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www.theactiveage.com October 2026 Kansas’ Largest Newspaper Printed at Valley Center, KS
Vol 47 No. 11
A doctor's journey, from India to rural Kansas
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By Sherry Howerton How does a physician and surgeon from India end up practicing in a small town like Hill City, Kansas? One patient at a time. That’s the story for Dr. P.J. Reddy, who practiced in that Kansas town for 41 years before retiring to Wichita in 2014. Born in Andhra Pradesh, India, in 1942, Reddy was the son of a doctor of Ayurvedic medicine (a traditional, holistic healing system from India that uses herbs, diet and lifestyle changes to balance the mind and body). He was encouraged to study medicine by his father and uncle, coming to America in 1967 to pursue greater opportunities. “After finishing my general surgery residency in New York, I did one year of plastic surgery training in Syracuse,” Reddy said. “In those days, most young surgeons wanted to go into solo practice or join a group practice. In my case, I was uncertain whether patients would come to see me or not since I am from a foreign country.” Reddy found an ad in a medical
Dr. P.J. Reddy cared for patients in Hill City, Kan., for 41 years. journal and learned that the Graham County Hospital in Hill City was looking for a physician. He called the hospital and spoke to the CEO, who asked him to come in for an interview. He agreed and flew to Hays, which has
the closest airport to Hill City. To his surprise, the CEO of the hospital came to the airport to greet him and drive him to Hill City, which is about an hour northwest of Hays (and named for its founder, not its elevation). “At the time, I did not realize Hill City was a small town, with a population of about 3,000 and a county population of about 4,000,” Reddy said. “The CEO took me around Hill City and then to the hospital, where he introduced me to the hospital board members.” The board offered Reddy a job on the spot, asking him to sign a two-year-contract, which eventually extended into another six years. It was 1973, and Reddy moved with his wife, Nalini, and 2-year-old son from New York City. The day after the move, he started seeing patients. “A few days later, the CEO of the hospital took me to his house. His wife told me, ‘I heard that people like you,’” Reddy said. “I was glad to hear that, See Doctor, page 7
Card sender loves to brighten days
The Active Age Most of our mothers probably taught us the value of sending thank you notes and remembering people’s birthdays with cards, but as with most lessons, some children took to that advice a little better than others. There’s probably no one who outdoes Sharon West, who sends at least 750 cards a year, each with a Sharon West matches comic strips to birthday comic strip — or two wishes for at least 750 lucky people each year. or three or four — that matches the personality or interests of the comics. “Often, they’re just amazed the cards’ recipients. that I remember their birthday.” “They don’t know I’ve saved them It probably won’t surprise you to maybe for three years,” West said of See Cards, page 8
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Karen and Sheldon Lawrence assume the square dance starting pose.
When he calls, people come — and dance
By Joe Stumpe If Sheldon Lawrence tells you to dive for the oyster and dig for the clam, he’s not giving you directions to find shellfish. Lawrence is an acclaimed square dance caller, and his colorful patois is all part of the job. Or rather passion for a Wichitan who’s been spreading his love of square dancing for half a century. “I don’t know how many thousands of people I’ve taught how to square dance over the last 50 years, but it’s a lot,” Lawrence said. He will teach a few more as part of a Chautauqua being held Oct. 3 and 4 at Bartlett Arboretum in Belle Plaine. The event will feature clinics, workshops and lectures on a variety of topics. At 6 p.m. Oct. 3, Lawrence and a live string band will lead an old-fashioned barn dance on the arboretum’s grand lawn. Lawrence traces his love of square dancing back to the 1940s, when he’d spend summers at his grandparents’ place near Eureka. Residents of several counties gathered at a community See Dance, page 8
Butler County: (316) 775-0500 or 1-800-279-3655 Harvey County: (316) 284-6880 or 1-800-279-3655
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Diabetes event set for Nov. 7 Great Plains Diabetes will host its eleventh Live Well with Diabetes event Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Wichita State University Metroplex, 5015 E. 29th St. N. The free event runs from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Flu shots, foot exams, lab work, health and wellness screenings and education sessions on nutrition and fitness will be offered. Free lunch will
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be provided to the first 100 registered attendees. One presentation features a young man who recently received an islet-cell transplant. GPD will host health care professionals at the Metroplex on Friday, Nov. 6. For more information, visit www. greatplainsdiabetes.com or call (316) 440-2802 Monday through Thursday.
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One-of-a-kind Wichita Wurlitzer turns 100 By David Bernstorf The Wichita Wurlitzer turns 100 years old this year. I’ve felt a connection to it since its arrival here in 1968, during my senior year of high school. I already played piano, clarinet and saxophone, and I aspired to play the Wurlitzer, which could mimic the sound of an entire orchestra. That year, an arsonist completely destroyed the organ’s keyboard console, setting fire to it in Century II while that building was still under construction. But the Wurlitzer’s pipes and other parts escaped damage, and a new console for it was built by a company in Seattle. In 1972, as a student at Wichita State University, I was part of a crew that spent months installing the Wurlitzer. I also got to play it as part of the process of breaking it in and finetuning it in preparation for its debut that year. Talk about your moving parts: The 1,700-pound console features four keyboards of 61 keys each, 366 stops (the devices that shape the instrument’s sound) and 32 pedals, all adding up to unparalleled versatility.
Guest Column By this time, I’d already decided a career in engineering would support my musical habit better than the other way around. But I joined the nonprofit Wichita Wurlitzer, Inc., board as soon as I turned 21 and have served on it ever since. With the August death of Mike Coup, who co-founded the local Wurlitzer group, I am its longestserving member. What makes the Wurlitzer special to me is the quality of the instrument and the people who’ve played it. The organ was built by the Wurlitzer Co. of North Tonawanda, N.Y., and delivered to the New York Paramount Theatre in Times Square in 1926. Jesse Crawford, one of the premier keyboard artists of the 1920s, chose the instrument voices for the different sections of the instruments. A technician named Danny Papp adjusted the organ to meet Crawford’s requirements and continued maintaining it until 1964, when the Paramount’s owners decided to turn the theater into an office
building. I doubt if another organ ever received that level of attention. After the organ’s move and Papp’s death, his wife sent the tools he had used to Wichita. The list of great musicians who’ve played the Wichita Photo by Deborah Shaar/KMUW Wurlitzer is long. Rex David Bernstorf loves playing and listening to Koury, most famous others perform on the Wichita Wurlitzer. for composing the Please help us celebrate the “Gunsmoke” theme, Wichita Wurlitzer’s 100th birthday at was the organist at its premiere 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22 at Century on Dec. 9, 1972. Gaylord Carter, a II Exhibition Hall, with a concert by composer of film scores who’d live here as a youth performed on it several Brett Valliant. Tickets are available at SelectASeat.com/Wurlitzer. times. The flamboyant Virgil Fox For more history of the Wichita recorded an album on it for RCA. Wurlitzer, visit the Wichita Wurlitzer I’ve played it for several public facebook page. shows, and I’ve played it for my own enjoyment.
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Reading crisis prompts local initiative One quarter of U.S. adults would struggle to read or comprehend this article
By Sherry Howerton Reading is something I have always taken for granted. My mother insists I came out of the womb talking, and she swears by age 1, I was reading full sentences. While I appreciate the accolades, I’m doubting that’s true, but I don’t remember learning to read ever being a problem. But for millions of Americans, reading is not so easy. Challenges such as illiteracy or dyslexia silently plague the population, making it difficult for some to even apply for a job, much less possess the skills to build a career. So how many Americans are illiterate? The answer depends on how you define “illiterate.” The U.S. government generally measures literacy proficiency rather than simply labeling people illiterate. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 28% of U.S. adults ages 16 to 45 performed at Level 1 or below in literacy. That is one in four working-age adults. However, Level 1 does not mean all of these people are completely unable to read. It means that they have difficulty with relatively basic reading tasks. A person who scores below Level 1 is closer to what is commonly meant by functionally illiterate, meaning they have difficulty understanding sentences, finding a single piece of information in a short text or completing simple forms. An earlier NCES study estimated 8.4 million adults were below Level 1, with another 26.5 million at Level 1. And in Sedgwick County, one in five adults test at Level 1 literacy or below. Dyslexia is another story. Estimates vary because dyslexia exists on a spectrum and many people are never formally diagnosed. The best supported estimates for the United States suggest 5 to 10 percent of Americans have dyslexia, which translates into 20 to 35 million people. Interestingly, dyslexia does not mean someone is illiterate. Many people with dyslexia learn to read accurately, although they may read more slowly, have difficulty decoding unfamiliar words or continue to have spelling and writing difficulties throughout adulthood.
Not enough help
So, between illiteracy and dyslexia, reading issues affect a significant portion of the population. I learned more about this after recently visiting an event hosted by the Wichita Journalism Collaboration,
a local coalition of 11 newsrooms and community groups, of which The Active Age is a member. WJC has recently launched “Beyond Words: Wichita’s Reading Crisis,” an initiative to raise awareness about the challenges faced by adults who struggle with reading. It is Photo by Travis Heying/Wichita Eagle especially noteworthy Sherry Howerton, right, took part in exercises that this initiative designed to simulate illiteracy and dyslexia. focuses on adults, kinesthetic-motor memory for the because while there are sequence of movements needed to services for children who struggle to read in school, adults who are unable to form each letter. The task was to draw a star by looking at your covered hand read often in the reflection of a mirror and after fall through the cracks. trying for several minutes, I could “Our goal with this initiative is to, not do it. My star was just a series of one, educate the community that this squiggly lines. More failure. issue of illiteracy in adults exists, and, A final exercise led by Steven two, we would love that through this Kelly of the Wichita Public Library initiative solutions would be created,” simulated an adult trying to fill out an said Kathy Lefler, project manager online job application when they could for WJC. “There are just not enough not read the words (for the sake of this programs to help them.” exercise, the words were printed in During the kickoff event last Dutch). I left most of the 10 questions month, staff from the Phillips blank because I could not figure out Fundamental Learning Center — a what information was needed – I could nonprofit organization in Wichita not understand the questions because I dedicated to helping children with could not read them. dyslexia and reading challenges through structured literacy instruction, Words of despair educator training and specialized Many words of despair went student programs — and the Wichita through my head as I attempted these Public Library met with an audience exercises, and many feelings came to of individuals interested in learning the surface. I felt embarrassed that more about this issue. The team led I could not complete the tasks at simulations that allowed participants hand. I felt frustrated that I could not to experience the challenges faced by decipher what felt like “codes” to get individuals with dyslexia, dysgraphia the answers right. And I could imagine (a neurological learning disability how an illiterate adult might feel angry, that impairs a person’s ability to write discouraged and depressed over the legibly, spell consistently and express thoughts on paper) and other learning challenges.
