Donald Robert Gfeller
1931 - 2015 | Obituary
Donald (Don) Robert Gfeller, 83, died
at his home in Newton on July 23, 2015.
He was born on August 19, 1931 in
Newton to Alice (Brenzikofer) and Arnold Gfeller. On June 10, 1951,
Don married his high school sweetheart, Marjorie Parsons, in the
Burns Methodist Church. They were married 63 years before Marjorie
preceded him in death on September 7, 2014.
Don was a lifelong, active member of
the Ebenezer United Methodist Church. Over the years he handled about
every church position (including singing in the choir, cleaning the
church and mowing the church yard) except preaching and playing the
piano.
Family was important to Don and
Marjorie. They raised their five children on the Gfeller family farm
in rural Burns, supporting the kid's 4H and sports activities. A year
ago they moved to the Asbury community in Newton. Don enjoyed sitting
in the front yard, feeding the birds and visiting with neighbors. He
also enjoyed going to Monday coffee with the "Burns boys."
Don worked at the Burns and Walton
Co-Ops, the Burns Lumber Yard, Guerdons in Newton, and also drove
school buses for the Burns schools and later the Peabody-Burns School
District. After retirement, he worked as a "carry-out boy"
at the El Dorado Dillons store.
In his earlier years, Don farmed and
ranched with his father on the family farm. He was an avid bowler and
baseball player. In his later years, he and Marjorie gardened and
were active with the Farmer's Market in El Dorado for over 25 years.
He had enormous gardens filled with potatoes, tomatoes, cukes, green
beans, grapes and some of the best sweet corn and pop corn around, as
well as many other veggies and fruits. Also, Don knew where all the
best black walnut trees were and spent many hours in the "Nut
House" picking out walnuts.
Survivors include four daughters,
Lynnetta and Robert Miller, Dewey, Oklahoma, Donna and Gary Rodvelt,
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, Carol and Blaine Ammeter, Ellinwood, and
Laura Moore, Newton; one son, Arlen and Vonnie Gfeller, Peabody; 11
grandchildren, Melanie and John Dick, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Jaime
and Dax McCauley, Dewey, Oklahoma, Chad Miller, Norman, Oklahoma,
Lori and Nick Sides, Palmyra, Pennsylvania, Shari and Daniel
Hardwick, Huntington, West Virginia, BJ Ammeter, Ellinwood, Todd
Ammeter, Ellinwood, Ali Moore, Newton, AJ and Cisca Moore, Newton,
Jay and Rachel Gfeller, Peabody, Mike and Tarina Gfeller, Newton; 12
great grandchildren, Kyle Miller, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Lenni,
Perri and Stevie McCauley, Dewey, Oklahoma, Ava Sides, Palmyra,
Pennsylvania, Abigail and Caden Gfeller, Peabody, Brooke Gfeller,
Newton, Anthony and Brianna Morales, Tasha Peterson and Jordan Marler
all of Newton; one great-great grandson, Alec Morales, Newton; two
brothers, Harold Gfeller, Wichita, and Richard Gfeller, Trenton,
South Carolina; sister-in-law Cleta Parsons, Wichita; sisters and
brothers-in law Nettie Belle and Duane Graham, Hesston and Judy and
Hugh Long, Newton; one aunt, Hulda Westerhaus, Kodak, Tennessee; and
many dear nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Preceding Don's death were his parents;
wife Marjorie, sisters-in-law Jean Gfeller, Bonnie Gfeller, Mary
Long, Ruth Wright and brothers-in-law Cecil Wright and Guy Parsons.
Visitation will be 1 to 9 p.m.Tuesday
(July 28, 2015) at Broadway Colonial Funeral Home with the family
greeting from 6 to 9 p.m. Funeral Services will be held at 10 a.m.,
Wednesday, (July 29, 2015) at Ebenezer United Methodist Church,
Burns. Burial will be at Ebenezer Church Cemetery, followed by light
lunch and visiting at the Burns United Methodist Church.
Memorials can be made to Ebenezer
United Methodist Church of Burns, Kansas in care of the funeral home,
120 E. Broadway, Newton, Kansas, 67114
Friends may sign the book online and
read the obituary at www.broadwaycolonialfh.com
