Doris Zubeck

Doris Zubeck loved life and embraced every moment, living all but a couple of years of her life in Kearny County, Kansas, most of it in Deerfield before moving to High Plains Retirement Village in 2013. She gave selflessly to her church, her family and her community, and remained positive despite trying circumstances that included her parents divorcing when she was a child, living through the Great Depression and dealing with the day-to-day uncertainty of a farming life.
In fact, she felt herself blessed in many ways, and even toward the end of her life, she refused to be negative about her failing health, saying, “When have you ever known me not to be happy?”
Doris was far from a wealthy person measured in worldly things, but she made the world a richer place because of her presence in it.
Doris Maxine Rector was born Dec. 11, 1928, to Harley and Louise Rector in a farm house north of Deerfield. She always expressed gratitude for the kindness shown her by her aunts and uncles after her parents divorced when she was 9. She attended elementary school in Deerfield, and junior high and high school in Wellington when her dad worked at the Boeing plant during World War II. After the family returned to Deerfield, she attended and graduated from Deerfield High School in 1947. She loved to sing and competed in school music festivals.
She gave her life to Christ at the age of 13 during an altar call, and was a devoted and faithful member and servant to her church and faith family at the Deerfield United Methodist Church. She taught Sunday school, served with United Methodist Women, sang in the church choir for 60 years, was in charge of communion, participated in the church’s country store and helped with innumerable baby showers and funeral dinners. Her peach pies and canned peaches were legendary.
She married Robert Zubeck on June 15, 1947, in Deerfield and moved into a house which he and his brothers built three houses south of the Methodist Church. 
She learned to drive as an adult in order to take her children to piano lessons at Mercedes Bentrup’s house west of Deerfield and to the Garden City Community Concert Series. She was deeply engrossed in her kids’ school activities and also was active in the Prairie View 4-H Club on behalf of her kids, whom she taught to sew and cook.
Doris served on the Deerfield School Board, and worked for many years as Deerfield city clerk. A life-long Democrat, she answered the call when asked by the party to run for county office but was not elected.
She worked at Northern Natural for several years before joining Garden National Bank, where she worked for nearly 20 years, rising from teller to vice president/assistant to the cashier. She also worked briefly at Weber’s Town Shop and Kearny County Bank.
She was a member of Toastmaster’s and Capsula and constantly challenged herself to learn new things. She was a master seamstress, crafting clothing for herself and her children, including a tuxedo for her son, coats for her daughters and draperies for her home.
She passed away Nov. 9, 2016, at High Plains Retirement Village, succumbing to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
She was preceded in death by her parents and step-mother, Lola Rector; step-sister Barbara Cline and her husband, Les; many aunts and uncles, and brothers-in-law, John, Jimmie, Tom, Frank and Joe Zubeck, and their wives, and her brother-in-law, Don Peterson. 
She is survived by her husband, Robert; her sister, Juanita Peterson of Albany, Calif.; adopted step-sister Fern Moore of Wichita; her children and their spouses, Jan and Gloria Zubeck of El Paso, Tex.; Ann and Dan Brink, and Pam and Tony Cunningham of Colorado Springs, Colo., and grandchildren, Stephanie Brink, and Bernie Brink and his wife, Natalie, of Colorado Springs; step granddaughter Kris and her husband Monte of Lakin and their son, Dylan; nieces Ginger Sonderegger of Leoti; Glenda Crone of Garden City; Cherry Zubeck and Regina Derryberry of California; Kathleen Smith and Patsy Brimm of Garden City, and nephews, Jim Zubeck of Great Bend, and Alan Zubeck of California.
Her family suggests contributions in her memory to the Deerfield United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 200, Deerfield, Kans. 67838, or High Plains Retirement Village, 607 Court Place, Lakin, Kans., 67860. Burial will be in Deerfield Cemetery. 
Deerfield United Methodist Church will hold a service in her memory on Dec. 11, when she would have marked her 88th birthday.