Humbling experience
I was able to attend this event and participate in the simulations. It was a humbling eye-opener for me. Jill Hodge, a PFLC Ambassador and Facilitator, led four exercises that immersed the audience in the struggles an illiterate or dyslexic person faces. In the first exercise, participants took a spelling test dictated on an audio recording that shows the difficulty a dyslexic person has in discriminating between sounds in words. There were 10 words given. Because I could not understand the audio recording, I did not get one of them right. In another example demonstrating dysgraphia, a visual-motor task simulated the difficulty in writing letters when you don’t have www.theactiveage.com
October 2026 inability to communicate in a world where reading and writing are absolute necessities – and for me, reading and writing make my living. And even if I didn’t have a career in journalism, this simulation brought to mind the many ways it would be nearly impossible to function in society if you can’t read, spell or write. Reading is in everything we do, from reading a street sign to paying our bills to enjoying a great newspaper read like The Active Age! If you cannot do these things, you often come across as low intelligence when in fact, that is not the case. You just haven’t been given the tools to succeed. “Illiteracy affects every part of a person’s life,” said Hodge. “That’s why early intervention is huge.” And for children, more resources are available through the school system and other programs. But for adults, the options are extremely limited. “There is a real dearth of resources in Wichita,” said Kelly. “That’s what this collaborative is trying to get across. It’s a big, wicked problem. And it’s not just in Wichita, it’s national in scope.” Hodge says that when the right tools are given, however, adults can still overcome dyslexia and illiteracy. “It’s never too late to learn,” she said. For more information on Beyond Words: Wichita’s Reading Crisis, contact Kathy Lefler at 316-712-4960 or klefler@ kansasleadershipcenter.org. For information on the Phillips Fundamental Learning Center, which offers simulations like those that were hosted at the kickoff event at its offices in east Wichita, contact Jill Hodge at 316-684-7323 or jhodge@funlearn. org. Reach Sherry Howerton at sgaylegraham@hotmail.com.
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Doctor From Page 1
because my motivation was to take care of patients to the best of my ability and knowledge.” It did not take long for Reddy to get established. He started performing major operations in the fall of 1973. Reddy has kept count of his surgeries, which ranged from appendectomies to cholecystectomies (gall bladder removal) to tonsillectomies. In all, he has performed more than 3,500 operations and procedures. When faced with an operation he had not done before, Reddy would often educate himself the day before the surgery. “I had several books on operating procedures. Many times, I would read up on a procedure the day before an operation like a hysterectomy or C-section and do the case the next morning. If you want to practice surgery in a rural area, you must be prepared to do a wide range of operations, and it is better to be familiar with as many as possible.” Reddy says he rarely encountered complications. “I recall two cases with common bile duct injury while doing lap chole. I sent those patients to a bigger hospital, where they received appropriate surgical care.” Can I get a refill? After his contract with the hospital was up, Reddy went into private practice while continuing to perform surgeries. He grew his patient base and says he truly learned what it meant to be a small-town doctor. He laughs now at some of the stories. One day, he was driving out of his garage when a neighbor, who was also his patient, waved at him to stop. “I rolled down my car window, and he said he had run out of medication and asked if he could get a refill. I told him to call the clinic and ask my nurse,” Reddy said. “Only in a small town would a patient stop you in the driveway for a prescription refill.” In another case, Reddy performed a dilation and curettage on a patient one morning around 8 a.m. A few hours later, when her condition was stable, he dismissed her. As usual, he returned to the hospital that evening to check on other patients. “When I went back that evening, the patient who had had the D&C was still in her hospital room,” he remembers. “I was surprised and asked her why she hadn’t gone home yet. She said she was waiting for her husband to pick her up because he was at a board meeting. Since she was my neighbor, I offered to take her home. She thanked me, and again I thought, only in a small
the active age town would you drop a patient off at her home.” Reddy also performed obstetrics and gynecology in his practice, because Hill City did not have a specialist. One day, a woman came to his office with labor pains. She was full-term and having contractions. Reddy told her to go directly to the hospital where he would meet her and deliver the baby. “The woman said, ‘Doc, my friend who dropped me off here went shopping. I have to wait for her to come and pick me up and take me to the hospital,” he recalls. “I told her, ‘There is no time to wait, you better go to the hospital now.’ She had no transportation, so I took the patient in my car to the hospital where I delivered the baby. I don’t think you will see many physicians in non-rural areas taking the patient to the hospital and delivering the baby.” Not a moment to spare One day, he was in the delivery room preparing to deliver a baby. A nurse came in saying that another woman was in labor in the next room. “I delivered one baby in the delivery room, handed the baby to the nurse, and left the placenta inside,” said Reddy. “Then I went to the next room, changed my gloves, and delivered the baby. I handed that baby to the nurse and left the placenta inside. Then I went back to the first room, changed my gloves and delivered the placenta. Then I went back to the second room, changed my gloves and delivered the placenta. These things can happen when you are the only physician in town delivering babies.” The next chapter While Reddy never envisioned spending four decades in a small town, he grew to love the community and his patients. “The thing was, I was busy. Patients would come and see me, they
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Dr. P.J. Reddy and his wife, Nalini, now live in Wichita. They are shown here with their sons, Sridhar and Gautham, and daughter, Madhavi. kept me busy, and I just decided to stay there instead of moving to a bigger city,” he said. When Dr. Reddy was ready to retire, he decided to move to Wichita where he and Nalini could be closer to two of the couple’s three children. Medicine runs in the family. Their eldest son, Gautham Reddy, is a Wichita neurologist; Gautham’s wife is a pediatrician. Their daughter, Madhavi, also lives in Wichita and is married to an oncologist, Dr. Pavan Reddy. Their youngest son, Sridhar, is an oncologist in New York. After coming to Wichita, P.J. Reddy worked part time in the wound care clinic at Wesley Medical Center; he later volunteered at the Mayflower
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Clinic, which served people without health insurance. When the clinic closed two years ago, Reddy fully retired. He exercises daily at the East Wichita YMCA and spends much of his time reading and writing. He’s a lifelong learner and wants to share his medical wisdom with colleagues as well as the general population. He’s published articles in medical journals as well as mainstream newspapers and print publications. “My motivation is always to make the patients better,” Reddy said. “But I do it for me as well. My motto is, ‘Help others to help yourself.’” Reach Sherry Howerton at sgaylegraham@hotmail.com.
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Cards From Page 1
know West is a first-born child — the oldest of seven to boot. “Mother always told me I needed to set a good example for all of the little kids,” she said. The Iola native said, “I tried . . . to do the right thing and all that.” She said her mother and grandmother both taught her the value of thank you notes. When she married and moved to Texas, West would write poetry and send it to her brothers back home. “I did lots of creative things but a lot of little poetry.” After trying a number of careers, West eventually became a real estate agent. Decades ago, she was at a real estate seminar when someone suggested that instead of sending Christmas cards, which is more common, agents should send birthday cards to set themselves apart. West loved the idea for her own clients. “I wanted the people to smile. To see a card in the mail and think, oh, that’s fun.” While it’s fun for West, too, it’s also work. “This is like a job,” she said. “I’ve got a really good system now (for) doing this.” The organized system extends from her home office to her crafting room just off her kitchen. West buys stamps a thousand at a
Dance From Page 1
center to dance. “They would take me and find a little girl, and she and I square danced,” he said. “Anybody could just get in and do it.” As it happened, the caller for those dances was a man named John Carr, who ran the road grader from Eureka to Teeterville, right by Lawrence’s summer home. “He would stop, and I would go
the active age time. She likes the cute ones, such as Betty White stamps. She also keeps about 500 cards on hand. Then, there’s a detailed spreadsheet showing who has received cards and when. Initially, West only sent cards. Then, one year, probably about 15 years ago, she saw a cartoon with the name of someone she was sending a card, so she cut it out of the newspaper. “So then I started watching for others.” She labels the cartoons with names and files them according to months of people’s birthdays. Then West matches the comics to things such as people’s professions, ages or the cities where they live. She particularly likes comics that have people’s actual birthdays in them. “If you pay attention to what people like and do, it’s easy to match up a card.” Perhaps someone plays pickleball or particularly likes dogs or cats or even chickens. West has cards and comics that apply to all of that. These days, West also might include photos or articles in the cards. She’s even started sending some cards back to people who wrote her decades ago so they can be reminded of their kindness. In addition to cutting out comics herself, West has a couple of cousins who, as she puts it, tear out the funnies for her. Other family members tease West about her hobby. For instance, her sister laughed and asked why she does out and get in the road grader, and he’d call all these old calls as we’d go up to Teeterville and back,” Lawrence said. “I loved the guy. I learned a lot.” Those early lessons came back to Lawrence when he started calling dances himself in 1971. He later added clogging to his repertoire after seeing it done during a national square dancing convention. In the 1980s, Lawrence and his wife, Cindy, organized a youth clogging group called the Air Cap Tappers that performed around the country, winning several contests, and regularly in Wichita. In 1986,
Sharon West uses a file system and spreadsheet to keep her card sending organized. this. West responded: “You like putting jigsaw puzzles together. I like putting birthday cards together.” Her husband “puts up with it.” “He thinks it’s crazy.” However, the cards and comics bring a lot of joy – to West and the people who receive them. “You know, you’re the only person that ever sends me a card,” one recipient told her. “That kind of stuff I really like.” West said she loves hearing about people taping the comics to their refrigerators. They also will call, text or e-mail her to say, “That just made my day.” “And that’s what keeps me sending them.” If you want to brighten someone’s their daughter, Debbie, and a partner finished second on the finals of “Dance Fever,” a popular syndicated television show. Retired from Learjet, where he headed computer operations, Lawrence at one time traveled a five-state area to call square dances on weekends. He regularly calls dances for the West Side Steppers, and he and Cindy enjoy dancing themselves. Lawrence said there are several different styles of square dancing, and the “old-time” style he’ll call for the arboretum’s barn dance is the easiest of all to learn. “You don’t have to know anything” to participate, he said. Lawrence said his family has an interesting connection to the arboretum. His father courted his mother there, taking her on canoe rides along the stream that runs through the property. And he won’t be surprised if the barn dance produces a few converts to his favorite pastime. “First off, it’s a lot of fun,” he said. “It helps you stay young. You meet a
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October 2026 day with a card or comic, West said, “Just start. Find somebody.” West retired from real estate in 2019. One of her children said, “Mom, are you going to quit doing the cards now?” The answer, of course, is absolutely not. It’s too much fun, and now West has too many recipients relying on her as they look forward to what she’ll send next. West’s own mother, who is 101, is one of them. “In fact, I send her two cards every week.” West is such a good daughter that while she was visiting her mother in Louisiana in September, she’d already prepared cards that would arrive just after she and other guests would be gone. “I know you’re lonely with all your company gone,” West wrote in advance. Along with her other uberorganized habits, she acknowledged, “I think ahead.” If you know West and she hasn’t sent you a card, it’s only because she doesn’t know your birthday. In a world full of junk e-mails and abbreviated text messages, West is providing a throwback to a different world, one that some people still appreciate. It’s particularly good for West’s mother that she taught her daughter the importance of notes. “She still loves getting mail in her mailbox,” West said. “I make sure she has something fun when she gets mail from me.” lot of new people who become friends. You can have the most stressful job in the world, but if you come square dancing, you’re going to forget about your stress and walk out of there feeling real good.” Bartlett Arboretum Chautauqua The Chautuaqua movement was started in the late 1880s to promote community education and culture, expanding from New York across the country. The Bartlett Arboretum’s inaugural Chautauqua will be held across its landscaped 20-acre grounds Oct 3-4. Highlights in addition to the barn dance include: • Yoga on the lawn both days • Workshops and presentations • Saturday Stone Soup Supper • Sunday morning church service • Sunday concert with Mo Pitney Tickets are $25 per day for adults or $40 for the weekend. They can be purchased on the day(s) of the event. For a complete schedule, advance tickets or to pre-register for workshops, visit barlettarboretum.com.
