Ralph E. (Sam) Dillon

HOPE - Ralph Edwin (Sam) Dillon, formerly of Hope, departed this life Friday, September 29, 2017, at the Village Manor in Abilene.  He was born on May 10, 1927, rural Hope, the son of George F. and Genevieve (Weishaar) Dillon.

Funeral Service will be 10:00AM, Tuesday, October 3, 2017, at the St. Phillip Catholic Church – Hope, with Fr. Peter O’Donnell, officiating.  Military Committal will follow at the Ashton Cemetery of Hope.  A rosary will be recited, 6:00pm Monday evening, Oct. 2, 2017, at the St. Phillip Catholic Church-Hope.  Following the rosary, family will receive friends from 6:30-8:30pm.

He was a fourth generation farmer/stockman.  He was a US Postmaster for 24 years at Hope.  He was drafted into the US Army of Occupation during WWII.  He graduated from Hope High School with the class of 1945.  He was Knighted at the Catholic Church in Tampa on June 1, 1945.  He married Margaret Ann Biehler, February 14, 1957, at the St. John Catholic Church-Herington. He is preceded in death by two sisters; Lois Schoemann, Ruth Dillon; son-in-law Lynn Jones; an infant son Michael; one grandchild, Sara; and his parents.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret of Abilene; seven children, Joan Jones of Chapman, Patricia McClane (Doug) of O’Fallon, IL, Gregory Dillon, Doug Dillon (Esther), Dennis Dillon, all of Hope, Karen Goddard (Johnnie) of Ellsworth, and James Dillon of Carbondale; two sisters, Dorothy Riffel of Lenexa, Jane Schwinn of Topeka; 10 grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; and one step-great grandchild.

The family requests memorials to St. Phillip Catholic Church-Hope, or Fr. Kapaun Guild-Pilsen; and they may be sent to;  Zeiner Funeral Home-Herington Chapel,  404 S. Broadway, Herington, KS 67449-3038.