Gayle Clifford Bainter

Gayle Clifford Bainter was born to Roy C and Bessie Jane (Randall) Bainter on the family farm northeast of Hoxie, Kansas on March 30, 1920 the first of 7 children. He passed away on March 9, 2018 at the age of 97 . He attended the McGraw country school through 8th grade, and graduated from high school in Dresden, Kansas in 1938. He worked for several years and saved money to attend business college in Chillicothe, MO which he began in the fall of 1941. After the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor he was drafted into the US Army during WWII from and served from February 25, 1942 to December 31, 1945. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge, in France, Belgium and Germany, and was awarded the Bronze Star for valor in the crossing of the Sauer River. His unit liberated a concentration camp before the surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945. After the war, he married Ruth Mae Carstens on January 1, 1947 in Topeka, KS. To this union three children were born, Warren, Judy, and Wesley. They celebrated 71 years of marriage and were true partners in life. Gayle graduated from Washburn University with a BS in accounting in 1952. He worked in Topeka, Ks for a medical laboratory while attending college and until 1957 when the family moved to the farm in northwest Sheridan County to assist his father in farming, who was 61 at the time. In addition to farming, he worked part time for Sheridan County Appraiser’s office for a number of years, and then became the County Appraiser from 1976 to 1984. He later served as County Appraiser for Decatur County for several years. Gayle was active in a number of service organizations. He became a 32nd degree Mason in Topeka in 1957. He joined the Hoxie Rotary Club serving all the local offices, and was Rotary District 5670 Governor 1994-1995. He made 6 trips to Panama with Rotary groups to provide eye glasses to the poor in that country. He served as a mentor in the Kansas Rotary High School Leadership Academy for several years. He was a life member of the VFW Post in Grainfield, KS. He was a member of the McGraw Methodist Church all his life. Gayle is survived by his children, Warren (Jan) Bainter of Oberlin, Judy Gaumer of Oberlin, and Wesley (Casey) Bainter of Hoxie, 10 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great-granchildren, and sisters Rayta Mues of Golden Colorado and Della Jean Shipley of Hoxie. He was predeceased by his Wife, Ruth, his parents, and sisters, Leta Neeley, Norma Tice, and Irma Shipley, brother Dale Bainter, and grandson, Adam Gaumer. Services are scheduled for Tuesday, March 13, 2018, at the Hoxie United Methodist Church, at 10:30 A.M. Interment will follow in the Hoxie City Cemetery. Visitation will be held on Monday, March 12, 2018 from Noon until 7:00 P.M.at Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home, Hoxie, Kansas. The family suggests memorials to the McGraw Methodist Church, and they may be sent to Mickey-Leopold Funeral Home, PO Box 987, Hoxie, Kansas 67740. On-line condolences may be left at www.mickeyleopoldfuneral.com