U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Leroy Collinson
BROKEN BOW -- Leroy Byron Collinson, 68, of rural Broken Bow died Monday, May 24, 1999, at his home.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Berean Fundamental Church in Broken Bow. The Rev. Steve Hicks will officiate. Burial will be in the Broken Bow Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow.
Memorials are suggested to the church or the Custer County Hospice.
Mr. Collinson was born on Nov. 21, 1930, at Broken Bow to Byron and Edna (Huff) Collinson. He grew up on the family farm in the Ash Creek community near Broken Bow and attended rural grade school.
Later, the family moved to a farm west of Broken Bow. He attended high school in Broken Bow and stayed with the Henry and Marie Pracht family during the last two years of high school. After his schooling, he farmed with his parents.
He married
Jean Pracht on Feb. 18, 1953, in Broken Bow. Mr. Collinson joined the U.S. Army in March 1953 and served as a radar operator. After his discharge in March 1955, he returned to Broken Bow, where he farmed and ranched.
He organized the Custer Sabres Car Club in the late 1950s. He was also a member of the National Hot Rod Association, Custer County Car Club, National Rifle Association, Civil Air Patrol, Airplane Owners and Pilot Association, American Radio Relay League, Custer County Sheriff's Posse, Pheasants Forever, American Legion and Military Affiliate Radio System. He had also been a 4-H leader and enjoyed teaching gun safety and marksmanship.
Survivors include his wife.
Jon Schrock Sr.
GILTNER -- Jon W. Schrock Sr., 43, of Giltner died Sunday, May 23, 1999, at Eau Claire, Wis.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home in Grand Island. The Rev. Jerry Breese will officiate. Burial will be in the Giltner Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m., with the family present from 7 to 9 p.m., Thursday at the funeral home.
Mr. Schrock was born on May 5, 1956, at Grand Island to Eugene and Patricia (Ellis) Schrock. He attended school in Giltner and graduated from Giltner High School in 1974.
He married
Denise Fruit on July 2, 1977, at Keystone. They lived in various cities before moving to Oceanside, Calif., in 1984. They lived there until 1989. They returned to Nebraska in 1991. He was a self-employed truck driver, owning and operating Schrock Transportation.
He enjoyed driving his truck.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Jon Jr. of Grand Island; three daughters, Samantha of Grand Island and Catrina and Maggie, both of Giltner; one granddaughter; his father, of Giltner; his mother, Patsy Juett of Aurora; one brother, Ted of Oceanside, Calif.; two sisters, Jolene and Melody, both of Grand Island; and two grandparents, Russell and Beulah Schrock, both of Aurora.
He was preceded in death by two grandparents.
Winona Zeller
RAVENNA -- Winona Zeller, 74, of Ravenna died Monday, May 24, 1999, at the Good Samaritan Center in Ravenna.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Rasmussen Mortuary in Ravenna. The Rev. Mark Cadenbach will officiate. Burial will be in Highland Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the mortuary.
Mrs. Zeller was born on April 22, 1925, in Hazard to Fred and Beatrice (Zimmer) Rasmussen. She was educated in Hazard and graduated from Hazard High School.
She married
Leonard Zeller on Oct. 25, 1944, in Stanton. The couple lived on a farm near Poole.
Mrs. Zeller was a member of the United Methodist Church.
Survivors include two sons, Bruce of Las Vegas and Gary of Steamboat Springs, Colo.; two grandchildren; one brother, Wendell Rasmussen of Hazard; and three sisters, Betty Zoucha of Grand Island, Doris Nickman of Pleasanton and Dolores Wheeler of Delta, Colo.
She was preceded in death by her husband; one son, Brent; and one sister.
Donita Wiggins
MINDEN -- Donita W. Wiggins, 83, of Minden died Monday, May 24, 1999, at Tiffany Square Care Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the United Methodist Church in Minden. The Revs. M. Manick Samuel and Tim Wiggins will officiate. Burial will be in the Minden Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 and 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Layton Funeral Home in Minden.
