Joe Bird
Joe Lee Bird, age 72, died on October 16, 2022 in his home. He was born on July 3, 1950 at Syracuse, KS, the son of James "Jim"Walter Sabin & Beatrice "Bea" Juel (Barnes) Sabin and stepfather Wilburn "Leo" Bird.
Joe lived in several places - Illinois, California, Colorado, and Missouri before settling in Garden City. He graduated from Syracuse High School in 1969. In sports, Joe was active in basketball and track. He held several records in Kansas in track. Joe worked for Garden City as a lineman on electrical lines for a few years, worked as a driller and derrick hand in the oil field for numerous years and was a truck driver for many years. Joe also completed the courses for a pilot's license.
In his younger days, one of Joe's favorite pastimes was to follow the rodeo circuit, participating in bull riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing, and calf and steer roping. He loved to ride motorcycles, jet skis, and boating. Joe always had a dog; his current dog is named Jake.
He is survived by his two daughters - Teresa Jo (Randy) Littrell of Harrisonville, MO and Kalli Maxfield of Garden City; five brothers - John Jackson of Garden City, KS, Donald Ives of San Diego, CA, Pete Ives, Jr. of Las Vegas, NV, Ken Sabin of FL, and Don Sabin of Rock Springs, WY; and two sisters - Reba Heath of Garden City, KS and Nancy Whitehead of Dalton, GA; six grandchildren - Bryan Lee Littrell, Natalie Jo Littrell, Kiana (Hembree) Brown, Madison Maxfield, Mallory Hardy, and Harley Jo Hardy; six great-grandchildren - Vincent William Littrell, Camille "Millie" June Littrell, Zander Hembree, Adam, Rosaleah, and Ann Marie Brown; numerous nieces and nephews; and several great nieces and nephews; and long-time companion Teri Brinson who cared for Joe in his last days.
Joe was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Sherriann "Sherri" Wilson.
Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, October 21, 2022 at Garnand Funeral Home with Rev. John Harms officiating with burial to follow in the Lakin Cemetery in Lakin, Ks. Memorial Contributions are suggested to the Joe Bird Memorial Fund in care of Garnand Funeral Home.
Garnand Funeral Home 412 N. 7th Street Garden City, Kansas 67846 620-276-3219
OBITUARIES
Bonnie (Stevens) Adkisson
Bonnie Deloris Adkisson (Stevens) Our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, and friend, Bonnie Deloris Adkisson (Stevens), passed away peacefully with her family by her side on June 5, 2026, at the age of 93. She was the true heart and soul... [More]
Johnny DuVall
Funeral services for John “Johnny” DuVall will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, June 12, 2026, at Lamar Christian Church with Pastor Paul Floyd officiating. Interment will follow at Hillside Cemetery in Granada, Colorado. Visitation will be held from 4:00... [More]
Eldon “Skip” Reed
Eldon “Skip” Dwane Reed, age 75, passed away peacefully at home in Syracuse, Kansas surrounded by his family on May 17, 2026. Skip was born January 21,1951 to Eldon “Bub” and Phyllis (Hartshorn) Reed. Bub worked at the John Deere Dealership,... [More]
John “Skip” Conard, Jr.
