U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Lennis Estep
Superior resident Lennis Estep, 77, died Monday, Aug. 14, 2000, at Brodstone Memorial Nuckolls County Hospital in Superior.
Services are 2 p.m. Friday at Williams Funeral Home chapel in Superior with the Rev. Mark Diehl officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery in Superior.
Mr. Estep was born Aug. 2, 1923, to Arthur and Lillian (Troudt) Estep in Nuckolls County. He attended Oak Creek Grade School in Jewell County, Kan., and graduated in 1942 from Superior High School. He worked for Safeway grocery store in Superior for one year. On Feb. 4, 1946, he married Betty Lee Marshall in Mankato, Kan. He farmed in Jewell County until retiring in 1985. On Sept. 8, 1984, his wife died.
He also was preceded in death by one sister.
Memorials may be given to the donor's choice.
Irene C. Ellermeier
Bruning resident Irene C. (Hinrichs) Ellermeier, 83, died Monday, Aug. 14, 2000, in Geneva.
Services are 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Bruning with the Rev. Michael Osberg officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation begins at noon Wednesday at Farmer and Son Funeral Home in Geneva.
Mrs. Ellermeier was born Oct. 9, 1916, to John and Marie (Eggers) Hinrichs in Glenvil. She married Robert Ellermeier. He died in 1999.
Survivors are five daughters, JoAnn Hohensee of Blair, Dorothy Elliott of Wilcox, Ruth Starck and Janice Rubin, both of Houston, and Marilyn Neville of Lincoln; one brother, Roland of Omaha; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be given to the family.
Debra L. Hultquist
Former Hastings resident Debra Lynn (Hedlund) Hultquist, 43, of Plano, Texas, died Monday, Aug. 14, 2000, at her home.
Services are pending with Butler-Volland Funeral Home in Hastings.
Eva L. Gerlach
Harvard resident Eva Lucille (Starr) Gerlach, 84, died Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000, at Harvard Rest Haven in Harvard.
Services are 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Evangelical Free Church in Aurora with the Rev. Vance Christie officiating. Burial will be in the Harvard Cemetery. Visitation is 3-9 p.m. Thursday at Alberding-Wilson Funeral Home in Harvard.
Mrs. Gerlach was born Feb. 18, 1916, to Charles Sidney and Julia Mae (Kempf) Starr on a farm southeast of Clay Center. She attended country school and graduated from Clay Center High School in 1933. She worked for Eller and Detwiller dry goods stores in Clay Center. On Dec. 20, 1943, she married Silas Gerlach. They farmed north of Harvard. She moved to the Harvard Rest Haven in 1995. On April 2, 1999, her husband died.
She was a former member of the Clay Center Christian Church and a member of the Harvard Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Harvard Evangelical Free Church.
Survivors are one son, Mark W. of Sedalia, Mo.; one daughter, Sandra Kay Samuelson of Harvard; four grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
She also was preceded in death by one sister.
Memorials may be given to the Harvard Rest Haven for an enclosed garden area.
Dan W. Baird
Clay Center resident Dan W. Baird, 59, died Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2000, at BryanLGH East Hospital in Lincoln.
Services are 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Zion Lutheran Church in Clay Center. Burial will be private for the family. McLaughlin Funeral Home of Clay Center is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Baird was born May 11, 1941, to Ralph and Fern (Jenny) Baird in Gordon. He moved with his parents to Hastings at age 2 and then to Blue Hill at age 3. He graduated from Blue Hill High School in 1959. He graduated from Hastings College in 1963. On April 8, 1961, he married Janice Goble. From 1963-67 he taught at Hastings Senior High School. In 1967 he moved to Lincoln. In 1970 he graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a law degree. He practiced law with S.W. Moger in Clay Center and later with Ted Griess of Sutton for almost 20 years. He served as city attorney for Clay Center and Harvard. He was Clay County attorney from 1974-79 and Deputy County attorney from 1983 until his death.
He was a member of Zion Lutheran Church where he served on the church council. He was a member of the Clay Center Community Club, Crooked Creek Country Club, Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever. He served on the Clay County Fair board and was active in 4-H. He coached the Hastings Braves and Chiefs baseball teams, and was a volunteer football coach at Clay Center High School.
Survivors are his wife; one son, Greg of Grand Island; two daughters, Susan Griess of Sutton and Jennifer Fleisher of Glenvil; his mother of Clay Center; one brother, James of Clay Center; one sister, Ruth Koepke of Blue Hill; and seven grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father.
