1999-02-26
Collection: 1999
Title
1999-02-26
1999-02-22
1999-02-24
Subject
Jaworsky, John "Mike"
Venstra, Carol Vivan
Sloderbeck, Edna
Description
Obituaries published in the Augusta Daily Gazette
Creator
Augusta Daily Gazette [Kansas]
Publisher
Augusta Public Library, Augusta, Kansas, USA
Date
1999-02-26
Format
Clippings
Type
application/pdf
Identifier
b6#08
Citation
Augusta Daily Gazette [Kansas], “1999-02-26,” Digital Augusta, accessed November 26, 2024, https://augusta.digitalsckls.info/item/1089.
Text
Long-time Butler County state district judge dies of apparent heart attack.
In 22 years as a state district judge, John “Mike" Jaworsky made an impression on the citizens and attorneys of Butler County.
He was approachable — the perfect gentle giant, friends say. He stood nearly 6-foot-9 and weighed almost 300 pounds.
“People sometimes -couldn’t remember his name, but they knew they had been up in front of ‘the big judge,’ ” said El Dorado attorney Jim Hargrove, a friend.
He became known as a judge who gave second chances to young people but who lobbied to make it easier to send young killers to prison, Hargrove said.
After a career that also included service as Butler County’s deputy county attorney, county attorney and county judge, Judge Jaworsky died Friday of an apparent heart attack at * his home in El Dorado, Hargrove ,said. Judge Jaworsky was 55.
He was elected to the district judge-ship in 1977 — around the age of 34. ‘To become a judge at that young age
and stay a judge like he did is fairly unique," Hargrove said.
Judge Jaworsky could be both compassionate and stem, Hargrove said. “When you’re that big and you have that stare on your face — he commanded attention.”
In 1995, in one of the more tragic and well-known cases he
presided over, be gave two consecutive “hard 40” sentences — 40 years without parole — to a man convicted of stabbing to death his 3- and 4-year-old daughters. He said consecutive, rather than concurrent, sentences was symbolic recognition of the horrible circumstances.
In the late 1980s, he presided over a landmark murder case involving the
“battered woman syndrome” defense.
Although he became known for giving second chances to young people, Hargrove said, Judge Jaworsky drew the line at young killers. He helped lobby for a change in state law that made it possible to send more young murderers to prison instead of into the juvenile system, Hargrove said.
Until about 11 years ago, his friend said, Judge Jaworsky was a “confirmed bachelor.” Then he met his wife, Janice, director of research and
development for the Koch Crime Institute.
The two took up ballroom dancing and recently traveled to Europe.
Marriage, Hargrove said, “was a wonderful thing for him.”
A vigil for Judge Jaworsky will be at 7 p.m. Monday at St. John’s Catholic Church in El Dorado; a service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St Mary’s Cathedral in Wichita.
Other survivors include a stepson, Robert Johnson of Wichita; a brother, Greg of Newton; sisters, Lynda Bliss of Derby, Diana Cushing of Salt Lake City and Karen McDonald of Huntsville, Ala. Memorials have been established with St Mary’s Cathedral music fund and Butler County Family Life Center.
Edna Sloderbeck
Edna Sloderbeck, 67, of Augusta, retired compliance scheduling specialist for Boeing, died Wednesday, Feb. 24, 1999.
Her funeral will be 10 a.m. Monday, March 1, at the First Christian Church in Augusta. Burial will follow in Elmwood Cemetery.
She was born Dec. 3, 1931 in Poteau, Okla., to Jasper and Lura (McCoy) Smith.
She married Jack Sloderbeck Sept. 4, 1973 in Augusta.
Survivors include: husband, Jack; stepsons Jack Sloderbeck Jr. of Augusta, Michael Sloderbeck of Kansas City, Mo.; daughters Rebecca A. Ronsick of Wichita, Norma S. Pearson of Wichita; step-daughter Jessica Mayfield of Augusta; brothers J.T. Smith and Charle's Smith of Fort Smith, Ark., John T. Smith of Wichita; sister Dorothy McLaughlin of Fort Smith; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her step-daughter, Marcia Mills.
Services arranged by Hillside Funeral Home, Augusta.
Carol Venstra
Carol Vivian Venstra, 54, of Augusta, child care center cook, died Monday, Feb. 22, 1999.
A graveside service will be 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, at Elmwood Cemetery.
She was born April 3, 1944, in Ogden, Utah, to Bert Wesley and Lilliam Violet (Wright) Venstra.
Survivors include: son, Jeff Carter of Augusta; daughters Sherry and her husband Ron Price of Andover, Brenda Moody of Augusta; sisters, Dorothy Victor of Ogden, Utah; and eight grandchildren.
Services arranged by Dunsford Funeral Home of Augusta.
Original Format
Newspaper clipping (this goes on the next tab (Item Type Metadata) at the bottom of the page.