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Exercise time doubles as showtime in this pool
By Bonnie Bing If you’re like a lot of people, you think the best part of exercising is when you’re finished. An hour of exercising can Bonnie Bing seem like two. But not if you’re in a water aerobics class led by Asa Langenberg. At the East YMCA, he is the instructor and entertainer. Yes, he even tap dances from time to time. For our first class after Dolly Parton passed away, all the music he played was by Dolly, and he wore a big blond wig, a pink outfit and pink cowboy boots. When the theme of the day is music from different eras such as the ’50s, ’60s or ’70s, he dons trendy looks from those years. Every Saturday morning class has a theme. Recently it was “Broadway,”
for which he went all out. “Put on Your Sunday Clothes” from the show “Hello, Dolly!” was my personal favorite; he donned a woman’s straw hat with floral accent and twirled a lacey umbrella. Asa works harder on the pool deck than we do in the water, but he certainly makes sure we keep moving. I asked him why he goes to all that trouble. “I think it has to do with the people in the class,” he said. “I see a lot of smiles on faces, and I just like people to feel good. I want to put positive energy out there, have a little bit of fun with it and bring joy. I want them to feel uplifted when they leave, and I want to be uplifted.” He’s been teaching water aerobics for seven years. “When I first started,
By Nancy Wheeler Something magical often happens when music is part of a movie, which is probably why so many filmed musicals are memorable. Follow the clues and see how many of these musicals you can name. The answers appear below. 1. In what musical does a flim-flam man fall hard for the beautiful librarian “right here in River City”? 2. Instead of just training a Cockney flower girl to pass in high society, Professor Higgins became “Accustomed to her face” in what 1964 musical movie? 3. “The Hills Were Alive” before Maria entered the convent and was sent to take care of Captain Von Trapp’s seven children in what hit musical? 4. It was a “Beautiful Mornin” for Curly and Laurey when Rodgers and Hammerstein seamlessly integrated song, dance, and story into the 1943 musical set in a particular state? 5. What musical featured an
exotic setting and a Navy nurse trying to “wash that man right out of her hair” (but instead falling under his spell on “Some Enchanted Evening?”)? 6. In what musical did Tevye cling to “Tradition” through “Sunrise, Sunset” as his three headstrong daughters challenged marriage customs? 7. The character for whom this musical is named used “The Music of the Night” to entrance Christine and try to lure her away from Raoul to his underground lair. 8. What musical reimagines Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” with a fierce gang rivalry that makes Tony (a Jet) and Maria’s (a Shark) love forbidden? 9. What 1951 musical showed the schoolteacher Anna and the ruler Mongkut “Getting to Know You”? 10. What long-running musical tells the story of Jean Valjean and police inspector Javert during the time of the French Revolution?
The city of Wichita is seeking volunteers to help plant trees in two parks. From 1-4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, the city plans to plant over 250 trees in Peachtree Park, 5654 S. Hydraulic, and from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, Oct. 30, it plans to plant over 40 trees in Clapp Park, near Mt. Vernon and South Bluff streets. Volunteers are advised to wear outdoor work clothes and to bring work gloves. Bottled water will be provided. No experience is necessary. For more information, contact
Alycia Garrett at (316) 268-4686. In another initiative to grow Wichita’s tree canopy, the city has allocated $10,000 for rebates for people who plant eligible trees on their property. The rebate is $50 per tree, with a maximum of two rebates per property. The tree must be purchased form a licensed nursery or garden center and appear on the city’s list of approved trees. To find that list and apply for a rebate, visit https://www.wichita.gov/ treerebate.
Just Sayin'
the classes were more tempered, but then I started stepping it up a little bit,” he said. He has stepped it up so much he has a faithful following. Let me tell you, there aren’t many things I would get up and be somewhere at 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings for — not to mention putting on a swimsuit and getting in cold water. Asa grew up in Wichita and graduated from Wichita State University. His day job is activities director at Orchard Park Senior Center. He is already looking forward to the Halloween party at the Center. Who knows what he’ll show up in. And I can’t imagine what costume he’ll wear for our water aerobics class. It’s good exercise, a lot of fun and it goes quickly. Even so, I’m still happy when I’m finished. Reach Bonnie Bing at bingbylines@ gmail.com.
Photo by Bonnie Bing
Asa Langenberg tries to "bring joy" to the people who take his water aerobics class at the East YMCA.
October quiz: Name these beloved movie musicals 7. "Phantom of the Opera" 8. "West Side Story" 9. "The King and I" 10. "Les Miserables"
Help grow Wichita’s tree canopy
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1. "The Music Man" 2. 'My Fair Lady" 3. "The Sound of Music" 4. "Oklahoma" 5. "South Pacific" 6. "Fiddler on the Roof "
Answers:
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October 2026
Forum Theatre reopens in bigger, better space Kathryn Page Hauptman thought she might have staged her last show for The Forum Theatre when the company’s lease for space in a local church expired last year. The Forum went dark, in theater lingo, and Page Hauptman doubted she could find a suitable replacement space. But this drama has a happy ending. The Forum organization has acquired a space that will allow it to do bigger productions and hopefully create a second revenue stream by renting a spacious lobby for events. “It’s a huge step,” said Page Hauptman, who is the company's artistic director. “Not many theaters own their own building.” The 14,000-square-foot space at 141 W. Ellis was once a warehouse for the McCormick Armstrong commercial printing firm, which went
out of business in 2019. It was open space, which means walls and doors and bathrooms and much more had to be added. It’s now been divided into a theater with 190 seats, a lobby that can hold 200 people, dressing rooms, storage space, office space, a ticket booth and a catering kitchen. It reopened last month with a four-week stand of “The Million Dollar Quarter,” a musical based on the real-life 1956 get-together of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins at the Sun Records studio in Memphis. The Forum started 15 years ago and is a nonprofit organization. Liz Hicks, president of its board, said she’s not surprised that Page Hauptman was able to raise the money necessary to make its new home a reality. Page Hauptman had previously founded the
Center Theatre at the Wichita Center for the Arts (now MarkArts) and then Studio One, which developed new musicals. “She’s had theater patrons for all these years,” Hicks said. Page Hauptman said The Forum will continue bringing audiences a mix of “comfortable” and “challenging” shows. “Our story telling is very strong,” she said. “That’s what people love about us.” Win tickets to The Forum The Active Age and The Forum Theater are giving away two pairs of Ashley Hillman Photography tickets to upcoming shows. Winners Artistic director Kathryn Page of our drawing will have their choice Hauptman and associate of two shows: Stone Poney to Blue producer Aaron Profit try out The Forum Theatre’s new stage. Bayou: The Words & Music of Linda Rondstadt,” which runs Oct. 16-18; bring the form below to The Active or “Fences,” the Pulitzer Prize-wining Age, 125 S. West St., Suite 105, play by August Wilson that runs Oct. Wichita,KS, 67213. Entries must by 29-Nov. 1. end of the day Friday, Oct. 10. To enter the drawing, fill out the contest form on our website, theactiveage.com; or mail or Name:__________________________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________________________ Phone number and/or email address: ________________________ _________________________________________________________________
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October 2026
the active age
Former missionary. Retired small- business owner. Community volunteer. Mary Ann Harmon believes in working across the aisle to solve the problems that affect Kansas families.
MARY ANN HARMON FOCUSED ON PROTECTING US FROM DATA CENTERS
that want to consume and pollute our resources.
CULTURE WARS
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NGER A STRO FOR ALL KANSAS
BIG CORPORATIONS
that use their power to shift property tax burdens to consumers, and use unfair practices to cheat small businesses.
INSURANCE COMPANIES that take our money and deny care.
GET IN TOUCH
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Wichita Repertory Wichita Repertory Theater Theater Presents Presents
Gaslight by Steven by Steven Dietz Dietz
October 2-11, 2026 Fridays & Saturdays @ 7:30 p.m. Sundays @ 2:00 p.m. Pe r f o r m e d at Performed a t The T h e Oliver O l i v e r Place Place
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October 2026
More Than a Property
A New Season Starts Here
WHAT YOU’VE BUILT CAN HELP SHAPE WHAT COMES NEXT.
When you’re ready to make a change, the right selling strategy can help you make the most of it.
Fall is a time to look ahead. With the holidays approaching, it’s a season for gathering, reflecting, and considering what the future may hold.
T H E AU C T I O N A DVA N TAG E A Clear Plan – A coordinated process from preparation to closing. Strategic Marketing – Reaching qualified buyers with our online community of 170,000+ users.
