U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Luise Decker
Luise L. Decker, 91, of Grand Island died Sunday, Dec. 14, 1997, at the Good Samaritan Center in Wood River.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home. The Rev. Robert Harms will officiate. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m., with the family greeting friends from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to Trinity Lutheran Church.
Mrs. Decker was born on April 10, 1906, at Staplehurst to Julius and Helena (Wied) Scheumann. She grew up and was educated near Staplehurst.
She married
Francis G. Decker on June 24, 1928, at Staplehurst. They lived in Seward and Hampton before moving to Grand Island. Mrs. Decker worked at Dreisbach's for 32 years before retiring in 1973.
She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church. She enjoyed her flower garden and sewing.
Survivors include one son, Richard Decker of Grand Island; two daughters, Margie (Mrs. Ronald) Pittman of St. Paul and Nancy (Mrs. Roger) Marsh of Doniphan; seven grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.
Her husband died in 1977. She also was preceded in death by two brothers, Alvin and Carl Scheumann; and two sisters, Erna and Laura Scheumann.
Dick Saathoff
Dick Lynn Saathoff, 48, of Grand Island died Sunday, Dec. 14, 1997, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Franklin Missionary Church. The Rev. David Lundholm will officiate. Burial will be in Greenwood cemetery at Franklin.
Visitation will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and from 8 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Hutchins Funeral Home in Franklin. Further visitation will be from 1 p.m. to service time Wednesday at the church.
Mr. Saathoff was born on Nov. 6, 1949, at Red Cloud to Herman and Mable (Treddenbarger) Saathoff. He attended Franklin schools and graduated from Franklin High School in 1968.
He married
Teresa Garst on Dec. 31, 1976, in Franklin. They were later divorced.
He joined the U.S. Navy in 1969 and served in the Vietnam War. He retired in 1989 after serving 20 years.
He moved to Grand Island six years ago from Millington, Tenn. He worked as a tinsmith and in the education department at Stuhr Museum.
He was a member of the Methodist Church. He was a Civil War re-enactor for 20 years, served as first lieutenant in the 52nd Tennessee Infantry Company K and served in the 9th Texas Infantry. He also hunted Civil War artifacts and had more than 2,000 items in his collection.
Survivors include two sons, Stephan Saathoff of Mankato, Kan., and Chris Saathoff of Shelton; two daughters, Elizabeth Saathoff of Shelton and Laura Saathoff of Grand Island; one grandson; four brothers, Larry Saathoff and John Saathoff, both of Hastings, and Gerald Saathoff and Harold Saathoff, both of Franklin; and three sisters, Carolyn Sturtevant of Franklin, Kathy Hunnicutt of Shelton and Joan Gaddis of Cedar, Kan.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers.
Earnie Ward
Earnie T. Ward of Grand Island died Sunday, Dec. 14, 1997, at Bryan Memorial Hospital in Lincoln.
Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Fort McPherson National cemetery in Maxwell. The Rev. Marion Von Rentzell will officiate.
There will be no visitation. Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to the Disabled American Veterans.
Mr. Ward was born at Sedan, Kan., to Charles and Grace (Smallwood) Ward. He grew up and began his education in Sedan, Kan., and graduated from Peru High School in Peru, Kan. He took eight years of technical training.
He served in the U.S. Army as a scout. He was discharged as a Disabled American Veteran.
He married
Marion Holcomb at Wheatridge, Colo.
He was a member of the DAV.
Survivors include his wife and two sisters, Marian Wagner of Bartersville, Okla., and Laura Gregg of Caney, Kan.
He was preceded in death by one brother, Charles.
Everett Howell
ORD -- Everett Howell, 81, of Ord died Monday, Dec. 15, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Bethany Lutheran Church in Ord. The Rev. Keith Menter will officiate. Burial will be in the Ord City Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Ord Memorial Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the church.
'Tony' Malek
AURORA -- Anton "Tony" Malek III, 94, died Sunday, Dec. 14, 1997, at Memorial Hospital in Aurora.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Aurora with the Rev. John Keefe officiating. Burial will be in the Hampton Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m., with a 7:30 p.m. rosary, Tuesday at Higby Mortuary in Aurora.
Memorials are suggested to the Plainsman Museum in Aurora.
Mr. Malek was born on Dec. 6, 1903, in Dorchester to Anton II and Anna (Sykora) Malek.
He married
Wilhma Lorensen on Oct. 5, 1933, at Omaha. Mr. Malek and his brother, Joseph, operated Malek Brothers Meat Market and Locker Plant in Hampton.
The Maleks moved in 1960 to Aurora, where he operated Mapleway Lanes Bowling Alley for many years. He later built a bowling alley in Sutton. His wife died on Aug. 23, 1995. After her death, Mr. Malek moved to Colorado with his daughter. He moved to Memorial Community Care at Memorial Hospital in Aurora in September 1997.
He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Aurora. He enjoyed baseball and playing the saxophone.
Survivors include his son, James of Boynton Beach, Fla.; a daughter, Jeanne (Mrs. Marvin) Wall of Lafayette, Colo.; a brother, Joseph of Omaha; and two grandchildren.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by a sister, Mary.
Beulah Marsh
TAYLOR -- Beulah D. Marsh, 93, of Taylor died Sunday, Dec. 14, 1997, at the Valley County Hospital in Ord.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Rhoad Funeral Chapel in Sargent. The Rev. Marty Robbins will officiate. Burial will be in Mount Hope cemetery in Sargent.
Memorials are suggested to the Loup County ambulance unit.
Mrs. Marsh was born on Aug. 20, 1904, in the Dry Valley community south of Sargent to Mertin and Ellen (Reider) Amos. She attended Coburg School and Comstock School.
She married
Bert Marsh on July 9, 1919, at Broken Bow. They lived at Walworth west of Sargent and later moved to a farm near Comstock. They retired and bought a home in Taylor in 1971. Mr. Marsh died in 1976.
Mrs. Marsh had been in the Burwell Nursing Home since Oct. 8, 1997.
She was a member of the Christian Church. She was a homemaker and past member of the Dry Valley Ladies Club.
Survivors include one son, Bob of Hastings; two daughters, Twilla (Mrs. Hubert) Bowley of Ord and Wauneta Russell of Tucson, Ariz.; five grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and 11 great-great-grandchildren; one sister, Ada Hill of North Platte; and one brother, Kirk Amos of Hastings.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Merle and Gaylord; and two sisters, Irma Marsh and Nora Smith.
