William "Bill" Laue

William F. (Bill) Laue, 88, of Hanover, KS, died November 7, 2016 at Meadowlark Hills Nursing in Manhattan, KS. Visitation was Thursday, November 10, from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. at the Hanover Mortuary, and the family received friends from 5 to 7 p.m. A funeral service was held at 10 a.m., Friday, November 11, at the Zion Lutheran Church in Hanover. Pastor Donna Florio officiated. Janet Fritschi was the organist. The pallbearers were Doug Jueneman, Dan Jueneman, Steve Jueneman, Ryan Mueller, Jacob Fritschi, and Nick Bruna. Mr. Laue was provided military honors and buried in the Hanover City Cemetery. Bill Laue was born on January 14, 1928 on a farm outside Hanover, KS, to Lawrence and Alvena (Lohmeyer) Laue. He attended 8 years of elementary school at Willowdale, a one room country school where he was the only student in his class for the entire 8 years. He graduated from Hanover High School in 1945, and in May 1946, enlisted to serve in WWII in the 25th Medical Battalion with the 1st Infantry Battalion in Osaka Honshu, Japan. He was honorably discharged in September 1947. In 1948, he married Patricia Mullen and raised 5 children. They divorced in 1974. Bill owned and operated Bill’s Service Station in Hanover for over 35 years. He was the “Mobil man” in Hanover for most of those years, pumping gas, servicing vehicles, and running a tank wagon service delivering fuel to area farmers. He loved the Hanover community, and in his later years was a prolific historian sharing firsthand accounts of his memories of growing up and living in this community. In 1978 he married Wilma Banahan and they enjoyed over 35 years on the farm together, working side-by-side. Bill was a lifelong member of Zion Lutheran Church, a 60-year continuous member of the American Legion Post 306, and co-founder of the Kansas-Nebraska Coon Hunters Association. Bill enjoyed time with family and friends, and was an avid outdoorsman. He loved horses and rode in the 1960 Re-ride of the Pony Express for the commemorative Centennial Celebration. His true passion in life coon hunting and raising Redbone coon dogs, which he enjoyed from the age of 15. Bill is survived by his daughters LaDona (Frank) Sedlacek, Hanover and Tracy Laue, Manhattan, a son, Greg Laue of Hanover and two step-children, Merlin Banahan, Florida, and Cheryl (Bernie) Hart, Bassett, NE. He had seven grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, and thirteen great-grandchildren. He also leaves behind a sister, Marilyn (Darrell) Doupnik, Attlesboro, OH, and a brother Lester (Annie) Laue, Hanover. He was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Mary Krista, his son Daniel W. Laue and his son Douglas A. Laue, his wife, Wilma Laue, his parents, his brothers LeRoy Laue and Quentin Laue, and a sister, Dorothy Gentry. A memorial fund has been established with Zion Lutheran Church and sent in care of the Hanover Mortuary. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of William "Bill" Laue, please visit our flower store.