WHEN IS IT TIME TO SELL? Here are three reasons our clients choose to downsize:
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A Team You Can Trust – 40+ professionals, including certified estate specialists and in-house legal counsel.
• Lifestyle – Spend your new free time with the grandkids or travel the world.
Whether you’re ready to sell or simply planning ahead, we’re here to help you explore your options.
316.867.3600 • McCurdy.com 12041 E. 13th St. N., Wichita, KS 67206
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Scan to learn more about the auction advantage for seniors. We're here whenever you're ready.
October 2026
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How to plan and prepay for a funeral
Feature Impact Planning for the future often means making thoughtful decisions that bring clarity, reduce uncertainty and ease the burden on those you love. Taking the time to plan a funeral or memorial service is one of the most meaningful ways to provide that kind of support. “Every life has a story worth telling,” said Dan Ford, president of the National Funeral Directors Association. “When you plan a service in advance, you are essentially writing the outline of that story yourself. It allows
your family the space to grieve and remember without the added pressure of making difficult choices during their darkest hours. It is, quite truly, a gift of peace.” While planning involves documenting your wishes, prepaying involves funding those arrangements in advance. For many, it’s a way to lock in today’s prices for services and merchandise provided by a funeral home. This can help protect your loved ones from future inflation and ensure funds are set aside specifically for this purpose.
Funeral directors are trained professionals who guide families through the emotional and practical aspects of planning, helping them understand their options and make informed decisions. Because
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every funeral home offers different services, pricing structures and approaches, it’s important to speak with more than one provider. Asking questions and comparing options can help ensure you find a
Providing Comfort, Support, and Peace of Mind for over 40 years. Your community non-profit hospice. hynesmemorial.org • 316-265-9441
Times are uncertain. Your funeral plans don’t have to be. Call 316-682-4553 for information about pre-planning a funeral. www.dlwichita.com
www.theactiveage.com
See next page
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funeral director and funeral home that align with your family’s values, preferences and budget. Planning is a creative act that ensures your personality and values are reflected in your final farewell, but it’s also an opportunity to bring your family into the conversation. Involving loved ones can help create a service that balances your preferences with what will be most meaningful and healing for them. Start by defining the atmosphere, including whether you’d prefer a traditional, somber or vibrant celebration of life. Consider the music that shaped your life, whether that’s hymns, classic
SO VEGAS, SO CLOSE See for yourself why GILLEY’S GAMBLING HALL is where Wichita Goes to Win.
PLAYGILLEYS.COM 1500 E. 77th St. N • Park City, KS 67147 www.theactiveage.com 106276_GC-128.indd 1
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October 2026
standards or a favorite film score. If there is a cause or charity close to your heart, request donations be made in your name. Finally, choosing a final resting place provides your loved ones with a permanent place to visit and remember. For many families, the hardest part of planning ahead is starting the conversation. “It can happen over a meal or while looking through old photo albums,” Ford said. “Simply saying, ‘I want to make sure things are easy for you someday,’ is a beautiful way to open the door to a very healthy and necessary discussion.”
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Tastes of Cuba easy to come by in Tampa Cuban Jamon (Ham) Pizza
By Joe Stumpe Outside of Miami, Tampa is probably Florida’s most Cuba-centric city, especially when it comes to dining. We enjoyed Cuban espresso, Cuban sandwiches and especially Cuban pizza on a recent trip there. The latter is easy to make with a few store-bought ingredients.
1 bag (1 lb. pizza dough) 1 cup pizza sauce ½ teaspoon sugar ½ cup thinly sliced ham ¼ cup thinly sliced onion, optional 1½ to 2 cups shredded Gouda cheese Directions: Spread the dough in a greased pie or cake pan; it should be a little thicker than traditional pizza. Spread pizza sauce to the edges of the dough and sprinkle with sugar. Top with ham and onion, then cover with cheese to the edge of the dough. Bake in a preheated 500-degree oven about 12 minutes or until bottom is done and cheesy edges are crispy.
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October 2026
Sanders family, city envision football complex The City of Wichita, Wichita Parks Foundation and family of football great Barry Sanders are seeking to raise $38 million for a regional football complex at Dr. Glen Day Park on North Grove Street. According to a news release, the Barry Sanders Football Complex could position Wichita as a Midwest destination for youth football, flag football, tournaments and other competitive sporting events. Sanders grew up in Wichita, starring at North High before going on to record-setting careers at Oklahoma State University and the Detroit Lions. “My dad often tells the story about
getting kicked out of the Aviation football league as a kid because his parents didn’t work in the aviation business,” said Barry J. Sanders, son of Barry Sanders. “That’s why this project is so important to him and our family to ensure every kid has access and the opportunity to participate.” The Sanders family has been working closely with Wichita Parks & Recreation to help advance the initiative. To learn more about the Barry Sanders Football Complex, partnership opportunities and ways to get involved, visit Wichita.gov/ footballcomplex.
LEARN MORE ABOUT VOLUNTEERING WITH US THIS TAX SEASON!
United Way’s Free Tax Filing Services helps income-limited households file their taxes for free and access tax credits that help them gain financial security. Tax preparers and greeters are needed at 13 Wichita-area sites for the 2027 tax season. Can you help? No experience is required!
INFORMATION SESSIONS
Attend an information session to learn more about the program, volunteer roles, and training. Tuesday, Oct. 20 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Northeast Senior Center 2121 E. 21st St. N., Wichita
Monday, Nov. 2 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Orchard Park Senior Center 4808 W. 9th St. N., Wichita
Questions? Contact Kristie Costa, United Way of the Plains VITA Program Manager, at kcosta@unitedwayplains.org or (316) 267-1321, ext. 4215. www.theactiveage.com
October 2026
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Do you you suffer suffer from from leg leg pain, pain, heaviness, swelling, heaviness, swelling, fatigue, fatigue, bulging veins?? bulging veins?? Dr. Cheatum and Sean Prolago, PA, take a comprehensive, nonsurgical approach to treating varicose veins. This includes using Duplex Ultrasonography for diagnosis and guiding treatment, as well as Dr. Paul Cheatum, MD, RVT, DABVLM
Endovenous Laser Treatment (EVLT), Radiofrequency Ablation (RF) (Venclose), Varithena ablation, and Injection Sclerotherapy. By combining these therapies, they can effectively address the needs of all their patients, from small spider veins to larger, rope-like varicose veins.
Sean Prolago, PA
Schedule a consultation at one of our 3 locations by calling 316-425-7980 to schedule at the Main Office or 316-213-7327 for Dodge City or West Wichita offices
Main Office: 10523 E 21st St N. Wichita, KS 67206
WHAT’S IN OUR
GROUNDWATER? You May Have Been Exposed to TCE or PCE Without Knowing It Chemicals called TCE and PCE have been found in groundwater in Sedgwick County. Exposure may have occurred years ago.
Get A Free Health Test Today! No insurance needed.
Testing is free through December 31, 2026. www.theactiveage.com
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October 2026
YOUR NEXT ZOO ADVENTURE IS GLOWING A LITTLE BRIGHTER. Wild Lights fills Sedgwick County Zoo with a festive glow to share with the people you love. Bundle up, take a stroll, and enjoy the wonder of the season in a place unlike anywhere else in Wichita.
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October 2026
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Sedgwick County Senior Centers BEL AIRE 7651 E Central Park Ave 744-2700, ext 304 www.belaireks.org BENTLEY/EAGLE 504 W Sterling, 796-0027 CHENEY 516 Main, 542-3721
KECHI Kechi City Building, 744-0217, 744-1271 LA FAMILIA 841 W 21st, 267-1700 LINWOOD 1901 S Kansas, 263-3703 MCADAMS GOLDEN AGE 1329 E 16th, 337-9222
CLEARWATER 921 E Janet, 584-2332 DERBY 1315 S Rock Rd, 788-0223 www.derbyks.com DOWNTOWN 200 S Walnut, 267-0197 www.seniorservicesofwichita.org
MT HOPE 105 S Ohio, 667-8956
GODDARD 122 N Main, 785-398-1255 HAYSVILLE 160 E Karla, 529-5903
Butler County Senior Centers ANDOVER 410 Lioba Dr, 733-4441 www.andoverks.com AUGUSTA 640 Osage, 775-1189 BENTON Lion’s Community Bldg, S Main St DOUGLASS 124 W 4th, 746-3227 EL DORADO 210 E 2nd, 321-0142
MULVANE 632 E Mulvane, 777-4813
LEON 112 S Main, 745-9200 or 742-9905
NORTHEAST 2121 E 21st, 269-4444
ROSE HILL 207 E Silknitter, 776-0170
OAKLAWN 2937 Oa klawn Dr, 524-7545
TOWANDA 317 Main, 316-536-8999 Open 10:30 am-5 pm Mon, Wed, Fri
ORCHARD PARK 4808 W 9th, 942-2293
WHITEWATER Legion Hall, 108 E Topeka
EDGEMOOR 5815 E 9th, 688-9392 GARDEN PLAIN 1006 N Main, 535-1155
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PARK CITY 1811 Stuart Dr, 744-1199 VALLY CENTER COMMUNITY CENTER 314 E Clay, 755-7350
Harvey County BURRTON 124 N Burrton, 620-463-3225 HALSTEAD 523 Poplar, 835-2283
Senior Wednesdays
HESSTON Randall & Main, 620-327-5099 www.hesstonseniorcenter.com
www.seniorwednesday.org
Oct 7 10:30 am Wichita Art Museum 1400 W. Museum Blvd., $2 admission. Sit, Sway, See: Seated or Standing Dancing Docent 1:30 pm Museum of World Treasures 835 E. 1st St. Info not available. Oct 14 10 am Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 Zoo Blvd. (316) 266-8213, $4 Mascot Mania 1:30 pm Advanced Learning Library, 711 W, 2nd, (316) 261-8500, Free. Classical Revolution ICT
Oct 21 10 am Ulrich Museum of Art, 1845 Fairmount St. Art & Healthcare with artist Linda Alterwitz Oct 28 10 am Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main. Museum Docents Present Their Favorites 1:30 pm Mid American All-Indian Museum. 650 N Seneca (316) 3503340, $2 + tax admission; free for MAAIM members. Info not available.
