February 1, 1971
Father William Ryan
Father Ryan was born in Chicago on July 24, 1910 but attended grade and high school in St. Louis, MO. After studying at St. Meinrad’s Seminary, St. Meinrad, IN he was ordained in the seminary chapel for the Diocese of Wichita by Cardinal Ritter on May 26, 1942. He served as assistant at St. Patrick’s Parish, Parsons for one year after which he was assigned as pastor to Caney and Cedarvale until 1950. Other assignments were to Fredonia; Mt. Carmel Hospital, Pittsburg; South Mound and Erie; and St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Andover. His last assignment was to St. Andrew Parish in Independence from 1966 until 1970 when he resigned his pastorate because of illness. Father Ryan died from a heart attack on February 1, 1971 at the St. Joseph Home in El Dorado. Bishop Maloney was the principal concelebrant of his funeral Mass at St. Andrew’s Church in Independence on February 4, 1971. Father Ryan was buried in Independence.