LOCAL DEATHS

Alice Ann Sharp Wegenka

Mrs. Alice Ann Sharp Wegenka, 86, a resident of Atlantic, IA and former Trenton area resident, passed away as the sun was rising, Sunday, January 29, 2023 at Exira Care Center, Exira, IA.

She was cremated under the direction of Resthaven Mortuary of Trenton. A memorial service will be held later.

Mrs. Wegenka was born November 25, 1936 at Trenton, the daughter of Luster May and Alma Rosetta Brown Sharp.

She married Rex Williams after school and they farmed about 6 miles west of Trenton. At some point she cooked at Edinburgh School and the family went to Edinburgh Baptist Church. They moved to Columbia where she was a checker at a local grocery store. In a couple years she started checking at Green

Marvin E. Luehrs, 94, of Sarasota, FL and formerly from Trenton, died on January 24, 2023 at 3:45 p.m. The body will be cremated with Memorial Services to be held at the next family reunion and in the garden of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church at Sarasota, with dates to be announced at a later date.

Mr. Luehrs was born in Sheboygan, WI, where he attended both grade school and high school. He served in the Marine Corps for two years and graduated from the University of Iowa in 1952.

Luehrs was manager and co-owner of KTTN radio for 25 years and co-owner of KMMO radio in Marshall over 35 years.

Luehrs was past president of the Trenton

Dennis Maples, 74, former resident of Trenton, passed away suddenly on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at his residence in Columbia.

A celebration of life service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, February 4, 2023 at Center Point Church, 20 Green Meadows Road, Columbia.

Dennis served with the

Hills supermarket in Trenton. She worked there several years.

Later in life she met Frank Wegenka. They married and resided in Kansas City for several years. After Frank’s passing, she moved back to Trenton. She moved to Atlantic, IA after retirement to be near her grandkids and daughter.

She was a great mother and grandmother, always smiling and great to be around. We will miss you, Mom.

Her survivors include one daughter, Rocka Rasmussen and companion, David Bock of Atlantic, IA; one son, Rick Williams and life partner, Suzanne Nevada, of Wasilla, AK; one sister, Roberta Sayer of Galt; two grandchildren, Heather Rasmussen and Ryan Rasmussen and companion, Jenny; six greatgrandchildren, Madee, Lane, Cleidy, Keelin, Kiah

Chamber of Commerce, Grundy County Industrial Council and Industrial Development Authority. He was also president and cofounder of the Grundy County Historical Society and museum. He served on the board of directors of the Rotary Club, Cancer Society, Trenton Lake Association, North Central Missouri College Foundation and Wright Memorial Broadcasters Association. He coached for nine years in Pee Wee League, Little League and Pony League.

He was married in 1954 to Marjorie Mae Wenrick of Oskaloosa, IA.

Luehrs is survived by his wife, Marjorie; one son of the home, Lance I; and grandson, Lance II.

Luehrs was preceded in death by his parents, Mar-

Dennis Maples

U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam from 1968 through 1969. He also served in the U.S. Army Reserves for six years.

He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Patty; two children, Christopher and Jennifer, both of Winter Garden, FL; a brother, Danny Maples and wife, Brenda of Olathe, KS; and a sister, Deyann Corbin and

Alice Wegenka

and Karson; and one greatgreat-granddaughter, Oafie.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Frank Wegenka; twin brother, Alan Sharp; brothers, Jerry, Woodsen, Junior, Bob, Jimmie, Donnie and Sterling; and sisters, Mary Lou, Verelle and Lois Jean.

Online condolences may be left at www.resthavenmort.com

Claron Mark Cole

Marvin E. Luehrs tin and Edna Hotz Luehrs; two sisters, Harriet Campbell and Carita Klein; and a brother, Armin Luehrs. Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory, 26th Street Chapel, 5624 26th Street West, Bradenton, FL 34207 is in charge of the arrangements. husband, Bob of Springdale, AR.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Arnold and Neoma Maples; and his wife’s parents, Gene and Cleora McReynolds.

Memorials in memory of Dennis Maples are suggested to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Mark Cole, age 79, of Shenandoah, Iowa, passed away at his home on Monday afternoon, January 23, 2023.

Memorial Services were held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, January 28, 2023 at the First Christian Church in Garnett, KS. Inurnment with military honors followed in the Garnett Cemetery.

Claron Mark Cole was born on May 5, 1943 in Garnett, KS, the son of Claron Glenn and Treva Rhue Hill Cole. Mark's early life was spent in the Garnett community where he began his education and graduated from high school with the Class of 1961. During his school years he enjoyed playing trumpet in the high school band and competitively showed horses.

