Elmer J. “Bud” Olberding, 90, of Baileyville, KS died Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at Life Care Center in Seneca.

He was born August 20, 1919, on a farm a mile-and-a-half southeast of Baileyville, the son of Ben and Philomina Dick Olberding. He grew up there, attended Sacred Heart School Grade School in Baileyville and graduated from Sts. Peter & Paul High School in Seneca in 1938. To attend high school in Seneca, he rode a horse the five-mile distance from the family farm. After high school, he worked on a farm near Concordia for a year. In 1939 he moved to Peoria, IL where he worked in a warehouse for Hiram Walker Whiskey Ltd.

On December 27, 1941, he married Mable E. Weatherford in Atchison. She preceded him in death on October 17, 2001.

On March 12, 1942, he entered the U.S. Army and served with the 85th Calvary Reconnaissance as a forward observer in Normandy, northern France, Rhineland, and other central European battlegrounds. He was awarded the Purple Heart, five battle stars, and was wounded two times, once in the jaw and another time in the leg.

After his discharge in October 1945, he returned to civilian employment in the storage caves around Atchison for a year before returning to Baileyville, where he took a civil service test and began work with the U.S. Post Office. He delivered mail for the rural route north of Baileyville to the northeast state line. He retired in 1974 after 35 years of combined government service with the Post Office and Army.

“Bud,” as he was known, was a member of Sacred Heart Church in Baileyville, where he did volunteer work for 15 years. He also served on the church board for four years and was the president of the finance committee. He was a member of the National Association of Federal Employees, the Rural Letter Carriers Association, a charter member of the Rural Water District #2 , and a former president of the Nemaha-Brown County Association of Federal Employees. He enjoyed fishing, hunting and simply being outdoors.

Survivors are a daughter, Mary Ann Cupp of Kansas City, KS; four grandchildren that he raised as his own, Tony and John Cheray, both of Lawrence, and Joe and Christy Cheray, both of Topeka; a brother, Earl Olberding of Topeka; and a sister, Margie Billinger of Independence, MO.

Besides his wife, he was preceded in death by five sisters, Viola Antle, Augusta “Gussie” Henry, Bobbie Droge, Leona Mae Droge, and Lillian Fangman.

Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 AM Thursday, October 15, at Sacred Heart Church in Baileyville. Burial will be in the church cemetery. A rosary will be prayed at 2 PM Wednesday at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.

Memorials may be given for Sacred Heart Cemetery, and sent in care of the family.