November 25, 1936 October 26, 2022
Walt entered Paradise on Wednesday,
October 26, 2022, surrounded by family.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years,
Lois, 6 daughters, Kari Silvernale, Kristi Silvernale, Kandace
Silvernale (Warren Willis), Kim Silvernale-Wagner (Tim Wagner), Karla
Silvernale, and Kelli (Justin Schrag), 16 grandchildren, 24
great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild. He also is
survived by sisters Mary Ann Heieren, Kay Dahlke (Mike), Sally Green
(Les) and sister-in-law Kathleen Silvernale. He was preceded in death
by a son, Kurtis Allen Silvernale, parents, Walter and Mary
Silvernale, Brother Kayo Silvernale and 2 baby brothers, as well as
brother-in-law?s Craig Heieren, Don Johnson, Bud Mulder and
sister-in-law Sally Johnson. He is also survived by numerous nieces,
nephews, and friends.
Walt ?Smokey? was born on November
25, 1936 in Currie Township, Minnesota. He attended and graduated
from Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in Currie, Mn.
Throughout his youth he worked at various jobs, delivering papers,
shoveling snow, working at the family stockyards. After high school
he drove truck for Silvernale Trucking until he entered the seminary.
When he found out women were not a part of that life, he joined the
United States Army as a medic! He married Lois on April 19, 1958, and
they lived in San Francisco, California. In 1959, they moved back to
Currie, Minnesota, and lived on the family farm. Babies and blizzards
led to the family move to Nebraska. With changing jobs in sales, he
then moved his family to Illinois, Kansas, Tennessee and back to
Kansas where the family settled. Recently, Walt resided with his
wife, Lois, at Schowalter Villa in Hesston, Kansas.
Throughout his life Walt loved the
outdoors, fishing, daily trips to East Lake, and watching eagles in
the winter months. He loved taking trips with Lois and his family,
locally, in country and to Europe and Venezuela! It didn?t matter
where he traveled, he always looked for the places with ?character?
and felt like the journey was more important and interesting than the
destination! Walt was an avid animal lover! Rocky was his favorite
big collie dog! His Catholic faith was very important to Walt, and he
was a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus. He served on the
Harvey County Parks Board, and was a member of the St. Vincent De
Paul Society. Going out to eat and coffee with family and friends was
a daily outing. It meant a lot visiting friends in the community. He
helped many people in various ways and always felt it was most
important to ?take care and be there for the kids!?
