RICHARD MICHAEL "DOC" MOLITOR

Dateline/Willowdale

Richard Michael "Doc" Molitor, 93, died March 17, 2023 at Wheatlands Healthcare Center, Kingman.

He was born January 20, 1930, during a blizzard on the family farm in rural Willowdale, Kansas the  son of William "Bude" and Anna Kimminau. He was the oldest of nine children and a lifetime resident of the Willowdale community.  he was a farmer and rancher.

Richard loved his farm and was able to drive the tractor and work the ground up to the age of 89.  In his early years he raised sheep with over 500 head in his herd at one time. He also raised chickens and sold eggs.  In 1952 he went to Dodge City, KS and bought his first set of female Registered Angus Heifers. He loved his cattle and every day till this past December you could see & hear Doc in his cake feeder pick-up going on the famous "tour" of feeding his cattle.  He has raised Registered Angus cattle since and held his first Angus Production Sale in 1980.  The family just hosted the 44 ^th Sale at the ranch. Richard and Angela enjoyed vacations in the summer with the whole family to OK, MO, AR, and CO.  They were also  traveled  to the countries of China, Ireland, Spain, Panama and Portugal.  Doc was an avid Royals fan and enjoyed a good game of pitch and Texas-hold em.

Doc was a member of the St. Peter Catholic Church and Knights of Columbus, both at Willowdale; former President and current member of the Kansas Angus Association; the Kansas National Guard Reserve; a former Kingman County 4-H Sheep Superintendent for over twenty years; and in 1995 received the Master Farmer Award.

On April 25, 1952, he married Angela Patry in Wichita.  Other survivors include their son Michael and his wife Susan; six daughters Marsha (Mike) Strothman, Deborah (Michael) Obrock, Constance (Bud) Oak, Sandy (Doug) Walbridge, Nancy (Mike) Dailey, and Lisa Schmidt.  Doc loved to tell the joke "I have six daughters and each one has a brother".  Doc's surviving siblings; brother Jim (Cindy) Molitor; sisters Katherine Ewertz, Joan (Craig) Plassmeyer, June Thome, Diane (Tom) Clarisse; 15 grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by brother William "Billy Joe" Molitor; and sisters Mary Ann Poss and Clarice Hanna.

Parish rosary with family visitation will be 6:30 p.m., Thursday, March 23, 2023, at the St. Peter Catholic Church, Willowdale.  Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m., Friday, also at St. Peter Catholic Church.  Burial will be in the St. Peter Church Cemetery.

Memorials may be made with St. Peter Church Building Fund or the St. Peter Church Cemetery fund, both in care of the funeral home.