William “Bill” Alfred Wolfinger Sr., of Pleasanton, Kan., passed away on July 5, 2014, at 9:56 p.m. at the age of 81.
Bill is preceded in death by his father and mother, John William and Jessie Ellen.
Bill is survived by his former wife, Elizabeth “Betty” Wolfinger of Pleasanton; his sister, Mary Ellen (Gray) Cheek of Morrilton, Ark.; his children, William Wolfinger Jr. of Dallas, Texas, Deborah Callahan of Gadsden, Tenn., Diana Robison of Lenexa, Kan., and Deanna Bradley of Butler, Mo.; his grandchildren, Colin Lewis of Williston, N.D., Thomas Wolfinger of Kansas City, Mo., Amber Lewis of Bensalem, Penn., Michael Wolfinger of Piedmont, S.D., and Morgan Bradley of Butler; and a great granddaughter, Addison Wolfinger of Kansas City, Mo.
Bill was born at home near Linville, Kan., on June 14, 1933. He graduated from Mound City High School in 1951 and went on to Kansas State University. Shortly thereafter, he served his country in the United States Air Force for four years. It was during this time that he trained soldiers in Enemy Escape and Evasion tactics.
While in the Air Force, he married Elizabeth Wolfinger on June 18, 1954. After his time in the Air Force, Bill and Betty made their home in rural Pleasanton with their children.
He was a seed and chemical salesman and coached the Mound City Colts baseball team to a tournament win. Also, he worked as a farmer and stockman on the family farm until his death. Bill was a school board member of Mound City and was instrumental in the creation of the Jayhawk School District, where he also served on the board.
Over the years, Bill was involved in many organizations. He was a member of the Rising Sun Masonic Lodge in Fort Scott, Kan.; the Scottish Rite in Fort Scott; the Mirza Temple Shriners in Pittsburg, Kan.; the American Legion in Olathe, Kan., and Pittsburg; and the Moose Lodge in Topeka, Kan. He enjoyed being a part of parades as a Shriner driving his MG and occasionally dressing up as a clown for local parades. However, on any given weekend, he could be found dancing the night away. This was one of his true passions in life.
Above all else, he loved his family and was most proud of them.
A visitation service will be held on Thursday, July 10, from 5- 7 pm at Schneider Funeral Home, 816 Main Street, Pleasanton. The memorial service will be held on Friday, July 11, at 1 pm at Schneider Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children. Condolences for the family may be offered online at schneiderfunerals.com.
OBITUARIES
Bonnie Faye Bishop ~ 03-25-1949 to 04-22-2025

Linn County News Published April 30, 2025 Bonnie Faye Bishop, age 76, Olathe, Kan., passed away Tuesday, April 22, 2025. She was born on March 25, 1949, in Kansas City, Mo., the daughter of William and Imogene Krueger Carter. After graduating from high... [More]
Lois A. Murray ~ 11-03-1931 to 04-20-2025

Linn County News Published April 30, 2025 Lois A. Murray, age 93, formerly of Pleasanton, Kan., passed away on Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Overland Park, Kan. Lois was born the daughter of Arlie and Winifred Stanhope Poindexter on Nov. 3, 1931, near Drexel, Mo.... [More]
Dr. Howard F. Wilson ~ 02-05-1938 to 04-20-2025

Linn County News Published April 23, 2025 Dr. Howard F. Wilson, age 87, of Garnett, Kan., passed away on Sunday, April 20, 2025, at St. Luke’s South Hospital in Overland Park, Kan. Howard Frank Wilson was born on Feb. 5, 1938, in Garden City, Mo. He was the... [More]
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- Anna Louise Stites ~ 09-27-1946 to 04-13-2025
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- Linda Ann Pruitt ~ 05-08-1953 to 04-07-2025
- Ira “Sonny” Ray Caruthers, Jr. ~ 05-23-1955 to 04-02-2025
- Michelle Lynn Young ~ 05-20-1967 to 04-04-2025
- Phyllis Sybil Colbert ~ 11-23-1935 to 03-28-2025
- Joseph Francis “Mr. Joe” Cunningham ~ 03-17-1967 to 03-31-2025
NEWS
SPECIAL: Legislative Update

April 18, 2025 Kansas Land and Military Installation Protection Act, SB 9, prohibits foreign adversaries from purchasing property within 100 miles of a military installation and any foreign adversary ownership of non-residential real property purchased prior to July 1, 2025,... [More]
16 criminal cases from Tanglewood Lake incident dismissed

Late Wednesday afternoon, April 16, orders were filed dismissing all 16 current cases on file in Linn County District Court concerning the Tanglewood Lake gate incident, 14 of which were filed against separate individuals that stemmed from the incident in May 2023. According... [More]
Tanglewood seeks clarification, aid from county

During the April 21 meeting, Linn County Commissioner Jason Hightower reported to his fellow board members that he had met with the Tanglewood Lake board president and a resident the previous week and noted that they wanted a resolution or motion that clarified if the roads are... [More]
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SPORTS
Jayhawk track wins the Pleasanton Invitational

The Jayhawk Linn track team traveled to Pleasanton on April 15 for the Pleasanton Invitational. The Hawks did very well as both the boys’ and girls’ teams won the meet. The girls won with a score of 188 points while the boys won with a score of 127 points. There were... [More]
Pleasanton track places in top three at home invitational

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