Evelyn Doris Minnich

Evelyn Doris Minnich, age 94, passed away on September 10, 2016 at her home at Atria Hearthstone, Topeka, Kansas. She was born September 4, 1922 in Marshall County, Iowa and was the eldest daughter of Harold and Ruhamah (Keoppel) Buschbom. Evelyn graduated from Marshalltown High school in 1939. She attended the American Institute of Business in Des Moines, Iowa, and received a diploma in the Executive Secretary course in 1943. She worked for the Bankers Trust Company and the offices of the Atlantic and Pacific Company.

She was married to Lee A. Minnich on November 5, 1944, at St. John's Lutheran Church, near State Center, Iowa. They made their home in San Antonio, Texas, while Lee was in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Sam Houston. They moved back to Iowa, settling on their farm west of Grundy Center, Iowa, in 1950.

She was very active in the community as a 4-H leader, a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and a member of the United Methodist Church, were she taught Sunday School, and volunteered at the school.
Her family grew as Toni and Jeri Peters made their home with them in 1959; Jennifer was born in 1964. Evelyn kept very busy as a farm wife, helping in the fields and with the livestock, keeping up with her daughters' activities, and enjoying time spent with family and friends. She loved to have large family dinners on the holidays. She was known for her meatloaf and her brownies.

She loved to socialize with her friends at coffee club, card club, ladies golf league and couples golf league. Evelyn and Lee loved to travel and went on many GNB bank trips. She and her husband moved to Topeka, Kansas, in the fall of 2003. She became active in the Alzheimer's Association Caregivers Support Group and Sarah's group at Our Savior's Lutheran Church. She was a wonderful supportive caregiver for her husband, Lee. He passed away June 2006. Evelyn continued to enjoy life by joining the Red Hat Ladies, took computer classes at the library and attended many dance recitals, orchestra concerts, musicals and plays involving her grandchildren.

She moved to Atria Hearthstone Assisted Living in 2014. Again, she made friends easily, became a Resident Ambassador and was a very competitive Scrabble player and a voracious reader. She was always willing to try new activities including crafts and watercolors. She loved to attend every social function at Atria.
Evelyn's positive attitude, spunkiness, and love for her family and friends will be cherished forever.

She is survived by her daughters: Toni Burnett (Nick), Jerilyn Clark (Paul) and Jennifer Schultz (Bob); grandchildren: Dana Dennis (Dan), Michelle Clark, Jason Clark (Dawn), Colin Burnett (Sarah), Brooke Klise (Carter) and Madison Schultz; great-grandchildren: Darien and Elizabeth Dennis, Caden Clark and Irene Burnett; sister, Margie Riemenschneider; step-brother, Robert Buschbom; two step-sisters: Debbie Buschbom Smith and Linda Buschbom Bell; and all of her favorite nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Lee, her sister Idamae Bradley, and brothers-in-law Ed Bradley and Wayne Riemenschneider.

Inurnment will be held at the Alice Cemetery, Conrad, Iowa, at 10 am Saturday, September 24th, 2016 followed by a memorial service at the United Methodist Church in Grundy Center, Iowa at 11 am.
Memorial contributions may be made to Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Topeka, Kansas, United Methodist Church, Grundy Center, Iowa or the Alzheimer Association of Northeast Kansas.