Following high school, Mark attended Emporia State University graduating in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business. He then went on to attend Washburn University School of Law where he earned his Juris Doctor as a member of Delta Theta Phi professional law fraternity.

In 1986 Mark continued his education at the American Graduate School of International Management, Thunderbird School where he received a master's degree.

On January 6, 1969, he enlisted in the United States Navy where he served his country with

Circuit Court

Jennifer Lynn Krogoer pleaded guilty to trespassing to the first degree and now on 1 year probation with special conditions and was fined $50.00 and $117.50 in costs.

Justin Dale Fraizer pleaded guilty to failing to wear a properly adjusted/fastened safety belt and was fined $10.00.

Trevor Leroy Bitterling pleaded guilty to operating a motor vehicle without properly working brakes and was fined $67.50 and tional Bank until 1985. Mark then became general counsel at Loy Law Firm in Pittsburg, where he founded his own investment firm, Thunderline Management Company in 1987. pride during the Vietnam War. He obtained the rank of YN2, Yeoman, second class. During his service in Vietnam Mark earned the following awards: National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with Bronze Star, and Vietnam Campaign Medal, with a Meritorious Unit Commendation.

Mark was active in the communities in which he resided. Giving back to his community through service was very important to him.

On November 12, 1983, Mark was united in marriage to Karen Sue Bartol at Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, AR. Following their marriage, they made their home in Pittsburg, KS. The couple enjoyed 39 years of marriage.

During his working years Mark served as Assistant Vice President and Trust Officer of Commerce Bank of Kansas City from 1972-1978. He then transitioned in the same role to the Wichita branch from 1978-1980, then transferring to Pittsburg in 1980 where he continued to serve as Vice President and Trust Officer of City Na-

Daily Record

$207.50 in costs.

Randy Paul Barth Jr. pleaded guilty to exceeding posted speed limit and was fined $71.50 and $50.50 in costs.

Clarence William Pittman Jr. pleaded guilty to failing to wear a properly adjusted or fastened safety belt and was fined $10.00.

Terry Michael Delauder Jr. pleaded guilty to failing to wear a properly adjusted or fastened safety belt and was fined $10.00.

Kevin Dean Keith pleaded guilty to exceeding the posted speed limit and was fined $71.50 and $60.00 in costs.

He was a Mason, Shriner, Elks Member, served on both the USD 250 school board and was a member of the Public Library Board in Pittsburg. He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution and was an American Bar Association Member in Kansas and Missouri. Some of his interests outside of work included playing golf, traveling, and riding motorcycles. He was an avid reader and enjoyed the Hamm Radio.

Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Karen of Shenandoah, IA; daughters, Chelsea Curran, son-in-law, Joe, and their children, William and Cole of Celina, TX and Hilary Cole of Kansas City, KS; brother, Gary Cole of Oklahoma; sister, Marilyn Kohn of Illinois; Great-Aunt, Laverne Cole of Garnett; many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and a host of friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Treva and Claron Cole, formerly of Garnett, KS.

Levi E. Hostetler pleaded guilty to operating a motor vehicle without properly working brakes and was fined $207.50 and $67.50 in costs.

Warranty deeds

Larry W. Stauffer and wife to Lorenna Still. Frank Griffen and wife to Taniela Otukolo. PennyMac Loan Servicing LLC to secretary of veterans affairs.

North 65 Center Menus

Monday-Ham slice, sweet potatoes, corn, fruit cocktail, English muffin.

Tuesday-Pork chop, lima beans, beets, mandarin oranges, chocolate pudding, whole wheat bread.

Wednesday -Roast beef, roasted potatoes, carrots, peaches, hot roll.

Thursday-Oven fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, pineapple, biscuit.

Friday-BBQ riblet on bun, pea salad, baked beans, pears, brownie.

(Coffee, iced tea, water and milk are served daily and an alternate meal of chef’s salad, crackers and fruit cup is available each day.)

We are taxed way too much.

For a country that had no federal income tax for the first 137 years, we have surely made up for that with many Americans paying 22-27% of what they earn to Uncle Sam. And that is before you add up the bevy of other taxes you are demanded to pay daily.

Frankly, it feels like we only see half of what we earn after all taxes and fees.

State sales tax didn’t begin to emerge until the mid 1930’s, but it doesn’t end there.

After income taxes taking the first swipe at your hard earned wages,followed by state tax and sales tax, there are personal property taxes which take your cash for the privilege of having stuff annually. Then there are fees and licenses and permits you need to pay in order to do anything.

