Clyde Joseph Ebert

Clyde Joseph Ebert, 94, of rural Flush, Kansas, passed away at home on the family farm Monday morning, January 10th, 2022, while attended by family. Clyde had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer seven months prior.

Clyde was home birthed of parents Lawrence and Margaret (Schmitz) Ebert July 18th, 1927 in Rural Pottawatomie County, Kansas. He was the second of four children, all boys. Clyde grew up on the family farm nurturing a lifelong respect for stewardship of the land and conservation farming practices. He was schooled as a Catholic at St. Joseph Church in Flush, Kansas and educated at Flush Grade School and High School. Clyde was outstanding in high school in both baseball and basketball, and graduated in 1945. He received honorary membership in local council 902 of the Knights of Columbus at age eighteen. But to his descendants his key achievement in high school was a budding relationship with high school sweetheart Geraldine "Jerry" Dekat.

Jerry and Clyde were married October 5th, 1948 at St. Joseph Catholic Church of Flush. They began a lifetime of farming near Flush and raised six children there. His father, Lawrence, purchased tracts of land for his four boys to get them started in life. By 1951 Clyde was an independent farmer becoming an important figure in farming practices for the area in 1958 as a founding steering committee member of Rock Creek Watershed District #45, serving on the Board of Directors for forty years. He was one of the oldest surviving charter members. Clyde served seventeen years as treasurer for the Louisville Township Board, he said “after John Gareis (previous treasurer) had his wreck in 1964.” He also served two terms on the St Joseph parish council.

In Clyde’s words he “loved to farm” and care for the land. He purchased additional acreage over the years and stubbornly used proven “best practices” to conserve the land and increase yields. He said it was a matter of pride to leave the land better than he found it. He successfully instilled in his children the need to be strong in their beliefs and to be good stewards leaving their piece of the world a little better.

Clyde Joseph Ebert is survived by three daughters and two sons: Nancy Leiker (Curtis), Patricia Chrest, Daniel Ebert, Todd Ebert (Janet), all of Wamego, KS, and Pamela Bennett, Topeka, KS; daughter in law Cynthia Ebert (Richard Varnadore); nineteen grandchildren, thirty six great grandchildren, four great great grandchildren, his brother Delbert Ebert, St George, KS, sisters in law Frieda Ebert, Manhattan, KS, and Dolores Ebert, St George, KS. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Geraldine, son Dale Anthony Ebert, grandson Harley Schoenrock, daughter in law Beverly Ebert, sister in law Betty Ebert, great grand daughter Shanell Ebert, and brothers Paul and Frederick "Fred" Ebert.

Mass of Christian Burial for Mr. Ebert will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, January 15, 2022, at St. Joseph Catholic Church of Flush, KS.  Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Clyde will lie in-state beginning at 2:00 p.m., Friday, January 14th,  at the Campanella & Stewart Funeral Home of Wamego, where a Rosary will be recited at 7:00 p.m. with family greeting friends during visitation following the Rosary until 8:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to St. Joseph Catholic Church, or to Good Shepherd Homecare & Hospice, and may be left in care of the Campanella & Stewart Funeral Home, PO Box 48, 4370 Salzer Rd, Wamego, KS 66547.