Obituaries

Eva P. Deaver, 85, of St. Mary Parish, Garden City, died Feb. 18, 2006. She is survived by her husband, Larry Deaver; two sons, Mike and Tim Deaver; a daughter, Sue Fansler; nine grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren. Father James E. Baker presided.

Miriam Guadalupe Soto, stillborn, of Mary Queen of Peace Parish, Ulysses, died Feb. 18, 2006. She is survived by her parents, Pedro and Ruth Angelica Contreras Soto; two brothers, Jesus and Edgar Soto; grandparents, Eloi Contreras, and Bictorico and Beneranda Soto. Father Trong Tran presided.

Maria "Mary" G. Sertuche, 71, of Garden City, died Feb. 22, 2006. Survivors include her father Frank M. Sertuche; a brother, Frank Sertuche; two sisters, Erlenda Ortiz and Lilly Frausto; and several nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.

Thomas William Hipp, 68, of Holy Family Parish, Odin, died Feb. 26, 2006. He belonged to the Knights of Columbus Council No. 2630. He is survived by his wife, Janet (Keeley); four sons, Mike, Brian, Chris, and Scott; a brother, Larry; two sisters, Ann Bahr and Carol Lamatsch; and seven grandchildren. Father Pascal Klein presided.

Richard "Dickie" Leon Sr., 63, of St. Mary Parish, Garden City, died Feb. 25, 2006, at his home. Survivors include his wife, Raquel (Campos); two sons, Richard Jr. and Eric; a brother, Jesse Jr.; and five grandchildren. Father James E. Baker presided.

William D. "Bill" Hall Sr., 72, of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Dodge City, died Feb. 27, 2006. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, serving on the U.S.S. Princeton during the Korean conflict from April 1952 until his discharge in March of 1956. Survivors include his wife, Wilma Katherine (Weilert); three sons, Ken, William Jr., and Steven Hall; a daughter, Susan Mastin; a brother, Lawrence Hall Sr.; and two sisters, Stella Phillips and Linda Phillips; and nine grandchildren. Father Ted Skalsky presided.

Richard Leo Johnson, 68, of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Dodge City, died Feb. 25, 2006. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran from 1956 to 1959, serving on a flight line of the 449th Fighter Intercept Squadron. He taught sixth grade at Sacred Heart Cathedral School, Dodge City, for 12 years, retiring in 1997. Survivors include his wife, Phyllis Marie (Oberle); a son, R. Shannon Johnson; a daughter, B. Ellen Johnson; a brother, Russell S. Johnson; and two granddaughters. Father Wesley Schawe presided.

Thomas A. Naasz, 68, of St. John the Baptist Parish, Spearville, died March 1, 2006. He is survived by his wife, Jackie (Thurston); three sons, Lee, Dean, and Jim; two daughters, Brenda Naasz and Tracie Cox; four sisters, Betty Wilson, Pat Billings, Nancy Swonger, and Margaret Gliesch; three brothers, Ed Naasz, John Naasz, and Frank Winters; 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Father Dennis Reed and Deacon Dwaine Lampe presided.

Jose Francisco "Frank" Barragan, 87, of St. John the Apostle Parish, St. John, died Feb. 28, 2006. Survivors include two sons, John and Paul; a sister, Sarah Bryant; and two brothers; seven grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren. Father Rene Guesnier presided.

Helen W. Baier, 91, of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Seward, died March 2, 2006. She was a member of the Altar Society. Survivors include two sons, Charles M. "Mick" Jr. and William H. "Hank"; two daughters, Sharon Hays and Barbara J. Braddy; two sisters, Alice Lucy Templer and Wilma "Billy" Beck; 11 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and five step-grandchildren. Father Rene Guesnier presided.

Father James Loung Dai Vu dies

CARTHAGE, MO. — Father James M. Loung Dail Vu died Feb. 16, 2006. He was a former vicar for the Vietnamese community in the Diocese of Dodge City. Father Tung Do, provincial of the Congregation of the Mother Coredemptrix, celebrated the funeral at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Shrine in Carthage.

Burial was in Resurrection Cemetery in Springfield, Mo. Father James was born July 13, 1936 at Hai Giap, Bui Chu, North Vietnam. He joined the Congregation of the Mother Coredemptrix on June 7, 1956. He made his first profession March 25, 1956 and his final profession March 25, 1960.

He was ordained on Feb. 2, 1973 in the Diocese of Qui Nhon, Vietnam by Bishop Dominic Haong van Doan. He did missionary work in Loung Son, Vietnam from 1973 to 1975. The Coredemptrix community left Vietnam and began the Assumption Province in Carthage, Mo., in June of 1975.

After the community completed a two year period of transition, Father James was assigned to serve as chaplain of the Vietnamese Catholic Communities in Detroit, Mich., (1977-79); Wichita Falls, Tex., (1979-82); Dodge City (1982-85); Amarillo, Tex., (1985-90), and San Bernardino, Calif., (1990-93).

While stationed in the Diocese of Dodge City, Father James helped to form the Vietnamese Catholic Communities in Great Bend, Dodge City, Liberal and Garden City. He resided at St. Dominic Parish in Garden City. He returned to Carthage and served the retired priests at the Mater Dei Retirement House from 1994 to 2005, and also served the Vietnamese Catholic communities in the surrounding areas from 1997-2005. Father James was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2005. He died peacefully on Feb. 16, 2006 at the age of 69.

Sister Ruth Elmer mourned

Sister Ruth Elmer (formerly Sister Mary Thomas Aquinas) died Feb. 21, 2006, at the age of 78. She was a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Wichita and has lived at Mount Saint Mary Convent since her retirement.

Sister Ruth was born Dec. 28, 1927, in Kansas City, Kansas. She attended grade school at Holy Name School in Rosedale, Kansas, and attended Ward High School in Kansas City from 1943-44. She transferred to Ursuline Academy in Paola, Kansas, in 1944 and graduated in 1947.

Sister Ruth entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1950 and made final vows in 1956. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City, Kansas, and Master of Science from Pittsburg State University. She taught for 40 years in Catholic schools in Pittsburg, Wichita, Kansas City, Parsons, Independence, Newton, Odin, Dodge City, Winfield, and Kingman.

Sister Ruth is survived by her brother, John Elmer, and sisters Mary Stephens, Teresa Miller, Kathleen Domonick and Katherine McSwain. She is also survived by the members of her religious community.

The funeral Mass was celebrated at Resurrection Chapel. Memorials for Sister Ruth may be sent to Sisters of St. Joseph Dear Neighbor Ministries, 3700 East Lincoln, Wichita, KS 67218.