Frank J. Reinecke

Frank J. Reinecke, 81, of Baileyville, Kansas, died Sunday, December 15, 2002, at his home. He was recently diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer.
     He was born February 9, 1921, the son of John J. and Rose Hohe Reinecke, on the Reinecke homestead east of Baileyville. He grew up there, attended Sacred Heart School at Baileyville, helped on the family farm, and later worked on a farm near Axtell, Kansas.
     On April 15, 1942, he married Mary Schmitz at St. Mary's Church, St. Benedict. They lived on a farm east of Axtell until he was drafted into the military during World War II. He served in the Army Air Force in China, Burma, and India. He was a flight engineer on C-46 cargo planes delivering supplies over the Himalayan Mountains. After he returned from the service on December 8, 1945, they moved to a farm southeast of Baileyville in January of 1946, which is their present home. Frank was a farmer and a stockman when he retired from farming in 1994; he kept active with gardening and flowers.
     His memberships include Sacred Heart Church where he was a lay minister, served on the Parrish council, and sang in the church choir. Frank served on the District #451 School Board at Baileyville. He was also member of the Knights of Columbus #1769 and the Earle W. Taylor Post #21 of the American Legion both at Seneca.
     Survivors besides his wife, Mary are three sons, Elwin Reinecke of Berryton, KS, Jim Reinecke of Seneca, Kansas, John Reinecke of Charlotte, North Carolina; three daughters, Linda Walrod of Weatherby Lake, Missouri, Carol Caffrey of Lillis, Kansas, Julie Strathman of Bern, Kansas; a brother, Clarence "Mike" Reinecke of Seneca; four sisters, Sr. Theophane Reinecke, O.S.B. of Atchison, Kansas, Helen Stallbaumer, Rita Holthaus, and Rose Ann Nordhus all of Seneca; 20 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.
     He was preceded in death by a sister Clara Sextro on July 5, 2000.
     The mass of Christian burial will be 11 A.M. Wednesday at Sacred Heart Church in Baileyville. The burial will be with full military honors provided by the American Legion in the church cemetery. The rosary will be prayed at 2 and 7 P.M. Tuesday at the Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.
    Memorials may be given for Sacred Heart Church or for the Northeast Kansas Hospice of Hiawatha and sent in care of the family.