Paul B. Girrens, retired farmer and dairyman, born January 13, 1933, at the family farmhouse in St. Marks, KS passed away January 6, 2021. He married his teenage sweetheart, Bernetta Lauer, in 1954 at St. Peter’s Church and they were blessed with 66 years of marriage. Paul raised and harvested numerous crops on the southern edges of Wichita Eisenhower Airport until 1996. Paul had a hobby/passion for raising pond catfish and relentlessly tended to his bountiful vegetable garden. Bernetta and Paul enjoyed several ocean, river and bus cruise trips to/throughout Canada and Europe. One of his fondest and unique trip memories was sitting in an F-4 Phantom cockpit on the USS Forrestal while anchored off the coast of Spain. He continuously exhibited to his children and grandchildren the importance of hard work, persistence, kindness, patience, and most importantly, love and respect for family. Paul “Dad, Grandpa, “Eagle 1” was a family treasure who also will be missed by numerous friends. He is survived by his loving wife Bernetta (Lauer) Girrens; sons Steven (Sharon Stover) of Albuquerque and Christopher (Virginia ‘Ginger’) of Katy, TX; grandchildren, Ross (Mia) and Grant all of Houston, and Quinn (Jared) and Craig (Ally) all of Denver; and siblings Clyde Girrens (Pat) and Karen Gilbert (Dean) all of Wichita. Paul was preceded in death by his parents, John M. and Cecelia (Doffing) Girrens, and brothers (sisters-in-law), John Jr. and Min (Mies) Girrens, and Leon and Marilyn (Becker) Girrens. Masks are required for Rosary at 1 pm, followed by Funeral Mass, 1:30 pm, Tuesday, January 12, both at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Schulte, with burial following at Resthaven Cemetery, Wichita. Family tributes are available on “https://paulbgirrens.squarespace.com”. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice or St. Peter the Apostle Catholic School in Schulte, KS.
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