Wichita Kansas Stake Podcast

Tim Epperson was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. His parents, Ben and Evelyn migrated here in the 50s from Springfield MS. He is the second of five siblings. Growing up in the area he attended 5 different grade schools until 1962 when the family moved to west Wichita, and lived on Bebe St. While on Bebe, his family was introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the summer of 1966. He and all his family joi...

Pennie Epperson was born and raised in Hutchinson, Kansas, the fourth child of Milton and Vera O’Neal. Her parents were converts to the Church and were baptized two years before her birth. Shortly after, her father was called to serve as the Branch President of the Hutchinson Branch. There was a running joke among members that it was “tradition” for the wife of a newly called branch president to become pregnant soon after her husba...

Darral Sessions was raised in the Derby Kansas Stake but was not active in the Church until his teen years. His mother is not a member, while his dad returned to activity after meeting his stepmom, who joined the Church. His dad worked for 38 years at Wichita State University, and his stepmom teaches classes at WSU Tech. His mother has worked in the financial sector since his childhood. Darral is the fourth of six children in their...

Judy Conrady grew up in Brooklyn, New York, until the age of 12, when her family moved to Twentynine Palms, California. She is the eldest and only daughter among her mother’s four children. Throughout her life, Judy held several jobs, her favorite being at a drive-in movie theater. At age 21, she joined the Navy and loved it. A passionate traveler, Judy met her husband, Tobias, at her first duty station in Fort Meade, Maryland. The...

Carson was born to Nancy and Terry Hopkins in southeastern Idaho and is the second of five children.  On several family lines, his ancestors have been members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for seven generations.  Born into the faith, Carson has remained an active member throughout his life.

He spent his early childhood on farms until age 11, when his father took a job in Nevada’s mining industry and the family m...

Susan Chandler was born in 1956 in Rupert, Idaho. Her family was among the last to receive homesteads granted in the United States, settling on farmland approximately 13 miles from Rupert’s town center. Both of her parents were lifelong residents of the Rupert area.

Pursuing higher education, Susan earned an associate degree from Ricks College (now Brigham Young University–Idaho). She continued her studies at Brigham Young Universit...

Chris Broberg was raised in the Provo/Orem area of Utah until age 14, when his family moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma so his parents could pursue graduate degrees. He is the eldest of five children. His father worked as an education administrator and his mother was an elementary school librarian. During his youth, Chris enjoyed playing soccer, basketball, and football, and delivered newspapers from age 13 until he left for college. H...

Mae Morrow hails from the countryside of North Carolina, she recently moved here in 2023 from San Antonio Texas. She has lived in every region of the US except for Alaska, this includes 14 states, and one American Territory. She served her mission in the Irvine California Mission from 2014-2015. Mae comes from a single mother family. Her mother served in the Marine Corps and is currently an inspector for the city of Charlotte.

Mae e...

Brandon Lewis Barber was the first of 6 children born to David and Shari Barber. Shari, a dedicated homemaker, and David, a design engineer in the aerospace industry, worked very hard to create a home centered on Jesus Christ, emphasizing the importance of the gospel, family, hard work, and music.

Brandon was born in Provo, Utah and raised in St. Louis and Wichita. He moved to Wichita in the 7th grade and graduated from Maize High S...

Tami Gordon has been serving as the Stake Young Women’s president in the Wichita Stake since May of 2022. She is a proud member of the Pratt Branch and has been enjoying small-town Kansas culture for almost twelve years. She and her husband Scott are originally from Arizona but feel so blessed to have been able to raise their eight children in the wide-open Midwest. As a young adult, Tami served in the Madagascar Antananarivo Missi...

On 24 June 1962, a significant milestone was reached in the spiritual landscape of Kansas. The Wichita Kansas Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was officially organized, marking the establishment of the first stake headquartered within Kansas and the 355th stake of the Church.  This event was presided over by President Joseph Fielding Smith and Elder Howard W. Hunter of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

The c...

Ron Bazzelle was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas.  He is the 2nd oldest of 7 siblings.  His mother was a stay-at-home mom and daycare provider for hundreds of children over her more than 50 years of being a daycare provider.  His father spent most of his career as a carpenter.   During his youth he enjoyed anything outdoors, playing sports, climbing trees, camping with family, fishing and hunting. He also enjoyed helping his fat...

Beth Burgess is currently our Stake Primary president.   She grew up in Minnesota near the Twin Cities and has two younger brothers.  She attended school at BYU-Idaho and graduated with a degree in psychology and mathematics.  Beth met her husband Josh while attending BYU-Idaho and they were married in the St. Paul Minnesota temple.  They have three children,  two boys and one girl.  Beth and her family have lived in Wichita for 6 ...

Jim Fleetwood served a mission in Taiwan. After his mission, he attended BYU. He and Lisa were assigned to each other on the international ballroom dance team. After he graduated, he worked as a title search officer and a loan closing officer for six years. Then decided to go to law school. After graduating from Washburn, he took a job at Koch Industries in environmental compliance and litigation. After working about six years, he...

Analisa Munhall was born in Omaha, Nebraska; the ninth of ten children.  She loves living in the Midwest and is often heard saying, “The Midwest is the best!”  She and her husband Scott of 18 years are currently raising four amazing kids that keep them on their toes and laughing all the way. 

Analisa served a full-time mission in Germany from March 2004- October 2005.

Analisa graduated with her bachelors from Utah State University ...

Porter was born to Koray and Christy Wilkes, raised in Wichita, Kansas he was also blessed to be close to his grandparents Roger and Dorothy Lawrence. The youngest of two boys, Porter spent his childhood in the sandbox or climbing trees, building Lego sets or riding bikes with his brother, doing his best to avoid schoolwork. In high school, he tried many things, from tennis to piano tuning and repair, guitar lessons to ceramics cla...

Alicia Harrison, originally from the Bay Area of California, lived there until the age of 15. The only daughter of William and Wilma Bower and sister to 3 brothers, she had many spiritual experiences in her youth. Her parents, both converts to The Church, were dedicated in their callings and to living the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Living in an environment with other active youth and the Oakland Temple helped set a foundation for her...

Gaylen N. Chandler was sustained and set apart as the Stake President of the Wichita Kansas Stake on February 12, 2017.  He served as a missionary in the Uruguay Montevideo and Paraguay Asunción missions.  Prior to this call, he served as a Stake Mission President, Scoutmaster, Counselor in the Bishopric, Bishop, High Councilor, and Counselor in the Stake Presidency.

President Chandler was born on September 11, 1956 in Lehi, Utah an...

Hi friends, welcome to the Wichita Kansas Stake Podcast.  I’m your host, Paul Kitchen, a stake history specialist.  In each episode, I will visit with a member serving in a stake calling.  Each person possesses a unique perspective, and engaging with others’ narratives offers insights beyond our own experiences. Shared memories can serve as vital links to connect us.

This podcast is intended to help bring followers of Christ closer ...