U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Amanda Olnes
PETERSBURG -- Amanda Olnes, 16, of Petersburg died Saturday, May 9, 1998, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. John's Catholic Church in Petersburg with the Rev. Gerald Connealy officiating. Burial will be in the parish cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesday at Levander Funeral Home in Albion and will continue after 7 p.m. at the church with a 7:30 p.m. prayer service. Visitation will resume Thursday until service time at the church.
Virginia Steburg
CALLAWAY -- Virginia Steburg, 75, of Callaway died Sunday, May 10, 1998, at the Good Samaritan Center in Callaway.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Gates cemetery with Tim Vancil officiating.
Visitation will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow.
Mrs. Steburg was born on Aug. 2, 1922, at Gates to Howe P. and Mary Ethel (Westbrook) Gates. She grew up and was educated in the Gates community. She worked as a nurse's aide for many years.
Her hobbies included cooking and baking.
Survivors include five sisters, Lee Esterbrook of Broken Bow, Iris Dolan or Oroville, Calif., Evelyn Welsh of Pioneer, Calif., Norma Hanson of Vernon, Fla., and Joyce Black of Sutter Creek, Calif.; two brothers, Larry Gates of Taylor and Dr. Dillard Gates of Vancouver, Wash.; five grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by two brothers, two half brothers and four half sisters.
'Pete' Thorton
LOUP CITY -- Wesley "Pete" W. Thorton, 80, of Livingston, Texas, formerly of Loup City, died Wednesday, May 6, 1998, at a Livingston nursing home.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the United Methodist Church in Loup City with burial in Evergreen Cemetery. Higgins Funeral Home of Loup City is in charge of local arrangements.
Memorial services were on Saturday in Livingston.
Private cremation was conducted.
Memorials are suggested to the SKP Care Center in Livingston.
Thomas Damrow
Beatrice -- Thomas H. Damrow, 104, of Beatrice died Sunday, May 10, 1998, at the Beatrice Manor.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. John's Lutheran Church in Beatrice with the Revs. Doug Gunkelman and Richard Fruehling officiating. A private burial will be in Evergreen Home Cemetery.
Visitation will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday at Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice and one hour before services Wednesday at the church. A family prayer service will be at 10:45 a.m. Wednesday in the church chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Kensington Aviary and the Lutheran Indian Oaks Mission.
Mr. Damrow was born on Aug. 24, 1893, near Pickrell.
He married
Marie B. Kechley on Feb. 20, 1917, in her parents' home. They lived on several farms near Beatrice before moving into Beatrice in 1982. He was a graduate of North Western Business College in Beatrice and served as chief accountant of Swift and Co. in Beatrice for three years.
He served in the Legislature from 1963 to 1964.
He was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Beatrice and held several church offices. He served on the Farmers Cooperative Elevator board, the rural school board, the township board, as a county supervisor, a director of the Blue River Area Agency on Aging, treasurer of the Lutheran Hospital Foundation and a member of the Beatrice Kiwanis Club.
He received the Community Leader of American citation in 1968 and the Nebraska Century Society Certificate. He and his wife were the grand marshals of the 1994 Homestead Days Celebration.
Survivors include two sons, Franklin F. Damrow of Diller and the Rev. Thomas A. Damrow of San Antonio; four daughters, Ruby Augustine of Lincoln and formerly of Grand Island, Kathryn (Mrs. Harlan) Overbeck of Pickrell, Esther (Mrs. Charles) Chermak of Beatrice and Marjorie (Mrs. Harold) Epp of Beatrice; 21 grandchildren; 34 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; several step grandchildren and step great-grandchildren; a brother, Edward of Beatrice; and a sister, Clara Henrichs of Beatrice.
His wife died in November 1994. He also was preceded in death by one granddaughter; two great-grandchildren; an infant sister and an infant brother; two other sisters, Ella Aden and Sophena Kechley; and two other brothers, Fred and Henry Damrow.
Mary Landauer
FAIRBURY -- Mary G. Landauer, 64, of Fairbury died Monday, May 11, 1998, at Blue Valley Nursing Home in Hebron.
Services are pending with Levander Funeral Home in Albion.
Harvey Tompkins
INMAN -- Harvey Tompkins, 84, of Inman died Saturday, May 9, 1998, at the O'Neill Nursing Center.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Inman United Methodist Church. The Rev. Philip Morrison-Sloat will officiate. Burial will be in the Inman Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m., with an 8 p.m. prayer service, Tuesday at Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill.
Memorials are suggested to the church or the Holt County Historical Society.
Mr. Tompkins was born on July 2, 1913, at Inman to Leon and Ethel (Doughty) Tompkins. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University.
He married
Lois Caldwell on Oct. 3, 1937, at Utica. He was a rancher in the Inman area all his life.
He was a member of the Inman United Methodist Church, the Holt County Historical Society, the O'Neill Lions Club and the Nebraska Cattlemen's Association.
Survivors include his wife; one daughter, Linelle (Mrs. Ned) Kelley of Inman; three sons, Roger Tompkins of Spokane, Wash., Allen Tompkins of Grand Island and Neil Tompkins of Inman; and 11 grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one brother.
Tom Kraft
Thomas J. Kraft, 75, of Grand Island died Thursday, Feb. 25, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home. The Rev. Jack Rademacher will officiate. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the St. Francis Cardiac Unit or the family.
Mr. Kraft was born on Jan. 9, 1924, at New York City to Charles and Cecilia (Costello) Kraft. He was educated in Teaneck, N.J., where he graduated from high school in 1941. He entered the U.S. Navy on Dec. 18, 1941, and retired in 1963.
He married
Mary J. Wayland on May 5 ,1951, at Washington, D.C. In 1970, the couple moved to Grand Island, where he worked at Stuhr Museum as assistant director. He later became a freelance photographer.
He was a member of the Fleet Reserve, Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Charles Kraft of Fredericksburg, Va.; six daughters, Kathleen (Mrs. Kim) Fandry, Michelle (Mrs. John) Anderson and Mary (Mrs. Mike) Anderson, all of Grand Island, Patricia Kraft of Doniphan, Elizabeth (Mrs. Stephen) Euler of Leavenworth, Kan., and Jeannette (Mrs. Randy) Herrold of Phillips; 13 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and one sister, Jayne Letsche of Alexandria, Va.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Frank Kraft.
