Opal Louise Ryff, 92, passed away peacefully at Pinnacle Park Healthcare in Salina, Kansas on Sunday, August 17, 2025.
“Louise” was born on August 27, 1932, near Eudora, KS in ‘the old Johnson County Timber’, daughter to Esther (Rothrock) and Orvel Wilson. In 1933, the family moved to the area west of Kipp in Saline County. In 1935, they relocated to the Bob White farm in east Salina at the Cloud Street Fjord on the Smoky Hill River. Louise often told the stories of her childhood growing up two miles south of Marymount College and across the fence west of the Salina Elks Country Club. Her father farmed the area and milked cows with the Whites; the girls played around the bluff and waded in the old Smoky Hill River. In 1944, the family moved to the area just west of Gypsum where her father farmed for several more years. Louise graduated from Gypsum High School in 1950, then continued to Brown Mackie in Salina. She worked at Woolworths, Salina Journal, and Salina Tractor while at Brown Mackie. Lousie soon met Marvin Ryff on a blind date, and they were married on September 18, 1954, in Salina. Five children were born to this union: Rhonda, Randy, Ramona, Roxann, and Rusty.
In February 1956, after Marvin graduated from Airborne Paratrooper training, the couple settled on a small farmstead between Dillon and Elmo, Kansas at a former railroad stop known as “Dayton”. Louise and Marvin resumed farming with his father Henry and began their part of a six-generation family farm currently operated by their grandson Logan Ryff.
On the farm, Louise was a hard worker, riding horses, driving tractors, drilling wheat, hauling grain, tending livestock, and raising five children. Louise enjoyed a large garden and home canning vegetables, mostly out of necessity when the kids were young. Louise also loved to sing and was a member of the Ebenezer Baptist Church Sextet for many years. Louise loved family vacations to Colorado after wheat harvest, and looked forward to hosting holiday gatherings with children, family, and cousins. She cherished the lifelong friendships shared with the Jim Rutz family, Robert Riffel family, and Lyle Rechnagel family where all the kids felt like cousins growing up.
Louise was a farm wife, homemaker, and bookkeeper. After Marvin’s passing in 1979, Louise continued to support the boys on the family farm and began bookkeeping at the Carlton and Dillon grain elevators. She later retired as a bank teller after 18 years at the First National Bank of Hope, Kansas. After retirement and moving to Abilene, she kept a small garden with tomatoes, chilies, and a variety of beautiful flowers. She enjoyed feeding her birds, squirrels, and mason bees, watching golf tournaments and KU basketball, taking walks, and solving a good crossword puzzle. She loved watching out for the orioles, ring-necked doves, Mississippi kites, and even the turkey buzzards, as they all migrated through the area.
Louise was preceded in death by her parents, husband Marvin, son Randy, grandson Matthew Ryff, brother-in-law Vernon Allen, and many dear cousins and extended family. She is survived by her children: Rhonda (Mark) Person, Salina, KS; Ramona (Max) Linder, Abilene, KS; Roxann (Nicholas) Case, Carlsbad, NM; Rustin (Rusty & Kimberr) Ryff, Assaria, KS; and daughter-in-law Donna Ryff, Hope, KS. Louise was a proud grandmother to Alycia (Scott) Schoenfeld, Logan (Sarah) Ryff, Jessica (Scott) McSpadden, Jamie Linder, Jake Linder, Josh Case, Camden Case, and Shea Case, and nine great grandchildren. She is also survived by a sister, Lillian Allen and niece Sheree (Dan) Keller of Orlando, FL.
A short memorial service will be held at 10:00 AM, Thursday, August 28th, 2025, at Danner Funeral Home in Abilene, KS, followed by graveside service at the Ebenezer Baptist Church Cemetery, 1179 Jeep Road, Abilene, KS. In lieu of flowers, family requests memorial donations be made to the Hope Community Museum or Interim Health & Hospice Care of Salina, KS, in care of the Danner Funeral Home. Memorials may be dropped off or mailed to Danner Funeral Home, 501 N. Buckeye, Abilene, Kansas 67410.
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