Gene Pracht

Gene was born on January 4, 1943 at Wichita, Kansas the son of Henry R. and Dorothy B. (Koenig) Pracht. In 1951 the family moved to Parsons where he attended school and graduated from the Labette County Community High School in 1960. He then attended the Parsons Junior College where he graduated in 1962. He was married to Phyllis A. Westhoff on September 19, 1963 at Parsons, Kansas. They later were divorced.

For several years, Gene worked at the former Parsons News weekly newspaper as a printer.  He also worked for several years for the MKT Railroad until starting work at the Parsons State Hospital and Training Center where he worked for over 20 years until retirement.

Gene was an avid golfer and had scored a hole-in-one on more than one occasion at the Oswego Golf Course. He had also umpired baseball in the Babe Ruth Baseball League and also had coached for many years. Gene was also an avid Kansas Jayhawks basketball fan. He enjoyed working with youth and had served as a deacon at the former Friendship Baptist Church in Parsons. He was currently a member of the Center Bethel Church near Parsons.  Gene also had served in the Kansas National Guard for several years.

Survivors include two sons, Darren Pracht and his wife, Carrie of Wichita, Kansas and Jeff Pracht and his wife, Angela of Bentonville, Arkansas; two daughters, Tammy May and her husband, Robert of Wichita, Kansas and Tracy Holzem and her husband, Doug of Parsons; thirteen grandchildren; one brother, Ron Pracht of Wichita, Kansas and two sisters, Robin Pracht of Parsons and Deb Head of McGehee, Arkansas

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, May 19, 2014 at the Center Bethel Church with Pastor Jack Blackwell officiating. Burial will follow at the Memorial Lawn Cemetery at Parsons. The family will receive friends at the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home from 5 to 6 p.m., Sunday.   Memorial contributions are suggested to the Center Bethel Church or to the Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice and these may be left at or mailed to the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, Kansas 67357.

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