Obituaries

Karolyn Kay Crane, 85, died Friday, April 25, 2025 in Ulysses.

She was born March 24, 1940 to Kester and Ruth (Renfro) Gentzler.

She dedicated many years of her career as a Certified Nursing Assistant at the Morton County Health Care Center.

ULYSSES – Tina Diane Metcalf, 51, died Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in Wichita. 

She was born Feb. 5, 1974 to Donald and Debbie (Hubbell) Metcalf. 

She graduated from Ulysses High School and the University of Kansas. She received her doctorate in optometry in Orange County, Calif.

Ardis Loraine (Westphal) Branstine, 87, died Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025.

She was born Sept. 26, 1937 to Ferdinand and Myrtle Westphal.

She married Marvin Branstine July 6, 1957, in Lawton, Okla. He preceded her in death.

While in her teens, she moved to Des Moines, Iowa to work, first as an advertising artist for the Utica department store and then as an insurance underwriter for Aetna.

She founded, built and ran Branstine Flying Services (a fixed-based operation) in Liberal with her husnamd. There, she especially enjoyed selling small airplanes as a Piper dealership. After retiring from Branstine Flying Service, she worked for several years at JC Penney.

She especially loved painting and building sculptures from clay, and her painting "The Voyage of Bran" won the People's Choice Award at the Seward County Community College's 2004 Spring Art Exhibit. She was also a quilter, an avid gardener, a fabulous baker, and an exceptional storyteller.

A member of Grace Lutheran Church in Liberal, she taught generations of children in Sunday school and served on the Altar Guild and the Lutheran Women's Missionary League.

Survivors include five children: Mishelle (Ward) Allen, Mark Branstine, Zoann (Jude Shavlik) Branstine, Michael (Jessica) Branstine, and Matthew (Debbie) Branstine; grandchildren: Kendra Pickrel, Shannon Barber, Ward Allen, Shannon Greer, Anthony Branstine, Gary Richardson, Rebecca Ramsey, Margaret Shavlik, Portia Neal, Nikolaus Branstine, Renate Branstine, Cianna Branstine, and Sophia Branstine; and her great-grandchildren; Ashtyn Allen, Ward Allen III, Jordan Moore, Alaina Cox, Axel Neal, Valerie Neal, Emily Richardson, and Dorothy Branstine; sister-in-law, Carol McDaniel; and many nieces and nephews.

She was also preceded in death by her parents; brother, Larry Westphal; sister, Eileen Schossow; sister-in-law, Janet Westphal; and brothers-in-law: John "Moe" Branstine, Doyall Schossow, and Jerry McDaniel.

o Memorial services will be  at 2 p.m. Saturday May 3, 2025 at Grace Lutheran Church at 1200 W. 11th Street in Liberal.

Condolences may be left at www.millermortuary.net.

ULYSSES – Candido Ybarra, 89, died Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at his home in Ulysses.

He was born Feb. 2, 1936 to Crispin and Josefina Ybarra.

He married Odelia Esquivel July 6, 1957 in Munday, Texas. She preceded him in death.