Hays, Kansas – Leo Dinkel, age 92, died Friday, July 29, 2016, at the Good Samaritan Society of Hays Care Center.
He was born February 9, 1924, in St. Peter, Kansas to Anton and Rosalie (Geibler) Dinkel. He married Odellia “Tillie” (Schamberger) on October 10,1950 in St. Peter, Kansas. She died November 5, 2013.
Leo was a District Manager for Kansas-Nebraska Natural Gas Company for 35 years. He had lived in Palco, Plainville and Quinter before he retired in 1990 and moved to Hays. He attended school in rural Gove County, graduating from Quinter High School in 1943 and attended Sterling College following his time serving in the U.S. Army during WWII. He was a survivor of the famous Battle of the Bulge.
He was a member of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, the IHM Perpetual Worship Team and Knights of Columbus and a volunteer at Via Christi, formerly St. John’s of Hays, all of Hays. He was a former member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church and Knights of Columbus both of Collyer. He was a past member of the Quinter Rotary Club, Quinter Volunteer EMT and Quinter Volunteer Fire Department. While he was in Quinter he helped to start and manage the little League Baseball Teams, a Scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America and an instructor for the Kansas Hunters Safety Classes for 15 years.
Leo was a lifelong sports fan, watching every sporting event he could, particularly the KC Royals, KC Chiefs, and KU Basketball. He especially enjoyed watching his grandchildren participate in baseball and softball.
Survivors include two sons, Dennis Dinkel, Grinnell, KS; Stephen and his wife, Kathy Dinkel, Hays, KS; eight grandchildren, Rachel See and husband David, Oakley, KS, Anthony Dinkel, Grinnell, KS, Leatte Dinkel, Garden City, KS; Michael Dinkel and his wife, Monica, Starbuck, WA, Chris Dinkel and his wife, Visi, Hays, KS; Molly (Dinkel) Lofstrom and her husband, Chris, Hays, KS; Matthew Dinkel, Kansas City, KS, and Amanda Dinkel, Wichita, KS, and six great grandchildren; one brother, Robert Dinkel, Collyer, KS and one sister, Rosemary Walt, Collyer, KS.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; four brothers, Alvin, Paul, Donnie and Clarence Dinkel; four sisters, Bertha Applehans, Beata Malsam, Marcella Malsam and Rosalie Schaffer.
Services are at 10:30 A.M. Saturday, August 6, 2016, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church Collyer, Kansas. Burial in St. Michael’s Cemetery Collyer, Kansas with military honors by the Hays V.F.W. Post No. 9076.
A celebration of life service is at 7:00 P.M. Friday and a Knights of Columbus rosary at 8:00 P.M. Friday both at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays, 1919 East 22nd Street, Hays, Kansas 67601.
Visitation will be from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M. Friday at Cline’s-Keithley Mortuary of Hays and from 9:30 to 10:30 A.M. Saturday at St. Michael’s Catholic Church Collyer, Kansas.
Memorials to Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church, The Good Samaritan Society of Hays or St. Michael’s Cemetery Fund.
Condolences can be left by guestbook at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com or via e-mail to clinesmortuary@eaglecom.net.