Walter John Silvernale

Walter “Walt” Silvernale 85, died October 26, 2022 at Schowalter Villa in Hesston

Funeral Mass will be 10:00 a.m. Wednesday November 2, 2022 at St. Mary Catholic Church

With The Reverend Andrew Bergkamp and The Reverend Jorge Lopez Celebrants

Rosary will be 6:00 p.m. Tuesday November 1, 2022 at Petersen Funeral Home the family receive friends following Rosary

Walt entered Paradise on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, surrounded by family.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Lois, 6 daughters, Kari Silvernale, Kristi Silvernale, Kandace Silvernale (Warren Willis), Kim Silvernale-Wagner (Tim Wagner), Karla Silvernale, and Kelli (Justin Schrag), 16 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild. He also is survived by sisters Mary Ann Heieren, Kay Dahlke (Mike), Sally Green (Les) and sister-in-law Kathleen Silvernale. He was preceded in death by a son, Kurtis Allen Silvernale, parents, Walter and Mary Silvernale, Brother Kayo Silvernale and 2 baby brothers, as well as brother-in-law’s Craig Heieren, Don Johnson, Bud Mulder and sister-in-law Sally Johnson. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.

Walt “Smokey” was born on November 25, 1936 in Currie Township, Minnesota. He attended and graduated from Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in Currie, Mn. Throughout his youth he worked at various jobs, delivering papers, shoveling snow, working at the family stockyards. After high school he drove truck for Silvernale Trucking until he entered the seminary. When he found out women were not a part of that life, he joined the United States Army as a medic! He married Lois on April 19, 1958, and they lived in San Francisco, California. In 1959, they moved back to Currie, Minnesota, and lived on the family farm. Babies and blizzards led to the family move to Nebraska. With changing jobs in sales, he then moved his family to Illinois, Kansas, Tennessee and back to Kansas where the family settled. Recently, Walt resided with his wife, Lois, at Schowalter Villa in Hesston, Kansas.

Throughout his life Walt loved the outdoors, fishing, daily trips to East Lake, and watching eagles in the winter months. He loved taking trips with Lois and his family, locally, in country and to Europe and Venezuela! It didn’t matter where he traveled, he always looked for the places with ‘character’ and felt like the journey was more important and interesting than the destination! Walt was an avid animal lover! Rocky was his favorite big collie dog! His Catholic faith was very important to Walt, and he was a lifetime member of the Knights of Columbus. He served on the Harvey County Parks Board, and was a member of the St. Vincent De Paul Society. Going out to eat and coffee with family and friends was a daily outing. It meant a lot visiting friends in the community. He helped many people in various ways and always felt it was most important to ‘take care and be there for the kids’!