Heritage Funeral Home - El Dorado

08/23/2023

OK all. We have been nominated as a best of Wichita candidate. Please go the following url and vote everyday. https://www.votewichitaks.com/

08/22/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for Danny Leroy White.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

Danny Leroy White, a dedicated diesel mechanic who found joy in his work and life, passed away on August 15th, 2023 at the age of 60. Born on August 21, 1962, in Harrison, Arkansas, Danny was the beloved son of Willard Hugh and Iva Marietta Mary Daniels White. He grew

08/18/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for Danny Leroy White.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

Danny Leroy White, 61 passed away at home surrounded by family. Arrangements are pending.

08/18/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for John Donald Thornton.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

THORNTON, JOHN DONALD, 62, Army veteran and retired mechanic, passed away on August 4, 2023 at his home with his son by his side. John was born on September 20, 1960 in El Centro, CA to Donald Earl and Marie Ann Holtzer Thornton. John loved fishing and recently found out

08/08/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for Demaree Ann Hammond.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

Demaree Ann Hammond 67, passed away July 27, 2023 surrounded by loving family. Arrangements are pending.

07/22/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for Douglas Peter Enge.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

ENGE, DOUGLAS PETER, 73, truck driver, passed away on July 10, 2023, at Robert J. Dole VA Center in Wichita. Doug was born on December 5, 1949, in Windom, Minnesota to Percy Clifford and Mary Louise Chapman Enge. At a young age Dougs family moved first to Davis, California and

07/22/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for Carol Jean Garriott.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

Carol Jean McGhee Garriott was a resident of El Dorado, Kansas, when she passed away on July 5, 2023. She was 88 years old. Carol was born November 16, 1934, at 1201 a.m. in the midst of a blizzard, at the home of her mothers doctor in Eureka, Kansas, the

07/22/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for Teddy Joe Wehry.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

WEHRY, TEDDY JOE, 57, long time Flinthills client and Honorary member of Elks Lodge 1407, passed away at his home on July 5, 2023. Joe was born on July 8, 1965 in El Dorado to Kenneth P. and Nellie M. Thomas Wehry. Joe attended school in Potwin until the 8th

07/22/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for Susan Ken Simmons.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

Susan Ken Simmons 59, went home to be with the Lord July 4, 2023 in El Dorado, Kansas. She was born to Kenneth and Eloise Hudson in Lewisburg Mississippi. After completing high school, she met Jerry they were married. They would end up moving to Florida where they bought a

07/18/2023

Question we get often:
What if I have already planned and paid for my funeral at another Funeral Home? Can you honor it? Can it be switched?
The simple answer is YES!!!!

You may transfer your prepaid funeral arrangement to Heritage Funeral Home at any time; either before or after a death occurs. Simply contact Heritage Funeral Home and we will be able to provide you with more information.

For your protection, any funds used to purchase your prepaid funeral are typically placed in a third party Insurance Company where they remain until you cancel the contract or the contract is fulfilled. If you are considering transferring your pre-need we invite you to contact Heritage Funeral Home and we will provide you with more information.

06/20/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for James "Jimmy" Lee Church of El Dorado, KS.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

CHURCH, JAMES LEE JIMMY, 67, of El Dorado entered Gods Kingdom on June 12, 2023 surrounded by loved ones. James was born on April 25, 1956 to Marvin Charles and Flossie Mae Richey Church in Wichita, Kansas. After graduating from West High in Wichita in 1974 Jimmy had a brief

06/20/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for Phyllis Elaine Tholen.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

Phyllis Elaine Tholen, 73, passed away peacefully on June 8, 2023, at Baptist Medical Center in Little Rock, Arkansas with loved ones by her side. Phyllis was born in Grinnell, Kansas on November 15, 1949, to Louis and Mary Tholen. Phyllis grew up in Grinnell and Wichita, KS. She made

06/14/2023

This new route will turn right in front of our building. There is a lot just to the west of our building where we would invite our community out to enjoy this wonderful tribute on its tour. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=649791647192557&id=100064851814580&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=RUbZ1f

UPDATE: DUE TO SOME RAILROAD WORK HAPPENING ON MAIN STREET IN EL DORADO TOMORROW, OUR ES**RT ROUTE HAS HAD TO CHANGE. INSTEAD OF TURNING NORTH ON MAIN STREET AT CENTRAL, WE WILL TURN NOTH ON VINE STREET AND HEAD TOWARDS DILLONS. AT DILLONS WE WILL GO BACK ON TO MAIN STREET AND HEAD TOWARDS 12TH STREET.

THIS MEANS WE WILL NOT PASS IN FRONT OF THE VFW.

06/06/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for John Logan Condell, Jr of Rosalia, KS.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

CONDELL, JOHN LOGAN, JR. 81, passed away on May 31, 2023 at his home in Rosalia with his family by his side. Arrangements are pending at this time.

06/06/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for Terry Frank Andrews of El Dorado, KS.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

Terry Frank Andrews 84, passed away May 25, 2023 in El Dorado Kansas. Terry was born in El Dorado Kansas to Cab and Maxine Andrews. He attended school there where he excelled at baseball. Soon after graduating High School he joined the Air Force where he served for 4 years.

