Theodore Lee “Ted” Pankratz, 92, died Nov. 17, 2024, in Hutchinson, Kan. He was born Aug. 18, 1932, in Van Nuys, Calif., to Theodore Roosevelt and Ella Sonora (Unrau) Pankratz. He graduated from Inola High School in Oklahoma in 1950. After a short time at Bethel College ended by a polio illness, he returned home. On Nov. 28, 1952, he married Marjorie Joy “Marge” Springer in Inola. She was his partner wherever work took them, and they raised their family together, engaging in church activities and leadership. 

His love for agriculture and the land was evidenced by the jobs he chose. He spent eight years working for John Deere in the fertilizer division in Pryor, Okla., which was sold in 1964. He then spent time overseeing bulk fertilizer plant construction and a grain terminal in Enid, Okla. After managing a large farm and grain elevator in southeast Kansas, he moved back to Enid to manage the John Deere dealership. He bought land and began farming, eventually moving to a full-time farm and livestock operation. Ted was an entrepreneur, evidenced by his last business venture, owning the John Deere dealership in Hutchinson, with all the family working together at Pankratz Implement. When he sold it to his son in 1998, he returned to full-time farming and harvested his last wheat crop in 2020 at the age of 88. He loved to work, improve his farm and grow his business. Free time was spent traveling with Marge and friends, collecting antique tools, John Deere memorabilia and grain scales. He was a steward not only of the land but of his family, always caring for them and engaging in their activities. He was a member of Journey Mennonite Church in South Hutchinson. 

He is survived by his wife, Marge; children Linda Barkley (Jim) and Darrell Pankratz (Mary), all of Hutchinson; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and brothers Harry Pankratz and Bill Pankratz (Liz), all of Inola.