Adrian B. Strathman, 81, of Seneca, KS, died late Saturday, March 16, 2002, at the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca.

He was born November 10, 1920, on a farm south of Baileyville, KS, the son of Frank C. and Josephine Burdick Strathman. Adrian attended Center School, Sacred Heart School in Baileyville, Seneca Public High School for three years, and graduated from St. Benedict High School in St. Benedict in 1938. He helped on family farm and later farmed southeast of Axtell.

On May 25, 1954, he married Marguerite Quinlan Schmits at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. She survives of the home in Seneca. They lived on the farm southeast of Axtell until 1957 when they moved to a farm north of St. Benedict, KS. They farmed and operated a Grade A Dairy until 1970. They retired from farming and moved into Seneca in 1983.

He was on the steering committee and served as chairman of the Rural Water District #3 when it was formed in 1972. He was the manager of the RWD #3 from 1974 to 1989.

He was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church and the St. Joseph’s Society, an usher for funerals, a volunteer at the Sts. Peter & Paul Mission Center, all at the church in Seneca, and a life member of the Knights of Columbus #1769. He also served on the boards of the Step Foundation and the Seneca Golf Club. He was a former member of St. Mary’s Church where he was a religion teacher, lector, and Eucharistic minister. He and his wife were members of the Seneca Squares and enjoying dancing with the club many years.

Survivors besides his wife Marguerite are two sons, Leroy and Paul Strathman, both of Seneca; four daughters, Betty Sudbeck and Teresa Stallbaumer, both of Bern, Bernice Montgomery of Topeka, and Marilyn Glissman of Seneca; a brother, Galen Strathman of Seneca; three sisters, Agatha Strathman and Darlene Haug, both of Seneca, and Mary Kay Fangman of Topeka; 18 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a son, Daniel Schmits on May 4, 1970; a granddaughter, Emily Dawn Montgomery on August 22, 1986; two brothers, Sylvester and Joseph H. Strathman; and three sisters, Eileen Strathman, Bernice Strathman, and Frances Kramer.

Mass of Christian burial will be 10:30 AM Wednesday at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. Burial will be in the church cemetery. There will be a visitation with the family at 7 PM Monday at the funeral home. There will be a vigil prayer service 2 PM Tuesday at the funeral home, with visitation with the family afterwards. There will be a rosary at 7 PM Tuesday, also with visitation with the family afterwards.

Memorials may be given for Sts. Peter & Paul School or for the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital Home Health Service, and sent in care of the family.