U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
'Benny' Franssen
ANSELMO -- Bernard "Benny" Joseph Franssen, 65, of Anselmo died Wednesday, July 22, 1998, at Jennie Melham Memorial Medical Center in Broken Bow.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Anselm's Catholic Church in Anselmo. The Rev. Mark Maresh will officiate. Burial will be in St. Anselm's Catholic cemetery at Anselmo.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at Govier Brothers Chapel in Broken Bow.
A memorial has been established to the Bureau of Land Management at Elm Creek.
Mr. Franssen was born on May 21, 1933, in the Eureka Valley community near Anselmo to Bernard Edward and Julia Martha (Teahon) Franssen. He lived at Pawnee Spring Ranch near Maxwell for four years, Ogallala for four years, Haythorne Ranch at Maxwell for four years and Brady. Mr. Franssen attended school at Maxwell and Brady and graduated from Brady High School in 1953.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955 during the Korean War and was stationed on Guam for one year.
He married
Mary Louise Kudron on Feb. 28, 1956, at Yankton, S.D. They lived in Brady and Gothenburg. Mr. Franssen worked for Central Nebraska Public Power for 22 years. He also worked at KK Appliances. After his retirement in May 1995, they moved to a ranch south of Anselmo.
He was a member of the Arnold American Legion Post and the Broken Bow Elks Lodge. He loved being a cowboy, and he adopted wild horses and broke horses. He was also a member of the Gothenburg Roping Club.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Yvonne (Mrs. Les) Schlake and Dawn (Mrs. Ron) MaGee of Bertrand; three sons, Tim Franssen of North Platte, Penny of Holdrege and Paul Franssen of Lexington; 12 grandchildren; his mother, of Gothenburg; and three sisters, Berniece Beeder and Julia Burke, both of Grand Island, and Shirley Speck of Farnham.
He was preceded in death by his father.
Helen Helmkamp
BURWELL -- Helen E. Helmkamp, 92, of Burwell died July 11, 1998, at the Community Memorial Health Center in Burwell.
Services were on July 15 at Calvary United Methodist Church in Taylor. The Rev. Roger Gillming officiated. Burial was in the Taylor Cemetery.
Eberle-Hitchcock Funeral Home of Burwell was in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to Calvary Methodist Church or the Community Memorial Health Center.
Mrs. Helmkamp was born on April 1, 1906, in Riley County, Kan., to Alfred and Lucy (Bixby) Sweet. She graduated from Stockdale, Kan., High School in 1924. After the death of her mother, she kept house for her father and worked at the Farmers State Bank in Stockdale.
She married
Bert Helmkamp of Taylor on April 5, 1933, in Kansas. They lived in Taylor. She worked at the Bank of Taylor for several years. After her husband's death on April 6, 1973, she moved to Burwell.
She was a member of the Methodist Church in Stockdale and later transferred her membership to the Evangelical Church in Taylor. She was a member of the Methodist Church for 79 years. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star since 1932. She enjoyed quilting and crocheting.
Survivors include one daughter, Marilyn (Mrs. James) Clabaugh of Burwell; four grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by two sisters.
Evelyn Johnson
STROMSBURG -- Evelyn Lois Johnson, 89, of Stromsburg died Wednesday, July 22, 1998, at the Hearthstone in York.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Evangelical Free Church in Stromsburg. The Rev. Kerry Relihan, Associate Pastor Scott Carlson and Kim Boyce will officiate. Burial will be in the Stromsburg Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Palmer's Funeral Home in Stromsburg.
Mrs. Johnson was born on Jan. 1, 1909, at Cisne, Ill., to J.E. and Mary (Heaton) McCumber. She attended school in Stromsburg.
She married
Morris John Johnson on Feb. 12, 1930, at the Evangelical Free Church Parsonage. Mr. Johnson died on Feb. 1, 1994.
Mrs. Johnson was a member of the Evangelical Free Church in Stromsburg and was a member of the FCWM group at the church.
