attended school in Wright and Johnson, where she graduated. On July 5, 1958, she married Joseph Robert Taul in Johnson. Throughout their ...

Gary L. Pennington, age 72, passed away on Thursday evening, August 7, 2025, at HCA HealthONE Swedish Medical Center in Denver, Colorado, following injuries sustained in a farm accident on July 11th. Born on November 29, 1952, in Meade, Kansas, Gary was the son of Robert and Wilma (Kobs) Pennington. He grew up in Meade, where he attended local schools and graduated as valedictorian of Meade H...

Ronald “Ron” or “Ronny” Lee Sipes passed from this earth peacefully on August 8, 2025. The grim reaper must have snuck up on him because there was too much fight in him otherwise. All who knew him knew he could be ornery or puckish, depending on how the wind was blowing. He was a voracious reader and scholar, as would be expected from the child of two schoolteachers, and as a young boy...

Lucas John (Duke) Wellen, born on May 24, 1963, in Elkhart, Kansas, to Gordon Eugene and Carolea Virgil (Griffin) Wellen, passed away peacefully on August 4, 2025, in Liberal, Kansas. A lifelong cowboy, Duke embraced a life spent outdoors and among livestock, reflecting his deep passion for the natural world and its animals. His journey came to a close as it was filled with the simple joys that he...

Charles "Chuck" Gates, 77, of Liberal, passed away on Tuesday August 5, 2025 at Wheatridge Care Park in Liberal. He was born on December 3, 1947 to Allen and Ida (Manthe) Gates at Leavenworth, KS. Chuck was a graduate of De Soto High School in De Soto, KS; Class of 1965. Chuck worked as a Carni for the Pride of Texas Traveling Carnival for 10 years and was also a Cook for many years. He enjoye...

Rick Talmadge, age 78, died Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at his home in Ulysses, Kansas. He was born on December 23, 1946, to Earl Ray and Betty Jane (Bond) Talmadge. Rick grew up in Detroit and graduated from Wayne High School. He married Linda Mason on November 25, 1978. Even though they later divorced, they remained life-long friends. After serving honorably in the United States Army, he returne...

Keith Sherman Polacek, age 62, died on Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Wichita, Kansas. He was born on July 13, 1963, in Red Bud, Illinois, to Robert and Patsy Jean (Pickering) Polacek. Keith graduated from Chester High School in Chester, Illinois in 1984. He was united in marriage to Sharla Embry on November 7, 1987, in Shreveport, Louisiana. She preceded him in death in May 2003. Keith was a ...