Rudolph A. Vopata

Rudolph A. Vopata, 90, of rural Marysville, KS, died June 23, 2015 at Valley View Nursing Home in Junction City, KS. Visitation was Sunday, June 28 from noon to 8 p.m. at Padden Funeral Chapel. The family received friends from 6 to 8 p.m. A funeral service was held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, June 29 at Padden Funeral Chapel. Rev. Marilyn Sweet officiated. Jane Sedlacek was the organist. Music included “Green, Green Grass of Home”, “In the Garden”, “Fly Away”, and “I Did It My Way”. The pallbearers were Will Holle, Caleb Tanner Holle, Isaac Clark, Michael Clark, Richard Britt, Jerry Gerstner, Tyler Schumacher, Cole Schumacher, Dany Kravitcz, and Jerry Gerstner. Burial was in the Edinborough Cemetery northwest of Frankfort. Rudolph was born on July 29, 1924 on the family farm west of Frankfort, to Rudolph and Barbra (Vesely) Vopata. He attended Scriber Country School. After graduating from the 8th grade, he headed to western Kansas and worked construction before returning home to farm. Farming was disrupted when he joined the U.S. Army. He served in the 41st Division in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. He was injured several times, and finally exited the war on a stretcher after he lost his hand to a Japanese grenade on the island of Biac. As he told it "That Jap threw me a grenade, and I decided I didn't want it - so I scooped it up and threw it back." He received two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star during his service. On December 20, 1952, he was united in marriage to Alberta Henderson. They moved to South Dakota where Rudolph did electrical work on the Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, SD. After his father's stroke, he returned home to farm. He also worked as an electrician on the Tuttle Creek Dam at Manhattan, was a gunsmith, and worked at Cooksey Auto Parts in Marysville. In 1991, he was appointed to the Kansas Grain Sorghum Commission by Governor Finney. He served as a commissioner for many years. Rudolph was a pilot, liked hunting, farming, playing cards and being surrounded by his family. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Alberta on March 26, 1987; sons, Howard Vopata on June 14, 1999, and Charles Vopata on July 7, 2001; infant brother, Rudolph; and sisters, Helen Skalla and Bessie Lindbloom. Survivors include his children, Sheryl (Gerald) Gerstner, Frankfort, Barbra (Enrique) Flores, Manhattan, Linda (Bill) Clark, Blue Rapids, Rudolph Vopata, Rantoul, KS, Christine Kravitcz, Manhattan, and Virginia (Chuck) Schumacher, Maple Hill, KS; twenty-two grandchildren and twenty-five great grandchildren. A memorial fund has been established to the Edinborough Cemetery or to the restoration and revitalization of the former Frankfort Grade School. Contributions may be sent in care of Padden Funeral Chapel. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Rudolph A. Vopata, please visit our flower store.