Louise Herminda Cox, 76, of Amarillo, Texas, passed away peacefully on Friday January 23, 2026. Louise was born on November 23, 1949, in Clayton, New Mexico, to Frank and Rebecca (Amijo) DeHerrera. She was a woman of God whose faith guided her life and shaped the way she loved and cared for others. Louise was known for her kind and loving heart, her wonderful sense of humor, and her spontane...

With heavy hearts, we share the passing of Larry D. Johnson on January 2, 2026. He proudly served his country in the United States Army. A military service will be held at a later date as the family Awaits the return of a granddaughter who is deployed overseas. ...

Rafael Saldaña Jr, 36, of Liberal, passed away on Tuesday January 20, 2026 in rural Beaver County, OK. He was born on October 17, 1989 to Rafael Saldaña and Elsa Fabela at Brawley, CA. On September 6, 2025 he married Alejandra Zapata in Liberal, KS. Rafael grew up in Brawley, CA where attended school at Desert Valley High School. He enjoyed fishing,camping and going to the beach in Cali...

Walter D. Schmidt was born to Daniel and Lena Koehn Schmidt on June 21, 1931, near Ulysses, Kansas. He passed away on January 24, 2026, at Bethel Home in Montezuma, Kansas, at the age of 94. His father, Daniel, had been a widower with four children (Frank, Fred, Ruby, and Martha) when he married Dad’s mother, Lena. When Dad was a year and a half, his father passed away. Six months later, h...

James Leroy “Tornado” Esser, age 83, passed away on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at Bob Wilson Memorial Hospital in Ulysses. He was born on August 6, 1942, in Larned, Kansas, the son of Robert Oliver and Velma Lara (Gagnebin) Esser. After graduating high school, James enlisted in the United States Navy. He served in the United States Navy from 1960 to 1962 serving on the USS Richards Edward...

Deborah “Debbie” Gail Smith, age 64, died on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at Southwest Medical Center in Liberal, Kansas. She was born on February 28, 1961, in Guymon, Oklahoma, to John W. and Kathryn (Hobson) Harper Sr. In 1979 Deborah graduated from Liberal High School. Soon after she started her career in retail, then later into trucking moving to National Carriers. By the end of he...

Ron Schultz, age 82, of Ulysses, KS passed away on January 20, 2026, at Western Prairie Senior Living, in Ulysses, KS. Born January 17, 1944, in Lexington, NE, the son of Lewis Edward and Anna Kristine (Bailey) Schultz. Ron was born and raised in Lexington, NE, where he attended local schools and spent his early years working at the local grocery store. On May 24, 1964, Ron married his childho...

Donita Lowene Priefert Payne was born in Liberal, Kansas to Lowene and Don Priefert. She passed away very peacefully in Seattle, Washington with all of her children and many of her grandchildren by her side, holding her gently and prayerfully - just shy of her 89th birthday. Her body and spirit were weary, and she was ready to let go of this life. She grew up on her family farm in the house bui...

MEADE – Sandra K. Ergott, age 82, passed away Monday evening, January 19, 2026, at the Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, Wichita, Kansas. She was born September 2, 1943, at Wichita, Kansas, the daughter of Kenneth Lee and Velma L. (Pippitt) Pemberton. As a young girl, she attended school in Meade, graduating from Meade High School in 1961. A longtime area resident, she had worked as a sale...

Dorothy Velasquez Millen, 84-year-old longtime Liberal KS resident passed away on Friday, January 16, 2026, at Good Samaritan Society in Liberal, KS. She was born on October 28, 1941, in Mosquero, NM to Alfonso and Mary (Fuentes) Velasquez and attended school in Liberal, KS. Dorothy loved playing Bingo and going to the casino, but it was her grandchildren that she loved the most. Before retir...