Emanuel Doll, 92, died Thursday, June 25, in Garden City.
Born Oct. 27, 1922, in his family’s home in Barton County, Kansas, Doll was the seventh of 10 children born to Joseph and Mary Regina (Habiger) Doll.
He attended school at District No. 13 School in Barton County and graduated from Claflin High School. He attended Kansas State University before joining the Navy in 1942. In the Navy, Doll trained to become a pilot and went on to fly TBF and TBM Avenger torpedo bombers from aircraft carriers during World War II, primarily in the Pacific. He flew mostly reconnaissance missions in the Pacific, looking for submarines. After the war ended and Doll was discharged from military service, he returned to farm with his family, which had invested in land in central and western Kansas.
He married Catherine Feist on Jan. 3, 1949, at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Barton County, and the couple moved to Wright, Kan., to begin farming ground that the Dolls owned in the area. Within a year, Catherine and Emanuel had put in their first crops, built their first home – a house without electrical service located in northeast Finney County – and welcomed their first child. Through the years, the Dolls added to their farm and their family, building a new home in 1963 to accommodate what would eventually be a family of 10 daughters and seven sons.
Doll was active in the St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Ingalls, serving as president of the church’s first parish council. He also served on the original school board for Theoni School. He also served on the board of the Ingalls Co-op. In later years, Doll served on the Garden City school district board and the area’s Pawnee watershed conservation board, and was a member of St. Dominic Catholic Church. In 2012, Emanuel and Catherine Doll were named Finney County Pioneers by the Finney County Historical Society. Until his health failed, Doll liked to visit with friends and relatives over cards or coffee, argue about politics and travel. He also was a fan of history and biographies, especially those dealing with Kansas and Colorado.
He was preceded in death by his parents; five sisters, Laura Oberle, Cecelia Robl, Florentine Doll, Marcella Eisenberg and Germaine Tenholder; four brothers, Raymond, Albert, Edward and Warren; and a son, James Emanuel.
He is survived by his wife of the home; six sons, Donald, rural Garden City; Joe, Broomfield, Colo.; Eric, rural Garden City; and Jesse, Mark and Matt, all of Garden City; 10 daughters, Sister Gemma Doll, Columbus, Ohio; Susie Miller, The Villages, Fla.; Colette Maune, Wichita; Julie Doll, Wichita; Sharon Doll, Bradenton, Fla.; Lisa Bonds, Hutchinson; Janet Plunkert, Littleton, Colo.; Christine Ritchie, Kansas City, Mo.; Mari Pianalto, Bucklin; and Amiee Hale, Kokomo, Ind.; 41 grandchildren and step-grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Vigil Service and Rosary will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at St. Dominic Catholic Church in Garden City. Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 2, 2015 also at St. Dominic Catholic Church with Fr. Reginald A. Urban as presider. Burial will follow at Valley View Cemetery in Garden City. Friends may call from Noon to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday all at Garnand Funeral Home in Garden City. The family requests memorials to St. Dominic Catholic Church or Dominican Sisters of Peace both in care of Garnand Funeral Home.