Survivors include two sons, Marlin D. and Merlin M., both of Stromsburg; two granddaughters; and two sisters, Nora Belle Seward of Lexington and Dorothy Garren of York.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by two sisters and one brother.
Milton Schweitzer
RAVENNA -- Milton M. Schweitzer, 52, of Ravenna died Thursday, July 23, 1998, at St. Francis Memorial Health Center after a short illness.
Memorial services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Rasmussen Mortuary in Ravenna. Mr. Schweitzer was cremated.
There will be no visitation or graveside service.
Mr. Schweitzer was born on Dec. 8, 1945, in Hall County to Mertyon and Ella (Beckler) Schweitzer. He attended Cairo High School and served in the Army for two years. After he was discharged, he lived in Ravenna.
At the time of his death, he worked for the city of Ravenna.
He enjoyed tractor pulls, collecting scale-model farm equipment, riding his motorcycle and doing crossword puzzles.
Survivors include his parents; six sisters, Laberta Harder, Elda Smith, Marilyn Hayes, Twila Schweitzer, Wanda Lilienthal and Wilma Dickson, all of Grand Island; and two brothers, Leroy Schweitzer and Elwyn Schweitzer, both of Grand Island.
Hal Chase
COLUMBUS -- Hal Chase, 95, of Columbus, formerly of Broken Bow, died Thursday, July 23, 1998, in Columbus.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Govier Brothers Chapel in Broken Bow with the Rev. David Stipp officiating. Burial will be at 9:30 a.m. Monday in Douglas Grove cemetery at Comstock.
Visitation will be from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the mortuary.
Memorials are suggested to the First Presbyterian Church in Broken Bow or the cemetery.
Mr. Chase was born on March 8, 1903, in Loup City to Althobert and Anna (Sutton) Chase. He attended school in Loup City and graduated from Loup City High School in 1919.
He married
Bessie Leui on Sept. 6, 1925, in Ord. They lived in Loup City. They moved in 1929 to Broken Bow, where they owned and operated the Broadway Market and a meatpacking plant north of Broken Bow.
He began wheat farming in South Dakota during the summer of 1944, but they continued to live in Broken Bow. They moved to Columbus in 1990. Mrs. Chase died on March 16, 1993.
Mr. Chase was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Broken Bow and served as a church elder. He was a charter member and life member of the Broken Bow Cosmopolitan Club. He was a member of the Nebraska Wheat Growers Association and helped organize the South Dakota Wheat Growers Association.
Survivors include three sons, Hal Chase Jr. and Bill Chase, both of Rapid City, S.D., and Joe Chase of Omaha; two daughters, Jane (Mrs. Loren) McMillan of Martin, S.D., and Annette (Mrs. Don) Schupbach of Columbus; 16 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by an infant daughter, six sisters and one brother.
Wallace Thompson
LINCOLN -- Wallace Claude Thompson, 74, died Wednesday, July 22, 1998, at Bryan LGH Medical Center after a long illness.
Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Messiah Lutheran Church.
Memorials are suggested to the family or the church.
Mr. Thompson was born on March 29, 1924, to Dr. Claude and Edith Thompson of West Point. He graduated from West Point High School in May 1942.
He married
Mildred Taylor in November 1942. He completed one year at the University of Nebraska before enlisting in the service. He served in the U.S. Army as a sergeant during World War II and in the Air Force as a captain during the Korean War.
He completed his studies at the university after returning from the service and graduated from dental school in 1951. He practiced in West Point and Chadron before joining the veterans hospital system. He was chief of dentistry at North Chicago, Ill., Fort Lyons, Colo., and Grand Island.
Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Claudia Burk of Bakersfield, Judith Hoevet of Worthington, Minn., and Charlene Thormodsgard of Topeka, Kan.; a son, Landis Thompson of Marion, Iowa; eight grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and one sister, Doris Soll of Winner, S.D.
He was preceded in death by one grandson.
