Richard Lee "Dick" Fankhauser

Richard Lee "Dick" Fankhauser, 83, passed away early Tuesday, December 11, 2018 at his home near Madison. Dick was born on March 22, 1935 in Emporia, Kansas, the son of George and Dorothy Osborne Fankhauser.He attended Madison High School and graduated with the Class of 1953. He would enroll at Kansas State University and major in Animal Husbandry.  He was just a few hours short of completing his degree  when  the United States Army drafted him into service.  He would fulfill his military obligation serving in Alaska as a payroll clerk. He would later receive an honorable discharge and return to his lifelong home  on the farm south east of Madison.Dick married the love of his life, Willa Ogilvie on August 25, 1962 in Madison. They would later build a house and made their home on the farm. Dick drove a school bus for the Madison Schools for 30 years while continuing to operate the family farm. He would officially retire in 2014. His strong sense of community was evident in the many organizations that he participated in over the years. A few of his memberships  included being a charter member of the Madison Pacesetters 4-H Club and the Madison American Legion Post #124. Dick had served on the Greenwood County Farm Bureau Board, The Madison Township Board as well as the Greenwood County 4-H Board.Dick would later redirect his efforts to completing his college education at Kansas State University. He was awarded a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Husbandry in 1983. Dick was an alumni of the Farmhouse Fraternity at Kansas State.He will live on in the hearts of his wife, Willa of their home; daughters,Dacia Fankhauser-Brandt and her husband Warren of Madison and Darby Harrison of Olathe; a son, Dirk Fankhauser and his wife Shauna of Lubbock, Texas; seven grandchildren, Piper and Tristan Brandt, Sarah Kleinberg, Kiele Harrison, Olivia Harrison, Greta and Greighson Fankhauser; a sister Betty Schaulis  and her husband Gary of Denver. He was preceded in death an infant daughter Darci; a sister Shirley Buckley and his parents. Cremation is planned with a Graveside service being held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, December 22nd at #8 Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the #8 Restoration Project or the Madison Educational Assistance Fund and sent in care of the VanArsdale Funeral Home at P.O. Box #488, Madison, Kansas 66860. Condolences may be expressed at vanarsdalefs.com