U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Frank 'Scrappie' Milner (1922-2003)
Frank P. (Scrappie) Milner, 81, of Cozad died Saturday, October 11, 2003.
He was born February 1, 1922, at Fredonia, Kansas, to Frank P. and Elsie Morgan MIlner. He attended school at Fredonia. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II with the 300th Infantry Division and then with the 101st Airborne Division. He served in several locations including Holland, France and Belgium. His service awards included the Purple Heart, Bronze star, Service Medal, Parachute Medal, Glider Medal and four Presidential Citations.
On December 25, 1941, he was married to Madeline Lour. Following his discharge the couple resided in Neodesha, Kansas, where he was employed with Archer-Daniels Dehydrating Plant. In 1955 he transferred to a mill at Cozad and later managed the Cozad Alfalfa Mills until his retirement. He also assisted his wife with the ownership and operation of the Red Rooster Cafe at Cozad and later the U.S.S. Red Rooster Cafe at Johnson Lake.
He was a member of Parkview United Methodist Church, 101st Airborne Association, V.F.W. American Legion and the Cozad Elks Lodge. He had been an active member of the Cozad Honor Guard of many years. He was preceded in death by his wife in 2002, and by three brothers, Carl, Melvin and Donald, and one sister, Agnes.
Survivors include two daughters, Sandra (Rod) Wood of Lexington, Nebraska, and Kathryn (Brad) Stull of Gothenburg, Nebraska; three granddaughters, Kellie (Randy) Rieke of Lexington, Lori (Jim) Long of Gretna, Nebraska, and Stephanie (Scott) Aden of Gothenburg; six great-grandchildren, Leah and Sheridan Rieke, Sam Aden and Trenton, Dominic and Bronson Long; five brothers, John (Dora) Milner of Commerce City, Colorado, Bill Miner of Fredonia, Kansas, Jit (Donna) Milner of Rose Hill, Kansas, Larry Milner of Neodesha, Kansas, and David (Sharon) Milner of Fredonia Kansas; four sisters, Ledema (John) Lipitz of Pueblo, Colorado, Jean (John) Hall of Independence, Kansas, Geraldine Gulick and Linda (Tom) McGuire both of Neodesha, Kansas.
Services were held on Tuesday, October 14, 2003, at Parkview United Methodist Church with Revs. Jaimie Sarias and Doug Smith officiating. Burial was in the Cozad Cemetery with military honors.
Memorials are suggested to the V.F.W. Post 890 in his memory.
The Berryman Funeral Home in Cozad was in charge of arrangements.
Keith H. Wycoff, age 82 (1921-2003)
Keith H. Wycoff, 82, of Lexington, died Monday, October 13, 2003, at the Plum Creek Care Center.
He was born July 2, 1921, in Wapello, Iowa, to Ray S. and Ima (Ruby) Wycoff. He was a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University in physics in 1942.
On June 12, 1943, he married Retha Edeal at Seattle, Washington.
Wycoff was a research physicist for Armour Research Foundation in Chicago from 1942, to 1944, then served several months as a merchant marine radio officer in the Carribean, followed in 1945, by a peacetime position as a radio engineer and radio school instructor working in both Akron, and Cleveland, Ohio. During this period he patented a sterilizable strainer for use with nursing bottles to prevent rubber nipples from clogging and founded his first small manufacturing company.
In 1949, Wycoff relocated to Overton, Nebraska, and through the early 1950s supported his research interests as one of the original radio engineers for KRVN and operating a radio service station for Motorola 2-way radios in Western Nebraska. In 1955, with Arlyn Collins he co-founded what later became Plectron Corporation in Overton specializing in plastics and electronics manufacturing. In 1961, he started a new venture that became Reach Electronics, Inc. when it relocated to Lexington in 1963.
Most of Wycoff's inventions were in the field of electronics and he was awarded more than 40 patents, primarily in the U.S., but also foreign countries. The most notable extended battery life in electronic pagers and portable phones using techniques which have been subsequently adopted by nearly every manufacturer of such devices.
Keith was the recipient of numerous awards including life membership from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Nebraska Chamber of Commerce Small Businessman of the Year for 1984, and an honorary Doctorate from Nebraska Wesleyan University. He was a strong supporter of international understanding through business and received national recognition for his business efforts at promoting exports.
He was a 70-year member of the First United Methodist Church in
Lexington, and was past president of the Lexington Rotary Club and of Toastmasters. Besides his life-long fascination with scientific topics, he maintained a love for singing and was quick to offer help to those in need.
