Author Archives: John Collins

Funeral Services for Jean Brecheisen

Jean Brecheisen died this past Thursday. I can’t find the obituary online, so I’m including it here.

Jean Brecheisen passed away peacefully on December 7, 2023, with her family by her side. She was born to Delbert and Olive Vinton on June 4, 1929. Jean was raised on a farm near Melvern, Kansas. She had three older sisters, Idelle, Edith, and Wilma. She married her lifelong partner, Max Brecheisen, on October 30, 1949. They were married for nearly 70 years. For twenty years, she was a Marine Corps spouse. They had three sons together. Jerry, Neal, and Mark.

After his military service, she worked with her husband in starting his career with Radio Shack. Upon retirement, they built a home on the farmstead where Jean grew up. They raised purebred Hereford cattle on their M&J farm. They retired from the farm in 2000 and moved to Manhattan, Kansas.

Jean is preceded in death by her husband, Max, son Neal, and three sisters. Survivors include sons Jerry and Mark (Judy) and grandchildren Stephanie Brecheisen, Chris Brecheisen, Jessica Birmingham, Jacob Brecheisen, Lucas Brecheisen, Katie Brecheisen, Amy Brecheisen, and 16 great-grandchildren. Funeral Services will be on December 13 at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will be before the service at 10:30 a.m. at Irvin Parkview Funeral Home, Manhattan, Kansas. Memorial contributions may be made to the College Avenue United Methodist Church, Manhattan, Kansas.

Parking Lot Replacement

Received from Eric Williams, Chair of the Stewardship and Finance Committee:

Soon a local contractor will begin replacing the east and north parking lots (the south lots were installed with the Fellowship Hall project). These lots are quite old with extensive cracking and which, in the Trustees assessment, are near failure. In the coming weeks, the Trustees will announce the project timeline and temporary parking and building access plans. The new surface will be concrete with a projected life of approximately 30 years.

This is a significant project that will cost approximately $360,000. Fortunately, the Church has adequate reserves which our Church Council has approved to fund this project;

however, the project will consume approximately 40% of liquid cash and investments of the Church including most of our facility-related reserve and endowed funds in addition to

$60,000 of our general ministry-endowed funds. You are invited to participate and help reduce the draw on our reserve funds. Simply make your check payable to CAUMC, with

“Parking Fund” on the memo line and place it in the offering plate or return it to the church office, (College Avenue UMC, 1609 College Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502).

The Moral Truth of Medicaid Expansion

I found this article from the Manhattan Mercury late, but I wanted to share it with you all in case you missed it, too. The moral argument for Kansas to accept the Medicaid expansion is compelling, not only on the level of individuals in need of health care but also on the level of providing health care to entire communities. Without that funding, more hospitals will financially fail and close, leaving poor and rural communities underserved. We’re already paying the taxes, so why not accept the revenue to better care for the least of these?

Link

Big Band Christmas Program this Sunday

The Thundering Cats Big Band will present “A Stan Kenton Christmas” this afternoon (December 3, 2023) at 3 p.m. at First Lutheran Church, 930 Poyntz Ave, Manhattan, Kansas. This program is sponsored by the Ministerial Association, and there will be a free-will offering for the Manhattan Free Clinic and Shepherd’s Crossing.

Decoration Sunday

This coming Sunday, December 3, 2023, is “Decoration Sunday,” the day we decorate the church sanctuary for Christmas. Forest Buhler and Whitney Weyeneth will be our readers. If you haven’t experienced Decoration Sunday yet, I don’t know how to describe it; I’ve never seen anything like it before at any other church. The best I can do is invite you to come and see.

Thanksgiving Offering

From Sheryl Fjell: The Outreach Committee has designated this Sunday’s Thanksgiving Offering for the Flint Hills Breadbasket.  The church receives 1-2 boxes of food, twice a month to help fill our Blessing Box.  With this box of food, we are able to offer a variety of snacks, mixes and canned goods. You can place your gift in the offering plate or donate online at www.caumcmanhattan.org/give.