U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Peter Downs
CENTRAL CITY -- Peter Walter Downs, 72, of Central City died Friday, Aug. 28, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Solt Funeral Home chapel in Central City. The Rev. Debra Tompsett-Welch will officiate. Mr. Downs was cremated. Burial will be at a later date.
Memorials are suggested to Merrick Foundation for the community's children.
Mr. Downs was born May 23, 1926, to Elbert and Bertilla (Hoos) Downs near Tilden. He grew up in Crow Hollow near Neligh. He attended District No. 118 rural school and two years at Neligh High School. He then joined the U.S. Navy in September 1944 and was discharged in May 1946.
He married
Florence Marie Harvey on Feb. 14, 1947, in Neligh. They farmed north of Tilden of three years, then worked for Beach Electric in Neligh from 1949 to 1951. He then worked for Rural Electrification Administration in Neligh. He later worked for Consumer Public Power District from October 1951 to October 1957 and was transferred to Central City in 1959. He worked for CPPD until it merged with Nebraska Public Power District. He retired in 1991 as local manager.
After he retired, he sewed more than 25 quilts for family members.
He was a member of the Neligh and Humphrey Volunteer Fire Departments, Lone Tree Saddle Club from 1970 to 1975, Lone Tree Rodeo Association between 1970 and 1978 and Central Gun Club in Central City for five years. He served as treasurer of Lone Tree Rodeo Association.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, Robert L. of Phoenix, Larry L. of Grants Pass, Ore. and Kenneth W. of Nevada, Iowa; two daughters, Carol M. Christensen and LaDonna K. Downs, both of Grand Island; 23 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; three sisters, Elberta C. James of Central City, Evelyn (Mrs. Rodney) Olson of Omaha and Elsa (Mrs. Lyle) of Norfolk.
He was preceded in death by infant triplets, two sons and one daughter.
Richard Fenster
AURORA -- Richard Fenster, 98, of Aurora, formerly of Marquette, died Saturday, Aug. 29, 1998, at Memorial Community Care Center in Aurora.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Rigby Mortuary chapel in Aurora. The Rev. Peggy Michael-Rush will officiate. Burial will be in Aurora Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.
Mr. Fenster was born March 6, 1900, to Jacob and Alvina (Kohtz) Fenster in Hampton. He grew up and attended Zion Lutheran School near Hampton and later attended Marquette Public School.
He married
Irma Lemmons on Dec. 24, 1923, at Mankato, Kan. They started housekeeping on his parents' farm near Marquette, and he also drove the Marquette school bus for several years. They lived there until her father's death, and moved to her parents' farm north of Aurora in 1954. They farmed there until they entered Memorial Community Care Center; he entered the center on Feb. 10, 1994. She died on May 7, 1995.
Survivors include two sons, Dale of Nampa, Idaho, and Donald of Casper, Wyo.; two daughters, Maxine Carnes of Aurora and Doris Rasmussen of Marquette; 20 grandchildren; several great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by one son, Wayne; one sister; one granddaughter and one great-grandson.
Edith Mattson
STROMSBURG -- Edith I. Mattson, 97, of Stromsburg died Friday, Aug. 28, 1998, at the Midwest Covenant Home in Stromsburg.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the Evangelical Covenant Church. The Rev. Bob Johnson will officiate. Burial will be in the Stromsburg Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Palmer's Funeral Home in Stromsburg.
Palmer's Funeral Home in Stromsburg is in charge of arrangements.
Miss Mattson was born on April 25, 1901, to Andy and Ingeborg (Aske) Mattson at Primrose. She was educated in the Albion and Stromsburg schools.
She worked at the Stromsburg Post Office for four years and the Lincoln Telephone for 42 years. In June 1966, she retired from the telephone company and worked 19 years at the Covenant Home in Stromsburg as a nurses aid.
She was a member of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Stromsburg and the Covenant Women Ministries in Stromsburg.
Survivors include cousins and many good friends.
She was preceded in death by her sister, Esther.
Julia Payne
BARTLETT -- Julia Marie Payne, 87, of Ericson died Friday, Aug. 28, 1998, at the Valley County Nursing Home in Ord.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the Bartlett United Methodist Church. The Rev. Cynthia Altstadt will officiate. Burial will be in the Bartlett Cemetery.
Visitation will be prior to the service Monday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the Bartlett and Ericson United Methodist Churches.