John Warren "Skip" Conard, Jr, born September 1, 1943, in Syracuse, Kansas, passed away on April 4, 2026, at the age of 82, surrounded by his loving family. He grew up in Coolidge, Kansas with his brother, Edward Dale Conard, and his sister, Barbara (Conard) Latty; his... [More]
Peggy Hatcher
Peggy Dorine Hatcher, 88, of Syracuse, Kansas, passed away peacefully on May 7, 2026, at the Hamilton County Hospital. Peggy was born on January 23, 1938, on the family farm northwest of Holly, Colorado, to Leslie and Helen (Moyer). She was raised on the family farm near... [More]
Sharon Ann (Taylor) Englert
Sharon Ann (Taylor) Englert, 88, of Syracuse, Kansas, passed away peacefully on May 9, 2026, surrounded by family and love. Sharon was born on September 10, 1937, to Elmer L. “Bob” Taylor and Eloise Irene (Bilbery) Taylor. She grew up in rural western Kansas near... [More]
Boyd “Pete” Dwight Bezona
Boyd “Pete” Dwight Bezona, age 88, of Syracuse, Kansas, passed away on May 8, 2026, at his home in Syracuse. He was born on September 8, 1937, in Lamar Colorado, to Otto Ervin Bezona and Ida Rebecca (Armour) Bezona. Pete grew up south of Granada,... [More]
Larry Vaughn Meyer
Lakin—Larry Vaughn Meyer, 67, passed away on Monday, May 4, 2026, at Common Spirit-Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Born September 19, 1958, in Ulysses, he was the son of the late Duane W. and Loretta Mae (Stephen) Meyer. On January 24, 1978, Larry married... [More]
More Obituaries
- Eva Jane Schmidt
- Pauline Fecht
- Marilyn Sue Wright
- Eldon Ralph Hubbard
- Elfriede “Friede” Mitchell
- Kenneth Bay
- Phyllis Howard
- Donna Webb
SPORTS
HI-PLAINS ALL LEAGUE
The Hi-Plains League has announced recipients of all-league basketball honors. The selection process begins when individual coaches submit names. The players are then voted on by the other HPL coaches. However, coaches may not vote on their own players. Syracuse High School... [More]
SHS CHEER TAKES SECOND
Small but Mighty! That is the name high school Head Cheerleading Coach, Marcos Valadez put on the 2024-2025 squad last summer, “We may not have the numbers, but our team has overcome adversity and is always stepping up to the challenge.” Proving this, the Syracuse... [More]
BULLDOGS OPEN FALL SEASON WITH FIRST PLACE FINISH IN GOLF
The Syracuse Bulldogs Ladies Varsity Golf Team took first at their season opener in Stanton County on Tuesday afternoon. They shot a team score of 207 at the Prairie Pines Golf Course in Johnson. The varsity team is Lanee Owens, Bronwyn Lewis, Sammy Schwieterman, Maddy... [More]
LEWIS HEADS TO STATE TRACK
Qualifying members of the high school track team traveled to Hill City Thursday, May 16 to compete in the 2-A regional meet against 15 teams, Ellinwood, Ellis, Hill City, Hoxie, Lincoln, Meade, Medicine Lodge, Oakley, Plainville, Smith Center, Stanton County, Sublette, Thomas... [More]
BULLDOGS TAKE SECOND AT REGIONALS - HEADED TO STATE
The Syracuse High School boys golf team battled breezy conditions on Monday May 13 competing in the 2-A Regional meet on their own Tamarisk Golf Course. Adjusting to windy conditions and competing at home paid off for the Bulldogs Monday, placing second, qualifying... [More]
STATE GOLF RESULTS
State golf on Monday had the Varsity Bulldogs miss playing in the finals as a team by one stroke. They finished seventh out of twelve teams. On Day 1, Brody Keller shot a 92 missing day two by two strokes. Ian Brummett shot a 95, Mason Scott and Johnny TeVelde shot... [More]
JH BASKETBALL WINS
Junior High Boys Basketball A, B, and C teams travelled to Elkhart on Monday, November 21. The A team won 41-34, B team won 26-21, and C team lost to Elkhart 13-20. Head Coach Vance Keller said, “Elkhart was a tough win for both the A and B teams but both grinded... [More]
LADY BULLDOGS BORDER WARS CHAMPIONS!!
