U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
'Olie' Olsen
HASTINGS -- Lavern L. "Olie" Olsen, 75, of Hastings died Sunday, Feb. 28, 1999, at his home.
Services were on Wednesday at First St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Hastings. The Rev. Harold Stromer officiated. Burial was in Sunset Memorial Gardens in Hastings.
Memorials are suggested to First St. Paul's Christmas Fund.
Brand-Wilson Mortuary in Hastings was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Olsen was born on Nov. 10, 1923, at Norfolk to Louis and Margaret (Goudy) Olsen. He moved to Hastings in 1939. He owned L.L. Olsen Oil Co.
He married
Illene Keedle on Sept. 21, 1946.
He was a member of First St. Paul's Lutheran Church and the Eagles.
Survivors include his wife; one daughter, Margaret (Mrs. Darwin) Stutzman of Hastings; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and one sister, Marge Henry of Omaha.
He was preceded in death by one daughter, Jeanne Tharp; and one brother.
Esther Rolfsmeyer
LITCHFIELD -- Esther Rolfsmeyer, 89, of Litchfield died Tuesday, March 2, 1999, at the Mount Carmel Home in Kearney.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the United Methodist Church in Litchfield. The Rev. Heidi Revelo will officiate. Burial will be in Pleasant Valley cemetery north of Pleasanton.
Visitation will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the church.
Rasmussen Mortuary in Ravenna is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Rolfsmeyer was born on March 22, 1909, at rural Litchfield to Nels and Ida (Swanson) Samuelson.
She was educated at Scott Center School and graduated from Litchfield High School in 1927. She taught school for three years.
She married
Elmer Rolfsmeyer on May 21, 1932, in Kearney. The couple lived south of Litchfield.
She was a member of the United Methodist Church and was active in the Elder Grove Club. She enjoyed quilting, playing cards and sewing.
Survivors include her husband; one son, Allen Rolfsmeyer of Pleasanton; two daughters, Betty Hand of Pleasanton and JoAnne Rolfsmeyer of Kearney; eight grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by an infant son, three brothers and four sisters.
Lawrence Wegner
st. paul -- Lawrence R. Wegner, 93, of St. Paul died Wednesday, March 3, 1999, at the Howard County Community Hospital in St. Paul.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the United Methodist Church in Palmer. The Revs. Jerry Quandt and Ken West will officiate. Burial will be in Rose Hill cemetery at Palmer.
Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday at Jacobsen Funeral Home in St. Paul.
Memorials are suggested to the Rose Hill cemetery Association or the church.
Mr. Wegner was born on May 15, 1905, at Archer to John and Emma (Zamzow) Wegner. He attended school in the Palmer area.
He married
Alice Snyder on March 7, 1929, at Palmer. The couple first lived on a farm northwest of Palmer.
He also worked for the railroad for several years. They later moved into Palmer, where he was a butter maker at the Palmer Creamery. Mrs. Wegner died on May 13, 1952.
Mr. Wegner served on the Palmer Village Board and the Palmer Board of Education. He retired in 1960 and moved to a farm south of St. Paul. He moved to the Palmer Nursing Home in May 1997.
He enjoyed singing, hunting and fishing.
Survivors include two sons, Gib of St. Paul and Jim of Littleton, Colo.; one daughter, Virginia (Mrs. Bill) Kiburz of DeWitt; nine grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; one sister, Iris DeBord of Lincoln; and one brother, Don Wegner of Central City.
Other than his wife, he was preceded in death by five brothers, Vernon, Harold, Leonard, Clinton and John Jr.; and four sisters, Irene Gilmont, Louise Weller, Alice Hettrick and Helen Green.
Lillian Salestrom
ADAMS -- Lillian C. Salestrom, 94, of Adams, formerly of Grand Island, died Wednesday, March, 3, 1999, at the Gold Crest Retirement Center in Adams.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Messiah Lutheran Church in Grand Island. The Rev. Gretchen Diers will officiate. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park cemetery in Grand Island.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Friday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the church or retirement center.
Otto Schmidt
COLUMBUS -- Otto Schmidt, 73, of Columbus died Tuesday, March 2, 1999, at the Grand Island Veterans Home.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Creston. A family prayer service will be at 10:15 a.m. at the church. The Rev. Kristi Rockswold will officiate. Burial will be in Creston-Fairview cemetery with military rites.
Visitation will be one hour before services Thursday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the family's choice.
Gass-Haney Funeral Home in Columbus is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Schmidt was born on Oct. 7, 1925, at Columbus to Max and Anna (Muth) Schmidt. He served in the Navy during World War II from May 31, 1944, to July 10, 1945.
He married
Darlene Anderson on Jan. 18, 1955, at Madison. They lived in Tilden, Creston and Columbus. He was a carpenter and farmer. He worked at Becton-Dickinson and Dale Electronics. He retired in 1990.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Carla (Mrs. Jerry) Sokol of Grand Island; a son, Chuck Schmidt of Columbus; four grandchildren; two brothers, Edwin Schmidt of Tilden and Elmer Schmidt of Meadow Grove; and three sisters, Rosa Wurdeman and Mabel Wurdeman, both of Creston, and Helen Geary of Norfolk.
He was preceded in death by three brothers and one sister.
Philip Shannon
SUN CITY, Ariz. -- Philip J. Shannon, 67, of Sun City, Ariz., died Monday, March 1, 1999, at Dignita Hospice Care in Peoria, Ariz.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Menke Funeral Home in Sun City. Burial will be in the National Memorial cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix.
Visitation will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Mr. Shannon was born at Lowell, Mass. He was chief of personnel for the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Grand Island from 1984 to 1992. He retired in 1992 and moved to Sun City.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus of Sun City, Ariz., the American Legion of Sun City and a Veterans of Foreign Wars member in Alabama.
Survivors include his wife, Betty of Sun City; a brother, Thomas Shannon of Washington, D.C.; and a sister, Margaret Shannon of Lowell.
Elmer Bowers
Elmer L. Bowers, 82, of Grand Island died Monday, Jan. 18, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home. The Rev. Gretchen Diers will officiate. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m., with the family receiving friends from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to Messiah Lutheran Church or Research to Prevent Blindness.
Survivors include his wife, Sylvia A. Bowers; two daughters, Linda (Mrs. Frank) Carbajal of San Jose, Calif., and Karen (Mrs. Russell) Hiatt of Columbus; four grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and two brothers, John and Sam Bowers, both of Grand Island.
He was preceded in death by one son, Gary; two brothers, Roy and Lawrence; and a sister, Clara.
