Donald Robert Gfeller

Donald (Don) Robert Gfeller, 83, died at his home in Newton, Kansas 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, Kansas, 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; 1 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 Tuesday, July 28, 2015 at Broadway Colonial Funeral Home from 1 to 9 p.m. with the family greeting from 6 to 9 p.m.
Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 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