U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Norman Lempke
Norman T. Lempke, 77, of Grand Island, died Wednesday, Nov. 4, 1998, at his home in Grand Island.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. The Rev. Don Larmore will officiate. Burial will be in the Elmwood cemetery at St. Paul.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday with a vigil recited at 7 p.m. at the church.
Mr. Lempke was born Oct. 16, 1921 to Matt and Anna (Peschall) Lempke. He grew up and received his education at St. Mary's and St. Paul areas. On June 12, 1942, entered the U.S. Army serving during World War II. He was discharged on Oct. 7, 1945.
On Nov. 18, 1942, he married
Alice Tuma at St. Paul. The couple lived in Camp Blanding, Fla. They moved several times due to his military service. They later lived in Lincoln and Omaha, before moving to Grand Island in 1964. He worked as a carpenter for many years before retiring in the late 1970s.
He was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Platt-Duetsche, United Veteran's Club where he was a lifetime member and the American Legion.
Survivors include one son, Richard Lempke of Grand Island and three sisters, Lucille Penny of Decatur, Ill., Teresa (Mrs. Laverne) Scarborough of Grand Island and Maxine (Mrs. Paul) Knouff of Fairfield, Calif.
He was preceded in death by his wife in 1994; a sister; and three brothers.
George Maurer
VALLEY -- George L. Maurer, 54, formerly of Gothenburg, died Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1998, at his home in Valley.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Blase Memorial Chapel in Gothenburg. The Rev. Larry Viter will officiate. Burial will be in the Peckham cemetery south of Gothenburg.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at the chapel.
A memorial has been established to the family.
Mr. Maurer was born on May 24, 1944, at Gothenburg to Collis H. and Edna Earlle Davis Maurer. He attended high school at Gothenburg.
He married
Adalia Remmers in 1963 in Dalton. He farmed with his father for a year at Broadwater. He lived in Grand Island from 1966 to 1978 and worked at Johnson Cashway as a carpet installer.
He married
Sandy Thinnes in 1981 at Grand Island. Mr. Maurer drove a truck for Gene Easterday and was a carpet and floor covering installer for Ted Gaudreault for many years.
He married
Freda Killon Watts on April 26, 1985, at Ogallala. They lived in Gothenburg until October 1989. They moved to Yutan and Columbus before moving to Valley in 1995. He was a carpet and floor covering installer in that area until his death.
He was an avid fisherman and hunter and enjoyed blue-rock shooting.
Survivors include his wife, Freda; one daughter, LeAnn (Mrs. Sean) Hedges of Grand Island; one son, Darren Maurer of Sioux City, Iowa; six stepchildren, Sherry Owings of Yutan, Corky Watts of Kearney, Chop Watts of Ainsworth, Midge Donner of Kearney, Cindy (Mrs. Kevin) Topinka of Cozad and Cliffon Long of Columbus; four grandchildren; 12 step grandchildren; and his mother, of Gothenburg.
Katherine Perkins
HASTINGS -- Katherine M. Perkins, 77, of Hastings died Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1998, at her home in Villa Grace at Good Samaritan Village.
Graveside services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Parkview cemetery in Hastings. The Rev. Judith Allen will officiate.
Visitation will be from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and 8 to 9:30 a.m. Friday at Brand-Wilson Mortuary in Hastings.
Memorials are suggested to the First Christian Church.
Mrs. Perkins was born on Dec. 17, 1920, at Hastings to Clarence and Leona (Ballard) Burnham.
She was married
E. Lee Perkins on April 29, 1947. He died on Aug. 3, 1992. She worked at Woolworth's and Hesteds in Hastings. She was a Brownie troop leader.
She was a 50-year member of the First Christian Church and had a lifetime PTA membership.
Survivors include a daughter, Sharon (Mrs. Lorrin) Barth of Grand Island; one granddaughter; two sisters, Dorothy Ennis of Marysville, Calif., and Dolores Burnham of Denver; and four brothers, Paul Burnham of Denver, William Burnham of Hastings, Ronald Burnham of Gordon and Charles Burnham of Red Cloud.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by one daughter, Cathy Albertsen; four brothers and three sisters.
