Dean Walter Klink, son of Walter Clyde and Louise Isabell (Kinter) Klink was born on April 9, 1934, on the Klink homestead northwest of Speed, Kansas.  He had one sister, Dolores Louise.  Dean passed away at the Phillips County Retirement Center on October 23 at the age of 85.

Dean attended grade school in Speed and attended high school in Phillipsburg, KS, graduating with the class of 1952.

Dean helped his dad with the farming and on June I, 1953, immediately after graduation, he became an employee of the Phillipsburg Cooperative Refinery serving as electrician and instrument man.  In addition to this, he did yard work, helped in the catalytic cracking unit and worked in the lab.  In his spare time, he wired many of the houses in Phillips County along with his good friend William (Bill) Bushnell.

In 1954, he met Bethel Hilbrink and On Jan. 1, 1957, the two were married along with Bethel's sister Cleo and fiancé, Kenneth Witt, exchanging their vows together at a double wedding ceremony at the First Methodist Church in Phillipsburg.  Dean was inducted into the armed services two weeks after their marriage, and after serving his time, he and Bethel made their home in Phillipsburg.

On February 2, 1964, they became the parents of a son, Mitchel Dean, and in November of 1966, the family moved to a small acreage just outside of Glade, KS.  On May 19 of 1969 they became the adoptive parents of a daughter, Michelle Dawn, born on March 19, 1969.  Bethel and Dean raised their family there in Glade, until their children left the nest and married.  Mitch and wife, Kelly (Lewis), eventually moved to Portland, OR and Michelle and husband, George Ferreira, Jr. made their home in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  On July 13, 1995, Bethel and Dean became grandparents when little George Ferreira III came into the world.

When their grandson, George, was 18 months old, tragedy struck when Michelle, who was diagnosed with cancer, passed away.  Prior to her death, Dean and Bethel spent six months In Ft. Lauderdale, caring for their daughter and also her son before God took her on January 14, 1997.

In June of 1998, a month before their grandson, George, turned three years old, he went to live with Dean and Bethel in Glade and they legally adopted him on May 21, 2003 at the age of seven years.

In later years, Dean was diagnosed with Parkinson's and in late December of 2015 he entered the Phillips County Retirement Center where he resided until his death.

Dean was preceded in death by his parents, Louise (Kinter) and Walter Klink, his daughter, Michelle Ferreira (Klink) one sister, Dolores Norris (Klink) his grandparents, Mary Kinter (Seeger) and Louis Kinter and Lucinda Klink (Codner) and Walter Ellsworth Klink,  his aunts, Lucile Dawe (Kinter), Lena East (Kinter), Hazel Gingles (Klink), and Viola Bretton (Klink), his uncles, Leon Kinter, Ed Klink, Ed East and Charley Bretton, his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Hazel Hilbrink (Higgason), and Edwin Hilbrink, his sisters-in-law, Norma Hosheit (Hilbrink) and Irene Hilbrink (Beinhoff),  his brothers-in-law, Paul Hilbrink, Nick Norris, Kenneth Witt and Ed Hosheit, a niece, Brenda Norris and and a nephew, Eddie Hosheit.

He is survived by his wife, Bethel, their two sons, Mitchel Dean Klink and George Mitchel Klink, a sister-in-law, Cleo Witt (Hilbrink), his nieces:  Erika Norris, Jana Kerr (Witt), Patty Guttridge (Hosheit) Fran Lare (Hosheit), and Carol Anspaugh Dooley, his nephews:  Brent Norris, Kevin and Kyle Witt, Steve and Kent Hilbrink, and several great-nieces and great-nephews.

Dean had an avid interest in hunting and fishing and also enjoyed camping with his family, especially the camping trip they took in Colorado with Bethel's sister and husband, Cleo and Kenny Witt.  He also loved the rodeo and seldom missed going two or three nights every year.  He loved his family and was always interested in his children's activities, whether it was serving as Mitch's Boy Scout sponsor, helping Michelle at horse shows and events or attending George's wrestling events and Cowboy football games.   Dean was an honest and hard working man and was liked and highly respected by many.  He will be missed greatly by his family and friends.

Funeral services were held at 2:00 P.M. on Monday, October 28 at the Olliff-Boeve Memorial Chapel in Phillipsburg, with Pastor Blake Stanwood officiating.

Musical selections were, "The Garden" and "Look At Us."

Casket bearers included, Brent Norris, Bill Bushnell, Bob Bushnell, Paul Nuzum, Greg Keeten and Danny Beyerlein.

Internment followed at the Belmont Cemetery, Speed, KS, with military honors conducted by the Fort Riley Color Guard.

Following the services, a lunch was served by the United Methodist Women at the United Methodist Church in Phillipsburg.

Memorials may be given to the Phillips County Retirement Center and the Parkinson's Foundation.

CARD OF THANKS:

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks for those who've remembered Dean and our family with flowers, memorials, cards, calls and food. Thank you, also, to the United Methodist Women for providing lunch for us after the services.  Everyone's kind gestures of sympathy and support have been very much appreciated.