Delbert Bethke

Delbert “Del” Ellsworth Bethke, 76, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, died peacefully surrounded by his family at Advent Health Shawnee Mission Hospital, Merriam, KS on June 22, 2025. Despite being diagnosed with incurable neuroendocrine cancer 14 years ago, he led an active life, made possible through KU’s monthly treatments, until the last two days of his life when his carcinoid tumors caused multiple organ failure.

Del’s quiet nature and gentle spirit made others feel comfortable. Once they drew him into conversation, he surprised them with how much he knew about business, accounting, the land, the sea, machines, and other topics. And many were amazed to discover his uncanny ability to make or fix just about anything. He was born August 16, 1948 in Hutchison, MN, and grew up on a farm outside Stewart, MN as the 11th of 13 children in the family of William Fredrich Bethke and Sophie Margaret Bormann.

As a farm boy, Del learned how to use, fix and build machinery needed for farming cropland. He also learned how to care for cattle from his brothers-in-law whom he also helped. However, his father hated Minnesota winters so the family was loaded into their old station wagon each fall for a long drive to Long Boat Key, Florida, where they owned a small home. Each winter Del went to school in Florida, enjoyed the sunshine, worked after school, and spent free time with his friends and brothers fishing, snorkeling, and swimming in the ocean. However, for his senior year, he convinced his parents to let him stay all year with his class, so he rented a room in town and lived on his own while they were gone.

After high school, Del joined the U.S. Air Force to avoid being drafted. He hoped to become an electronic engineer, but military testing revealed he was colorblind, although he disagreed. Instead he was sent to cooking/baking school, which turned out to be an asset since he served stateside in Minot ND where the missile silos were located and overseas on Guam where bombers refueled—places where he was safe during the Vietnam War. His military job training was also an asset when he was able to get part-time work as a chef at restaurants when he went to college.

In Guam, Del met Roslyn Moran from Hargrave, KS, a high school English teacher, who was an employee of the Government of Guam. Since the citizens of Guam are Americans with English as their primary language, the schools of Guam educated both military dependents and Guamanian youth together in their schools. In the summer of 1970 they returned to the mainland for about a month and married at St. Michael’s Church in LaCrosse, KS and then returned to Guam.

After Del’s military tour ended and his wife’s teaching contract finished, they returned to Kansas and settled for a year in Lawrence, KS where they both attended the University of Kansas. Using the G.I.Bill, Del worked on his business and accounting degree, and she went to graduate school. The next year they settled in Shawnee, KS, where his wife had another full-time English teaching job. He managed restaurants and commuted to Lawrence until he finished college. With his accounting degree he worked in business as a controller, mainly for The Equipment Company in Kansas City, MO for many years. During these years the couple was blessed with two children, Daniel Grant and JoLynn Maureen. Del also became interested in computer programming and took night classes at UMKC.

In 1983, Del’s father-in-law Jim C. Moran gave him an opportunity to manage his farming operation around Hargrave, KS and other land in Rush County. At that time Jim Moran was declining in health and was considering retirement. Returning to his rural roots appealed to Del, so the family moved to McCracken, KS where his wife had another teaching job. That year the high school was closed at the end of the year due to low enrollment, but the family was blessed with a third child, Patrick John. By 1985 Jim Moran’s health had improved so that he was ready to manage his farm again, and Del was eager to do more work with computers, so the family returned to their Shawnee home which they still owned.

In the Kansas City area, Del worked for several trucking companies while learning more about programming computers to manage accounting and other business operations. In 1989, Del met Mike Urbom, controller for the new Woodlands Race Track, when he answered an ad for an assistant controller. Del was hired for the job and wrote many programs, including one that the State of Kansas needed to capture financial racing information. Later after Urbom left to work at another racetrack, Del took over that job and became the top technical person at the racetrack. Over the years, Del worked with many people, including Urbom, with whom he became life-long friends. For example, at Software First he worked on computer hardware with co-owner Bruce MacBain and created accounting software programs with co-owner CPA Mary MacBain. In 2003 he created his own business called Del Bethke and Associates where he wrote customized computer programs for various doctors and businesses.

Although Del loved his work, he was also a family man who loved to play with his kids in their family swimming pool, taught them about using and building computers, and enjoyed traveling and family trips. He and his wife later enjoyed trips to California and Colorado to see their grandchildren. Retirement gave him more time for the things he loved most—spending time with family and grandkids, cultivating his large backyard garden, creating beautiful woodworking pieces that he generously shared with family and friends, and welcoming visitors to his home with his passion for cooking and hospitality. Del’s legacy is one of love, creativity and joy.

Del is survived by his loving wife Roslyn Bethke, his son Dan (Jessica) Bethke, Santa Clarita, CA; his daughter JoLynn (Adam) Brown, Aurora, CO; and Patrick (Kylee) Bethke, Shawnee, KS. He is a proud grandfather to JaNasjia, Mario, Jaden, Drew, Nolan, Baylee, and Breanna, and a delighted great-grandfather to Kye. His living siblings include his sisters Elaine Schiro and Elsie Johnson, and three brothers, Wilbert Bethke, Larry Bethke, and Delvin Bethke who all live in Minnesota. Also, he has many wonderful nieces and nephews and their children who live all over the USA.

He was preceded in death by his parents, four sisters-- Lovie Bormann, Geri Schleuter, Eleen Knutson and Sophie Bethke who died as an infant; three brothers—Vernhold Bethke, Billy Bethke, and Darvin Bethke.

A Celebration of Live will be held Saturday, August 2, 2025 from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.at the recently-built Lenexa Old Town Activity Center in the Haskins Room at the East Entrance at 9301 Pflumm Rd, Lenexa, KS 66215. Food and Drink served so RSVP to JoLynn Brown at 913-221-5985. Donations at the event will be accepted to benefit Neuroendocrine Cancer Research.