Memorials may be given to the American Heart Association or Crooked Creek Country Club.
Wayne L. Cantrell
Former Hastings resident Wayne L. Cantrell, 65, of Lincoln died Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000, in Lincoln.
Services are 10 a.m. Saturday at Butherus, Maser and Love Funeral Home in Lincoln with the Rev. Dr. Glover Leitch officiating. Burial will be in the Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln. Visitation began at noon today at the funeral home.
Mr. Cantrell was born Jan. 28, 1935, in Fillmore County. He was a retired yardmaster for Burlington Northern Railroad. He married Jerry Joan Crocker. She preceded him in death.
Survivors are five sons, Jim Guthrie of Springfield, Shawn of Lincoln, Ken Conway of Hastings, Bryan Conway of Utica and Chuck Conway of Harvard; two daughters, Brenda Smith of Springfield and Dawn Nielsen of Eagle; four sisters, Alma Fitzgerald of Aurora, Colo., Doris Smith of Lincoln, Rita Hanson of Ransomville, N.Y., and Delila Snodgrass of Fairmont; and 13 grandchildren.
He also was preceded in death by two brothers.
Edward F. Saunders
Former Exeter resident Edward F. Saunders Jr., 75, of Omaha died Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2000, in Omaha of a heart attack.
Services are 2 p.m. Saturday at the Presbyterian United Church of Christ in Aurora with the Rev. Kevin Killion officiating. Burial with military honors will be at the Aurora Cemetery. Higby Mortuary of Aurora is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Saunders was born Jan. 19, 1925, to Edward and Ann (Yates) Saunders in Exeter. He earned a bachelor's degree from Doane College in Crete and a master's degree from Kearney State College. He served in the U.S. Army as a liaison officer in the 91st Infantry during World War II and served three campaigns on the Italian Front. On Aug. 14, 1949, he married Betty Grosvenor in Aurora. He taught history and social studies at Grand Island High School from 1966-92 when he retired. He served as personnel director and chief accounting officer for St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lincoln. He was co-owner of the Story County Credit Bureau in Ames, Iowa.
He was active in the Trinity United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church of the Cross, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Big Brothers, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Touchdown Club, Kiwanis Club, Sigma Phi Theta and Pi Kappa Delta. He was a member of the Franklin Masonic Lodge. He was a former commissioner of the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission. He also was a candidate for the Christa McAuliff Award.
Survivors are his wife; one daughter, Trudy Saunders Bredthauer of Omaha; and two grandchildren.
Delbert F. Witt
Shickley resident Delbert F. Witt, 86, died Friday, Aug. 18, 2000, in Geneva.
Services are 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the United Methodist Church in Shickley with the Rev. Mark Richardson officiating. Burial will be in the Shickley Public Cemetery. Visitation begins at noon Monday at Farmer and Son Funeral Home in Geneva.
Mr. Witt was born March 26, 1914, to Charles and Mable (Hunter) Witt in Dillingham, Colo. He married Lucille E. Hendrickson. She preceded him in death.
Survivors are three sons, Dennis of Sacramento, Calif., Joseph M. of Potomac Island, Va., and Jerome D. of Roy, Wash.; one daughter, Beverly D. Johnson of Beatrice; one brother, Charles of Doniphan; two sisters, Una Clark of Berlin, N.J., and Mary Miller of Portland, Ore.; eight grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be given to the family.
Charles S. Stuckey
Former Hastings resident Charles Scott Stuckey, 83, of Centerville, Ohio, died Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000, at his home.
Services are 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Carpenter Memorial Funeral Home chapel in North Platte with the Rev. David Lux officiating. Burial will be in the Curtis Cemetery.
Mr. Stuckey was born May 16, 1917, to Royal S. and Daisy (Hicks) Stuckey in Maywood. He married Neva Mary Gilliland. He graduated from Hastings College in 1937 with degrees in math and physics. He earned his master's degree from the University of Wyoming in 1939 and his doctorate in math from the University of Wisconsin in 1940. He then worked in the actuarial division at Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. From 1948-56 he worked with Standard Register Co. He worked at the National Cash Register Corp. in Dayton, Ohio, from 1956-69 when he retired. He also was a mathematics professor at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio from 1957-58. He was president of Stuckey Brothers Limited. He retired in 1969.
He was a member of the American Mathematical Society and Sigma Xi scientific society. He was president of 100 Point Sales Club.
Survivors are his wife; three daughters, Arlene, Karen and Linda; one son, Charles; one sister, Helen Summers; 14 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by two brothers.
