Reita Bargmann

Reita Bargmann, 97, of Marysville, KS, died May 3, 2025, at Community Memorial Healthcare in Marysville.

Visitation will be Thursday, May 8, from 1-8 p.m. at Kinsley Mortuary. The family will be present to receive friends from 5-7 p.m.

A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, May 9, at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Marysville. Pastor Philip Miller will officiate.

The pallbearers will be Doug Schroller, Justin Schroller, Liam Schroller, Matthew Schroller, Joshua Schroller, and Jon Ungerer.

The honorary pallbearers are Jessica Schroller, Katelynn Schroller, and Eli Bargmann.

Burial will follow in the Marysville City Cemetery.

Reita was born October 15, 1927, at the family home in Walnut Township (Waterville, KS), to Rudolph and Mildred (Walker) Scheibe. She was baptized at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Waterville on January 15, 1928, by Rev. Heisey.

When she was young, they moved to Marysville, where she grew up. They had no car, and the Lutheran Church was too far to walk from their home at 410 Alston, so they started going to the Presbyterian Church with their neighbors. She sang in the church choir and was a Sunday School pianist. Reita attended Lincoln Grade School in Marysville (K-8) and graduated from Marysville High School in 1945. They were planning their 80th class reunion in June. She sang in several vocal music groups during her high school years.

On March 10, 1946, she was united in marriage to Leonard Bargmann at Memorial Presbyterian Church in Marysville by Rev. Vandersoll. On February 12, 1947, she was confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Herkimer, Kansas, by Rev. W.J.F. Lebien. Here, she was the church organist for many years. Reita also served as Zone President and Zone Secretary of LWML for the Linn-Bremen Circuit. After moving to Manhattan, they were active members of St. Luke's Lutheran Church. In Topeka, they were active members of St. John’s Lutheran Church, where she held many offices and made banners for children’s baptisms. In 2011, they became members of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church when they moved back to Marysville.

Leonard and Reita were proud parents of three children; Diane, David (deceased) and Derrold; three grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Family and church were the most important things to Reita.

On February 3, 1955, their house in Herkimer burned down. They basically lost all their possessions and nearly lost their youngest son. Reita told us, "Derrold was still sitting at the table eating his lunch while they were finishing up the laundry in the backroom of the garage, when we saw the whole back of the house was on fire. We think it was caused by old electrical wiring. We ran in the house frantically looking for Derrold, and Glen Dierking finally tripped over his foot. He was hiding behind a platform rocker. We took him to the doctor in Hanover. After they checked him over, we had to watch that his temperature didn't go up again. Other than a blister on his ear, he was fine."

In 1971, they moved from Herkimer to the Blue River Hills near Manhattan. She had started working for Southwestern Bell at the age of 16 while she was still in high school. The telephone office was then where the Marysville Advocate is now. She trained many of the operators who worked in the Marysville office over the years. In 1971, she transferred to the Manhattan SWB Office, and in 1979, she transferred to Topeka SWB. She held many offices such as Operator, Central Office Clerk, Dial Administrator, and Network Services Supervisor. In September of 1986, Reita retired, completing 36 years of service with SWB and AT&T.

Music was an important part of her life. She sang in several musical groups in high school and church. Reita played the piano and organ in church and gave lessons as well. She enjoyed ceramics, doing crafts, and making wooden items as gifts, alongside Leonard. Playing cards and compiling family genealogy were also some of her hobbies. She loved to bake oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, and snickerdoodle cookies for her great-grandchildren and family. Fresh strawberry pie and cream puffs were favorites among the Legion bingo crowd and soup day people. Reita was also involved in other groups such as the Bremen Social Club, American Legion Auxiliary Post #163, and Mt. Calvary Circle of Faith.

Reita and Leonard enjoyed traveling and had visited most of the states in the USA, Canada, Mexico, and Alaska. In 1990, they and some friends took a tour of Europe and attended the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany.

Reita lived a long and fulfilling life and was loved by many, especially her family.

Preceding her in death is her husband Leonard in 2015; son, David Bargmann; parents; granddaughter, Michele (Shelly) Schroller; brothers, Claude (Alena) Scheibe, Donald (Genny) Scheibe, and Robert (Janet) Scheibe; sisters, Dorothy (Don) Warren, and Sandra (Lyle) Rogers; brothers-in-law, Alvin (Lola) Bargmann, and Roland Bargmann; sisters-in-law, Viola "Blondie" (Merle) Breeding, Baby Erna, Donna (Mike) Graham, Nelda (Jim) Ungerer, and Darlene (Dick) Gillilan.

Survivors include her children, Diane (Dennis) Schroller, Marysville, and Derrold (Pat) Bargmann, San Marcos, TX; grandchildren, Doug Schroller, Hanover, KS, and Eli Bargmann, Topeka; great-grandchildren, Justin Schroller, Liam (Malari) Schroller, Blue Rapids, KS, Matthew Schroller, Centralia, KS, Katelynn Schroller, Joshua Schroller, Hanover, and Jessica Schroller, Renton, WA.

A memorial fund has been established and designated later. Contributions may be sent in care of Kinsley Mortuary, P.O. Box 147, Marysville, KS 66508.