Molly C. Wieland

Molly Child Wieland peacefully passed away August 23, 2025 surrounded by family and caregivers in Topeka, Kansas.

She was born Molly Stark Child on June 24, 1926 to Henry Stark Child and Blanche Booth Child in Kingman, Kansas. Her grandfather William Henry Child had been one of the founders of Kingman. Molly spent all her childhood in Kingman with her older sister Midge surrounded by her parents and many friends who they regarded as extended family. As a child during the Dust Bowl days she remembers her mother putting her down for a nap on hot summer days covered by a damp sheet. When she woke up the sheet was black with the dust.

After graduating from high school in Kingman Molly attended Wichita State University and was a member of Sorosis Sorority. She had originally planned to major in radio and TV but after taking a class in speech therapy she felt called to switch her major to that and she graduated in 1948 with a degree in speech and language pathology.

Molly moved to Garden City after graduation to be the first director of the field center for speech therapy for Wichita State University (which was then called the Institute of Logopedics). Molly met her future husband Bill at the Presbyterian Church there. She remembers a couple of older church members hurrying to the back of the church after the service so they could introduce her to Bill. He had moved to Garden City at the same time to be an agronomist at the Experiment Station. They married August 28, 1949 at the Presbyterian Church in Kingman.

Except for a two-year stretch in California while Bill worked on a graduate program in agronomy the couple lived their entire married life in Garden City. They raised their three children there (Rebecca, Mary, and Bill). Molly stayed home or worked part time while her children were small but otherwise spent her entire career of 46 years as a speech therapist. When Wichita State closed their field centers in 1981, she worked independently as a speech therapist for Russell Child Development Center, Garden City Head Start, and at her office.

Molly was always active in community organizations. She was a member of Chapter X, PEO, Salmagundi, and Presbyterian Women Church Circle. After driving to Wichita with friends to attend Broadway Theater productions there she encouraged the community college to sponsor and provide transportation to the shows which they did for several years. She was active in Democratic politics. She particularly enjoyed a book club in her later years and was always an avid reader. Molly was blessed with many good friends in Garden City and took several wonderful trips with them after Bill died in 1977.

She always encouraged her children’s endeavors and particularly enjoyed her times with her grandchildren. She often took them to the zoo and her children remember knowing all of the given names of the zoo animals growing up since they drove through so often.

Left to cherish her memory are her children Rebecca (Rich Bonebrake) Crotty of Topeka, Mary (Curtis) Burns of Sioux City, Iowa and Bill (Sue) Wieland of Ulysses, six grandchildren, Beth (TJ), Matthew, Nathan (Jennifer), Tyler (Sarah), Trafton (Amber), and Trent (Hannah), eight great-grandchildren, Siena, Willow, Toree, Taylor, Madison, Bailey, Suzie, and Haydon, and four great-great-grandchildren. She was also close to a special niece Misty Haley, and enjoyed nieces Cindy, Kelly, and Chris and nephew Kenny.

A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, October 11, 2025 at 10:30 am in the Fellowship Hall at the United Presbyterian Church in Garden City, 1719 Texas St., Garden City, Kansas 67846.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to the Lee Richardson Zoo and sent to Friends of Lee Richardson, P.O. Box 1638, Garden City, Kansas where Molly enjoyed countless trips to the zoo with her children and grandchildren.

Dove Southeast Chapel, 2843 SE Minnesota Ave. is assisting the family with service arrangements.

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