06/03/2023

This is so very true. Please don't just say if you need anything I'm here. Take action and take a meal or groceries to the family to help along.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10158648677176301&id=645491300&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=6aamW6

Hi Hugh,

A friend died, and I want to be helpful to his wife, but I’m not sure what to do. I told her that if she needed anything to let me know. Of course, she thanked me, but it’s been a few days now and she hasn’t asked for anything. I don’t think she will. I feel so helpless. What should I do?

[Redacted]

Hey there, [Redacted]. Thanks for writing. I’m really glad your friend has you in her life.

I get it. Grief is a funny thing. It’s the time in our life when we most need help, and also the time when asking for help is so hard. Not because we are ashamed to ask for help, although that happens sometimes too. But mostly because our brain just sort of shuts down.

When my Dad died, I looked functional. But I wasn’t OK. Not at all. And when the news got out, the ton of people flooding me with calls, texts, and DM’s was overwhelming. I really couldn’t function. I sat on the swing in our yard and just stared into space. People called and asked what they could do to help. I had no idea.

“Well, anything you need at all, let me know, OK?”

“OK”.

They hung up. I stared into space some more.

I had no idea what to do. What I needed. I didn’t even know what to ask for.

Then a friend sent a text. This friend had met Dad once but didn’t really know him. But still, she knew I was hurting. I saw who it was and almost put the phone down without reading the text, but I saw the message and it stopped me:

Will you be home at 8:30 tonight?

What’s weird is this friend lives 12 hours away from me.

Yes, I replied.

“K.”

10 minutes later, she said, “Instacart will be there at 8:30. Open the door for them.”

“What?”

“Grief Groceries.”

When Instacart showed up, they put two large bags of groceries on my porch. Frozen pizzas. Ice cream. Oreo cookies. Tinned soup. Stouffer’s lasagna. A gallon of milk. Like that. Things I could heat up if I needed a meal, or pig out on if I needed fat and sugar. Sometimes, you just need to eat half a box of Oreos.

Notice she didn’t ask if I needed any food. I would have said no. She just asked if I would be home.

Grief groceries.

Another friend, who lives out of town, asked Renee to name a restaurant near our house where we like to eat. There is a local chain near our house that is sort of a deli. When we eat supper there, we spend about $25. Renee told her the name of the place.

An hour later, there was a gift card in my inbox for $250. Yes, that is a lot of money, and I understand not everyone can do that. But the wonderful thing was that because it was enough for multiple meals, we didn’t try to save it for “the right time”. We ate there that night, and take out from there several times a week for the next month on nights when I just didn’t have the spoons to cook.

Both of those gift-givers knew something I didn’t know – that when you are grieving, you don’t want to make decisions. No, that’s not quite it: You can’t make decisions. You hit decision fatigue really fast.

So, I guess what I’m saying is, don’t ask grieving people to make big choices or decisions. “How can I help” is a big choice. But “Can I take the kids this afternoon so you can have some time to yourself” is a much smaller one. “Will you be home tonight?” is a small choice. “What restaurant do you like” is a small decision. Just showing up to cut their grass because you noticed it needed cutting is loads better than asking, “Do you want me to cut the grass?” Or, “I’m going to Target. What can I get you while I’m there?” is better than “Can I run any errands for you?”

It won’t always be like this. If you stick around, eventually they will surface and ways to be helpful will make themselves known. But in the first few days, especially, it helps to remove as many decisions from their plate as possible.

Take care,

HH

Note: If you have a question you would like me to answer on my blog, send it to me via the contact page on the website, or via PM here. I won’t use your name or any identifying details.

(Reposted from my blog. The link to the original post is in the comments).

06/03/2023

Celebration of life for Rodney Eisenbise

06/03/2023

So many times I've heard everything is taken care of to find out that all was done was cemetery space was purchased. There is so much more to planning.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=217874047703642&id=100084431432073&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=RUbZ1f

Come on down! 🪦

By the way, graves cost a lot more than you think. If you want to be buried someday, it’s worth looking into it now (while you can shop around and make payments) rather than waiting until it’s an urgent need.

Different cemeteries offer differ things. Some allow caskets to be stacked within a grave like eternal bunk beds. If you think you *might* want to do that to save space and money while keeping family together, it’s much easier to arrange when the FIRST occupant is buried. They dig the grave deeper to leave space for the second person above. If that isn’t done, then it’s a slightly more difficult and expensive process later (when Body 2 dies, Body 1 must be dug up, then the grave is dug deeper, then they replant Body 1 before the funeral for Body 2).

There are also options to consider, like mausoleum crypts, columbariums for urns, or urns buried above caskets in the ground.

When you buy your cemetery property, you don’t actually *own* the land. What you own is the right to bury in that space. Be sure to read the cemeteries rules and restrictions before purchasing. Then you won’t be surprised about what headstones they allow or what decorations are permitted.

