Eugene Wilford Hicks

Herington - Rev. Eugene Wilford Hicks, 87, of Herington, died Thursday, August 25, 2016, at Wesley Woodlawn Hospital in Wichita, Kansas, with his son Ross and daughter Laura at his side. He was born April 13, 1929, in Ramona, Kansas, to Wilford and Marie (Brunner) Hicks.

He was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ramona, Kansas. He graduated from Ramona High School in 1946 and from McPherson College in 1952.

His musical career began at age 12 when he began playing the organ at Trinity Lutheran Church. During his four years in the U.S. Navy from 1952-56, he served as chapel organist.

At age 18 he began his teaching career at Sunnyside School and then served as principal of Tampa Grade School for two years. He also taught at Ramona, Lost Springs, and Jewell, Kansas.  He completed his master’s in music from Emporia State University in 1958.

While serving for three years as the band instructor at Centre High School, he met and fell in love with the home economics teacher, Mardell Taylor. They were married May 31, 1959, at Messiah Lutheran Church in Emporia. In the fall of 1960, Eugene, Mardell, and their baby daughter moved to Springfield, Illinois, where Gene attended Concordia Theological Seminary, earning a Master of Divinity in 1963.

The family then moved to Winfield, Kansas, where for 15 years he served as a professor of music at St. John’s College (now closed). In later years he was appointed as the head of the school’s music department and also held the position of Dean of the Chapel. Rev. Hicks also served for a time as an assistant pastor at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Wellington. From Winfield the family moved to rural Herington where for 23 years Gene served as pastor of both Immanuel Lutheran Church (Shadybrook) and Zion Lutheran Church of Latimer.

After retiring in Herington, Gene once again became the organist at Trinity Lutheran in Ramona where he had first begun playing at age 12, playing until age 86. Gene is survived by two daughters, Laura Hall (husband , Eddy) of Wichita, and Marian (Mary) Weber (husband, Vernon) of rural Herington; two sons, Ross (wife, Brenda) of Winfield, and Matt Hicks of Abilene; and sister-in-law Deaun Huff, of Sante Fe, New Mexico. He is also survived by five grandchildren (Luke, Ben, and Sophia Weber; and Samuel and Isaac Hicks); and by nephews and nieces (John Ott, Jody Guenther, Cindy Huff, Judy Hodgson, and Joe Hicks). He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Mardell, his brother Bill, and an infant sister.

A Memorial Service will be held 7:00pm Saturday evening, September 3rd, 2016, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church, Herington (Shady Brook) with Rev. Walter Gilkey and Rev. Clark Davis, officiating. The family will receive friends following the services at the church. A private inurnment will be held at a later date at the Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery. Memorials may be given to the LCMS Joint Seminary Fund.