Dances El Dorado Live Music & Dancing, Senior Center, 210 E. 2nd. 4th Friday of the month at 6:30 pm. $5 entry fee. Linwood Golden Age, 1901 S Kansas. Every Saturday 7pm-9:30pm. Call Jim 316-945-9451 Minisa Golden Age, 704 W 13th. Info 617-2560. Every Thursday 7pm9:30pm. Call Rita 316-364-1702 Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S. Clifton. Contra Dance1st Saturday of each month. 7pm-9pm. Call Amanda at 316-361-6863. Orchard Park Golden Age, 4808 W 9th. Every Friday 7pm-9:30pm. Call Casey 316-706-7464 Prairie Wind Dancers: Plymouth
Congregational Church, 202 N Clifton. Joyce, 683-1122. Village Steppers Square Dance, Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S Clifton. 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month September through May 7:30 - 10:00 pm. Info: Mike Huddleson 316-650-2469 Westside Steppers Square Dance, 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month, 6-8:30 p.m., West Heights United Methodist (entrance "D"), 745 N. Westlink Ave. Info: Sheldon Lawrence (316) 648-7590.
NEWTON AREA SENIOR CENTER 122 E 6th, Newton, 283-2222 www.newtonseniorcenter.com SEDGWICK 107 W. Fifth, 772-0393
Transportation
Sedgwick County Sedgwick Co Transportation, 6605150 or 1-800-367-7298. Information: 8 am-5 pm, Mon-Fri; closed most holidays. www.sedgwickcounty.org/ aging. Butler County Transit Weekday transportation in El Dorado, Augusta and Andover. Rides to Wichita on Wed, Thu. Information: Augusta, 775-0500; El Dorado, 3224321; toll free, 1-800-279-3655. 48-hr notice required.
Harvey County Transportation reservations or information: 316-284-6802 or 1-866680-6802. Round-trip: $8 Newton (wheelchair only), $12 Harvey County, $20 outside Harvey County. AVI to Newton: Tue, 12:30-4:30 pm from Burrton, Sedgwick, Halstead, Hesston, Walton.
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Community Meals
Here are the menus that will be used for Meals on Wheels and congregate meal sites at Huston, Linwood, Orchard Park, Northeast, Sheridan Village, Maple Gardens, Oaklawn and La Familia. WEEK OF OCT 1 Thu: Sliced andouille sausage, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, green beans, wheat roll, apple pie Fri: Chicken Speghetti w/ alfredo sauce, spinach, whole grain rolls, mix fruit cup WEEK OF OCT 5 Mon: Breaded fish patty, seasoned succotash, diced beets, dinner roll, papaya mango Tue: Chicken Ala King, brown rice, buttered carrots, wheat roll, mixed fruit, compote Wed: Herb roasted turkey, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, seasoned corn, whole grain roll, pineapple chunks Thu: Ham & cheese sandwich on wheat hoagie bun, pea salad w/ red pimentos, potatoes, fruit cup Fri:Cheesy baked penne rigate pasta w/ meat sauce, capri vegetables, wheat rolls, cherry cobbler WEEK OF OCT 12 Mon: Herb baked chicken, green beans, sweet potatoe tots, whole grain roll, emerald pears Tue: Santa Fe Pork cubes, mexican rice, wheat rolls, fajita blend, vegetables, mandarin oranges Wed: BBQ pork riblet, twice baked potatoes, mixed vegetables, cornbread, tropical fruit Thu: Turkey Rice casserole, roasted broccoli, garlic toast Fri: Beef macaroni casserole, fiesta corn, whole wheat roll, tropical fruit cup WEEK OF OCT 19 Mon: Chicken jambalya, mixed vegetables, corn muffin, escalloped apples Tue: Meatloaf w/ brown gravy, garlic mash patatoes, italian green beans, whole grain rolls, cherry crisp Wed: Tuna salad sandwich on croissant, marinated tomato salad, banana pudding Thu: Turkey & swiss sandwich on whole wheat bread, coleslaw, carrot & raisin salad, peaches & cream parfait Fri: Scalloped ham & potatoes, brussels sprouts, corn bread, apricots WEEK OF OCT 26 Mon: Beef marsala, parslied noodles, tuscan blend, wheat rolls, fruit cocktail Tue:Pork roast, mashed potatoes, spinach, whole grain rolls, fruit gelatin Wed:Santa Fe chicken, red potatoes, green beans, blueberry crisp Thu: Beer battered Alaskan Cod, macaroni & cheese, mixed vegetables, whole grain rolls, mandarian oranges Fri: Turkey salad sandwich on whole wheat bun, shred broccoli w/ cole slaw, pasta salad, mixed fruit * Milk or grape juice is served with all meals. Meals fall within the following ranges: Calories 650-750; protein 25 grams or higher; fat 20 to 30 percent of calories; calcium 400 mg or higher; sodium 1,000 grams or less; fiber 9 grams or higher. FUNDING MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT, KDADS AND CENTRAL PLAINS AREA AGENCY ON AGING
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October 2026
Classified Advertising
F ACCREDITED HANDYMAN F
Elite Custom Construction L.L.C Handyman Services
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316-516-8815 316-722-2100
F COMPUTER SPECIALISTF Hate calling random people or family about your computer and cell phone issues? Call Crista with abcd TECH instead! Call or text today 316.768.7832
F DECKS & RAMPS F
Lakeview Cemetery Garden of Memory. 6 plots: 2 spaces in Lot 60 adjoining 4 spaces in Lot 80. One companion marker with vase and 3 vaults. Valued @ $36k+ will sell for $22k OBO. Contact Nathan Howard at ndh74@icloud.com or 704-519-9552
Handicap Ramps and Decks Showers and Storage Sheds
4 plots White Chapel cemetery located in Good Shepherd Section. Lot 91a spaces 1,2,3&4. $3,000 each. Can sell separately. Buyer pays transfer fee of $499. 316-640-0480.
Dennis Suitor 918-902-0742
Rare opportunity! Four adjacent burial plots in Lakeview Cemetery’s Garden of Meditation, Lot 251-A. $4,500 each. Call Donnie 816-273-3393. Wichita Park, Old Mission In Lake View Cemetery. 3 plots side by side, valued at $15, 600 selling for $11,000. Accepting Offers. Lot #170 space 4 and lot #133 space 1&2. For inquiries call 325-6602312, leave a message, or email zickefooseb@ acu.edu Resthaven Garden of Freedom, Military section,double lawn vault, two openings/closings, granite base/installation, $10,000 OBO 209-507-1174, Curt. 2 spaces at Resthaven in Garden of the Cross. Retail $6,000 each. Asking $8,400 for both. Call or text 316-573-3006 6 plots and 4 vaults at White Chapel Memorial Gardens. Two plots and 2 vaults in Valor Lot 23A space 3&4, granite base, VA bronze Headstone & bronze vase. Value $10,500,Sell $3,000. Four Plots in Sermon on the Mount. Lot 326A spaces 1,2,3,4 with 2 Vaults, 1 Headstone. Value $13,490, Sell $5,000. 316-208-3248 Larry Harmon Resthaven Lots. 2 in Garden of Gethsemane, 2 in Garden of Prayer. $2,800 each sold in pairs, Includes transfer fee. 316-992-7632 Double stacker plots w/stone at Lakeview Cemetery. Purchased for $8,000. Asking $5,000. Buyer Pays transfer fee of $295. Call 316-665-7445. 29 YR EXPERIENCED LICENSED HOME HEALTH AIDE Providing rides to Dr etc. Home Health Care Specializing in Dementia/Diabetes/Hospice. Ref avail. Kay 316-882-9127 Resthaven Cemetery. Garden of Faith. Prime Location. 2 Lots on Center Aisle 40 B spaces 3&4. Sold together. 1Granite Base, 1Marker, 1. Opening/Closing. $7,750. 316-617-8581 Resthaven Garden of Prayer, 4 adjoining spaces, lot 129C, Spaces 1,2,3,4. Includes 2 vaults, and one companion marker, valued above $20,000. Asking $14.500. Seller pays transfer: Call 316-204-293-0083
TWO plots in Lakeview Cemetery lot numbers 108 & 109. Easy to find near private road in Meditation Garden Asking $5,500, no transfer fee. Contact kebarrier@msn.com 316-619-7836
Lots of references and pictures Free Estimate
F ELECTRICAL F Alpha Electric Dependable Electrical Service Call Greg at 316-312-1575 Insured, Lic. #1303
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F FOR SALEF Elderly or mobility challenged security pole with grab bar, floor to ceiling. Safely prevent falls and can be for transfers to/from chair, bed, bathroom anywhere. Easy to install, Like new. One graphite and one bronze. $80 each. 316-652-9943 Golden brand power lift recliner hair. 3 yrs old. Excellent condition. Paid $4,000 asking $1,500. 316-259-4918. Leave message Mobility Elite Travelers Scooter. Can travel many terrains $900. Used only 3 times, stairlife, like new, $1000. Assorted new bath chairs and other mobility items. Call or text Trudy 316-393-5304 Brand New 3 wheel bike with basket, never rode. Paid $600 will sell for $450. 316-796-5163
F HAIR STYLINGF Hair Solutions by Sherry Perms * Cuts * Colors Men, Woman & Children 1 person Salon Come See me for Boo-tiful hair! Call for an appointment Sherry Brown 316-207-1760
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F HOME IMPROVEMENTS CONT F
PITTMAN'S HANDYMAN SERVICES, LLC • Interior/Exterior Painting • Room Additions • Basement Finishing • Kitchen & Bathrooms • Siding & Sheetrock • Hauling & Clean Up • Gutter Cleaning • Flood & Fire Damage • Repairs • Lawn Service • Plumbing • Electrical No Job Too Big or Small... WE DO THEM ALL! Call 316-409-7341
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F HAULING SERVICES F
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Call Dan 316-516-3949 F HELP WANTED F
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F HOME IMPROVEMENTS F Dave’s Improvements General Contractor Lic #7904 Roofing, Siding, Gutters, Storm damage repair, Senior Discount. 316-312-2177 Molina Electric - Wichita Lic #1364 Comm. or Residential wiring. Service calls. New electric service. Troubleshooting. Cell 316-461-2199. Handyman RX- We have a remedy for almost all of your “fix-it” jobs! Light carpentry including deck and fence repair, indoor misc. repairs and installations, lawn mowing “LG or SM”, Yard & Garage clean-up, mulching, hauling miscellaneous,hauling dirt, sand, and rock/gravel upto 3.5 tons. What you need done I can probably handle. Call for HELP! Brian 316-217-0882. Free Estimates JD’s Handyman Services 25+ Years’ Experience Home Repairs Done Right Plumbing, Carpentry, Electrical Tv Mounting, Lock Changes Assembly Services Give me a call! 316-768-7080 FREE Estimates Cowboy Construction Remodeling, siding, decks, fences, windows, doors and more. 20 years locally owned. Free estimates. Senior discounts. Todd Wenzel 316-393-4488 Home Improvement 20+ yrs. experience with total home makeovers. Master Quality Work Rental make-readies Reasonable labor rates for high quality work Free Estimates - Insured Call Kevin 316-807-7271
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October 2026
the active age
Page 21
Classified Advertising
F HOME IMPROVEMENTS CONT F
F HOME IMPROVEMENTS CONT F
AGAPE ROOFING
General Contractor
Three Generations of Local Roofers Quality Work – Fair Prices Residential & Commercial
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Call for Free Roof Inspection Locally Owned by Pastor Steven Blalock Licensed & Insured
AGAPE CONSTRUCTION
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Honesty, Quality, Integrity are Key! Maintenance / Remodel / New Build
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S & V Concrete
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CLEANING AND ORGANIZATIONAL SERVICES
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F LAWN AND GARDEN CONTF
F PAINTING F
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Molina’s Yard Clean up Weekend Residential Services Debris, Brush, Over grown vegetation, Cutting, trimming removal Garden maintenance Extra Services upon request Call Eric - 316-932-4011 Free Estimates
Dave’s Improvements Inc.
