Arlie Funk

Arlie Virgil Funk, 97, went to meet his Lord on Monday (January 27, 2020) from the Schowalter Villa in Hesston, Ks.

He was born on January 12, 1923 to Adolf and Anna (Enns) Funk in Wolf Point, Montana, the second of seven children.

Times were very rough in Montana so Arlie’s dad decided to move the family and make the three day drive to Hillsboro, Kansas in August 1939. This was the first time they had experienced electricity.

Arlie attended and graduated from Hillsboro High School. In 1943, right out of high school he started working on cars. In 1944, Arlie started his own body shop in Hillsboro, Kansas. Arlie also started a quartet and together the men traveled all over Kansas singing and testifying for their Lord. Arlie was always very concerned about the spiritual well being of everyone he met and felt his place on earth was to testify to the unsaved. In the early 1950’s, he became very involved with the Rescue Mission in Wichita and led services every Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Arlie also played a big role in the Christian Business Men’s Committee. Arlie was also a guest pastor every Sunday afternoon on Newton’s local radio station, KJRG. Arlie along with his brother, Pastor Loyal Funk, and good friend, Pastor Lynford Becker, started the Koerner Heights Mennonite Church in Newton.

Arlie was a busy man with four small children, a business, traveling the state with the men’s quartet, being in the Christian Business Men’s Committee and the Mission. Eventually the Mission and the CBMC fell off and he became more involved with his church and started a wrecker service with the body shop.

Then in 1970, he became Chief of Police for North Newton, Kansas. There were many sleepless nights. He never was able to sleep thru a night after retiring from being Chief of Police in 1983 and retiring from the body shop in 2016.

Arlie is preceded in death by his parents; wife Aldine (Pankratz) Funk; brothers Loyal and Marvin Funk; and sisters Grace Weber and Alice Funk.

Survivors include one daughter, Sharon (Kevin) Hudson of Newton; three sons, Dwight (Sharon) Funk of Park City, Ks., Dale (Kay) Funk and Terry (Robin) Funk all of Newton; eight grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren; one great-great grandchild; one brother Laven Funk of Hillsboro; and one sister Viola Schultz of Buhler, Ks.

A come and go memorial service will be held Sunday (February 2, 2020) from 2:00 P.M. until 4:00 P.M. in the Family Life Center at the First Church of God, 620 Fairview, in Newton.

Arrangements are by Broadway Colonial Funeral Home, Newton, Ks.