Ascension Via Christi St. Teresa a tribute to Strunk’s commitment to service, community

Ascension Via Christi St. Teresa, which opened its doors 12 years ago, is situated on a 120-acre campus west of 135th and 21st Street on the far-edges of west Wichita.

Although the site is perfect for the community’s growing west side, it isn’t where its founders originally planned to locate the first full-service hospital to be built in Wichita in more than half a century.

Via Christi leaders initially envisioned building it on land it owned near 21st and Ridge. But by the time came to move forward with the project, Sister Sherri Marie Kuhn, SSM, who for many years served as vice president of Mission, noted, "West Wichita had moved."

So hospital leaders began looking for land further west and found an ideally situated section of land. However, owners John and Ruth Strunk were not interested in selling until they learned that the potential buyer was Via Christi, with which the family had long-standing ties.

John Strunk's father, who died at a young age, had been on the medical staff of what today is Ascension Via Christi St. Francis. Three of his aunts were members of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, one of Via Christi's founding congregations and were related to Sister Sherri Marie. His grandfather, who helped raise him after his father died, was a long-time supporter of the orphanage in El Dorado run by the Sisters of St. Joseph, Via Christi's other founding congregation.

Having no one in the next generation who wanted to farm the land, the Strunks could think of no better purpose than seeing the land that had been in their family for three generations used for a hospital and affiliated medical services. So they sold all but 40 acres of their family farm to Via Christi and continued to farm the land notable for its historic red barn.

While the Strunks have both since died, Strecker says John and Ruth Strunk will continue to be remembered "for their big hearts, small acts of kindness and for committing their land to serving the greater good for generations to come."