U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Vernon Hansen
HARVARD -- Vernon L. Hansen, 72, of Harvard died Oct. 7, 1998, at BryanLGH Medical Center West in Lincoln.
Services were on Oct. 10 at the Harvard United Methodist Church with the Rev. Marvin Coffey officiating. Burial was in Main cemetery near Belgrade with military rites by the Belgrade American Legion Post 99 Honor Guard.
Alberding-Wilson Funeral Home of Harvard is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hansen was born on Nov. 19, 1925, near Cushing to Louis and Annabelle (Rieken) Hansen. He graduated from Wolbach High School in 1943. He taught school at Wolbach. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946.
He married
Janet Underwood on Sept. 25, 1946, at Albion. He was a depot agent for the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad. The couple moved to Shickley. He later was employed by J.B. Alfs Well Drilling. They moved to Harvard in 1961. He worked for Farmland Industries in Hastings until retiring in 1988.
He was a member of the Harvard United Methodist Church, the Harvard Lions Club, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5539 at Harvard, the Eagles Club at Hastings and Belgrade American Legion Post 99.
Survivors include his wife; four sons, Don of North Platte, Dennis of Grant, Daryl of Seward and Dave of Lincoln; his mother, Belle Hansen of Fullerton; nine grandchildren; one great-grandchild; three sisters, Eva (Mrs. Don) Fitzgerald of Fullerton, Ona (Mrs. Dean) Foland of Columbus and Sharon (Mrs. John) Fehrs of Norfolk; and one brother, Norman Hansen of Colby, Kan.
He was preceded in death by an infant son, Douglas H.; his father; one brother, Lloyd Hansen; and one sister, Arlene Ann (Mrs. D.D.) Hamel.
Ella Burson
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Ella Burson, 91, of Huntsville, Ala., died Friday, Oct. 16, 1998, at the Windsor Nursing Home in Huntsville.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the United Methodist Church in Ord. The Rev. Roger Gillming will officiate. Burial will be in the Ord City Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Monday at Ord Memorial Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to church.
'Chris' Christensen
Wapato, Wash. -- Carl M. "Chris" Christensen, 80, formerly of Palmer, died Thursday, Oct. 15, 1998, at his home near Wapato, Wash.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Merritt Funeral Home Chapel in Wapato. Committal services will be at 3 p.m. at the Maryhill cemetery in Maryhill, Wash.
Visitation will be from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the American Missionary Fellowship or Harrah Community Church.
Mr. Christensen was born on Sept. 14, 1918, north of Palmer to Martin Carl and Georgia (Brown) Christensen. He attended Cottonwood Country School and graduated from Palmer High School and Nebraska Wesleyan University, then briefly attended Washington State College.
He worked for the Associated Students at Whitworth College in Spokane, Wash., from 1950 to 1952, when he returned to Nebraska. He returned to Washington in 1958.
He married
Mary Goss on Nov. 5, 1960, in Portland, Ore. He worked at Wapato Medical Center as business manager until his retirement in 1986.
Mr. Christensen was involved with the American Missionary Fellowship and the Job Corps and attended Harrah Community Church.
Survivors include his wife; four sisters, Julia Riley, May Thede, Laura Christensen and Leona Sharman, all of Palmer; and a brother, Albert Christensen of St. Paul.
LeRoy Schwartz
FORT COLLINS, Colo. -- LeRoy H. Schwartz, 84, of Fort Collins, Colo., formerly of Grand Island, died Thursday, Oct. 15, 1998, at Fort Collins.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Grand Island. The Rev. Joel Schroeder will officiate. Burial will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery.
There will be no visitation. Mr. Schwartz was cremated.
Memorials are suggested to the church.
Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Survivors include one son, Howard Schwartz of Fort Collins; one daughter, Patricia Schwartz of Fort Collins; and one granddaughter.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Anna May; one grandson; and one sister, Lucille Huebner.