Mrs. Wiggins was born on July 14, 1915, in Lincoln to Trev and Ivy (Waller) Gillespie. She grew up in the Lincoln area and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1933. She attended the University of Nebraska and was an Alphi Phi.
She married
Dr. Harlan R. Wiggins on Dec. 11, 1942, in Papillion. They moved to Minden in 1947. She worked for many years as deputy Kearney County clerk.
She was a 50-year member of the United Methodist Church in Minden, past president of the Minden Garden Club, co-organizer of the Minden Chapter of Jobs Daughters, co-founder of the Minden Campfire Girls and past president of the Alpha Phi Mothers Club. She was a member of the University of Nebraska Alumni Association, Minden American Legion Auxiliary, Eastern Star, Town and Country Extension Club and American Veterinary Medical Association Auxiliary.
Survivors include three daughters, Patti (Mrs. Dick) Luebbe of Columbus, Sherri (Mrs. Al) Friedman of Atlanta and Leslie Hogan of Grand Island; seven grandchildren; one sister, Pat Cypher of Lincoln; and one brother, Bob Gillaspie of Omaha.
Her husband died on Dec. 25, 1973.
Bertha Arends
Bertha M. Arends, 66, of Grand Island died Sunday, May 10, 1998, at Clarkson Hospital in Omaha.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. The Revs. Marty Egging and Harold Kurtenbach will officiate. Entombment will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m., with the rosary recited at 7 p.m., Wednesday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the Kidney Foundation.
Mrs. Arends was born on March 12, 1932, at St. Paul to Edward and Laura (Nunn) Fuller. She grew up and was educated in St. Paul.
She married
James Arends on April 12, 1950, at St. Paul. They lived in Grand Island before moving to Cairo in 1983. The couple moved back to Grand Island in February 1998.
Mrs. Arends was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, a past member of United Commercial Travelers and the Eagles. She volunteered at the Cairo Senior Citizens Center. She enjoyed camping, traveling and quilting.
Survivors include her husband; two sons, James Arends of South Sioux City and Timothy Arends of Grand Island; one daughter, Karen (Mrs. Tom) Mettenbrink of Grand Island; two grandchildren; and two sisters, Mary Wells of Sioux Falls, S.D., and Edna Webb of Dannebrog.
She was preceded in death by two sisters, Gloria Eddy and Opal Chadwick.
Bill Ferguson
Bill I. Ferguson, 57, of Grand Island died Monday, May 11, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Mary's Cathedral. The Rev. Tom Ryan will officiate.
Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m., with a Scripture wake at 7 p.m., Thursday at Kleine Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Laura Grigsby
ST. PAUL -- Laura A. Grigsby, 84, of St. Paul died Monday, May 11, 1998, at the Heritage Living Center in St. Paul.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Christ Lutheran Church in St. Paul. The Rev. William Voelker will officiate. Burial will be at 2:30 p.m. in the Aurora Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Jacobsen Funeral Home in St. Paul.
Memorials are suggested to the church.
Mrs. Grigsby was born on Nov. 27, 1913, at Aurora to August and Lydia (Baumeister) Werth. She attended Zion Lutheran Church near Hampton, grew up on a farm east of Hampton and graduated from the eighth grade. She then worked in Omaha for a number of years in a bakery.
She married
Don Grigsby on April 5, 1947, at Belleville, Kan. They farmed north of Hampton until 1960, when they moved to a farm northwest of Aurora. They purchased a farm near Farwell in 1965. Mr. Grigsby died in 1968.
Mrs. Grigsby remained on the farm until moving into St. Paul in 1974. She entered the Heritage Living Center in St. Paul in January 1997.
Survivors include one daughter, Linda (Mrs. Gale) Lemburg of Farwell; one grandson; and one sister, Lydia Davis of St. Paul.
Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by one granddaughter.
