Nita Pearl Sellard
Nita Pearl Sellard passed away on Tuesday, January 11, 2022 at the age of 84 at her home in Syracuse, Kansas. She was born on August 14, 1937 in Holly, Colorado the daughter of Thomas Arthur Bodey and Hazel (Cox) Bodey.
Nita and her sister Jean was adopted by Glenn O’Brate and lived on a farm near Kendall, Kansas. She attended Kendall High School and graduated in 1955. Soon after graduating she met and married Ed Lampe and they made their home south of Kendall in a basement house. To this union four children were born Michael, Patricia, John and John E. While raising children she also worked at the Valley State Bank as a Teller from 1969 to 1992. Ed had designed a house for the family to live in but never got to live in the house due to a house fire that took the lives of Michael John, and John E. Nita later married Sonny Herndon and they made their home south of Syracuse. They later built a home in Syracuse and moved to town. Sonny and Nita were only together for a short time and later divorced. Nita later married Rich Sellard in Holly, Colorado, which was a friend from high school. She was a beautiful woman inside and out and had a sharp mind for numbers and always remembered important issues. Avonne Bodey is a sister-in-law and was very close to Nita. They always enjoyed their talks and both agreeing and disagreeing. Bill Maxey was a close friend from grade school and would always be a lifetime friend.
She is preceded in death by her father, Thomas Arthur Bodey, her mother, Hazel (Cox) Bodey, three Brothers -Robert, Roy, & Wayne Bodey, two Sisters - Eva & Opal Bodey, son -John E. Lampe, infant Son - Michael John Lampe, her first husband, Ed Lampe, her third husband, Rich Sellard, her daughter, Patricia Lampe, granddaughter, Gaige Rose Alejo, Infant Granddaughter Brittney Ann Lampe
She is survived by four Grandchildren - Ky, Heath, & Brandon Westeman, Allie Alejo. And numerous family members and friends.
Memorial Services will be held on Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 10:00 AM (MST) at the St. Raphael Catholic Church in, Syracuse, KS.
In Lieu of Flowers memorial contributions may be payable to the St. Raphael Catholic Church, and sent in care of Fellers Funeral Home & Monuments LLC, P.O. Box 1253, Syracuse, KS 67878. 620-384-5100
OBITUARIES
John “Skip” Conrad, 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]
Eva Jane Schmidt
Eva Jane (Jantz) Schmidt, 94, of Syracuse, Kansas, passed away on Thursday, May 6, 2026, at Hamilton County Hospital in Syracuse, Kansas, and went home to be with the Lord. She was born on November 5, 1931, in Copeland, Kansas, to Jonas and Anna (Schmidt) Jantz. Jane received... [More]
Pauline Fecht
Pauline (Finkenbinder) Fecht passed away at St. Catherine’s Hospital in Garden City, Kansas on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at the age of 94. She was born in Garden City, Kansas, on July 19, 1931, to Paul Harden Finkenbinder and Amy Clyde (Kellum) Finkenbinder, who were long-time... [More]
Marilyn Sue Wright
Marilyn Sue Laird Wright, age 81, of Holly, Colorado, passed away on April 21, 2026, in Lamar, Colorado. Sue was born on August 17, 1944, to Earl and Berma Laird, the third of five daughters. She was united in marriage to Warren Eugene Wright on April 17, 1965, at the... [More]
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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]
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NEWS
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]
Plunkett Elected to Kansas Angus Association
Aaron Plunkett has been a member of Kansas Angus Association since his start in the commercial cattle business. His dad Richard ran cows. “I remember my dad bought some cows in La Junta and they had babies. I was about 7 years old. He sold me a baby calf and... [More]
Out With The Old: City Wide Cleanup
Is your garage starting to feel more like a storage unit? Does that old recliner in the basement finally need to retire? Are the items that you have been placing in the alley next to your fence in need of removal? We hear you. Whether it’s broken appliances, rusty tools,... [More]
Aguilera Appointed to City Council of Syracuse
2008 Syracuse High School graduate, Luis Aguilera, was appointed to the City Council of Syracuse at the noon meeting on Tuesday. After Joe Thomeczek resigned his position to serve, the seat was vacant. Letters of interest were mailed into the city office. Mayor Blake... [More]
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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]
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