Clifford L. Holthaus, 25, of rural Centralia, KS, died Thursday, April 27, 2006, in Centralia.

He was born November 27, 1980, at the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca, the son of Thomas and Connie Kussman Holthaus. He grew up two miles north of Centralia.

After he completed seventh grade, for several summers before he graduated from high school, he went on the wheat harvest with Mike Bergman, and always enjoyed the harvest season. In 1999 he graduated from Centralia High School, where he had a love of football and made All-League Offensive Tackle. Following high school, he worked for CR in Seneca for a year before enrolling in the Manhattan Area Technical College in the drafting program. After graduating from there, he went to work as a custom drafter for Custom Woods in St. Marys. In January of 2002 he began work for the Kansas Department of Transportation in the Wamego office as an engineer tech.

On May 8, 2004, he married Krissy L. Zuniga at Centralia, and just recently made their home in rural Centralia.

He attended Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. Cliff was a member of the Centralia Fire Department. He enjoyed all outdoor activities; four-wheeling, barbequing, hunting, and spending time with family and friends.

Survivors besides his wife are his parents, Thomas and Connie Holthaus of Centralia; a brother, Clayton Holthaus of Manhattan; grandparents Alvin and Lois Kussman of Topeka; and his great-grandmother, Thelma Cross of Centralia.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents Lawrence Holthaus and Nona Holthaus Kramer and his great-grandfather, Raymond Cross.

Mass of Christian burial will be 10 AM Monday, May 1, at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. Burial will be in the Centralia Cemetery. Rosaries will be prayed at 2 & 7 PM on Sunday at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.

Memorials may be given for the Centralia Preschool or for the Centralia High School Football Program and sent in care of the family.