Ord Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Payne was born Nov. 12, 1910, four miles north of Ericson to Peter and Rachael (Zentner) Sanford. She attended the Sloan Grade School, later staying with a sister at Spalding to attend high school. She graduated from Spalding Academy in 1927. She took normal training in high school. In the fall of 1927, she taught school for one year at Pible School. She moved to Chadron to live with another sister and taught for three years in Dawes County.
On Dec. 24, 1930, she married
Gerald Payne at Yankton, S.D. They lived in Chadron for two years. In 1933, they moved near Ericson to Mrs. Payne's family homestead, farming until 1990, then moved to Bartlett. In the early 1960s, she started as a substitute teacher at Greater Ridge. In 1963, she began as a full-time teacher at Bartlett Elementary School. During the summers, she attended Kearney State College, graduating in 1971. She taught school at Bartlett Elementary for 15 years, retiring in 1978. Mr. Payne died Sept. 12, 1992, and Mrs. Payne remained in Bartlett until becoming a recent resident at Valley County Nursing Home.
Mrs. Payne was a member of the Ericson United Methodist Church, Bartlett and Ericson Women's Society, ADK Teachers Association, Bartlett Garden Club, the Friends and Neighbors Extension Club and TOPS. She enjoyed reading, crossword puzzles, playing cards, gardening and flowers.
Survivors include three sons, Richard of Grand Island, Edwin of Purdum and Gail of Ericson; 10 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and one sister, Leona Hawk of Chadron.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by two sons, Don and Gary; one great-granddaughter; three brothers, John, Lyman and Jim; and five sisters, Tina, Nora, Bessie, Viola and Bertha.
Mildred Gittinger
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Mildred Lorene "Peg" Gittinger, 95, of Kansas City, Mo., formerly of Gibbon, died Monday, Aug. 3, 1998, in Kansas City.
Graveside services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Riverside cemetery in Gibbon. She was cremated.
Godberson Mortuary of Gibbon and Shelton is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Gittinger was born Nov. 23, 1902, to Ira Person and Callie Belle (Mercer) Sprague in Gibbon. After high school, she attended Horner Music Institute in Kansas City, Mo. After graduation, she became a faculty member at the institute and a professional piano accompanist.
She married
Jesse Norman Gittinger on March 1, 1925. The couple moved to St. Paul, Minn., for a year, then returned to Kansas City, where she continued her career as a music educator. She taught students in Kansas City and Leavenworth, Kan.
After her husband's military service in England during World War II, the couple purchased the Insurance Exchange Printing Co. in Kansas City. She then retired from music education to manage the printing business for the next 20 years.
The couple retired in 1965, moving to Santa Monica, Calif. They lived there until he died in 1977. She returned to Kansas City in 1978, living at Plaza Point apartments and Carondelet Manor until her death.Althea Thorpe Althea M. Thorpe, 81, of 415 West Ave. in Grand Island died Friday, Aug. 28, 1998, at the St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the chapel of the Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home. The Rev. Eric Ford will officiate. Burial will be in the Grand Island Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mrs. Thorpe was born April 30, 1917, in Colorado to Andrew and Ada (Carey) Hisel. She lived with her family in Colorado, Oklahoma and Sheridan, Ore., where she completed her education and graduated from high school.
She married
John Thorpe on June 1, 1938, at Tillamook, Ore. They moved to rural Nebraska in 1945, then to Grand Island in 1952. Mrs. Thorpe worked for many years in central services at St. Francis Medical Center, retiring in 1984. Mr. Thorpe died in 1964.
She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church.
Survivors include three children, Ellen L. Schritt of Grand Island, Stan Thorpe of Lincoln and Judy Meyer of Cantonment, Fla.; 10 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a brother, Elmore; and a daughter, Carole Johnson.
Noble Bailey
Noble C. Bailey, 67, of 213 N. Darr died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 1998, at his home.
A memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Kleine Funeral Home with the Rev. Vernon Werner officiating. Mr. Bailey was cremated.
Memorials are suggested to the Grand Generation Center.
Mr. Bailey was born on May 18, 1930, at Abington, Pa., to John and Laura (DeWitt) Bailey. He grew up and was educated in Doylestown, Pa., before moving to Palatka, Fla., where he graduated from high school.
He served in the Army National Guard from March 1948 to March 1961. He worked as a custodian at St. Monica's Catholic Church in Palatka, Fla. He moved to Grand Island in 1990.
He was an avid Redskins fan. He was a member of St. Monica's Catholic Church in Palatka, Fla.
Survivors include one brother, Radcliff of Palatka, Fla.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, John and William.
