Lillian D. Papay, 86, Dimmitt, Texas, formerly of Great Bend, Kansas, passed away Sunday, November 23, 2008 at Dimmitt, Texas. She was born June 24, 1922 to Gerd and Geneva Steincamp at Ripley, Oklahoma. She was a graduate of Ripley High School. She married Emit Papay April 18, 1940 at Aurora, Colorado. He died July 18, 1998. Mrs. Papay was a telephone operator for Bell Telephone in Great Bend. She was a Signal Corps Operator during World War II at Pensacola, Florida. Mr. and Mrs. Papay were owners of Central Transport, Inc., for twenty-five years at Great Bend. Mrs. Papay was a member of First Christian Church, Great Bend. She served as a Republican co-chairman for Barton County, was Campaign Co-Chairperson for Senator Bob Dole, was a delegate for the State of Kansas to the 1988 Republican National Convention; and was the Soroptimist Woman of Distinction in 1989. Most recently she served as mayor of Great Bend from 1997 to 1999. She was elected to the Kansas State Senate in 1992, serving through 1996. Mrs. Papay is survived by her daughter, Carol Lust and husband, Rex, Dimmitt, Texas; three granddaughters: Rebecca Schroeder, McKinney, Texas; Wendy Lust, Sunray, Texas; and Nicole Lentz, Kansas City, Kansas; three grandsons: Cory Lust, Sunray, Texas; Cameron Lust, Lubbock, Texas; and Brett Jarmer, Topeka, Kansas; one great-granddaughter, Sage Lust, Sunray, Texas; two great-grandsons: Cray and Cutter Lust, Sunray, Texas; two sisters: Martha Steincamp and Marilyn Shetlar, both of Leawood, Kansas; loving friend, Shellie Collins, Dimmitt, Texas; and loving friend and caretaker, Gloria Montoya, Dimmitt, Texas. She was preceded in death by her husband, Emit Papay; her parents; two infant sisters; and three brothers, Harold Steincamp, Charles Steincamp, and Robert Steincamp. Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m., Friday, November 28, 2008 at Bryant Funeral Home with the Reverend William F. Johnson officiating. Burial will be Saturday, November 29, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. in Great Bend Cemetery, Great Bend, Kansas. Friends may call from 9:00 a.m. to service time, Friday, November 28, 2008 at the funeral home. Memorials in Mrs. Papay's name have been established with Hospice Cares of Dimmitt, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, or the American Cancer Society, all in care of the funeral home.