Rebecca Wenner

On Thursday, October 15, 2020, Rebecca Wenner passed away at the age of 52 at home surrounded by family.

Rebecca was born on August 29, 1968 in Olathe, Kansas. She grew up in Chanute, Kansas and graduated from Chanute High School. She attended the University of Kansas where she got a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Environmental Science and Biology. She began working as an Environmental Scientist early in the environmental movement, and dedicated her life to public service through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Environmental Protection Agency.

After college Rebecca briefly married, during which time she had her daughter Anna Wenner. She later moved to Topeka where she raised Anna and her niece, Emily Alden, alongside her sister and mother. When asked how many children she had, Rebecca often jokingly said that she had "one and a half" daughters because of how important Emily was in her life. Rebecca was heavily involved in her children's school, church, and 4-H activities and was known for bringing delicious cookies as treats whenever possible.

Rebecca was an active volunteer with 4-H where she was everything from a club leader to a dog trainer, and she was widely known and loved throughout the state of Kansas. She was also a Sunday School and Bible School teacher at First Christian Church in Topeka where she loved to work with kids.

Even before being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in 2018, Rebecca always had a love of life. She looked forward to every birthday and never took a moment for granted. She was an avid traveler, especially to national parks, and her favorite place in the world was Yellowstone National Park. She described her trips with her family and friends as her best memories, as well as her role as a mom. Her love of pandas and the color purple was exceeded only by her love of her family and friends. Near the end of her time, Rebecca said that she wanted everyone she loved to know how much they meant to her and how much she appreciated them being in her life.

Rebecca is survived by her daughter (Anna Wenner), her mother (Sondra Alden), her sister (Evelyn Alden), her brother (John Alden), her sister-in-law (Debbie Alden), her nephew (John Alden) and her nieces (Jamie Alden and Emily Alden). Rebecca was a dedicated mother, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend, and she will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

A memorial will be held in Rebecca's honor on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at 2:00 p.m.

Due to COVID-19, the funeral will be streamed online for any who would like to attend.   Those who wish to watch the service virtually can do so on the Overland Park Christian Facebook page, or on the Overland Park Christian website.  Please direct any questions in regards to the live stream to the church.

In lieu of flowers, Rebecca has asked that donations be made to Yellowstone Forever to help future generations enjoy her favorite national park. (Please see the following link for more information: https://bit.ly/3j5TC72).