Virgil F. Kober, Sr., 80, passed away April 16, 2019 at Leisure Homestead in St. John. He was born November 8, 1938 at Rural Olmitz to Alfred and Mary (Stremel) Kober. He married Violet Ridley June 27, 1958 at Seattle, WA. She died January 23, 1995. He then married Melva (Sohm) Mays in 1999, in Great Bend. She survives.

A lifetime Barton Co. resident, Virgil lived in Great Bend. He was a graduate of Bison rural high school, and a member of the Prince of Peace Parish at St. Rose, the NRA and Knights of Columbus. He was owner of Sunflower Backhoe & Trenching, Inc. and a farmer. He was veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard. He enjoyed gardening, hunting and fishing.

Survivors include, one daughter, Julie Braymer and her husband Cary of Great Bend; three sons, Virgil Kober, Jr. and Fred Kober, Sr., both of Great Bend, and Leonard Kober of Colorado Springs, CO; Melva's two children, Dr. Joe Rosenberg and his wife Tammy of St. John and Dan and Mary Ann Rosenberg and her grandchildren; one brother, Al Kober of Boise, ID; three sisters, Leona Prosser of Great Bend, Bernadette Schmidt of Wamego and Helen Beebe of Wichita; 14 grandchildren, Melissa Swanson, Michael Braymer, Madisen L. Braymer, Chasity Levingston, Chelsea Kober, Craig Kober, Melanie Taylor, Shannon Kober, LaTosha Alvarez, Fred Kober, Jr., Sherri L. Kober, Jordan Kober, Tara Click and Jarrod Kober; 21 great-grandchildren; special friend and helper, David Contrerez; and his dogs, Mickey and Lucky. He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Violet; and two sisters, Betty Stolzenburg and Agnes Kober.

A Vigil will be held at 7:00 p.m., Monday, April 22, 2019 at Bryant Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, April 23, 2019, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Great Bend, with Father Ted Stoecklein presiding. Inurnment will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Park, with military honors.  Memorials are suggested to the Prince of Peace Parish or Golden Belt Humane Society, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.