Osage City - Philip S. Wiederholt, Sr. was born Dec 31st, 1934, in rural Clyde, Missouri, and passed away peacefully with family at his side last Tuesday. On that sunny day, April 9, 2024, he joined his beloved wife, Kay, and their youngest son, John.

Born on New Year's Eve, he seemed born to celebrate life and loved to dance. After graduating from Princeton High School in 1952 he helped his father on their family farm while working for Ottawa Steel Company. Knowing his love of dancing, his mother encouraged him to follow his dream of becoming a dance teacher. Phil taught ballroom dancing at the Arthur Murray dance studio on the Kansas City Country Club Plaza until 1957 when the Draft Board took him from the dance floor. He spent 2 years in the army, serving from 1958-1959 in Germany.

After the army he attended Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, graduating with a degree in accounting. He was employed in that capacity by Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Missouri.

In 1960, he married his high school sweetheart, Kay Cannady.  In 1970, they built their dream home in Osage City where they raised three boys, Phil, Paul and John. Also, in 1970 he helped open and manage the Hallmark Cards plant in Osage City. He worked for Hallmark Cards until he retired in1997.

He was always interested in learning, building something and helping others. His hobbies included woodworking, welding, music, opera, dancing, learning German and traveling to Germany to visit his German cousins. He built grandfather clocks, circular staircases for friends and family members, gun cases for his brothers and beautiful Walnut desks for sons, Paul and John. He cured his own lumber after selecting and cutting down the perfect tree. His last woodworking project was during the last year of his life when he borrowed and duplicated a walking cane he particularly liked.

An avid K-State football fan, he, Kay and Phil Jr. looked forward to attending football games with his brother Leo and sister-in-law, Mary. He later became a real fan of K-State girls basketball and continued to follow them either in person or on TV until a few weeks before his death.

But his passion was locating and restoring Ferguson tractors and equipment, a hobby he enjoyed with his late brother, Cletus. They frequented tractor shows throughout the US and joined Ferguson Enthusiasts of North America where he served as president for many years.

He was diagnosed with inoperable lymphoma in 1998 followed by a year of intense chemotherapy. When pronounced cancer free in 1999, he and Kay flew to Seattle to attend a 4-night German opera.

He was devoted to family and particularly enjoyed their Memorial Day reunions and traveling to different parts of the country for biannual sib and spouse reunions.

In 2013 he suffered a severe stroke resulting in complete left sided paralysis. This handicap did not slow him down or steal his vitality and passion for life. He learned to ambulate and do with one hand what he used to do with 2. He continued to drive to tractor shows and meet up with his siblings for pie or coffee at the Lyndon Coffee shop. He was committed to providing care for his wife, Kay, for over 20 years after her diagnosis with Parkinson's Disease. Following her death Sept of 2022, Phil was re-diagnosed with cancer and underwent chemotherapy until recently.

In spite of their disabilities, it was possible for Phil and Kay to remain in their Osage home thanks to the support and oversight of their son, Paul, and the physical care provided by Phil Jr. who lived with them for the past 9 years.

Phil was preceded in death by his wife, Kay; his youngest son, John in 1989; his parents Leo and Catherine Wiederholt; his oldest sister, Dorothy; and brothers Ralph and Cletus.

Phil is survived by two sons, Philip Jr. Osage City, and Paul of Stilwell, KS; four grandchildren, Jamie (Travis) Krueger, Amanda Wiederholt, John Wiederholt, and Joey Wiederholt; two great grandchildren, Summer and Tigg; 3 brothers, Leo Robert (Mary), Maurice (Donna), and Francis (Hazel), two sisters, Lovina (Ken) Fitzgerald, and Rosemary Peterson, and sister-in-law Maureen Wiederholt, wife of his late brother Cletus. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Mass of Christian burial for Phil will be at 2:00pm on Monday, April 15 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Osage City. Visitation with the family will be from 1:00pm until service time. Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery at Osage City. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to the American Cancer Society, sent in care of Feltner Funeral Home, 818 Topeka Avenue, Lyndon, KS 66451.