Survivors include his wife of 60 years, Retha Wycoff of Lexington; three sons, Delane A. (Dorothy) Wycoff, MD of North Platte, Nebraska, Kevin K. (Paige) Wycoff, MD of Hastings, Nebraska, and Timothy D. (Susan West) Wycoff, MD, Appleton, Wisconsin; two daughters Janine A. Wycoff, of Loveland, Colorado, and Valerie (James Lovell-Smith) Wycoff of Christchurch, New Zealand; nine grandchildren, Jason Wycoff of Zeitlarn, Germany, Kathryn Wycoff of Chicago, Illinois, K. Tyler (Amanda) Wycoff, MD of St. Paul, Minnesota, Reid Wycoff of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Cole Wycoff of Lincoln, Nebraska, Isaac Wycoff of Tacoma, Washington, Olivia Wycoff of Portland, Oregon, Timothy R. Lovell-Smith of Christchurch, New Zealand, and Jasmine Lovell-Smith of Wellington, New Zealand; one sister Ruby (George) Crandall of Wilcox, Nebraska, along with nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Raymond.
A memorial service will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, October 18, 2003, at the First United Methodist Church in Lexington with Rev. Todd Karges, officiating. A family burial service at 10 a.m. will precede the memorial.
Visitation will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Friday, October 17, at Reynolds-Love Funeral Home in Lexington.
Memorials are suggested to the Alzheimer's Association, the Lexington First United Methodist Church, or donor's choice.
Reynolds-Love Funeral Home in Lexington is in charge of arrangements.
Valma Elaine Mitchell, 83 (1920-2003)
Valma Elaine Mitchell, 83, of Lexington, Nebraska, died Monday, October 13, 2003, at the Tri-County Hospital in Lexington.
She was born February 14, 1920, in Wheeler County, Nebraska to Lewis and Elizabeth (Henderson) Gwin.
Valma grew up at Albion, Nebraska, graduating from high school in 1938. The following October she married Frank Moninger. In 1941, they resided at Milburn, Nebraska, on a ranch where their daughter, Karen Joyce was born. The couple then moved to Gothenburg in 1942, where their son, Darwynn was born.
During WWII, she separated from Frank and went to Portland, Oregon, with her family. There she worked in the shipyards as a welder. The family then relocated back to Gothenburg where she worked as a telephone operator.
She met Warren Mitchell at a dance and was soon married to him at the Buffalo Grove Presbyterian Church on January 26, 1948. Their family then moved to the Mitchell family homestead near the Josselyn Mill at Lexington. Valma always had a big garden, helped with the dairy and hayfields in the early years, and also acted as a 4-H leader.
For more than 22 years she worked in the home of neighbors Bart and Marian Kline. Their six children called her their "other mother". Valma enjoyed dancing, playing cards and made many heirloom embroidery pieces. She has been a member of the Presbyterian Church for more than 50 years, earlier belonging to the Presbyterian Women's group, the Christian Women's Club, Spring Creek Extension Club, and served as treasurer of School District #6.
In 1983, Warren and Valma moved from the farm into Lexington. In 1997, Valma moved to Park Avenue Estates and later in 2002, to Plum Creek Care Center.
Survivors include one daughter, Karen (Buzz) Henry of Lexington; one son, Darwynn (Karen) Mitchell of Kingsport, Tennessee; five grandchildren, Kim (Douglas) Eckert of Lamar, Colorado, Cody (Amanda Moore) Henry of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, Jon (Sophia) Mitchell of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Shawn Mitchell of North Platte, Nebraska, and Tony Mitchell of Greensboro, North Carolina; six great-grandchildren, Joshua, Jordan, Alex, Geoffrey, Omar and Hailey.
She was preceded in death by an infant son, Douglas Keith in 1944, her parents, sisters, Norma Bentley, Nita Van Vleet, Marvel Schad and brother, Gordon Gwin and lastly, her husband, Warren Mitchell in 1993.
The family has chosen cremation.
A memorial service will be Friday, October 17, 2003, at 2 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Lexington, Nebraska with Reverend Caroline Vickery, officiating.
Private Inurnment will be held at a later date.
Memorials are suggested to the First Presbyterian Church or the Alzheimer's Association.
Reynolds-Love Funeral Home in Lexington is in charge of arrangements.
Viola V. Klinkman, 79 (1924-2003)
Viola Vivian Klinkman, 79, of Gothenburg, Nebraska, died December 9, 2003, at Lincoln, Nebraska.
