Sylvester M. “Bud” Ronnebaum, 84, of Seneca, Kansas, died early Tuesday morning, March 23, 2004, at the Nemaha Valley Community Hospital in Seneca.

He was born September 8, 1919 on a farm northeast of Seneca, the son of Clemens and Anna Strathman Ronnebaum. He grew up there, attended Victory #99 School and Sts. Peter & Paul School in Seneca. After school, he worked on the family farm helping his dad.

On February 8, 1944, he married Eleanor Heinen at St. Bede’s Church in Kelly. They farmed northeast of Seneca until 1947 when they purchased their farm south of Seneca. He owned and operated buses for Kelly District #21 and later Unified Seneca District #442. In 1980 they retired and moved into Seneca.

He was a member of Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca and a former member of St. Bede’s Church in Kelly. He served several years on the church committee and was a board member of the Kelly School District. He was one of the organizers of the Community National Bank of Seneca. Bud enjoyed playing cards and visiting with his friends. He had a large garden and shared his produce with family and friends.

Survivors are his wife Eleanor of the home; two sons, Bernard of Seneca and Wayne of Beloit; a daughter, Kathleen Berg of Leavenworth; a brother, Wilfred of Seneca; three sisters, Helen Heinen of Seneca, Evelyn Hammes of Topeka, Florence Deters of Centralia; eight grandchildren and a great-grand daughter.

He was preceded in death by three brothers, Henry, Vincent, and Melvin Ronnebaum; and two sisters, Frances, as an infant, and Catherine Rettele.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 AM Thursday at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. Burial will be in the church cemetery. A prayer service will be held at 2 PM Wednesday, with a rosary at 7 PM Wednesday, at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.

Memorials may be given for Sts. Peter & Paul School or for St. Bede’s Church, and sent in care of the family.