Get a cell phone, pay taxes and fees. Drive a car, pay taxes, fees, personal property tax and insurance…with, you guessed it….taxes and fees. Get a dog, you get the picture.

Now don’t get me wrong, we cannot go back to a time when taxes and fees didn’t exist. A modern industrialized nation needs infrastructure and services to function but the beast is out of control.

I fear a major backlash directed at all taxes in the near future which could hurt school districts or infrastructure entities like road districts. Those are the areas that affect us “where we live.”

Here is my belief and I think that as soon as people come to this realization we will be ready to start working on a solution:

All the money that is needed or will be needed from the American taxpayer (and probably more) is already in the hands of some taxing entity.

You heard me, we have more than enough money in the tax coffers to get everything done, it is just being spent improperly, is misappropriated, is wasted or is flat-out being stolen.

We don’t need more taxes, we just need the ones being collected to be spent wisely or redirected.

Let me elaborate.

Most of the waste is with the federal government. You have all heard about the defense department paying $10,000 for a bulletproof toilet seat or some other nonsense. While that may have been a bit of an exaggeration, we know the Pentagon has failed 5 audits in a row and the defense department cannot account for up to 60% of its assets according to one report.

There are billions of dollars being paid in entitlements fraudulently each year by the agencies own audits but yet those agencies are asking for and receiving increases annually under both democrat and republican administrations.

While most of the waste is on the national level, state and local government agencies are guilty as well.

Admin costs for almost all government agencies have become bloated and out of control. Too many people are pushing paper behind a desk, in my opinion, and not working a shovel or teaching a kid.

Now, I am not pointing a finger at any local government agency but if there isn’t a push for streamlining budgets to get more of the money into results taxpayers can see, then everyone can expect to see budgets capped and tax levy increases being voted down at a historic rate.

I used to ridicule the “againers” who used to complain and campaign against every tax levy hike. Now that was mostly when I was younger (30-45) but now that I have crossed over into my 50’s and see how little of what I earn is kept, I am becoming an “againer” as well.

Between taxes, fees, penalties and inflation many Americans are not seeing any benefit to hard work and saving is almost impossible with the cost of living.

If I were an administrator or manager for an organization that relied on public funds, I would be very nervous if I had many more years before retirement. I would start looking at ways to streamline my organization, cut management and get as many boots on the ground responsible for visible results as possible. If we don’t start to see our tax dollars at work I believe voters are about to start saying NO at the ballot box and that is going to leave some needed services in a world of hurt.

Liberty Thought of the WeekTime to end double taxation of Social Security

by Paul Hamby

John grew up in the country and started working while still in high school. He recently retired. For nearly 50 years he held a job here in rural Missouri. A portion of every paycheck was withheld and sent to Washington D.C. for Social Security.

On your pay stub, that deduction is called FICA. The Federal Insurance Contributions Act is a 1935 law that mandates a 6.2% social security payroll tax on the paychecks of most employees, with matching contributions of 6.2% from employers. 12.4% of gross pay over 50 years should be a very tidy sum to retire on. Shouldn't everyone be well set-up for their golden years?

John never complained about the social security deductions because his parents drew a check from Social Security during retirement. He believed he was helping fund their retirement. He was not wrong.

What John just recently found out is that he and his parents have to count social security as income and pay income tax on the monthly benefits even though that income had already been taxed once a long time ago. It is double taxation.

For the past few years, there has been an unsuccessful effort to exempt all social security from Missouri State income tax regardless of age or retirees income. This year Missouri State Senator Tony Luetkemeyer, R-Parkville has filed Senate Bill 448 to do just that. You can read the bill at senate.mo.gov; Search SB448.

Missouri and 12 other states tax social security income. 30 states do not tax social security income. 7 states have no income tax!

“The bill does not have an income cap – it’s for lowincome Missourians, the middle class and the wealthy. My belief is if you paid taxes on that income originally, whenever it went into the Social Security fund, you already paid your fair share of taxes. And so every taxpayer should benefit from this broad based tax relief,” Senator Luetkemeyer said in an interview with Missourinet radio.

Three similar bills have been filed in the Missouri house. Go to house.mo.gov - Search Social Security.

Missouri has a 6 billion dollar budget surplus. There is no shortage of ideas of how to spend that extra money in Jefferson City.

Maybe the best idea is to give some of it back to our senior citizens in permanent tax relief.

Please call your Missouri state rep and state senator and tell them you support ending the tax on social security income.