Ernie Cink

Ernest Francis Cink Jr., 73, died Tuesday afternoon, October 4, 2016, at the Brookdale Senior Living Center located in Wellington with family present.   He was born on January 8, 1943 in Caldwell, to Ernest Cink Sr. and Pauline Struble.

Ernie attended Caldwell Elementary School and graduated from Caldwell High School in 1961.  He earned his Certificate from the Kansas School of Barbering in Wichita in 1963.

He met Freda Bozman at the Caldwell Bowling Alley and was eventually united in marriage to Freda on August 7, 1965 in the United Methodist Church at Edna, Kansas. The couple made Caldwell their home for 45 years, Ernie lived in Caldwell another four years after Freda’s passing in 2010.   In 2014 he moved to the Brookdale Senior Living Center.

Ernie and Freda had two children. Thomas Jay was born in 1969 and Traci Noelle in 1972.  Ernie took great pleasure in supporting his children’s and grandchildren’s activities. He coached baseball and softball, was a scout leader and was an active Caldwell Booster Club member.

Ernie began his working career in South Haven, as a barber, in 1965. He moved back to Caldwell and opened up his own shop, the Star Barber Shop until 1998 when he suffered a massive stroke and could no longer continue his barber practice.  Ernie also served as a volunteer fireman for 25 years and held the position of secretary for several of those years.  Ernie also was a member of the Caldwell Recreation Commission and received a Distinguished Service Award for his 25 years of service with them.

Ernie was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Caldwell and then later attended the First United Methodist Church in Wellington. The church and his faith were very important to Ernie, and he passed on that dedication to his children and grandchildren.

He is survived by son, Thomas Jay Cink and his wife, Kelly, of Manhattan, KS; daughter, Traci Edwards, and her husband, Bryan, of Wellington, KS; brother, Bob Cink, and his wife, Connie, of Caldwell, KS, sister, Shirley Hyatt, and her husband, Jim, of Buffalo, MO; brother-in-law, Wayne Bozman, and his wife, Carmaletta, of Edna, KS; sister-in-law, Colene Smith and her husband, Jerry, of DuBois, WY, Carolyn Mawson of Florissant, MO, Martha Holliday of Liberty, KS, Sharon Bozman, of Edna, Ks,  Karen Law of Grove OK; 7 grandchildren: Jordan, Jeremy, Brock, Tatum and Peyton Edwards; Kaci and Brooklyn Cink.

Ernie was preceded in death by his parents, Pauline and Ernest Cink Sr., brother-in-law, George and Glen Bozman, John Holiday, nephew, Kevin Bozman, and his mother and father in-law, Sumner and Dorthy Bozman.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Monday, October 10, 2016 at the First Presbyterian Church in Caldwell.  Interment will be in the Caldwell City Cemetery.

Memorials may be given in memory of Ernie to the First Presbyterian Church in Caldwell or to the Caldwell High School Alumni Association and left in care of the mortuary.

To share a memory or leave a condolence please visit www.schaeffermortuary.info

Arrangements by Schaeffer Mortuary, 6 N. Main, Caldwell, Kansas.