Phil Wertenberger

Kirt “Phil” Phillip Wertenberger Jr., 75, of Sabetha, Kansas passed away on May 23, 2023, at the Sabetha Community Hospital in Sabetha. 

Phil was born on May 17, 1948, to Kirt and Florence “Flossie” (Williams) Wertenberger in Holton, Kansas, and grew up in Circleville, Kansas.  The family moved to Sabetha when Phil was in the 3^rd grade, and he attended Sabetha Elementary School.  Phil graduated from Sabetha High School in 1966.  After graduation, Phil attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas where he was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, a professional agricultural fraternity.  Phil taught his family his fraternity songs, and he loved singing them with his sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren at their family gatherings.

Phil married his high school sweetheart, Linda Myers, on August 18, 1968, and their union was blessed with three sons, Doug, Paul, and Aaron.  Phil and Linda began their life together in Emporia, Kansas where Phil worked at Iowa Beef Processors, Inc.  When they moved to Sabetha, Phil drove a milk truck, and ran local routes where he picked up milk from farms and delivered milk to various locations in the Midwest.  Eventually, this transitioned into other trucking enterprises as well. 

Phil most spent his adult life as an avid cattleman and raised bulls for Pharo Cattle Company.  In his spare time, Phil spent countless hours watching his 11 grandchildren as they participated in basketball, volleyball, track, tennis, football, and showing their 4-H animals.  Phil was known to wear Irish green, Bluejay blue, or CHIEF’S blue and yellow in support of his grandchildren.  Phil was regularly accompanied to Bluejay sporting events by his best friend, Harry (Ann) Barrett, of Sabetha.  Phil earned the title of Great-grandpa with the birth of his great-grandson, Weston.

Phil was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Vonda Lee Wertenberger; and his brother-in-law, Raymond Jackman.     

Phil is survived by his wife, Linda (Myers) Wertenberger, of the home; his three sons and their families, Doug and Anne Wertenberger and their children, Hannah, Rachel, and Kirt of Sabetha, Paul and Christina Wertenberger and their children, Sara (Jake) Eickhoff, Emily and Jessica of Falls City, Nebraska, and Aaron and Tiffany Wertenberger and their children, Brecken, Leighton, Zoe, Sophie, and Millie of St. George, Kansas; his great-grandson, Weston Eickhoff; his sister, Sue Ann Jackman of Sabetha; his brother, Rixey (Brenda) Wertenberger of Sabetha; many nieces and nephews; and many friends.