Title
1999-02-26
1999-02-22
1999-02-24
Subject
Jaworsky, John "Mike"
Venstra, Carol Vivan
Sloderbeck, Edna
Description
Obituaries published in the Augusta Daily Gazette
Creator
Augusta Daily Gazette [Kansas]
Publisher
Augusta Public Library, Augusta, Kansas, USA
Date
1999-02-26
Format
Clippings
Type
application/pdf
Identifier
b6#08
Citation
Augusta Daily Gazette [Kansas], “1999-02-26,” Digital Augusta, accessed November 26, 2024, https://augusta.digitalsckls.info/item/1089.Text
Long-time Butler County state district judge dies of apparent heart attack.
In 22 years as a state district judge, John “Mike" Jaworsky made an impression on the citizens and attorneys of Butler County.
He was approachable — the perfect gentle giant, friends say. He stood nearly 6-foot-9 and weighed almost 300 pounds.
“People sometimes -couldn’t remember his name, but they knew they had been up in front of ‘the big judge,’ ” said El Dorado attorney Jim Hargrove, a friend.
He became known as a judge who gave second chances to young people but who lobbied to make it easier to send young killers to prison, Hargrove said.
After a career that also included service as Butler County’s deputy county attorney, county attorney and county judge, Judge Jaworsky died Friday of an apparent heart attack at * his home in El Dorado, Hargrove ,said. Judge Jaworsky was 55.
He was elected to the district judge-ship in 1977 — around the age of 34. ‘To become a judge at that young age
and stay a judge like he did is fairly unique," Hargrove said.
Judge Jaworsky could be both compassionate and stem, Hargrove said. “When you’re that big and you have that stare on your face — he commanded attention.”
In 1995, in one of the more tragic and well-known cases he
presided over, be gave two consecutive “hard 40” sentences — 40 years without parole — to a man convicted of stabbing to death his 3- and 4-year-old daughters. He said consecutive, rather than concurrent, sentences was symbolic recognition of the horrible circumstances.
In the late 1980s, he presided over a landmark murder case involving the
“battered woman syndrome” defense.
Although he became known for giving second chances to young people, Hargrove said, Judge Jaworsky drew the line at young killers. He helped lobby for a change in state law that made it possible to send more young murderers to prison instead of into the juvenile system, Hargrove said.
Until about 11 years ago, his friend said, Judge Jaworsky was a “confirmed bachelor.” Then he met his wife, Janice, director of research and
development for the Koch Crime Institute.
The two took up ballroom dancing and recently traveled to Europe.
Marriage, Hargrove said, “was a wonderful thing for him.”
A vigil for Judge Jaworsky will be at 7 p.m. Monday at St. John’s Catholic Church in El Dorado; a service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St Mary’s Cathedral in Wichita.
Other survivors include a stepson, Robert Johnson of Wichita; a brother, Greg of Newton; sisters, Lynda Bliss of Derby, Diana Cushing of Salt Lake City and Karen McDonald of Huntsville, Ala. Memorials have been established with St Mary’s Cathedral music fund and Butler County Family Life Center.
Edna Sloderbeck
Edna Sloderbeck, 67, of Augusta, retired compliance scheduling specialist for Boeing, died Wednesday, Feb. 24, 1999.
Her funeral will be 10 a.m. Monday, March 1, at the First Christian Church in Augusta. Burial will follow in Elmwood Cemetery.
She was born Dec. 3, 1931 in Poteau, Okla., to Jasper and Lura (McCoy) Smith.
She married Jack Sloderbeck Sept. 4, 1973 in Augusta.
Survivors include: husband, Jack; stepsons Jack Sloderbeck Jr. of Augusta, Michael Sloderbeck of Kansas City, Mo.; daughters Rebecca A. Ronsick of Wichita, Norma S. Pearson of Wichita; step-daughter Jessica Mayfield of Augusta; brothers J.T. Smith and Charle's Smith of Fort Smith, Ark., John T. Smith of Wichita; sister Dorothy McLaughlin of Fort Smith; eight grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her step-daughter, Marcia Mills.
Services arranged by Hillside Funeral Home, Augusta.
Carol Venstra
Carol Vivian Venstra, 54, of Augusta, child care center cook, died Monday, Feb. 22, 1999.
A graveside service will be 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, at Elmwood Cemetery.
She was born April 3, 1944, in Ogden, Utah, to Bert Wesley and Lilliam Violet (Wright) Venstra.
Survivors include: son, Jeff Carter of Augusta; daughters Sherry and her husband Ron Price of Andover, Brenda Moody of Augusta; sisters, Dorothy Victor of Ogden, Utah; and eight grandchildren.
Services arranged by Dunsford Funeral Home of Augusta.
Original Format
Newspaper clipping (this goes on the next tab (Item Type Metadata) at the bottom of the page.