Ronald Stewart
LOS ANGELES -- Ronald Floyd Stewart, 48, of Los Angeles died Monday, Oct. 12, 1998, at his home.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the Mira Valley Evangelical United Methodist Church south of Ord. The Rev. James Johnson and Murry Johnston will officiate. Burial will be in the Ord City cemetery with military rites by the Ord Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion.
Visitation will be prior to services Monday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the family's choice.
Ord Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Stewart was born on Oct. 30, 1949, at Columbus to Floyd and Roberta (Cook) Stewart. He graduated from Broken Bow High School in 1968. He attended Commercial Art School in Omaha and Kearney State College.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army at Fort Ord in California in 1972 and served in the CDEC. After the service, he graduated from Monterey Peninsula College in California in 1975. He re-enlisted in 1976 and served in Korea as a reporter and editor of the Army News, receiving many awards. He remained in Korea and taught English at Myung Gi University. He was also a partner in a marketing company in Korea.
He returned to Nebraska in 1979 before moving to Oakland, Calif., where he studied art. He then moved to Boston until returning to Nebraska in 1992. He moved to Los Angeles in 1993 and taught English at Poly Technical School in Pasadena until 1997, when ill health caused him to retire.
He displayed his art and photography in Boston, California and Cozad. He was a member of the Los Angeles Museum of Art. He enjoyed hiking and the outdoors.
Survivors include his mother, of Cozad; a brother, Dan Stewart of Lexington; a sister, Cheri (Mrs. Jim) Nikkila of Wood River; a half sister, Bonnie (Mrs. Kurt) Messmer of Lincoln; and a grandmother, Sylvia Kirby of Grand Island.
He was preceded in death by his father and grandparents, Dan and Emma Cook and William Stewart.
'Sally' Petersen
Marcella 'Sally' A. Petersen, 75, of Grand Island died Saturday, Jan. 10, 1998, at Lakeview Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Trinity United Methodist Churchis Gollaher Chapel in Grand Island. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the church.
Martha Bittner
SPALDING -- Martha R. Bittner, 87, died Friday, Jan. 9, 1998, at Good Samaritan Center in Atkinson.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the First Presbyterian Church in Spalding with the Rev. Ray Avidano officiating. Burial will be in Akron Cemetery.
Visitation is from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Dolce Scheef Mortuary in Spalding.
Charlotte Jensen
NORTH LOUP -- Mary Charlotte Jensen, 96, of North Loup died Thursday, Jan. 8, 1998, at the Valley County Nursing Home in Ord.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the North Loup United Methodist Church. The Rev. Melanie Adams will officiate. Burial will be in the Arcadia City Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday at the Ord Memorial Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the North Loup United Methodist Church or the North Loup Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Unit.
Ord Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Jensen was born on Oct. 8, 1901, to Samuel and Julie (Hughes) Holmes at Arcadia. She was born and raised on the family farm and attended school at the Glendale Country School.
She married
George Jensen on March 17, 1920, at the same farm at Arcadia that she was born and raised. The couple first lived on a farm near Arcadia. They moved to North Loup in 1933, where they also farmed.
In 1955, the couple returned to Arcadia until 1960, when they moved back to North Loup where they continued to live. Mr. Jensen died on March 29, 1977. She remained in North Loup until April 1996, when she became a resident of the Valley County Nursing Home in Ord.
She was a member of the North Loup United Methodist Church, the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary Ralph R. Rich Post No. 285 of North Loup, the Fortnightly Card Club and the Rebekah Lodge.
She enjoyed quilting, cards and sewing.
Survivors include one son, Gerald Jensen of North Loup; two sisters, Pauline Ferris of Billings, Mont., and Goldie Palder of Arcadia; 14 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren and numerous great-great-grandchildren.
Other than her husband, she was preceded in death by four sons, Alvin, Cyril, Donald and Samuel; two sisters, Rena Dobson and Julia Woody and three brothers, Franklin, Allen and Walter.
