Vada Ruth Lantz

Vada Ruth (Ward) Lantz, 91, of Tecumseh, passed away Wednesday, March 30, 2016.

She was born March 11, 1925, in her grandmother's home in Bonner Springs, Kansas. She moved to Concordia, Kansas with her parents, Frank and Ida May (Ruby) Ward and her older brother, Buford, in February of 1927. Two more sisters joined the family, Mary Frances and Maxine. Though they were poor, theirs was a happy childhood. She was baptized at age 8½ at the First Christian Church of Concordia, KS.

She was a 1943 graduate of Concordia High School. It was war time and the state of Kansas issued emergency certificates allowing high school graduates to teach in the rural schools for a year, after which they were allowed to teach another year by taking an examination. Vada Ruth taught two years in the one room school at Huscher School in Cloud County, Kansas. She graduated in 1949 from Manhattan Bible College, which later became Manhattan Christian College, receiving a BA in Christian Education. She met Kenneth Gibson Lantz while attending Manhattan Christian College. After performing benevolent work in St. Louis, Missouri for one year, they were married on May 21, 1950 in Bonner Springs, Kansas and moved to Topeka. She and her husband joined the Highland Park Christian Church, which later became Highland Heights Christian Church in Topeka on September 10, 1950, and have the longest tenure of membership.

She was a homemaker, but never gave up her love for teaching. In addition to teaching children in Sunday School for many years, she volunteered at Highland Park Central Elementary, Berryton Elementary, Linn Elementary and for ten years at Tecumseh South Elementary. In 2002, she received a certificate as Volunteer of the Year in Reading Literacy from the Kansas Reading Association. Other volunteer work included F.C.E., Shawnee 76ers 4-H Club, Vacation Bible School and Christian Women's Fellowship. Her family hosted a number of international exchange students through their involvement in the AFS Program. Luciano Audelo Vazquez, Oaxaca, Mexico lived with them from 1979-80 and is considered their fourth son.

Vada Ruth enjoyed volunteering at schools, singing in church choir, playing piano, sewing and embroidery, reading, and writing articles about her childhood, some of which were published in rural publications. She was also very interested in genealogy and worked for many years compiling several notebooks full of genealogical information for the Lantz and Ward families.

Survivors include her husband of 65 years, Kenneth G. Lantz of Tecumseh; four children, Linda D. (David) Barber, East Point, GA, Ronald E. Lantz, Topeka, Roger D. (Pam) Lantz, Kansas City, MO and Russell E. (Becky) Lantz, Topeka; five grandchildren, Krysten (Matthew) McNutt, Bradley (Allison) Loeffler, Kirstin (Jason) Olson, Chris (Carrie) Proffitt and Adam (Kelli) Proffitt; and ten great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters and brother.

A funeral ceremony will be 11 a.m., Monday, April 4, 2016 at the Highland Heights Christian Church, 2930 SE Tecumseh Rd, Tecumseh, KS 66542. Interment will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery, Topeka. The family will receive friends an hour prior to the service at the church.

Memorial contributions may be made to Manhattan Christian College for Women's Scholarship Fund, 1415 Anderson Ave., Manhattan, KS 66502, Jars of Clay Child Care Center, c/o Highland Heights Christian Church or charity of the donor's choice.

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