FORD, KANSAS – Our Beloved Daughter, Beloved Sibling, Friend, Aunt, Friend to anyone she met, Tabitha "Tabs" Ward, 17, died Tuesday, December 17, 2024 in Kiowa County from injuries sustained in an auto accident.

She was born September 2, 2007 at Dodge City, the daughter of Ricky and Dena (Thurber) Ward.  She attended schools in Medicine Lodge, Kansas and Stratford, Texas and when she was 15, she began working for Dettle Feed Yard in Stratford. In July of 2024 she moved back to Ford and was a Junior at Bucklin High School, and attended vo-tech classes at Dodge City Community College to get a head start on welding. She currently started work for Revolution Tire in Bucklin, Kansas and was excited to go to work. She was a member of the Bucklin FFA, Young Guns Rodeo Association, Texas High School Rodeo Association, National High School Rodeo Association and Northwest Oklahoma Junior Rodeo Association.  She enjoyed riding horses, welding and making people laugh.

Survivors include: her mother, Dena Thurber and husband Albert Olivas, Stratford; her father, Ricky Ward, Ford; her brother, Rustin Ward and fiancé Ashlynn Teeter, Ford; her sister, Chambrey Ward and boyfriend Gage Adams, Bucklin; a step-sister, Miranda Robles and husband Jorge, Stratford; grandparents, D.J. and Teena Thurber, Sun City, Kansas and Kevin and Elizabeth Ward, Bucklin; her boyfriend, Taten Klien, Russell Kansas, aunts and uncles, Sara and Zac Simpler, Wichita, Kansas, Shaina and Deryl Ebeling, Sun City, Lorie and Jake Dolezal, Bucklin and her uncle, David "Durn" Duran, Stratford; and an extended, group of siblings, sister, Jessica Bardwell, Ford, Adriana Pack of Wichita, Kansas, Baylee Shoemate, Liberal, Kansas, Sam Unruh, Stratford; and a multitude of Friends, and Family that loved her dearly.

She was preceded in death by her great grandparents.

Memorial service will be at 11:00 am Saturday, December 28, 2024 at the Western State Bank Expo Center, Dodge City, with Pastor Deitra Black officiating.  There will be no public viewing, cremation has taken place.

The family suggests memorials to the Bucklin FFA, Young Guns Rodeo Association, and Northwest Oklahoma Junior Rodeo Association all in care of Minnis Mortuary, 1901 N. 14th Ave., Dodge City, Kansas 67801.