U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Ellsworth Carlson
STROMSBURG -- Ellsworth Carlson, 80, of Stromsburg died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1998, at the Stromsburg Midwest Covenant Home.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the United Methodist Church in Stromsburg. The Rev. Jeff Thurman will officiate. Burial will be at a later date.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Palmer Funeral Home in Stromsburg.
Ted Chlopek
FULLERTON -- Ted Chlopek, 84, of Fullerton died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1999, at the Boone County Health Center in Albion.
Services are pending at Palmers Funeral Home in Fullerton.
Mary Quinn
AURORA -- Mary Agnes Quinn, 106, of Aurora died Tuesday, Jan. 12, 1999, at the Hamilton Manor in Aurora.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Aurora. The Rev. Thaddeus Bryl will officiate. Burial will be in the Aurora Catholic Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Higby Mortuary in Aurora with a 4 p.m. rosary.
Mrs. Quinn, the daughter of Michael and Margaret (Kirby) Judge, was born on Jan. 21, 1892, at Boone, Iowa. She grew up at Boone, Iowa, graduated from Boone Sacred Heart High School and attended business college.
Her first job was with the Seminole Indian Medicine Co. in Boone. She later worked for the railroad company in Oklahoma and was assistant to the treasurer at the main office. She returned to Iowa and was a door-to-door saleswoman for the Standard Dictionary of Facts, which brought her to Aurora.
She married
John F. Quinn on June 11, 1929, at Des Moines, Iowa. They lived in Aurora, where she was head librarian at the Aurora Library. Mr. Quinn died on April 17, 1978. Mrs. Quinn entered the Hamilton Manor in Aurora on Jan. 19, 1982.
She was a longtime member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and the Altar Society. She was an avid bridge and pitch player.
Survivors include a daughter, Mary Ann Vroman of Billings, Mont.; 10 grandchildren; several great-grandchildren; and one sister, Sister M. Louise Judge of Illinois.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by one son, John; one brother and five sisters.
Elwood Sandell
POLK -- Elwood Milburn Sandell, 87, of Polk died Tuesday, Jan. 12, 1999, at Midwest Covenant Home in Stromsburg.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the First Baptist Church in Polk. The Rev. Roger Burke will officiate. Burial will be in Lindale cemetery near Polk.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Solt Funeral Home in Polk.
Memorials are suggested to Gideons International.
Mr. Sandell was born on May 22, 1911, in Polk to Henry and Hilma (Benson) Sandell. He attended District 65 School in Hamilton County and Frog Pond School in Polk County. Mr. Sandell lived in Polk all of his life.
He married
Velma Ina Leach on March 25, 1934, at her family's farm in Hamilton County. Mr. Sandell was one of the early users of irrigation in his farming operation. They retired from farming in 1976.
Mr. Sandell was a member of the First Baptist Church in Polk and had served as a board member and deacon. He was a charter member of the Polk Gideon Camp and belonged to Gideons International. He was a school board member for several terms. After retirement, he enjoyed working in his yard.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Kendall of Polk; three daughters, Mary Lou Sandell and Carmen Sandell, both of Lincoln, and Joan (Mrs. Jerry) Jones of Omaha; four grandchildren; one great-grandchild; one brother, Levar of Osceola; and one stepsister, Violet Martin of Palm Desert, Calif.
He was preceded in death by one brother, Wallace Sandell.
Nellie Schachta
LOUP CITY -- Nellie M. Schachta, 83, of Loup City died Tuesday, Jan. 12, 1999, at St. Francis Memorial Health Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Josaphat's Catholic Church in Loup City. The Rev. Reginald A. Urban will officiate. Burial will be in Evergreen cemetery at Loup City.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m., with a sodality rosary at 4 p.m., Thursday at Higgins Funeral Home in Loup City. Further visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m., with a 7:30 p.m. wake service, Thursday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mrs. Schachta was born on Oct. 23, 1915, near Ashton to John and Martha (Larchick) Spotanski. She grew up and attended school near Ashton.
She married
Isadore Schachta on Nov. 24, 1943, at the Paplin Church. They farmed in the Sherman County area until 1971, when they moved into Ashton. They moved to Loup City in 1976.
She was a member of the Ashton Extension Club; St. Josaphat's Catholic Church, rosary sodality and altar society; and St. Ann's Quilting Club. She served cookies and popcorn at the Rose Lane Home in Loup City. She enjoyed bingo, volunteering, playing cards, dancing and entertaining.
Survivors include her husband; four sons, Tom Schachta of Kearney, Don and Mike Schachta, both of Grand Island, and Raymond Schachta of Ashton; one daughter, Jean Wheeler of Holdrege; 13 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; three brothers, Harry and Gene Spotanski, both of Loup City, and Alozy Spotanski of Ashton; and three sisters, Emily Lewandowski of Broken Bow, Alice Kwiatkowski of Litchfield and Virgie McRoberts of Omaha.
She was preceded in death by two brothers, Hubert and Albin.
Evelyn Svoboda
PALMER -- Evelyn M. Svoboda, 88, of Palmer, formerly of St. Paul, died Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1999, at IHS/Community Care of America in Palmer.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church in St. Paul. Ellen Campbell and the Rev. Ken West will officiate. Burial will be in Elmwood cemetery in St. Paul.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Peter's Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the family's choice.
Mrs. Svoboda was born on April 5, 1910, at Rogers to Charles F. and Katie (Pimpara) Mitchell. She attended school in Elba and graduated from Elba High School in 1928. She later attended Kearney State Teachers College and taught school at Elba and area rural schools.
She married
William E. Svoboda on Jan. 5, 1938, at Dwight. The couple lived in St. Paul and farmed in the area until 1968. They moved to IHS/Community Care of America in Palmer in May 1997. Mr. Svoboda died on Nov. 29, 1998.
Mrs. Svoboda loved to sew, sing and play bridge.
She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Women and the church choir. She also taught Sunday school and Bible school.
She belonged to the Hearth and Home Extension Club and was a 4-H leader and co-chairwoman of the March of Dimes for more than 20 years.
Survivors include three daughters, Marlene (Mrs. Robert) Holt of St. Paul, Kathleen (Mrs. Johnnie) Wall of Littleton, Colo., and Judi (Mrs. Daniel) Samuelson of Palmer; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and one sister, Vivian Wagner of Wolbach.
She was preceded in death by two brothers, Lester and Ivan Mitchell; and two sisters, Anna Ogard and Cathryn Schachta.
Gary McAhren
SOUTH BAY, Calif. -- Gary Jay McAhren, 62, of South Bay, Calif., formerly of Grand Island, died Dec. 30, 1998, in Torrance, Calif.
Services were at the Lawndale Christian Church. Burial was in Pacific Crest cemetery at Redondo Beach, Calif.
Mr. McAhren was born on Dec. 29, 1936, in Wood River to Willis and Helen (Wiese) McAhren. He lived in Grand Island until 1957, when he moved to California.
He married
Shirley LeMay on Aug. 23, 1957, in El Segundo, Calif. He had lived in South Bay for 41 years.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Michael of Castaic, Calif.; two daughters, Jill Buras of Torrance, Calif., and Wendy at home; five grandchildren; and two sisters, Roma White of Grand Island and Darolyn McDonald of Albion.