Loretta Wardyn
PLEASANTON -- Loretta Wardyn, 72, of Pleasanton died Saturday, Oct. 3, 1998, in an auto accident near Ravenna.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Gabriel's Catholic Church in Hazard. The Rev. Loren Pohlmeier will officiate. Burial will be in the Litchfield Cemetery.
A Christian wake service will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the church. Rasmussen Mortuary of Ravenna is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Wardyn was born on Dec. 9, 1925, in Sherman County to Niels and Tina (Rasmussen) Hansen. She was educated in Sherman County.
She married
Art Siegel on March 26, 1941, in Lander, Wyo. The couple farmed south of Litchfield. Mr. Siegel died on March 4, 1972.
She married
Robert Wardyn on Feb. 14, 1973. They lived on a farm east of Litchfield. They moved to Pleasanton in 1993. Mr. Wardyn also died in the accident on Oct. 3.
Mrs. Wardyn was a member of St. Mary's Church in Pleasanton.
Survivors include one son, Ronnie Siegel of Litchfield; two daughters, Connie Curtis of Grand Island and Joyce Birchard of Central City; one stepson, Marvin Wardyn of Litchfield; three stepdaughters, Diane Kucera of Litchfield, Jean Albrecht of Kearney and Norma Bradley of Arvada, Colo.; eight grandchildren; 17 step grandchildren; four step great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Marie Royle of Litchfield and Lucille Christen of Kearney.
In addition to her first husband, she was preceded in death by two brothers and one sister.
Robert Wardyn
PLEASANTON -- Robert Wardyn, 77, of Pleasanton died Saturday, Oct. 3, 1998, in an auto accident near Ravenna.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at St. Gabriel's Catholic Church in Hazard. The Rev. Loren Pohlmeier will officiate. Burial will be in the Hazard Cemetery.
A Christian wake service will be at 8 p.m. Thursday at the church. Rasmussen Mortuary of Ravenna is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Wardyn was born on July 3, 1921, in Ashton to Peter and Josie (Karty) Wardyn. He was educated at Wiggle Creek School and graduated from Hazard High School.
He married
Grace Kwiatkowski. The couple lived on a farm in Sherman County. Mrs. Wardyn died on Jan. 5, 1972.
Mr. Wardyn married
Loretta Siegel on Feb. 14, 1973. They lived on a farm east of Litchfield. They moved to Pleasanton in 1993. She also died in the accident on Oct. 3.
He was a member of St. Mary's Church in Pleasanton and the Knights of Columbus in Kearney.
Survivors include one son, Marvin Wardyn of Litchfield; three daughters, Diane Kucera of Litchfield, Jean Albrecht of Kearney and Norma Bradley of Arvada, Colo.; one stepson, Ronnie Siegel of Litchfield; two stepdaughters, Connie Curtis of Grand Island and Joyce Birchard of Central City; 17 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; eight step grandchildren; one brother, Ralph Wardyn of Loup City; and two sisters, Caroline Mazankowski and Regina Peterson, both of Loup City.
In addition to his first wife, he was preceded in death by two brothers and three sisters.
Katherine Fredrick
TACOMA, Wash. -- Katherine B. Fredrick, 70, of Tacoma, Wash., died Oct. 9, 1998, at Tacoma.
Services were on Oct. 12 at the Garden Chapel of Mountain View Funeral Home in Tacoma. Burial was in Mountain View Memorial Park at Tacoma.
Mrs. Fredrick was born on Feb. 3, 1928, at Greeley to Lester and Celestia (Widmeyer) Fredrick. She grew up in the Greeley area.
She married
Harry Fredrick.
Among survivors are one granddaughter; one great-grandchild; four sisters, including Helen Martens and Doris Freeman, both of Grand Island; and one brother.
Preceding her in death were one son, two sisters and one brother.
