Emily J. Holthaus, 91, of Seneca, KS, died Friday, September 26, 2003, at the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca.

She was born March 13, 1912, on a farm northeast of St. Benedict, KS, the daughter of Clemens C. and Catherine McIntyre Sudbeck. She attended St. Mary’s School in St. Benedict, graduated from Sts. Peter & Paul High School in Seneca, and studied for a year at Mount St. Scholastica College in Atchison.

On August 27, 1940, she married Cyril F. Holthaus at St. Mary’s Church in St. Benedict. He survives of the home. They lived north of Seneca and northeast of Baileyville, KS, before moving to their present farm southeast of Baileyville.

She was a member of Sacred Heart Church and the Altar Society, where she had been an officer, in Baileyville. Emily had also served as president of ACCW (Catholic Conference of Women). She was also a member of the Happy Hour Club, enjoyed doing ceramics at Dollie Olberding’s for several years and loved to play the organ.

Survivors besides her husband Cyril are five sons, Cyril C. and Leander of Seneca, and Eugene, Linus, and Elmer of Centralia; two daughters Kathleen McCaffrey of Shelton, CT and Marietta Dalinghaus of Baileyville; 19 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by two brothers, Clemens and Ignatius Sudbeck; and two sisters, Margaret Dalinghaus and Elizabeth Haverkamp.

Mass of Christian burial will be 11 AM Monday at Sacred Heart Church in Baileyville. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Rosaries will be prayed at 2 & 7 PM Sunday at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.

Memorials may be given for Sacred Heart Cemetery or the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital, and sent in care of the family.