U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Phil Downs
Philip R. "Phil" Downs, 51, of Grand Island died Thursday, April 22, 1999, at his home.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home. The Rev. Timothy Anderson will officiate. Burial of the cremains will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m., with the family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m., Sunday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the Muscular Dystrophy Association or the donor's choice.
Mr. Downs was born on Dec. 11, 1947, at North Platte to Raymond and Laura (Peterjohn) Downs. He grew up and attended school in Hershey and then attended Kearney State College. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in education and later earned a master's degree in education.
He also served in the National Guard.
He married
Michele Johnson on May 29, 1971, at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Grand Island. The couple lived in Grand Island.
He was an industrial arts and driver's education teacher at Polk-Hordville for more than 20 years. He retired due to his disability with muscular dystrophy in 1994.
He was a member of the National Education Association, Nebraska State Education Association and the Board of Independent Living. He enjoyed woodworking, playing cards, reading and crossword puzzles.
Survivors include his wife; his mother, of Hershey; and one brother, Douglas Downs of North Platte.
He was preceded in death by his father.
'Lena' Gulzow
Carolyn K. "Lena" Gulzow, 91, of Grand Island died Thursday, April 22, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Pauls Lutheran Church. The Rev. Joel Schroeder will officiate. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the church or the donor's choice.
Mrs. Gulzow was born on June 15, 1907, at Abbott to August and Eliese (Behrens) Schwieger. She attended District 54 School near Abbott. After her schooling, she moved to Grand Island in 1923 and worked in various homes. She also worked in the Union Pacific depot restaurant.
She married
Fred W. Gulzow on Dec. 29, 1927, in Omaha. She worked at Farmers Union Produce and later in the lab at St. Francis Hospital. She then worked as a house mother at St. Francis School of Nursing.
Mrs. Gulzow enjoyed crocheting, knitting, gardening, bowling and playing cards. She participated in the Shrine pinochle marathon.
She was a member of St. Pauls Lutheran Church, the Platt-Duetsche Ladies Society, the Eagles Auxiliary and the Liederkranz Society.
Survivors include one son, Wayne Gulzow of Grand Island; two daughters, Gerre (Mrs. Delmar) Mehring of Grand Island and LaDonna (Mrs. W.G.) Donahoo of Aumsville, Ore.; eight grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; two step grandchildren; nine step great-grandchildren; and one brother, Alfred Schwieger of Grand Island.
Her husband died in 1969. She also was preceded in death by one great-grandson; one step great-grandson; two sisters, Martha Arp and Irma Schwieger; and five brothers, Harry, Walter, Harold, Arthur and Roy.
Nellie Miller
Nellie B. Miller, 96, of Grand Island died Friday, April 23, 1999, at Park Place Health Care and Rehab Center.
Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Emery Barker
HASTINGS -- Emery L. Barker, 80, of Hastings died Thursday, April 22, 1999, at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital in Hastings.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Butler-Volland Chapel. The Rev. Earl Higgins will officiate. Burial will be in Parkview cemetery in Hastings.
Visitation will be from 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. until service time Monday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the Elks National Foundation for Kids.
Mr. Barker was born on Oct. 22, 1918, in LaHarpe, Kan., to Ralph and Ethel (Boyer) Barker. He graduated from LaHarpe High School and Pittsburg Teachers College, now Pittsburg State University, in Kansas in 1942.
He married
Margaret Hood on May 11, 1942, in Grand Island. He moved from Iola, Kan., to Hastings in 1942. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II from 1944 to 1946. He was assistant vice president and operations officer for the First National Bank, now Norwest, for 36 years. After retiring from the banking business, Mr. Barker, his wife and son owned and operated the Flamingo Lounge in Grand Island from 1983 to 1989. They sold the business in 1989 and moved back to Hastings.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, American Legion Post 11, Elks Lodge and Eagles. He was a past member of Mid-West Lodge 317 A.F. & A.M., Scottish Rite and Shrine for 30 years.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Dennis Barker of Hastings; and two grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one sister.
Mary Bock
RAVENNA -- Mary Bock, 100, of Ravenna died Wednesday, April 21, 1999, at the Good Samaritan Center in Ravenna.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Ravenna. The Rev. Steven Schlund will officiate. Burial will be in St. John's Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the church. Rasmussen Mortuary in Ravenna is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to the church.
Mrs. Bock was born on Feb. 14, 1899, in Cuming County to Frank and Anna (Hoegermeyer) Heermann. She was educated in a rural school.
She married
Louis Bock on Jan. 24, 1924, at Pilger. They lived on a farm southwest of Poole. Mr. Bock died on Dec. 16, 1966. She moved to Ravenna in May 1967. She moved to the Good Samaritan Center in September 1993.
She was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
Survivors include two sons, Leo Bock of Burnsville, Minn., and Eldor Bock of Pleasanton; one daughter, Fern Myers of Polk; 16 grandchildren; 31 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and one brother, Ruben Heermann of Peoria, Ill.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by one son, one granddaughter, three brothers and five sisters.
Kermit Hultgren
STROMSBURG -- Kermit F. Hultgren, 94, of Stromsburg died Thursday, April 22, 1999, at York General Hospital.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the United Methodist Church in Stromsburg. The Revs. Lester Anderson and Jeff Thurman will officiate. Burial will be in the Stromsburg Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Palmer Funeral Home in Stromsburg.
Mr. Hultgren was born on Jan. 11, 1905, on a farm near Stromsburg to Frank and Maggie (Anderson) Hultgren. He attended Libertyville country school and graduated from Stromsburg High School in 1923. He was employed with John Deere.
He married
Mildred Anderson on June 4, 1925, in Grand Island.
In 1939, he attended school in Omaha for aircraft sheet metal work. They then moved to Wichita, Kan., where he was employed by Beech Aircraft during the war.
In 1946, they moved back to Stromsburg. Mr. Hultgren resumed his career with John Deere as a mechanic and parts man until 1964, when John Deere changed ownership.
He then went to work for Overland Sand and Gravel, where he was employed until his retirement.
He was a member of the Stromsburg Masonic Lodge.
Survivors include his son, Ralph Hultgren of Stromsburg; four grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
His wife died on June 24, 1996. Mr. Hultgren also was preceded in death by one daughter, Lois; two brothers, Howard and Carrol; and two sisters, Blanche Cole and Beatrice Hultgren.
