Merrill Werts

Merrill H. Werts, 88, Junction City, died peacefully Thursday, Sep. 22, 2011, at Geary County Community Hospital. He was a resident of Sterling House assisted living community. He was born November 17, 1922, and was reared the son of Mack Allen and Ruth Badger Werts on a farm near Smith Center, Kansas. Numerous cousins still live in the Smith County area, where his ancestors homesteaded. He earned a bachelor's degree from Kansas State University in 1947, where he served as Senior Class President and was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. The G.I. Bill helped make it possible for him to attend Cornell University, where he earned a master's degree in agricultural economics in 1948. Mr. Werts' college career was interrupted by his service with the U.S. Army, from June 1943 to March 1946, with the 271st Inf., 69th Division. He received the Combat Infantry Badge, the Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart after losing a leg in Germany. He was inducted into the Army Infantry Officer Candidate Hall of Fame at Fort Benning and served as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for Kansas, 1991-1995. He was a life member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Disabled American Veterans. In 1946 he married Dorothy Wilson, the love of his life, who passed away in 2003. They are survived by their four sons, Stephen M. Werts, Prairie Village; Riley J. Werts, Merriam; Todd J. Werts, Kansas City, Missouri; and Kelly M. Werts, Fairway; 7 grandchildren, and 10 greatgrandchildren. His only sibling, Edith Jean Werts, lives in Columbus, Ohio. After graduation, he began his business career in Topeka, Kansas, finding a mentor in Lou Falley in retail and banking; this led to his appointment in 1958 as vice president of the Southwest State Bank, the first suburban bank in Topeka. He moved to Junction City in 1965 to become president of the First National Bank, and was later one of the principals in chartering a new affiliate bank, the Fort Riley National Bank. He left the First National Bank in 1977. After beginning a new business as a management consultant, he was elected to the Kansas State Senate, where he was assiduous in his service to the communities of Junction City, Fort Riley, and Manhattan for ten years. Mr. Werts was a member of Rotary, where he served as Governor of District 571 from 1973-74 and received the Paul Harris Fellow Special Honor. He was very active in civic affairs, including the Geary Community Health Care Foundation, the Kansas Commission of Veteran Affairs, the Geary County Public Building Commission, and the Chamber of Commerce. He and Dorothy were both enthusiastic supporters of the Junction City Little Theater, as actors and board members, and they enthusiastically supported the effort to restore the Colonial Theatre, now the C.L. Hoover Opera House. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church and was a Commissioner to the General Assembly in 1965 and a trustee of the Kansas Synod Westminster Foundation, 1965-1972. Mr. Werts' remains were cremated. A celebration of life gathering is scheduled at the C.L. Hoover Opera House in Junction City on Sunday, October 23 from 2 PM to 4 PM. He will be dearly missed by his many friends, associates, and especially his family. Coming from an era of strong families, he was a standard-bearer for strength and family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Merrill and Dorothy Werts Scholarship Fund, c/o KSU Foundation, 2323 Anderson, Manhattan, Kansas 66503; or to the Merrill and Dorothy Werts Memorial Fund at the Junction City Little Theatre, P.O. Box 305, Junction City, Kansas 66441. ***To leave a special online message for the family, visit www.PenwellGabelJunctionCity.com*** Merrill Werts