Henricks Lawn Care Owner/operator 35 yrs. experience. Lawn /tree & shrub care. Spring & Fall cleanup, gutter cleaning. Brush Cutting. Servicing West Wichita, Goddard, Cheney, Colwich areas. Toby Henricks 316-680-9183 Soto Landscaping * Full Lawn Services * Plants & Flowers * Tree Removal * Weed Control …and More 316-312-2195 or 316-260-0397 Text or Leave a Message GROWFESSIONAL GARDENING Yard & Garden Clean Ups And Design Please call Robert for leaf and garden bed clean up or any other gardening needs. Also does Interior Painting Call Robert 316-932-4225
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Starting at $50 weekly/biweekly Active Aging Yard Services Include: Proof Approval Mowing * Weed Eating * Edging * Air Blowing Non Toxic Weed Treatment Please check your ad carefully OTHER SERVICES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST and check off the applicable boxes 316-296-4250 F LAWN AND GARDEN F and initial to indicate Tony Rich Landscaping acceptance Priced Right yourLandscape, Lawn Clean-Up, Tree Work, Gutters Cleaned, Dirt Work, Positive ____ Check offer Lawn & Leaf Residential & Commercial Mowing Drainage, Topsoil & Mulch Delivery Leaf/Lawn Clean Up/Removal ____ Check name, address, 316-990-6897 All Season, Military, & Senior Discounts - Licensed & Insured (316) 258-6954 phone Jesus Landscaping F PAINTING F Complete lawncare.____ Check expiration dates McCoy Painting 316-516-6443 Spring clean-up * Aeration * Over Seeding Do you need any interior or exterior painting Gutter cleaning * Fencing * Landscape ____ install/ Proof Satisfactory done? I’m your man. Free estimates, affordable maintain * Shrub/tree trimming/removal Call for a free estimate! (no changes)rates. References available.. 316-737-3426 or 316-631-5984 WWW.JESUSLANDSCAPINGKS.COM _____________ Advertiser initials www.theactiveage.com You can fax your approval or corrections to us at 946-9180
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Downsizing / Moving / Fall Cleaning We buy everything from individual items to whole estates. House cleanout service also available. Give us a call to learn more about all the services we provide Bud Palmer Auction 316.838.4141 BudPalmerAuction.com
F TREE SERVICE F Felipe Tree Service Evergreen trimming. Tree removal. Brush hauling. Splitting. Deadwooding. Free estimates. 12 years experience. 316-807-4419 Bruce’s Tree Service ALL FARM & RURAL AREAS Over 30 years exp. Senior Discounts. Insured. Complete Tree Trimming & Removal Gutter Cleaning and Leaf Rake Trees * Shrubs* Hedgerows * Evergreens Firewood- Snow Removal Call 316-207-8047 STUMP GRINDING TREE TRIMMING Brock 316-765-1677
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316-806-9592 Licensed & Insured
Ask about our Senior Discount! 316-737-8698
Page 22
By Starla Criser
the active age
October 2026
Seniors on the Go calendar for October
Seniors On The Go – Oct 7 @ 1:30 p.m. monthly meeting at Linwood Senior Center SENIOR DAYS/COFFEE CONNECTIONS Oct 5 – Mo 9 am – Coffee Connection: Curator of Mammals @ Sedgwick County Zoo – Free Nov 2 - 9 am – Coffee Connection: Children’s Farms @ Sedgwick County Zoo – Free Oct 8 – Th 10 am – Senior Thursday: @ Kansas Aviation Museum – Free 10 am – Empowered Seniors: Secrets to Smoother Family Dynamics @ Botanica - Free Oct 15 – Th 9 am – Coffee with Curator: China Before Emperors @ Museum of World Treasures - $4+ THEATRE SHOWS/CONCERTS Sep 18 to Oct 31 6 pm doors open Fr/Sa - Tickle Me Chucky @ Mosley Street Melodrama - $34.25 show only, $45.25 dinner/show SOTG event – Oct 24 – 12 to 4 pm Oct 1 Th 6 pm gates open – Riverfront Concert: Sunny War, folk-punk acoustic soul @ Exploration Place Oct 3 Sa 7 pm – Ned LeDoux’s Bareback Jack Tour: Tribute to Chris LeDoux @ Wichita Union Stockyards - $30 Oct 4 Su 3 pm - Fate, Fury and Beethoven’s Fifth – Wichita Symphony Orchestra @ Century II Concert Hall - $29 + 3 pm – Delano Wind Ensemble @ District Church, 304 S Seneca St – donation Oct 5 Mo 7:30 pm – Concert Chorale & Madrigal Singers – WSU, Wiedemann Hall - $7-$14 Oct 6 Tu 7 pm – Wind Ensemble Concert @ Friends U, Sebits Auditorium - $3 7:30 pm – Lucy Darling variety show @ Orpheum – ticket info later 7:30 pm – WU & Shocker Choirs @ WSU, Wiedemann Hall - $6-$12 Oct 8 Th 1:30 pm – Thursday Afternoon Music Club: Rob Tierney, Friends U professor – trombone @ Central Community Chapel, 6100 W Maple – Free 6 pm gates open – Riverfront Concert: Danielia Cotton, Gospel-fueled rock and soul @ Exploration Place 7:30 pm – One Night in Memphis rocking concert @ Orpheum - $39 to $70 Oct 9 Fr 7:30 pm – Mania the ABBA Tribute @ Orpheum - $35 to $114 7:30 pm – Opera Theater presents: Opera Scenes and Songs @ WSU, Wiedemann Hall - $11-$23 Oct 9 to 10 Fr/Sa The Spirit Bride with Ballet Wichta @ Newman U, Performance Hall
Oct 11 Su 3 pm - Delano Chamber Chorus @ District Church, 304 S Seneca St – donation Oct 15 Th 6 pm gates open – Riverfront Concert: The Hooten Haller, swampy Missouri stomp @ Exploration Place 7:30 pm – Symphony Orchestra @ WSU, Wiedemann Hall - $7-$14 Oct 20 Tu 7:30 pm – Symphony Orchestra Concert @ Friends U, Sebits Auditorium - $6 Oct 20 & Oct 25 Tu & Su 3 pm – Delano Jazz Orchestra @ District Church, 304 S Seneca St – donation Oct 22 Th 6 pm gates open – Riverfront Concert: Bonnie Whitmore, roots rock @ Exploration Place 7 pm - Wichita Wurlitzer 100th Birthday Concert/Silent Film @ Century II Exhibition Hall - $29.50 Oct 24 Sa 7:30 pm – Defiance – Wichita Symphony Orchestra @ Century II Concert Hall - $29 + Oct 25 Su 8 pm - Blue October world tour @ Orpheum $54 to $105 Oct 27 Tu 7:30 pm – Campus Band & Concert Choir @ Friends U, Sebits Auditorium - $3 Oct 29 Th 6 pm gates open – Riverfront Concert: Steel Skarecrow, 90s country and red dirt @ Exploration Place 7 pm – Vienna Boys Choir @ Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception - $25 7:30 pm – Chamber Ensembles Concert @ Friends U, Sebits Auditorium - $3 Oct 29 to Nov 1 Th to Su 8 pm to 9:30 pm (10-29 to 10-31), 2 to 3:30 pm (11-1) – August Wilson’s Fences play @ Forum Theatre - $45 OTHER EVENTS Oct 1 to 3 10 am to 6 pm - Holiday Galleria @ Century II Convention Center Oct 2, 9, 16, 17, 24, 30 6:30 to 9 pm – Twilight Tales Flashlight Tours @ Museum of World Treasures - $15+ Oct 3 Sa 11 am to 2 pm – Indian Taco Dinner @ New Hope Christian Church, 1400 S George Washington Dr - $12 12 pm – Author Meet/Greet: B.P. Lindsey @ Derby Library - Free Oct 9 Fr 6 to 9 pm – Wine and Art Mosey @ Old Cowtown Museum - $10 VIP, $50 (wine samples & bits) Oct 9-10, 16-17, 23-24 BOOtanica fall festival @ Botanica Wichita – info coming soon Oct 10 Sa 9 am – Coffee & Dirt: Speaker Todd Volkmann with animal Ambassador the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit - Free 1 to 3 pm – Adult Water Quality Field Trip – a day of outdoor learning and fun @ Great Plains Nature Center – Free (limited spots) Oct 11, 17, 18, 25, 31 1 pm – Maple Grove Cemetery Walking Tour
- $22 Oct 14 to Dec 20 6 to 9 pm – Wild Lights @ Sedgwick County Zoo - $14/members, $16/non-members (Wednesdays), $19/members, $21/nonmembers (other days) Oct 17 Sa 4 to 7 pm – Art on the Trail – local artists, crafts, activities @ Great Plains Nature Center - Free Oct 23 – Fr 1 to 3 pm – Spooky Spaghetti Murder Mystery Party, with costume contest @ Orchard Park SC - $8 7 to 8:30 pm – Spooky Stories for GrownUps – podcast recording of reading scary stories submitted by local writers @ Wizard’s Alley Geek Store & Gaming Tavern, 114 N St Francis Ave Oct 24 Sa 10 am to 2 pm – Alzheimer’s Walk @ SSU, Rhatigan Student Center, 1845 Fairmount St Oct 24 to 25 Sa/Su 9 am – McConnell Air Force Base Open House & Air Show - Free 2 to 8 pm – Hay, Hooves and Halloween @ Old Cowtown Museum - $2/members, $7/ general admission
Oct 25 Su 12 pm – Wag-O-Ween spooky event for pups and people @ Central Park – Free Oct 26 Mo 11 am to 1 pm – Monthly Gameshow: Spooky Singo @ Orchard Park SC Oct 29 Th 2nd Annual Chili Cook Off and Bake Sale @ Downtown SC Oct 30 Fr 10:15 am – Bees 102: James Carpenter, local beekeeper, of Carp’s Bees will present a learning experience @ Linwood SC - Free 6 to 8 pm – Halloween in the Galleries – paper chase with clues to solve the mystery - Free Oct 31 Sa 10 am to 2 pm – Halloween Themed Beading @ Mid-America All-Indian Museum - $20 Oct 31 to Nov 1 Sa/Su 10 am (10-31), 11 am (11-1) - Kansas Comic Con @ Century II Expo Hall - $35.25 FOODIES/EATING WITH FRIENDS Oct 2 Fr 9:30 am – First Friday Coffee with Downtown SC @ Big Biscuit, 106 S Hydraulic St Oct 14 We 11 am – Linny Llama’s & Romeos with Linwood SC @ Passage to India, 6100 E 21st St N #180 Oct 15 Th 9 to 10:30 am – Egg-Cellent Breakfast Club with Orchard Park SC @ Delano Diner, 1220 W Douglas Ave Oct 19 Mo 1 pm – Lunch Bunch Social Club with Downtown SC @ Wichita Brewing Co & Pizzeria, 901 W Douglas Ave Oct 21 We 1 to 2:30 pm – Free Pie Day with Orchard Park SC @ Village Inn, 7020 W Central Ave
Donate for chance to win Botanica membership
Donate at least $50 to The Active Age, and you could win a family membership to Botanica. The Active Age holds a drawing for a family membership each month from among people on our Honor Roll list of donors. This month's winner is Thomas Bird.
