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Bobbie Dale (Rittgers) Lonker, 84, of Medicine Lodge, Kansas, died Friday, January 14, 2022 at Medicine Lodge Memorial Hospital.
She was born on March 9, 1937, in Hutchinson, Kansas, to William Dale Arlington Rittgers and Thelma Marie (Ellsworth) Rittgers. After graduation from Hutchinson High School, she attended Hutchinson Junior College then transferred to Kansas State University. It was at K-State where her cousins, Larry and Jerry Jones, introduced her to their Beta brother, James "Jim" Lonker. Bobbie and Jim fast became Beta sweethearts and were married in 1961 at the United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas. Bobbie and Jim moved back to the Lonker ranch where Bobbie fell in love with being a rancher's wife. For 13 years, from 1976 to 1988, the Lonker Family and the Larson Family hosted the Gypsum Hills Trail Rides sharing their love of the local Gyp Hills with others.
After Jim's death in 1988, Bobbie became the Beta Theta Pi house mother at K-State. It is here, Bobbie found her second home and became "Mom Lonker" for the next 31 years. She fiercely loved and personally influenced the lives of close to 1,000 young men, never wavering in support of all her "Beta Boys" and everything K-State. Mom was awarded Beta Theta Pi's highest honor as National House Mom of the Year two times in her tenure, most recently in 2020. Mom was the 14th member of her extended family to reside within the walls of the Gamma Epsilon chapter house at 500 Sunset.
Bobbie loved God and was an active member of the United Methodist Church, Medicine Lodge and Manhattan, the United Methodist Women, PEO, the K-State Alumni Association, Beta Sigma Psi Sorority, KSU House Mom's Club, Barber County Cowbelles, Bridge Club and was a 4-H project leader.
She was a loving mother and grandmother. She was an avid KSU fan, who enjoyed tailgating, and all sports. She especially enjoyed watching her children and grandchildren in their activities, as well as her Beta boys competing in intramurals. Her favorite places included 500 Sunset in Manhattan, the Colorado Rocky Mountains, and her "home in the country on the ranch."
Bobbie's hobbies include a passion for flowers and gardening, especially her red geraniums and hollyhocks. She loved dancing, birdwatching, hummingbirds, cardinals, anything blue, anything patriotic and just having fun with friends and family.
Surviving are three children, James Dale (Jodi) Lonker of Medicine Lodge, Kansas, Jamie Lee Lonker of Medicine Lodge, Kansas, and John Andrew (Mary) Lonker of Wamego, Kansas; five grandchildren, Dakota James Lonker (Bree Larkin), Ally Marie Lonker (Landon Johnson), Cade Patrick Lonker, Kelly Anna Lonker, and Tyce William Lonker; cousin "sister," Sharon Rae (Jones) DeVault of Olathe, Kansas; brother and sister-in-law, Don and Barbara Lonker of Medicine Lodge, Kansas, cousin William "Bill" Duklow and numerous nieces and nephews.
Bobbie was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her grandparents and aunt and uncle "parents" that helped raise her, Mom and Pop Rittgers and Dorothy "Dot" and Ray T. Jones; her cousins "brothers," Larry Lee Jones and Jerry Joe Jones, "sister-in-law" Anna (Attwater) Jones, "brother-in-law Robert "Bob" DeVault and Sam and Evelyn Duklow.
A public visitation will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Larrison Funeral Home on Friday, January 21, 2022. A celebration of life will be at the Medicine Lodge United Methodist Church at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 22, 2022. Christian burial will be at Highland Cemetery with lunch and fellowship immediately following at the Gyp Hills Guest Ranch, 3393 Southwest Woodward Rd.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Gamma Epsilon of Beta Theta Pi with memo to the Bobbie Lonker Memorial Fund or to the United Methodist Church, in care of the funeral home.
Condolences may be left at http://www.larrisonmortuary.com.
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