David E. Ingram

David Eugene Ingram, of Manhattan, Kan., passed away early morning Saturday, September 29, 2018, at Good Shepherd Hospice House in Manhattan of complications from cancer. He was 67. Dave was born May 9, 1951, in Plummers Landing, Ky., to Thomas Fletcher Ingram and Ella Ernestine McKee Ingram. He spent much of his childhood in the Flemingsburg, Ky. area as well as southern Ohio. He showed a keen interest in mechanics at a young age and could often be found taking things apart and rebuilding them to learn how they worked. He spent the rest of his life rebuilding cars for work or for fun. Dave enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1971 and proudly served his country for 20 years before retiring in 1991. He and his family lived in Manhattan from 1982 to 1989 while Dave was stationed at Fort Riley. He was a veteran of the Gulf War, participating in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991. He maintained close friendships with many of the brave men he served with. In 1974, Dave met a wonderful young German woman named Ursula “Uschi” Ruhs at the NCO Club in Erlangen, Germany. They married in January 1976 and joked about having two children, one who looked like Dave and acted like Uschi, and one who looked like Uschi and acted like Dave. That was exactly what happened. Their first daughter, Sandra “Sandy,” was born in 1978 and their second daughter, Karen, was born in 1981. Dave and Uschi remained together for 42 years, until death parted them. The family moved back to the Manhattan area in 1991 after Dave retired from the Army. Dave graduated from Vo-Tech, now called Manhattan Area Technical College, in 1993 and worked for the City of Manhattan for about 17 years, retiring in 2014. Dave was much beloved by those he met, and he met as many people as he could. He was always proud to shake the hand of a stranger and call them “friend.” He could always be counted on to help people, especially with questions about cars. He was a marvelous storyteller and a good listener. He gave generously and laughed easily. There are no words to describe how much we all miss him. Dave is survived by his wife, Ursula; daughters, Sandy and Karen; sisters, April, Lisa, and Sarita; brother, Thomas; many extended family members in the U.S. and Germany and innumerable dear friends. He was preceded in death by his parents. Dave will be cremated and interred at Kansas Veteran’s Cemetery in Manhattan. Visitation will take place at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 5 at Irvin-Parkview Funeral Home, 1317 Poyntz Ave., Manhattan. A private party to celebrate his life will follow. Graveside service with military honors will be held on Thursday, October 4, 2018, at 10:00 AM at The Kansas Veteran's Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the charity of your choice. Rest in peace, Iron Man.