U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Kenneth Amos
SARGENT -- Kenneth O. Amos, 71, of Sargent died Tuesday, Dec. 8, 1998, at his home.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Evangelical Free Church in Sargent. The Rev. Walt Collins will officiate. Burial will be in the Dry Valley cemetery south of Sargent.
There will be no visitation. Rhoad Funeral Home in Sargent is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to the Valley County Hospice or the church.
Sherman Pracht
BROKEN BOW -- Sherman Paul Pracht, 66, of Broken Bow died Sunday, Dec. 6, 1998, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the First Christian Church in Broken Bow. The Rev. Jim Stark will officiate. Burial will be in the Broken Bow Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow.
A memorial has been established to the family.
Mr. Pracht was born on Aug. 29, 1932, in a two-room sod house in Berwyn to Henry and Marie (Perkins) Pracht. He attended Cherryville School, which was named for his great-great-grandparents' cherry orchard.
He moved to Broken Bow in 1945 and graduated from Broken Bow High School in 1949. He served in the U.S. Navy from September 1951 to July 1954.
He married
Gloria Tappan on April 22, 1955, in Broken Bow. He worked for John Deere for a number of years. Mrs. Pracht died on Jan. 17, 1998.
Survivors include three sons, Sherman of Hapolei, Hawaii, and Brad and Keith, both of Broken Bow; three daughters, Angela Hofschult of North Platte and Lenora (Mrs. Wayne) Norden and Gloria Porter, both of Broken Bow; 16 grandchildren, including Robynn Pracht, whom Mr. and Mrs. Pracht raised; one sister, Jean (Mrs. Leroy) Collinson of Broken Bow; and two brothers, Dave of Gering and Darrell of Cheyenne, Wyo.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by one son, Hank; one grandson; one great-grandson; and two brothers, Wes and an infant brother.
Alfred Rutten
CEDAR RAPIDS -- Alfred "Bub" Anthony Rutten, 80, of St. Edward, formerly of Cedar Rapids, died Monday, Dec. 7, 1998, at Cloverlodge Care Center in St. Edward.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids. The Revs. Ralph Steffensmeier and Daniel Torson will officiate. Burial will be in the parish cemetery with military rites conducted by Dan Cox American Legion Post 44 of Cedar Rapids.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m., with a 3 p.m. rosary, Wednesday at Levander Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids. Visitation will continue at the church after 6:30 p.m. with a rosary at 7 p.m. Visitation will resume from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Mr. Rutten was born on Jan. 30, 1918, in Cedar Rapids to Peter and Henriette (Theewen) Rutten. He was educated up to the eighth grade at David City public schools.
He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from Jan. 16, 1945, to Aug. 26, 1946.
He married
Dorothy Torson on June 13, 1950, at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids. They lived in Cedar Rapids, where Mr. Rutten worked at and managed the Farmers Cooperative Co. for 32 years. He retired in December 1979. He entered Cloverlodge Care Center in St. Edward. Mrs. Rutten died on June 23, 1993.
Mr. Rutten was a member of St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids. He was also a member and former commander of Dan Cox American Legion Post 44 of Cedar Rapids and received his 50-year pin in 1996.
Survivors include one son, Ron Rutten of Cedar Rapids; two granddaughters; and two step grandchildren.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by three sisters, Cecilia and Anna Kleve and Madge Roan; and six brothers, Ted, John, Lawrence, Francis, Lewis and Joe Rutten.
Daniel Traxler
Daniel Anthony Traxler, 24, of Grand Island, formerly of Aurora, died Friday, Dec. 4, 1998, from injuries suffered in an auto accident near Newcastle.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Aurora. The Rev. John Keefe will officiate.
Higby Mortuary in Aurora is in charge of arrangements.
John Cox
NORTH PLATTE -- John Wesley Cox, 48, of North Platte died Sunday, Dec. 6, 1998, at North Platte Care Centre after a battle with cancer.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Odean Colonial Chapel in North Platte. Burial will be in Floral Lawns Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and prior to services Thursday at the chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the Salvation Army and Pawsitive Partners Humane Society.
Mr. Cox was born on Jan. 20, 1950, at North Platte to Ernest and Dorothy (Latimer) Cox. He attended school in North Platte and graduated in 1968. He graduated from North Platte Junior College in 1970 and attended Kearney State College.
He started his broadcasting career at age 15 with KNOP Radio, now KELN-FM/KPPQ-AM in North Platte.
He left North Platte for 15 years to program at stations in Kearney and Omaha, where he was known as Paxton West. He also provided voice work for stations in Chicago, Kansas City and St. Louis and for AT&T;, Heineken Beer and ABC-TV Sports.
After returning to North Platte, he hosted his own show at the Brass Latch Lounge. For the last nine years, he was operations manager for KELN-FM/KPPQ-AM in North Platte.
He was on the Salvation Army board and raised money for the new Wilcox House. He raised funds for the senior center and was on the board for the Clean Cities Committee and Neighbors Helping Neighbors.
He donated time to North Platte's Soap Box Derby, Colonel Cody's Cruise Show and Shine, Lincoln County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the chamber of commerce, North Platte Jaycees, American Red Cross and Boy Scouts.
He received the Golden Mike, Platinum Record, Marconi Man of the Year, Lead Actor in Drama, Disc Jockey of the Year and North Platte Jaycees' Joe d'Natalie Award. He also was named an admiral in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska.
Survivors include his mother, of North Platte; a sister, Sharon (Mrs. Wayne) Collins of Broken Bow; and a brother, Dwight Cox of Lawton, Okla.
He was preceded in death by his father.
Carl Eklund
YORK -- Carl G. Eklund, 89, of York and formerly of Stromsburg died Monday, Dec. 7, 1998, at the Hearthstone in York.
Services are pending with Palmer Funeral Home of Stromsburg.
Victoria Fortune
LINCOLN -- Victoria J. "Vicki" Fortune, 37, of Lincoln, formerly of Cairo and Gibbon, died Monday, Dec. 7, 1998, at her home.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Christ Lutheran Church in Cairo. The Rev. Dean Hanson will officiate. Burial will be in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the church. Memorials are suggested to the family.
Apfel Funeral Home in Cairo is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Fortune was born on Aug. 8, 1961, in Grand Island to Edward and Betty (Eickhoff) Perkins. She grew up on the family's farm near Cairo. She moved to Gibbon in 1974, graduating from Gibbon High School in 1979. She then moved to Lincoln, where she attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
She married
Bill Fortune on May 8, 1983. The couple lived in Oakland, Calif., where she worked for a credit union. She later worked for a bank in Des Moines, Iowa. She was a temporary state employee in Lincoln at the time of her death.
She was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Shelton. She enjoyed horseback riding and crafts.
Survivors include two daughters, Shelby and Mickhalla of Cairo; her mother, of Cairo; her stepfather, Les Critel of Cairo; one brother, Allen Perkins of Kearney; one sister, Bev Lybarger of Kearney; two stepbrothers, Craig Critel of Grand Island and Jon Critel of Giltner; and her paternal grandmother, Elaine Perkins of Grand Island.
She was preceded in death by her father, paternal grandfather and maternal grandparents.
