Charles "Chuck" E. Wendling

Charles E. "Chuck" Wendling, 94, of Frankfort, KS, died Monday, August 29, 2016 at the Frankfort Community Care Home. Visitation was Thursday, September 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Padden Funeral Chapel in Frankfort. A rosary service was held at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, at Annunciation Catholic Church in Frankfort. Mass of Christian Burial was held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, September 2, at Annunciation Catholic Church. Father Daniel Schmitz officiated. The Lector was Jay Kennedy. Jane Sedlacek played the organ while Rheta Matson led the congregation singing “Be Not Afraid”, “Ave Maria”, “Danny Boy”, and “Irish Blessing”. The pallbearers were Bob Roeder, Dan Studer, Kenny Burton, Jerry Stowell, Frank Kennedy, Paul Tommer, Denny Paul Cullimore, and Charlie Harrington. Burial was in Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Frankfort, with Military Honors provided by the Frankfort American Legion. Chuck was born September 28, 1921 at Frankfort to Fred and Lina (Weis) Wendling. He attended Annunciation Grade School receiving his 8th grade diploma on May 17, 1935. On May 24, 1939, he graduated from Frankfort High School. He was on the Frankfort High School Mile Relay Team with Bob Shubkagel, Koester Johnson, and Kenny Kramer when they set the school record (3:40:2). Chuck never missed a Frankfort High School Re-Union. On September 17, 1942, he left to serve in the U.S. Army. He served as a Tech Sgt. in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1946. His great-grandfather, Joseph Musgrave, served in Company G, Kansas 13th Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. Following his honorable discharge, he attended Kansas State University on the GI Bill and graduated in 1950. From then on Chuck was a proud KSU sports fan! Chuck’s love for anything “K-State” was quite evident when the ending of any conversation was “Every man a Wildcat!” or on a particularly ornery day, it might have been “Every Cat a wild man!” Chuck worked for Ford Motor Company for 48 years beginning with Kennedy Motor Company. In 1998, he retired at age 77. He received numerous awards from Ford for accounting excellence. Following his father’s death Chuck took care of his mother until her death in 1973; and his aunt, Maude Holston, until her death in 1981. A memorial fund has been established to the Frankfort Baseball Field. Contributions may be sent in care of Padden Funeral Chapel. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Charles "Chuck" E. Wendling, please visit our flower store.