Another thing! When you buy your cemetery property, there will be extra costs. Buying the grave doesn’t mean your funeral is taken care of. There are fees to open and close the grave and some cemeteries require the use of a vault (outer burial container). You need to pay for that AND a setting fee because they’re super heavy. Headstones, markers, vases etc are extra.

You’ll usually have to pay a fee called Endowment Care or Perpetual Care. That money is collected into a fund and the interest is used for cemetery maintenance after they’ve stopped making money.

ETA: I forgot to mention veterans! Yes, US veterans are entitled to a free grave, marker, plus free opening/closing, vault, vault setting fee etc BUT… only if they’re buried in a National Cemetery AND they still need to pay a mortuary for funeral services, body prep, a casket etc.

If a veteran wants to be buried in not-a-National-Cemetery, then they need to BUY the grave and pay for all the burial fees. In that case, the military will give them a free marker. So they’ve got that going for them, which is nice.

Anyways, it adds up! Do your homework NOW!

06/02/2023

What's your favorite donut?

05/29/2023

Spending today in remembrance. Thank you to all those who have served.

Come check us out at www.heritageofeldorado.com.

05/23/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for Trueman "Don" Donald Briggs of El Dorado, KS.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

BRIGGS, TRUEMAN DONALD DON, 72, passed away on May 17, 2023 at Harry Hynes Hospice in Wichita. Arrangements are pending at this time and will be updated here shortly.

05/18/2023

Congratulations to Marsha Piha, one of our winners from the Butler County Spring Fling, who stopped by today to pick up her Dillons gift card.

05/17/2023

05/14/2023

Mothers Day after losing a mom or losing a child is never the same again. We think of you all today as you traverse this very important day.
https://www.juliehoagwriter.com/2018/05/11/21-ways-honor-your-mom-on-mothers-day-after-she-has-passed-away/?cn-reloaded=1

05/11/2023

Come join us at the Butler County Spring Fling at the civic center in El Dorado.

05/09/2023

Join us this Thursday at the civic center in El Dorado. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=594500459391324&id=100064941240298&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=6aamW6

After a three-year absence, we are thrilled to have our SPRING FLING Senior Resource Fair back in 2023. The big event will be Thursday, May 11, 2023. Mark your calendars!!

05/09/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for Jerry Wilson.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

View JERRY EFFORT WILSON's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

05/09/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for Rodney "Rod" Carl Eisenbise of El Dorado, KS.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

EISENBISE, RODNEY CARL ROD, 80, formerly of Colby, KS passed away on April 30, 2023, at his home in El Dorado after a battle with cancer. Rodney was born on June 17, 1942, in Stafford, KS the eldest of seven children to Eugene and Edith Nickey Eisenbise. Rods family moved

05/09/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for Patrick "Pat" Lee Holliday.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

Patrick Holliday, 69, went home to the Lord on April 29th, 2023 in El Dorado, KS. Born in Rock Island, Illinois to Norville and Iona Holliday on November 13, 1953. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Nancy Holliday and three daughters Nicole and Becky Omaha and Abigail

05/09/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for John Herman Wassner.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

WASSNER, JOHN HERMAN, 75, Army veteran and retired Dolly Madison employee, passed away at Flint Hills Rehab in Emporia on April 27, 2023. John was born in San Bernadino, CA on July 23, 1947 to Samuel Herman and Dorthy Jane Lipps Wassner. Arrangements are pending.

05/08/2023

Wishing all the nurses out there a wonderful nurses week. Thank you all for all the blood, sweat, and tears you put into patient care.

05/04/2023

Thank you to all the men and women protecting us in fighting fires.

05/03/2023

Come support our law enforcement and get answers to any questions you may have.

05/03/2023

Today on National Widow’s Day, do every widow you know a special favor. Talk about their dead spouse. Speak their name. As a widow one of the most painful things is to the think that others have forgotten your late spouse. Remember, that our lives were forever changed in a single moment. Our life as we knew it ended when our spouse died. The future we had planned vanished, never to happen. Our present became one of basic survival. We no longer felt whole, complete. A part of us died in that moment. And our loss should not and cannot be ignored.

05/02/2023

Are you “ready” to die?

Dr. Sunita Puri spent her residency waiting for some sort of sign that her patients were ready to talk about their death before she felt she could be open with them about it.

She soon realized that those “arbitrary signs” she was looking for were few and far between.

Upon personal reflection, Dr. Puri realized that waiting for the right moment to share life-changing news was just a way to give herself an excuse to avoid that hard conversation. And by abandoning the search for the perfect moment, she could, “care for people in a way that might inspire [our] own versions of preparation.”

Read the full New York Times article at the link in our comments or watch Dr. Puri’s beautiful talk at endwellproject.org.=mo&mibextid=6aamW6

04/25/2023

RIP to a legend.

Harry Belafonte, a legendary performer and icon, has died at age 96, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday.

04/25/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for Anna Sue Ross.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

Anna Sue Ross, 90 Went home to be with the Lord April 16, 2023 surrounded by loving family.

04/25/2023

Heritage Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements for Nadine Temple.
Please sign the guest book or leave condolences for the family at the link below.

View NADINE FRANCES TEMPLE's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.