Donations may be made by calling 316-942-5385; through our website, theactiveage.com; by mail to The Active Age, 125 S. West St., Suite 105, Wichita, KS, 67213; or in person. www.theactiveage.com
Oct 29 Th 11 am to 1 pm – Good Grub Lunch Club with Orchard Park SC @ N & J West Mediterranean Bar and Grill, 8448 W Central Ave WICHITA AREA FESTIVALS Oct 2 to 3 5 to 9 pm – Prost Wichita Octoberfest 2026 @ Prost, 134 N St Francis – $39.19 Oct 3 Sa 11 am to 11 pm – Nomar Fiesta @ Nomar International Market Oct 2 to 4 Fr 6 to 10 pm, Sa 8 am to 10 pm, Su 10 am to 3 pm – Greater Andover Days – parade, concert, fireworks, more @ Andover Central Park – $2.50 button Oct 3 to 4 Sa 3 to 9 pm, Su 9 am to 9 pm – Vietnamese Fall Festival @ All Saints Church, 3205 E Grand St - Free Oct 8 Th 4 to 8 pm – DSC Fall Fest 2026 @ Derby Senior Center - Free Oct 9 to 10 Fr/Sa All day - ICT Bloktoberfest 2026 @ Naftzger Park - Free Oct 10 Fr 9 am to 3 pm – St Peter’s Fall Bazaar @ St Peter’s Catholic School, 11010 Southwest Blvd - $3 Oct 17 Sa 5 – 9:30 pm - Wichita Asian Festival @ Century II Exhibition Hall - $6.50 Oct 23 to 25 Various times - Haysville Fall Festival @ Grand Ave, Haysville Oct 24 Sa 11 am – Wichita Country Music & Arts Festival @ Wichita Foundation Amphitheater, 300 N McLean Blvd – Free 9 am – Fall Festival Parade @ Haysville – meet at Haysville SC 7:45 am to carpool there
Memorial and Celebration announcements Memorial and Celebration announcements can be emailed, sent by regular mail or delivered by hand. The email address is tammara@theactiveage.com, and we are located at 125 S. West St., Suite 105, Wichita, KS, 67213. Information should be submitted on or before the 15th of the month preceding publication. The Active Age is published on or before the first of each month. The Active Age will maintain Memorial notices online, organized alphabetically at theactiveage.com. Online Memorials may be longer than the printed version at no extra charge. The price of Memorial and Celebration announcements start at $50 for a 1-inch photo and up to 50 words. More information can be found by calling (316) 942-5385 or visiting theactiveage.com.
October 2026
the active age
Page 23
The corner of Kansas where coal was king
By Joe Norris PITTSBURG — Looking up at a machine that stands 160 feet tall and weighs 9.3 million pounds, one realizes that calling it Big Brutus is inadequate. And that’s why people still drive to the southeast corner of Kansas, in what was once King Coal Country, to see the gigantic powered shovel. It’s the centerpiece of the Big Brutus Museum in West Mineral, about 20 miles southwest of Pittsburg. Big Brutus didn’t actually mine coal. It removed overburden — the layer of rock and dirt covering coal seams that were hidden 20 to 70 feet below the surface. The colossal shovel traveled in a straight line, digging a 120-foot-wide trench. When that trench was a mile long, Brutus would pivot and begin digging a parallel trench in the opposite direction. A crew of bulldozers, loaders and trucks followed behind to extract the newlyexposed coal. Put into operation in the early 1960s, Brutus was a far cry from how coal had been mined here back in earlier days, when miners removed the overburden with picks and shovels, mules and wagons. Just after the Civil War, railroad expansion rapidly transformed the United States, and the old locomotives gobbled tons of coal. There was so much work for experienced miners in Bourbon, Cherokee and Crawford Counties that immigrants would step off the boat at Ellis Island and head straight for the Sunflower State. Powered by a workforce from Germany, Italy, Poland and the Balkans, coal production exploded in Southeast Kansas and kept growing, year after year. In 1934, miners and their families threw a King Coal Festival to celebrate the region’s rich coal reserves and its ethnic diversity. There were parades, concerts and picnics. To learn a little more about what life was like here
16th in a series about day trips around Kansas
in those days, we head over to the Crawford County Historical Museum in Pittsburg. We’re greeted by a whitehaired volunteer in a kilt. “Is there a Scottish festival in town today?” I asked. “I’m the Scottish festival in town every day,” he said with a smile. “Both my parents were Scottish, and all my life, I wanted a kilt. I got my first one a couple years ago, and now I have seven!” The museum is crammed full of interesting artifacts. There’s a twoheaded calf. A bowling-ball-sized hairball extracted from the stomach of a local cow. An ancient X-ray machine that may or may not have been able to detect cases of black lung. And the red chiffon velvet gown that Maxine Thompson Brazil wore that night in 1934 when she was crowned Queen of the first King Coal Festival. It seems like the whole town was there to celebrate, except for “Chicken Annie” Pichler. Pilcher was at home, wearing a faded cotton dress and frying chicken at her kitchen stove. Her husband, Charlie, had lost a leg in a mining accident the year before and was no longer able to work. So Annie became the family breadwinner. She served chicken lunches for miners in her kitchen at noon, then moved furniture out of her living room to accommodate the larger dinner crowd at night. Word spread, the crowds grew, and Annie eventually moved Chicken Annie’s Restaurant out of her house and into its own building. It’s still there, and we drove over for dinner. It still follows Annie’s fried chicken recipe, and her portrait is still proudly displayed on the wall. One bite, and it’s easy to see why Chicken Annie’s is still thriving in Pittsburg after 93 years. So is Chicken Mary’s, a friendly rival that sits next door. It started in 1942 when Mary Zerngast began frying chicken after her husband was no longer able to work in the Big Brutus Museum 6509 NW 60th St West Mineral, KS Open 9 am - 5 pm daily Admission $9 for seniors $10 for adults, $5.50 for kids
Coal mining gear is displayed in the Crawford County Historical Museum.
Crawford County Historical Museum 651 South US-69, Pittsburg, KS Open 10 am - 3 pm Wednesday through Saturday Free admission
mines. Both restaurants serve potato salad and coleslaw lovingly made from recipes brought over from the Old Country by the wives of coal-mining immigrants. Exactly 40 years after that 1934 King Coal Festival, the mining company determined it was no longer economically feasible to continue clawing coal out of the Southeast Kansas landscape. So in 1974, they pulled the plug on Big Brutus. Yes, Brutus was electric. When retired, Brutus was gobbling $28,000 of electric power each month. Today, that would be about $190,000. Big Brutus Some areas of Big Brutus are roped off, but originally came to visitors are allowed to climb partway up into the belly of the beast. Kansas in pieces, on 150 railcars. It had But there are still reminders of the taken 52 men eleven months to people who came straight to Kansas assemble the enormous shovel, and from Ellis Island to seek their fortunes it would have been an equally huge in the coal mines. task to disassemble and move it. “The original immigrants planted So the mining company simply left lots of garlic and onions in their Big Brutus in the spot where it had gardens,” Cody tells us. “Some of that scooped up its last load. The museum garlic is still growing wild in my yard opened in 1985. today.” “Except for a brief pause to Big Brutus is not the largest electric change out the hoist cables every six shovel ever built, but it’s now the largest months, Big Brutus worked nonstop, one still in existence on the planet. all day and all night for 11 years,” It has earned a place on the National said Cody Morris, Director of the Register of Historic Places. And it’s Museum. “It completely transformed a gigantic reminder of the days when coal mining here, making the King Coal reigned supreme in this operation far more efficient and far, far corner of Kansas. safer than back in the old days.” Contact Joe Norris at joe.norris47@ There’s little evidence of those old gmail.com. days in that corner of Kansas now. The deep ditches and high ridges left by strip mining are now rolling hills and fishing lakes, operated by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.