Memorials in lieu of flowers may be given to the Charles S. Stuckey Memorial Fund, in care of National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 409 E. Monument Ave., Suite 101, Dayton, OH 45402.
Debra J. Ackerman
Minden resident Debra J. (Adsit) Ackerman, 43, died Friday, Aug. 18, 2000, at Kearney County Hospital Long Term Care Unit in Minden.
Services are 2 p.m. Monday at Merten-Butler Mortuary chapel in Blue Hill with Bishop James Ruberson officiating. Burial will be in the Blue Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Ackerman was born April 14, 1957, to Robert L. and Martha J. (Howard) Adsit in Canyonville, Ore. She worked as a truck driver. In March she moved to Minden from Lawrence, Kan.
Survivors are her father of Polson, Mont.; two brothers, Robert W. Colton of California and Al Ford of Kansas City, Kan.; three sisters, Barbara Gould of Campbell, Margaret Morris of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Grace Adsit of Harvard.
She was preceded in death by her mother.
Memorials may be given to the American Cancer Society.
Emma 'Jeanne' Anderson
Former area resident Emma “Jeanne” (Aker) Anderson, 69, of Phoenix died Monday, July 31, 2000, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha while waiting for a liver transplant.
Services are 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the United Methodist Church in Polk with the Rev. Dr. Jeffery Thurman officiating. Burial will be in the Polk Cemetery. Solt Funeral Home of Polk is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Anderson was born July 9, 1931, to Lyman and Anna (Koenig) Aker in Hastings. She attended school in Harvard through sixth grade and graduated from Polk High School in 1948. She then attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. On March 10, 1951, she married Eric LeRoy “Lee” Anderson in Lincoln. They lived in Polk, New Jersey and New York. They moved to Harvard to farm for two years and then to Polk to farm. She worked at a bank in York, the Nebraska Natural Gas Co. and for the state Fish and Wildlife Department in Grand Island. In 1971 she and her husband moved to Atoka, Okla., where they owned and operated Thunderbird Lodge Motel for 18 years. She graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Okla., with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She worked for the Bureau of Reclamation in Oklahoma for three years and then transferred to California. She and her husband lived in Los Angeles and San Bernadino for two years. They lived in St. Paul, Minn., for nine years where she worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She also worked for the Corps of Engineers for a short time in Germany. They moved to Phoenix in June 1999.
She was a member of the United Methodist Church in Polk and American Legion Auxiliary Post No. 160.
Survivors are her husband; three daughters, Tonya Anderson of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Lisa Anderson and Jill Anderson, both of Phoenix; and one grandchild.
She was preceded in death by two sisters and two brothers.
Ruby M. Jackson
Franklin resident Ruby Marie (Scharff) Jackson, 82, died Monday, July 31, 2000, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Services are 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Grace Lutheran Church in Franklin with the Rev. Bruce Crabtree officiating. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery in Franklin. Visitation is until 9 p.m. today at Hutchins Funeral Home in Franklin and one hour prior to services Thursday at the church.
Mrs. Jackson was born April 6, 1918, to Otto Fred and Karen Johanna (Jensen) Scharff near Minden. She attended rural school in the Upland and Holstein areas and high school in Upland. On Sept. 5, 1937, she married Ernest H. Jackson in Upland. They moved to Riverton in 1935 and then to a farm east of Riverton in 1938. In 1968 they moved to a farm north of Franklin and moved into Franklin in 1983.
She was a member of Grace Lutheran Church, its Hope Circle and its quilters group. She was a volunteer for several years at the Franklin Nursing Center in Franklin.
Survivors are her husband; two daughters, Karen Israelson of Omaha and Kathleen Janssen of Franklin; one brother, Vern Scharff of Atkinson; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by one brother and one sister.
Maria Weller
Kenesaw resident Maria (Schroyer) Weller, 27, died Sunday, July 30, 2000, at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital in Hastings.
Services are 2 p.m. Thursday at Neill-Schwensen-Rook Funeral Home chapel in Clay Center, Kan., with the Rev. Torrey Jaspers officiating. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery in Clay Center, Kan. Visitation is until 8 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Mrs. Weller was born June 22, 1973, to Charles and Marie (Chung Dok) Schroyer in Stuttgart, Germany. She graduated from Wakefield High School in 1991. On May 20, 1992, she married Joseph Weller. They lived in Clay Center, Kan., until moving to Kearney in 1994. They moved to Kenesaw in 1995 where she worked with her husband in a dry wall contracting company. She attended Central Community College-Hastings.
