Father Loren Werth passed away on Monday, July 30, at Meadowlark Hills, Manhattan, Kansas.

Fr. Loren Werth was born on October 16, 1930 in Schoenchen, Kansas. He was one of four children. An older brother and sister preceded him in death. There is one surviving sister, Jean Pfannenstiel of Salina.

Fr. Werth entered the seminary in 1946 as a junior in high school at Conception Seminary, Conception, MO and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Salina in 1956.

His assignments included Norton, Phillipsburg, Kimeo, Clara, Mankato, Claudell, Washington, Morrowville, Concordia, St. Thomas More in Manhattan, Osborne, Downs and Clay Center from where he retired and moved back to Manhattan in the year 2000.

As a retired priest he continued to offer his services at St. Thomas More Church and Ft. Riley on a regular basis but also helped out in the other parishes of Manhattan and the surrounding areas.

In addition to parish work, he was also involved in the community. He belonged to the Rotary Club since 1966 and while in Manhattan he served on the Board of the Emergency Shelter and was the Campaign Chairman for raising funds to build a new Shelter. This was completed in 2008.

Fr. Werth’s hobbies were golf, gardening and some basic cooking. He loved to read. He developed Macular Degeneration in later years and this inhibited his driving a car. Consequently he didn’t travel very much but started to read more. With the help of some visual aids he managed to read quite well.

Fr. Werth attended Kansas State athletic events and had season tickets to the Girl’s basketball games. In later years, because of impaired vision and difficulty with walking, he quit going to the games.

Fr. Werth loved stage performances and was a regular attendee at the Manhattan Arts Center and the Great Plains theatre in Abilene. He also frequently attended other shows in Manhattan, Wamego and Junction City.

He was known for his wit and owned a 1963 green beetle Volkswagen. The VW became his trademark and was known all over town.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11:00 am on Friday August 3, 2018 at the St. Thomas More Catholic Church 2800 Kimble Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas with Father Frank Coady officiating. A private burial will be at a later date in the St. Anthony Cemetery, Schoenchen, Kansas.

A Parish Vigil Service will be at 7:00 pm on Thursday at the St. Thomas More Catholic Church.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the St. Thomas More Catholic Church or to the Manhattan Emergency Shelter in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502.

Online condolences may be left for the family through the funeral home website at: www.ymlfuneralhome.com.