If you go
Chicken Annie’s 1143 E. 600th Ave. Pittsburg, KS Pichlerschickenannies.com Chicken Mary’s 1133 E 600th Ave. Pittsburg, KS Chickenmarys1942.com
www.theactiveage.com
A portrait of Ann Pichler hangs in Chicken Annie’s restaurant
Page 24
the active age
October 2026
Echoes of American Civil War still heard in Wichita today By Joe Stumpe Concluded five years before Wichita was founded, the American Civil War nevertheless influenced our city in ways still evident today. Several thousand Union veterans of the Civil War made their homes in and around Wichita after the war, part of an influx that earned Kansas the nickname of "The Soldier State." They wasted little time once they reached here, jumping into the building of what eventually became Kansas’ biggest city. Their legacy lives on in politics, business, the medical field, place names and more. “Many had experienced years of mortal combat, been wounded and lost limbs,” said Dr. Alfred Eckes, Jr., a former professor of history at Ohio University who’s researched the topic extensively. “Some had been prisoners of war in notorious, overcrowded and disease-ridden prisons. They were eager to settle on the frontier, start families and begin new lives.” Eckes, who gave a presentation at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum earlier this year, said exactly how many veterans settled here isn’t known, but more than 900 veterans of the conflict are buried in just two Wichita cemeteries — Maple Grove and Highland, located across North Hillside from one another. Other cemeteries throughout the area hold Civil War veterans (a list can be found at ksgenweb.org), and still other former soldiers lived here for a time before moving on. Big battles Who were these former soldiers who helped shape Wichita? Eckes said they tended to have experienced the Civil War in a different way than the men who’d settled in eastern Kansas before the war. Many of the latter also eagerly joined the Union forces; after all, their region of the state was known as “Bleeding Kansas" for clashes between pro- and anti-slavery forces. But their regiments spent much of the war fighting Native Americans and chasing Confederate forces through Missouri
The Dodge house was built in 1887 by Civil War veteran Enoch Dodge.
Jacob McAfee escaped slavery to join the Union Army, later becoming a major Wichita property owner. and Arkansas. “Few saw combat in big battles east of the Mississippi,” Eckes said. “Veterans who came to Wichita were, however, quite different.” Many of those newcomers had taken part in some of the bloodiest battles of the war, from Gettysburg (51,000 dead and wounded) to Chickamauga (35,000 casualties) and Spotsylvania Court House (30,000). They tended to come from the east and upper Midwest. John “Big Jim” Steele enlisted as a Pennsylvania teenager, was wounded and then imprisoned in Virginia. Still in his twenties upon reaching Wichita, he became its first justice of the peace, first county clerk and one of its most prominent and politically connected boosters. Steele and his wife moved to Washington State after three of their children died of scarlet fever in March 1877. The children are buried at Highland cemetery. New York native Milo Bailey Kellogg — for whom Wichita’s main east-west thoroughfare is named – also enlisted young. He fought at Gettysburg, was taken prisoner at the Battle of the Wilderness and then held at the notorious Andersonville prison in South Carolina for nine months. He became Wichita’s first postmaster and invested in real estate before, like Steele, moving west. One former soldier whose home still stands was Enoch Dodge, a native of Illinois who served with the Army of the Cumberland before coming to Wichita. Dodge played an instrumental role in the development of the Delano neighborhood west of the Arkansas River. The 14-room Queen Victorian house he built at 1406 W. Second St. is on the Wichita Register of Historic Places. According to a short 1888 biographical sketch of Dodge, he was “prominently identified with the Republican Party.” ‘Father of medicine’ The former soldier whose life story, both during and after the war, may be best known is Dr. Andrew Fabrique. An Indiana native, he was attending Tulane College in New
Orleans when the war broke out in 1861. Fabrique immediately took a steamship north to enlist in the Indiana infantry. The next year, he was wounded so grievously in fighting at Shiloh that his mother was mistakenly notified of his death. Instead, doctors performed an operation that left his left arm slightly shorter than his right. After being mustered out, Fabrique Dr. Andrew Fabrique, who enlisted twice in the re-enlisted and was Union Army, became Wichita's first doctor and a commissioned as a first founder of St. Francis Hospital. Photo courtesy of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical lieutenant at age 20. He served as an officer Museum. on one of the gunboats that ran past Vicksburg, was promoted to captain and took part in General Sherman’s March to the Sea, suffering a second, less-severe wound at Atlanta. He reached the rank of major and served in the 1865 U.S. expedition to Vera Cruz, Mexico, before leaving the Army. Fabrique then owned a drug store in Aurora, Illinois, and studied medicine on the side before moving to Wichita with his wife and infant daughter in 1870. Often called the “Father of Medicine and Surgery” here, Fabrique practiced for the next 41 years and founded what became St. Francis Hospital. The Soldiers and Sailors Just as fascinating is the story of monument pays tribute to Union Jacob McAfee, who had been born a soldiers. Dedicated in 1913, it sits on the grounds of the slave in Kentucky before escaping to Old Sedgwick Courthouse. Ohio and joining the Union Army. Shot in the foot at Petersburg — shootout that made news across the which left him with a limp the rest of his life — McAfee came west after the country. war and was among the earliest settlers Bitterness fades While most former soldiers of Wichita. According to a 1887 article in The Weekly Eagle, headlined who came here had fought for the Union, there was also a contingent “Stranger Than Fiction,” McAfee had of ex-Confederate soldiers. Wichita recently been contacted by the widow boasted a branch of the Confederate of his former owner, who sent him money to invest in Wichita real estate. Association and an organization called the Southern Society. McAfee “was greatly elated over this Former Union soldiers tended to letter and his honest face beamed with joy as he related the incident.” McAfee belong to the Republican Party that had elected Abraham Lincoln, setting was said to own 50 residential and a political pattern that continues to commercial buildings and be worth $50,000 at his death in 1918. McAfee’s present times. In the 41 presidential descendants fought in subsequent U.S. elections since 1864, Kansas has voted Republican 34 times and Democratic wars and remain prominent members six times. Sedgwick County is named of the community. for Union Major Gen. John Sedgwick, Not that all the veterans lived killed by a Confederate sharpshooter exemplary lives. Former Army scout shortly after proclaiming the enemy Jack Ledford became one of the “couldn’t hit an elephant at this region’s most notorious outlaws, distance.” accused of attacking an Army wagon But as time passed, some former train in 1870. The next year, a U.S. marshal and soldiers tracked him to See next page Wichita, where he died in a spectacular
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October 2026 Confederates achieved positions of prominence. For instance, when Democrat Woodrow Wilson was elected president in 1914, he appointed John Shields, a former Confederate drummer, as Wichita postmaster. Another, Richard Cogdell, served as chief of police and county sheriff. “Initially, there was probably some
the active age resentment, but over time they were brothers,” Eckes said. “By the Spanish American War (in 1898), most of the bitterness had faded.” Editor’s note: To view Eckes’ presentation at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, visit youtube.com/wichitahistory.
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War begot city’s name, too The Civil War was also indirectly responsible for the name Wichita took. The Wichita tribe of Native Americans had traditionally made their home in Oklahoma. However, they were loyal to the Union during the war and moved north, to the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas rivers, to escape attacks by tribes who were loyal to the Confederacy.
Members of the Wichita tribe traded with J.R. Mead, who had established a trading post in the area. When the city was incorporated in 1870, Mead suggested Wichita as its name. Members of the tribe returned to Oklahoma after the war.
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the active age
October Theatre
Find your place
next
By Diana Morton Century II, Killers of Kill Tony. Regulars and fan favorites from the popular “Kill Tony” podcast bring their standup comedy show on the road. Oct. 9 only. Call 316-303-8000 for information and tickets. The Forum Theatre, 141 S. Ellis, Million Dollar Quartet. Four stars who made rock and roll history —Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins — are brought together by a twist of fate. Now through Oct 4. Call (316) 618-0444 for information and tickets. ICT Rep, Oliver Place Event Venue, 2512 N. Oliver. Gaslight. Strange things start to happen to newlyweds Bella and Jack as their seemingly perfect marriage devolves into something sinister. Oct. 2-11. Call 316-612-2543 or visit ictrep.org for information and tickets. Kechi Playhouse, 100 E. Kechi Road,
Larksfield Landing is filling fast — with less than 10 residences remaining. Once reserved, move-in opportunities may not come around again for awhile. If you’ve been thinking about what’s next, now’s the time to discover what makes our community such a dynamic place to live well. See how The Four Pillars of Healthy Longevity — Physical Vitality, Social Engagement, Intellectual Journey, and Peace & Fulfillment — shape everyday life across the community.
JOIN US FOR
LUNCH WITH LARKSFIELD
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3 AT 11:30 A.M. Learn more and become a depositor today to take advantage of Charter Member benefits.
Scan the QR code or call 316-202-4074 to reserve your seat. larksfield.org • 7373 E. 29th St. North
INDEPENDENT LIVING | ASSISTED LIVING MEMORY SUPPORT | REHABILITATION AND SKILLED NURSING www.theactiveage.com
October 2026 Office Party. A wanna-be entrepreneur decides to reopen the town’s abandoned skating rink as an office supply store, only to have it mistaken for a party planning service. Now through Oct. 4. Call 316-744-2152 for information and tickets. Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley. Tickle Me Chucky by Scott Noah. A funny twist on the “Chucky” movies. Followed by a new musical revue. Now through Oct. 31. Call 316263-0222 for information and tickets. Roxy’s Downtown, 412 E. Douglas. The Woman in Black. Stage adaptation of Susan Hill’s classic ghost story follows a young solicitor sent to settle the affairs of a mysterious estate. Now through Nov 7. Call 316-265-4400 for information and tickets. Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain. The Haunting of Hill House, based on the classic novel by Shirley Jackson. Oct. 9-Nov 7. Call 316-6861282 for information and tickets. Contact Diana Morton at dianamorton12@sbcglobal.net.
October 2026
the active age
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the active age
Previous bold decisions by Wichita voters transformed generations of students. This is our opportunity to impact the next generations. Our students are the future of Wichita and deserve infrastructure that prepares them for the workforce.
Those concerns are real. That is why USD 259 Wichita Public Schools carefully built this plan to meet major school needs while keeping the tax impact as low as possible. Two questions will be on the ballot in November for your consideration. If only question one passes, there is no tax rate increase. If both question one and question two pass, the increase is small. *
VoteYesYes2026.com *The tax impact on a $200,000 home is approximately $4.16/month. Paid for by Yes for Wichita Kids, Luis Rodriguez, Chair
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October 2026