She was born October 11, 1924, to Guy S. and Victoria Olson Knepp at Orleans, Nebraska. She attended Carter Elementary School, ninth grade at Orleans, and graduated from the Mascot, Nebraska, High School in May of 1942.
Viola attended Western Union Training School in Denver, Colorado, to become an automatic multiplex operator. She worked in the Western Union office as a routing aide while in training. Following a one year employment in the Denver office, a short term transfer was taken to work in the Western Union office in New York City. She then transferred to the Chicago, Illinois, Western Union office where she was employed for two years.
On May 20, 1946, Viola married Walter Carl Hoesch in the Evangelical Church at Huntley, Nebraska. Three children were born to the couple, Vicki Lee, Carla Sue and David Walter.
Following the death of her husband in a farm accident in September, 1951, Viola and the children moved to Holdrege, Nebraska. The family moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, in the fall of 1956, where Viola attended the University of Nebraska. After graduation in 1960, they moved to Gothenburg, where Viola taught in the high school until 1987.
On December 31, 1965, Viola married Ivan Klinkman in the Evangelical Free Church in Gothenburg. He preceded her in death on February 16, 1993.
Viola attended the American Sunday School Union at Carter, Nebraska, as a child, and dedicated her life to Christ while working in Chicago, Illinois. She has been a member of the Evangelical Free Church since 1952, and has taught Sunday School and sung in the choir. She has been involved in the Women's ministries and served as an AWANA leader. She was a member of the Beta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Teacher's Honorary, where she held several offices including President. Community interests have included being on the United Way board, delivering Meals On Wheels, serving as President of the Gothenburg Area of Retired Teacher's Association, tutoring GED students, State President of Nebraska State Retired Teachers Association from 1998 to 2000, and past President of Western Division Evangelical Free Church Women's Ministries.
Survivors include two daughters, Vicki Lee (Robert) Swanson of Wilcox, Nebraska, and Carla (Norman) Pramberg of Gothenburg; one son, David Walter (Cynthia) Hoesch of Central City, Nebraska; one half sister, Dorothy Menke of Grand Island, Nebraska; her step-mother, Anna Knepp of Hastings, Nebraska; 11 grandchildren, Trevor Swanson of Wilcox, Ryan (Rebecca) Swanson of Alma, Nebraska, Forrest Swanson, Heather Swanson and Colt Swanson, all of Wilcox, Shannon Pramberg of Hastings, Jeffrey Pramberg and Matthew Pramberg, both of Gothenburg, Jonathan (Nicole) Hoesch of Kearney, Nebraska, Joshua Hoesch of Chicago, and Mary Hannah Hoesch of Omaha, Nebraska; and one great-granddaughter, Anna Christine Hoesch of Kearney.
She was preceded in death by her parents; two husbands; two half sisters, Roberta and Donna Knepp; and a brother-in-law, LeRoy 'Sonny' Menke.
Funeral services were held Saturday, December 13, 2003, at 10:30 a.m. at the Evangelical Free Church in Gothenburg with Rev. Rick Rehmert officiating.
Burial was in the Alma Cemetery at 3 p.m. in Alma, Nebraska.
Memorials may be given to the Evangelical Free Church.
Blase Memorial Chapel in Gothenburg was in charge of arrangements.
Martin W. Piller, Sr., 79 (1924-2003)
Martin W. Piller, Sr., 79, of North Platte, Nebraska, died December 9, 2003.
He was born January 1, 1924, in Millerton, Nebraska, to William and Mary Martin Piller.
He graduated from Deuel County High School in Chappell, Nebraska. From 1943 to 1946, he served in the U.S. Navy during W.W.II as a Radio Technician, Second Class.
October 3, 1945, he married Wilma Porter in Denver, Colorado. They have lived in North Platte since 1971.
Mr. Piller was a member of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, American Legion, and Disabled American Veterans. He was a wonderful and loving son, husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and will be greatly missed by all. He also was a faithful Christian.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, Jerry (Kathy) of Kihei, Hawaii, Martin Jr. (Roba) of Ft. Collins, Colorado, and Gregg (Nancy) of North Platte; six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; three sisters, Lois (Spike) Wooldridge of Cozad, Nebraska, Esther (Don) Raitz of Holyoke, Colorado, and Leah (Stan) Brown of Eaton, Colorado.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Delores Jacobsen, and Marjorie Potter.
Services were held at 1 p.m. Friday, December 12, 2003, at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church, 402 Baytree, with Rev. Robert Deardoff officiating.
Burial was at Fort McPherson National Cemetery near Maxwell.
Memorials are suggested to The Lutheran Hour.