She was a volunteer with Girl Scouts.
Survivors are her husband; two daughters, Karly M. Weller and Sophia J. Weller, both of Kenesaw; her parents of Junction City, Kan.; and her grandmother, Zelda Green of Oakland, Md.
Memorials may be given to the Maria Lynn Weller memorial fund in care of the funeral home, 918 Seventh, Clay Center, KS 67432.
Maurine V. Kleier
Hastings resident Maurine V. (Roberts) Kleier, 90, died Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2000, at the Haven Home in Kenesaw.
Services are 10:30 a.m. Friday at Faith Lutheran Church in Hastings with the Rev. Donald Boeschen officiating. Burial will be in Parkview Cemetery in Hastings. Visitation is 1-9 p.m. Thursday at Butler-Volland Funeral Home in Hastings and one hour prior to services Friday at the church.
Mrs. Kleier was born Feb. 17, 1910, to Ross and Mabel (Ground) Roberts. She attended grade school in Prosser and graduated from Kenesaw High School. She then graduated from Hastings Business College. On Sept. 5, 1934, she married Arthur Kleier. They farmed near Roseland, Prosser and Ayr until retiring in 1968. They then lived in Hastings. On March 13, 1987, her husband died. She moved to the Haven Home in Kenesaw in January.
She was a member of Faith Lutheran Church.
Survivors are three daughters, Lois Berlie-Rutherford, Marie Ochsner and Verna Catchpool, all of Hastings; eight grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
She also was preceded in death by two sisters.
Memorials may be given to the church.
Doris Moncrief
Elwood resident Doris Moncrief, 78, died Tuesday, July 25, 2000, at the Elwood Care Center in Elwood.
Services were Friday at First United Methodist Church in Elwood with the Rev. Fred Andersen officiating. Burial was in the Elwood Cemetery. Berryman Funeral Home of Cozad was in charge of arrangements.
Survivors are one daughter, Jean Schendt of Lawrence; four stepdaughters; two sons, including Ken of Clay Center; one stepson; one sister; three brothers; six grandchildren; 11 stepgrandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and six stepgreat-grandchildren.
Sondra J. Calhoun
Formoso, Kan., resident Sondra J. (Booth) Calhoun, 66, died Monday, Aug. 21, 2000, at Mitchell County Hospital in Beloit, Kan.
Services are 2 p.m. Thursday at Melby Mortuary chapel in Mankato, Kan., with the Rev. Thaddeus Hinkle officiating. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery in Lovewell, Kan. The remains were cremated.
Mrs. Calhoun was born Aug. 25, 1933, to Harry William and Maude Lucile (Chamber) Booth in Kingsville, Mo. She graduated from high school. On Jan. 29, 1968, she married Bennie B. Calhoun Sr. in Tennessee. She lived in Jewell County, Kan., for the last 26 years. On May 25, 1994, her husband died. She was a dispatcher for 17 years at the Jewell County Sheriff’s Office and then retired.
Survivors are five daughters, Julie Montague of Formoso, Nicolette MacDonald of Margarita, Calif., Barbara Trujillo of Costa Mesa, Calif., Stephanie Trujillo and Valarie Pappas; one son, Bennie Jr. of Minneapolis, Kan.; nine grandchildren; and five stepgrandchildren.
Memorials may be given to the Mitchell County Hospital Intensive Care Unit in Beloit.
Arline M. McCaulley
Red Cloud resident Arline M. (Halladay) McCaulley, 85, died Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2000, at Franklin County Hospital in Franklin.
Services are 10:30 a.m. Friday at the United Methodist Church in Lebanon, Kan., with the Rev. Les Ellis officiating. Burial will be in Prairie Home Cemetery in Esbon, Kan. Visitation is 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Simmons Mortuary in Smith Center, Kan.
Mrs. McCaulley was born Jan. 29, 1915, to Edward and Mary (Cathcart) Halladay in Blue Springs. On Nov. 29, 1934, she married Harvey McCaulley. They farmed in eastern Kansas until 1947 when they moved to Red Cloud. In 1948 they moved to Lebanon. In 1993 her husband died. She moved to Red Cloud in 1997.
She was a member of the Lebanon United Methodist Church and its women’s circle. She also was a member of Merry Mixers and Over 60 Club.
Survivors are two sons, Roger of Ellsworth, Kan., and Vernon of Liberal, Kan.; two daughters, Sharon Davenport of Belleville, Kan., and Terrie Stokes of Red Cloud; nine grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
She also was preceded in death by two brothers; four sisters; and one grandchild.
