Vivian F. Luthi

Vivian F. Luthi, a long-time resident of the Lamont-Madison area, passed away Monday, January 12, 2015 at the Olathe Hospice House. She was born three and a half miles south of Mayfield, Kansas on June 30, 1928, at the farm home of her parents, William Russell and Kathryn Mae Ross Armstrong. As children, Vivian and her twin sister Virginia took turns riding their brown pony and blue bicycle to the District 108 Long Branch Grade School, a one-room school house. Vivian was a member of the Mayfield Red wing 4-H Club and the Union Chapel Christian Church. She was the Rock Island Railroad Chicago trip winner to the National 4-H Congress in 1947. Vivian graduated from Wellington High School as salutatorian of the Class of 1947. Vivian graduated from Kansas State University in 1951 with a bachelor's degree in Home Economics. She was a member of Clovia 4-H House. She was co-chairperson of Hospitality Days, the home economics open house at Kansas State, in the spring of 1950. During her college years she met her future husband, Ray, and worked at Farrell Library at Kansas State. On September 2, 1951, Vivian was joined in marriage to Raymond "Ray" Arthur Luthi in the Danforth Chapel on the Kansas State campus. She worked as secretary for the department of technical journalism until Ray was graduated spring of 1952. The couple lived in El Paso, Texas, from July 1952 until Thanksgiving Day when Ray left for the Far East Command in Japan and Korea. After Ray's discharge from the U.S. Army, the couple lived in Oregon until August 1955, when they moved to their farm home near Lamont, Kansas where they lived for 46 years until Ray's death in 2001. Vivian taught fourteen years at Madison High School and also taught for short periods at Lamont and Burlington high schools. She earned her Master's Degree in Education from Emporia State University in 1971. She worked from 1977 until 1981 as chief deputy clerk for the juvenile division at the Shawnee County courthouse at Topeka. Vivian and Ray were very supportive of their children's 4-H and school activities through the years. Vivian was a long-time member of the Madison Christian Church, the Lamont Extension Unit, the General Federation of Women's Clubs, Civic Culture Club, Madison PEO DY chapter, the Madison Concert and Lecture Series, National and Kansas Education Associations, and a life member of the Kansas State University Alumni Association, She was also a member of the Emporia Regional Quilters Guild and later, the Flint Hills Regional Quilters Guild. She was a past recipient of a Greenwood County 4-H alumni award. She was also a past member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the American Colonists. Vivian's husband, Ray Luthi preceded her in death in May 2001. She is survived by her three children; Dr. Jeffrey Ray Luthi and wife Peg of Olathe, Kansas, Joni Luthi Friederich and husband Rick of Bear Lake outside Bonner Springs, Kansas and Allison Jo Luthi of Prairie Village, Kansas. Vivian is also survived by four grandchildren; John Luthi and wife Sheila, Laura Friederich Van Kirk and husband Kyle, all of Kansas City, Missouri, Kristen Luthi, Leawood, Kansas and Will Friederich, Lawrence, Kansas and two great-grandchildren; Christopher Luthi and Charis Van Kirk. Also preceding Vivian in death were her parents, her sister, Dorothy (Don) Newton, and her nephew Paul Overley. She is survived by her sister Virginia F. (Frank) Overley and her brother-in-law Lloyd Luthi. Along with numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Reverend Bob Robison will conduct services at 1:00 PM, Saturday, January 17, 2015 at the First Christian Church in Madison. Burial will follow services at the Apostolic Christian Cemetery southeast of Lamont. The family will receive friends from 6:00 PM until 7:30 PM., Friday evening at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to the First Christian Church of Madison or the Madison Library and sent in care of the VanArsdale Funeral Home. Condolences may be expressed at vanarsdalefs.com.

Service:

1:00 PM., Saturday January 17, 2015

First Christian Church Madison, Kansas



Visitation:

6:00 PM., until 7:30 PM., Friday Evening

First Christian Church Madison, Kansas