Vivian Ruth Urban, 100, of Lucas, Kansas, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, October 16, 2025, in the presence of her loving family.
Vivian was born on August 9, 1925, to Noah and Ruth (Cullens) McGuire on the family farm seven miles northwest of Lucas, Kansas, in Osborne County. She was the sixth of their ten children.
Vivian learned early that faith in God, working hard, being persistent, respectful, kind, and generous was how she wanted to live her life. She loved growing up on the farm, working and having fun alongside her brothers, sisters, and parents. Times back then were good and bad, just like today. Her family survived the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. She saw her brothers serve in World War II and return home safely. Those formative years shaped her into the wonderful, exceptional, and loving woman we all knew and loved. Vivian met and surpassed countless milestones in her 100-plus years, and she thanked God every day for her blessed life.
Vivian graduated from Lucas High School in 1943 and taught at North Delhi and Greenview County Grade Schools for two years. She married Duane Urban on December 16, 1945, in the Delhi Church north of Lucas. They started their family while living in Sylvan Grove, Kansas. They raised eight children: LaVaughn Ruth, Mary Frances, Carol Jean, Duane Carlisle, Mildred Marie, David Lee, Jo Ann, and Richard Alan, while farming and ranching. Times were tough for a lot of people during those years. Vivian and Duane welcome Sharon and Dale Urban, their niece and nephew, into their home for about a year to help out the family. It wasn’t easy, but that’s what you did for family.
When farming didn’t work out in 1964, the couple moved to Lucas, Kansas, and began working at K-18 Café and Home Oil Company. Then, in 1965, they started leasing the Café until 1981, when they purchased the business. They ran K-18 Café for 22 years until their retirement in 1987. During the Café years, Vivian wore many, many hats. She worked multiple shifts most days, and it was open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year back then. She was a cook, waitress, dishwasher, baker; she did payroll, taxes, laundry, and scheduling. The list goes on. Plus, she still took care of raising her family of eight kids. Most of whom worked alongside her at the Café. Vivian was a lifetime member of the Methodist Church and a 79-year member of the Order of the Eastern Star.
Vivian was well known in the Lucas and Sylvan Grove communities and surrounding towns. Not only from the meals and pies she made at the Café, but every Sunday she brought to church banana-nut bread, cookies, and angel food cake. For family reunions and holidays, there were all flavors of pies, cookies, and kolaches, banana-nut bread, chocolate cheesecake, and her famous homemade chicken and noodle soup. (This is why most of us are not skinny.) If you ever stopped by to visit her, it was a good bet you were leaving with a loaf of banana-nut bread. Vivian continued her baking and cooking until around 98 years of age, when she decided to slow down.
Vivian loved seeing her grandchildren. Most of them called her “Grams”. She and Duane taught them to play pinochle, pitch, rummy, and cribbage. They would spend hours at home with them playing cards, sometimes until past their bedtime, because Grandpa hadn’t won a game yet. She also spent time teaching some of them how to make egg noodles, kolaches, and other recipes from scratch.
Up until her eyesight began failing, Vivian was an avid reader of many different genres of fiction. She also enjoyed her time at the Lucas Golden Age Center (Senior Center), having coffee, lunch, visiting, and playing pitch in the afternoon with her friends. Of course, she was never empty-handed when she came.
Vivian was also the person to ask if you had a question about local history. It didn’t matter what it was about, a person, place, event, or date. She was always able to recall the answer, plus even more related information. Even at 100 years of age, her memory never failed to amaze.
She always enjoyed watching or listening to her Kansas City Chiefs and Royals games on television and would cheer them on, wrapped up in their blankets to keep warm.
Earlier, Vivian’s persistence was mentioned, and another example of her determination was when she had a major heart attack at 99, which she recovered from. So she was able to make it to her 100th birthday party and celebrate that milestone with family and friends.
Vivian’s legacy is a remarkable one filled with love and devotion to family, kindness, generosity, her quiet strength and sense of humor, and never complaining because that was a waste of time. She was supportive and always available to listen, encourage, and give advice if needed. Her passing leaves an emptiness in the hearts of all who loved her, and she will never be forgotten by those whose lives she touched.
Surviving family includes her children: Carol (Pete) Soto, Jr., Mildred Zurenda, David (Candi) Urban, Jo Ann (Lester) Frederking, Richard (Connie) Urban, 22 grandchildren, 69 great-grandchildren, 12 great-great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Duane on June 11, 1998, her parents and siblings: Lavona Heinze, Nova Blundon, Naomi McNeil, Mary Jane Hendrix, Anita Isbell, Arven McGuire, Wilbur McGuire, and Richard McGuire, son: Duane Urban II, daughters: Mary Berry, and LaVaughn Urban, grandson: Lance Emerson, and great-granddaughter Jillian Fuellbier.
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