Zeiner Funeral Home

Goldie departed this life November 28, 2018, at the Morris County Hospital in Council Grove, Kansas. Goldie lived the majority of her life in Herington.  She graduated from Herington High School with the class of 1942.  She was a member of the First Christian Church of Herington, and belonged to the Birthday Club.  She enjoyed the activities at the Herington Country Club and playing cards, particularly bridge and pitch.  Through the years she worked at Vaughn’s Flowers, Susie’s Clothes Closet, Dreiling’s Department Store, and Herington Chamber of Commerce and Cablevision.On July 4, 1946, she married C. K. “Kenny” Vaughn at the Herington Presbyterian Church.  He preceded her in death May 3, 2009.  She is also preceded in death by her brother, Zeb Collins of Seattle, Washington, her older and only sister, Vivian “Geraldine” or “Toots” Ford of Herington, and two younger brothers, Gene and Phillip Collins of Wichita, and her parents.Goldie is survived by her children, Marsha Weinert (John) of Kula Maui, Hawaii, Thomas H. Vaughn of Herington, and Vickie Britt (Roger) of Wilsey; seven grandchildren; and 14 great grandchildren.Cremation is planned.  A celebration of life service will be 11:00am, Friday, May 3, 2019, at the First Christian Church, with Rev. Steve Hanson, officiating.Memorial contributions to the Hilltop Activities Fund or the First Christian Church; and they may be sent to Zeiner Funeral Home, 404 S. Broadway, Herington, KS, 67449-3038.

She was born January 5, 1945, at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Joseph Raymond and Barbara Dorothy (Laslo) Goscenski.  She grew up in an era where the family was her friends and  would be throughout her marriage, raising children, and being there for the grandchildren. She was always a friend and giving her things away.  She did not follow sports much but would always be a devoted fan to the Pittsburgh Steelers.She graduated from the Chartier Valley High School with the class of 1962.  She joined the Army on January 22, 1964, and went to basic training in North Carolina.  When she completed basic training she returned with a Bostonian accent.  Most of her friends at training were from Boston. She was assigned to the medical corp.  Due to injuries from a medical sterilizer blowing up, she received a medical discharge in May 1965. She was a member of St. John Catholic Church, V.F.W. Auxiliary, both of Herington, and served two different terms for the Auxiliary as District President; she was a member of the MOC (Military Order of Cooties, a branch of the VFW hospital support group); F.O. E. of Salina; she taught the AARP safe driver program to senior citizens; collected ceramic baby figurines; read mysteries, watched current and classic mysteries, and game shows. Sparkles and glitz would brighten her day.She met Peter D. Kleist on a blind date and ten days later, May 8, 1964, they were married at Seguin, Texas.  They were the parents of Darlene, David, Dorothy Jo, and Gracine.  He preceded her in death on April 23, 2006. Thirteen years later, same month and same day, she would be buried with him.  She is also preceded in death by a brother, Joseph Goscenski, and her parents. She is survived by a son, David L. Kleist (wife-Ashley) of Solomon; three daughters, Darlene Kleist of Herington, Dorothy Jo Kleist (husband-Derrick Gough) of Nixa, Missouri, Gracine Swinford of Palace Hills, Illinois; two sisters, Mary Vorhis of California, and Virginia Kutzer of P...

Learn about products, services and people here in your own county.By ROWENA PLETTStaff writerAfter serving Marion and its surrounding communities for 35 years, Ty Zeiner of Zeiner Funeral Home is still on the job providing end-of-life services to bereaved families. He has been involved in the business for 47 years.He said he learned the art of caring for bereaved families while observing the operators of a funeral home in his hometown of Minneapolis, Kansas. At 13, he got a job doing maintenance work at Hawks Funeral Home and working at the family’s furniture store. At 14, he drove a hearse, still legal at the time, and at 15 and 16, assisted with removals. He also helped at funerals.“By the time I was a senior, I knew what I wanted to do,” he said.He attended Cloud County Community College in Concordia and then San Francisco College of Mortuary Services.After a one-year apprenticeship in Minneapolis and two-and-a-half years at a funeral home in Hutchinson, he took over management of a mortuary in Jetmore. Zeiner became friends with several other morticians, including Jerry and Dorothy Harp of Marion, who took over Thompson Funeral Home in 1969 and named it Thompson-Harp Funeral Home.In January 1984, the Harps asked him to come and work for them with the understanding he would buy the home from them when they retired. He and his wife, Janet, bought the home in October 1987 and named it Zeiner Funeral Home.“I checked my records, and on Jan. 1, I had spent 40 years on call 24/7,” he said. “I spend 65 to 80 hours a week on the job.”Through the years, Zeiner bought and sold several other funeral homes in the central Kansas area. One that he still owns is Lamb Funeral Home in Whitewater. He also operates homes in Marion, Hillsboro, Council Grove, and Herington.Zeiner does the embalming in all five locations. He said when he embalms a body, his mind is on surviving family members. He says he wants to make the body look as nice as possible for those who knew the person.He said if a body is to be buried within 24 hours of de...