Clarence Edward Hendrich, 92

Clarence Edward Hendrich, 92, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at Phillips County Hospital, Phillipsburg, KS.    C.E., as he was known by many, started farming as soon as he could walk and continued planting and harvesting his crops into his nineties. 

C.E. was born into a family of Czechoslovakian immigrants on September 3, 1934, in Sylvan Grove, Kansas.  His parents, Marie Lydia (Kejr) and Louis John Hendrich, welcomed their seventh of eight sons into their farm where his love of tilling the soil grew into a lifetime of farming in Osborne and Smith counties.   C.E. married Willa Vae Joedeman on August 28, 1955, in Stapleton, NE, and were blessed with 71 years of marriage.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Lydia; six brothers, Samuel, Theophil, Daniel, Joseph, Paul, and Timothy; and two sons-in-law, Kelly Burgess and Jay Carswell.

C.E. is survived by his wife, Willa Vae (Joedeman) Hendrich of Portis; a brother, Harry (Marjorie) Hendrich of Smith Center; three sons, Russell (Penny) Hendrich of Portis, Anthony (Josephine) Hendrich of Laurens, NY, and Andrew (Emily) Hendrich of Gaylord; five daughters, Becky Burgess of Smith Center, Vicky (Brad) Noel of Portis, Patricia (Britt) Hopper of Valley Center, Paula Carswell of Alton, and Ashley Hendrich of Belleville.  He has many grandchildren and great-grandchildren surviving him, which brought him great pleasure over the last decades of his life, along with many other family and friends who will miss his passionate discussions about farming.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, October 2, 2026, at Grace Brethren Church, 108 E. 5th St., Portis, KS, with Pastor David Sarver officiating.  Visitation will be held on Thursday, October 1, 2026, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., with family present to greet friends at All Faiths Funeral Chapel, 113 S. Madison St., Smith Center, KS.  Burial will take place in the Bethany Cemetery, Harlan, KS.  Memorials may be given to the Evangelical Free Church – Awana Children’s Club and/or Grace Brethren Church of Portis and can be sent in care of the funeral chapel. www.allfaithsfuneralchapel.com