Obituary of Gail Siruta

Gail Siruta was born June 16, 1953 in Burlington, the first child of Bob and Esther (Richards) Young, and died suddenly Sunday, May 15, 2011 outside of Russell, Kansas. After graduating from Burlington High School with the Class of 1971, Gail attended Western State College for one year. She told her mom and dad she didn’t like Gunnison because, as far as she was concerned, it was the “end of the world” so she transferred to University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1975. Gail taught in the Bethune school system from 1975 to 1979 and then moved to Burlington, where she ran the Hi-Lo Motel until her marriage to Peter Andrew “Junior” Siruta Nov. 22 1986. The couple lived south of Levant, Kansas. Gail taught junior high in Winona, Kansas for the school year 1989-1990, worked for Cranston Feeders as a bookkeeper and then went on to work for the ADAC in Colby until Junior’s death in 2008. Her next move took her to Wallace, Kansas with Rich Rains and her final years with him were very rewarding ones for Gail. She loved her life on the ranch with Rich; riding the four-wheeler “mule” to check cattle with their four dogs running along side. Gail loved her grandsons, McClain and McCellan; her nieces and nephews; and Rich’s son and daughter, Mike Rains and wife Celeste and sons Mason, Macoy, McKellen and Morgan of Oakley, KS and Mary and husband Joel Bunker of Sharon Springs, KS. She adored her lab Bailey and she especially enjoyed going with Rich “up the hill” to play the slots at Blackhawk. Last Sunday, May 15, the couple was returning home from the college graduation in Nebraska of her grandson McClain Siruta when Gail suffered a massive heart attack, dying immediately, outside of Russell. Preceding her in death were her father, Bob Young; husband, Junior Siruta; and stepson Short Siruta. She is survived by her mother Esther Young; sister Sheila Johnson and husband David of Holyoke; partner Rich Rains of Wallace, KS; stepson Andy Siruta and wife Marla, and step-grandsons McClain and McCellan of Jefferson City, Iowa; nephew Craig Johnson, fiancé Denise Grovo, and his son Brody of Parker; niece Amanda Skinner and husband Mackade of Arvada; and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.