Gene Elkins

Gene Arthur Elkins, 82, of Topeka, Kansas passed away peacefully at home on November 28, 2014 surrounded by family, after a brief battle with cancer. Gene was born in Grant City, Missouri, to Forrest "Jack" and Arloa Bunch (Chapman) Elkins.

Gene was raised in St. Joseph, Missouri and graduated from Central High in 1950. He earned an Associate Degree from St. Joseph Junior College in 1952 and attended Northwest Missouri State before being drafted into the Army. He served at Ft. Bliss, Texas from 1954-1956, leaving service as a Corporal. Gene also lived in Illinois, Nevada, Nebraska, and Colorado before settling in Kansas.

Gene had many interesting careers including sales, dealing cards in Reno, and running a disco in St. Joe. However, like his grandfather before him, he had a long successful career as a railroad man working for the St. Joe Terminal, Great Western, Union Pacific, and the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe. He retired from AT&SF in 1994 but didn't stop there. After retiring from the railroad, he worked briefly as a school bus driver and then as a security guard with several companies including five years as a guard for Meier's Ready Mix.

Gene was a lifelong baseball man; playing in school, coaching his children's teams, and following the Cardinals and Royals. He loved horses, shows and races. His passion for all things horses began as a youngster while helping his father show horses at the American Royal. Gene was also an Elvis man, beer man, funny man, and hard-working man. Above all, Gene loved having fun with his family and friends, telling stories, and putting smiles on their faces

Gene was preceded in death by his parents. He leaves behind his wife Claudia, their three children, Jasper Elkins, Martin Elkins (Jasmine), and Kimberly Elkins, all of Topeka; sons George Elkins (Candie) of Savannah, MO, Greg Elkins (Bridget) of Marion, NC, and Bradley Spiegel (Sallie) of St. Joseph, MO; his brother, Jan Elkins, of Kansas City; seven nephews, five nieces, six grandchildren, and one on the way. He was a wonderful brother-in-law to Tom and Lynn Johnson, Christy and Dan Burnett, Francie and Dave Gedminas and Linda Elkins.

A memorial service will be held at 4:00p.m on December 4, 2014 at Mt. Hope Mausoleum Chapel, in Topeka. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, please donate money to your favorite charity.

Private family interment will take place at a later date.