The Lady Bulldogs were undefeated during the Border Wars, defeating Eads on Friday, 42-7 and Walsh on Saturday 62-5, bringing their record to 3-1. But the winner wasn’t announced until Tuesday evening. Syracuse Athletic Director Josh Johnson explained, “It came down... [More]
More Sports
NEWS
Bennett is Reserve Champion In Arizona
Cole Bennett has been riding horses since before he could walk. His tireless efforts sometimes come with broken bones, soreness, and not much glory. But eventually, things pay off. Last weekend, Cole competed at the NRCHA Kimes Ranch Western Derby in Scottsdale,... [More]
Angie Moser Retiring, Running For Commissioner
After 23 years serving the public in the Hamilton County Clerk's Office, Angie Moser is retiring. On Tuesday morning, she was honored by the Commission. Her actual retirement date is June 15. The Hamilton County Republican committee will meet on June 10 to make a... [More]
C Double Liquor Open House
It was a busy Saturday as alumni gathered all over town. The Sand Dunes were busy, and It was a beautiful day to check out the new, improved, and redesigned C Double Liquor store, formerly the Liquor Shack. C Double Liquor & Laundry, LLC is owned by brothers Casey... [More]
Airborne electromagnetic survey of Ogallala aquifer conditions planned in southwest Kansas
LAWRENCE — Beginning in late May and continuing until late July, residents of southwest Kansas may see a low-flying helicopter towing a large hexagonal frame. This aerial arrangement is part of a project to map groundwater conditions in the Ogallala aquifer in Southwest... [More]
Everybody Has A Story: Jenny (Verry) Holdredge - From Syracuse to Doctorate
“If you want to get it done, get a woman to do it! “SHE” is Jennifer Suzanne Verry (ALWAYS known as Jenny), born October 1, 1977 to James and Valerie Verry in the small town of Belle Fourche, located on the northern slopes of the famous Black Hills... [More]
Area Rain Brings Hope To Farmers
Rain kicks off farming season and brings farmer optimism. Many are out planting corn, spraying for weeds, or working the ground with chisels, sweeps, and disks. The question on everyone’s mind is how is the wheat? We have endured many of the harsher elements this... [More]
Cruisin’ Into Car Show - Best Turnout In Ten Years
It was a sunny Saturday morning, chillier than most. The wind was strong and cold but that didn’t stop 58 eager contestants from entering their cars, pickups, and motorcycles in the car show. A total of 17 cities were represented from Southwest Kansas and Eastern... [More]
Coolidge Bridge Opens
The sun was shining on Tuesday morning as the County Commissioners drove to Coolidge to celebrate the ribbon cutting of the new expanded Coolidge bridge. Less than one mile from Highway 50 stands a brand new 4.33 million dollar bridge. The project was one hundred percent financed... [More]
More News
- Plunkett Elected to Kansas Angus Association
- Out With The Old: City Wide Cleanup
- Aguilera Appointed to City Council of Syracuse
- Main Street Market Opens With Limited Hours
- Giving Back To Community Brings Joy
- Honduran Man and Kansas Woman Indicted for Fraudulently Obtaining Custody of an Unaccompanied Alien Child
- Commmunity Invited to Learn About Digital Health and Our Children
- Former Syracusan Jessie Bee Writes Book
OPINIONS
God Shows Up
There has been a lot of hurting people in our community lately. Death of a loved one, accidents, learning of an illness. Fire blazes to the south of us. Many I know are in pain, and have encountered hard times. Over the last week I have heard some troubling stories... [More]
More love, less hate
Happy Thursday! I am writing this Wednesday morning . When this paper goes out, I need to start on next week’s, the final edition of the year. There won’t be a newspaper for January 1, 2026. The calendar last year left zero room for a break and I am desperately... [More]
Purpose in the Pain
It’s November! It’s a beautiful cool, fall Wednesday morning as I write this. I took a walk with my dogs, chatted with my friend, and coughed. But the cough has been way better! Tuesday was Election Day. The contest for mayor of Coolidge was one many were watching.... [More]
Fruit of the Spirit
October is here! The cool mornings are lovely! Looking forward to cooler afternoons too! Thought I would share some quick updates. My respiratory junk is not wanting to exit this human. Got another round of antibiotics and more breathing treatments. Thankfully I am improving. ... [More]
Where Can God Use You Today?
A long haired shaggy white dog, likely a Great Pyrenees, showed up at our farm last week. After a couple of days, we saw it wasn’t going anywhere. We started to feed it. He let us get closer. What we found was a skinny, malnourished dog with a horrible case... [More]
How Vulnerable Are You?
Thanks for your patience last week. I am still recovering but have returned to the land of the living! I get frustrated with how slow it takes to recover sometimes when really I should focus on the fact that I am recovering. I truly feel like I am getting stronger and then... [More]
Let God
It’s the first week of September. After I get the paper onto stands, we are headed to the state fair. They changed some of the stalling procedures this year for sheep which leaves some unknowns for us. But every year we go, we learn new things. After my irritation and frustration... [More]
Breathing Space
I slipped away for a quick getaway for back to school clothes shopping, visiting family, some good food, and a trip to Barnes and Noble. We left Thursday afternoon and returned Sunday. It was triple digit heat when we left our sheep in good hands to be taken care... [More]
More Opinions
©2026 The Syracuse Journal. Powered by Pluto Sites.