Henry William Prigel

Henry William Prigel, 101, of Marysville, KS, died Sunday, November 10, 2013 at Cambridge Place in Marysville. A funeral service was held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, November 16, at the First Christian Church in Marysville. The family receive friends at the church from 10 to 11 a.m. Pallbearers were Marshall Post, Stephen Holtke, Jeff McCubbins, Andrew Grenier, Scott McCubbins, Preston Rush Daly, and Scott Covell. Honorary pallbearers were Shawn Grenier, Ryan Matthews, and Ted Wiatr. Burial was in the Home City Cemetery. Henry was born August 29, 1912, in Dodson (Jackson County), MO, to William Henry and Gertrude Schlettner Prigel, the oldest of four children. His parents and siblings Martha Johnston, Helen Fowler, and Dewey Prigel preceded him in death. A sister-in-law Yevonne Brucker Prigel, Kansas City, MO, survives as well as nieces and nephews. At the age of 7, he moved with his family to Marysville where William Prigel and a brother opened Prigel Brothers' Auto Shop. After a few months, they moved to Home City and opened Prigel's Garage in an old Livery Stable on Main Street. In 1931, Henry graduated from Marysville High School. He was proud that he had lettered in basketball and that his letter sweater still fit after 80+ years. During his teen years, he worked with his dad at the garage and enjoyed learning all about cars, trucks, and tractors. He always said that he thought the "old" motors were the best--not the new ones that had to be fixed with fancy tools and computers. In 1934, he married Edith King, who taught in a one room school house east of Beattie. One Christmas, Henry put "electric" lights on the school's Christmas tree by using a car battery. At his 90th birthday celebration, one of the students at the school went to Henry and said he still remembered those lights on the tree and how excited all the students had been. After his parents returned to Kansas City in 1943, Henry ran Prigel's Garage. In the early 50's he added Prigel Motor Company which sold Admiral Televisions and appliances. In 1963, he and Edith became part owners of the Crest Motel in Marysville. In later years he was a substitute rural mail carrier for the Home City Post Office. He played men's softball and town team basketball on Home City teams, and was on a Prigel's Garage sponsored bowling team in Marysville. He loved living in Home City and many times during later years, he recalled many pleasant memories of Home, KS. He and Edith were married 57 years before her death in 1991. They had 4 children: Ronnie Jean Holtke Seeliger (Carl) who passed away in 1999, Burden, KS, Janet McCubbins (Bob), Kansas City, MO, Virginia Lee Grenier (Bob), Branson, MO, and Donald Prigel (Marlene), Golden, CO; 10 grandchildren: Susan (Marshall) Holtke Post, Wichita, KS, Stephen Holtke, Arkansas City, KS, Jeff (Julie) McCubbins, Kansas City, MO, Scott McCubbins, Lihue, HI, Shawn (Jessyca) Grenier, Aurora, CO, Andrew (Julia) Grenier, Corona, CA, Carrie (Ryan) Prigel Matthews, Wichita Falls, TX, Trisha (Preston Rush) Prigel Daly, Golden, CO, Amanda (Ted) Prigel Wiatr, Denver, CO, and Alyssa (Scott) Prigel Covell, Lakewood, CO; 3 step grandchildren: Mark (Katherine) Seeliger, Winfield, KS, Mike (Carolyn) Seeliger, Burden, KS, and Carlene (Randy) Benscoter, Idaho; 17 great-grandchildren, 8 step great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren. In 1992, Henry married Margaret (Peggy) Novotny Schneider. She passed away in 1994. He and Peggy enjoyed baseball games, local traveling, and church activities. He is survived by step daughter, Jean Ebert (Jerry), Independence, MO, and step son, Jim Novotny, Wymore, NE; 6 step grandchildren and 2 step great-grandchildren. A step son, John Novotny, preceded him in death. Henry was the first resident at Regency Assisted Living facility in Marysville. For a short time he lived at the Good Shepherd Village in Summerfield and in 2005, he moved to Cambridge Place. He was a member of First Christian Church, Marysville. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the memorial fund at the First Christian Church in memory of Henry. Contributions may be sent in care of Kinsley Mortuary. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Henry William Prigel, please visit our flower store.