U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Martin Graham Jr.
WOOD RIVER -- Martin Orville Graham Jr., 49, of Wood River, died Saturday, Jan. 17, 1998, as a result of a car-train accident.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Apfel Funeral Home in Wood River. The Rev. John McKinnley will officiate. Burial will be at the Wood River Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Apfel Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the Wood River Rescue Unit or to the family's choice.
Mr. Graham was born on Jan. 19, 1948, to Martin and Ethel (Allan) Graham Sr. at Grand Island. He grew up in Wood River and graduated from Wood River High School in 1967.
He married
Ruth Ann Boyle on Nov. 18, 1967, in Wood River.
He enlisted in the Army in 1967 and served in Vietnam and Germany until he was discharged in 1975.
He attended Central Community College in Hastings upon returning from the service. He was employed by Vehicles Unlimited for two years when he went on to install satellite dishes.
Mr. Graham was then employed by Gideon's Service in Wood River before working for Sears for five years. He then worked as a welder at Chief Industries until the time of his death.
Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Lori Stalnaker and Pamela, both of Wood River, and Brenda Kiser of Alda; his parents; one sister, Ethel Renae Graham of Wood River; and three grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents.
Gloria Pracht
BROKEN BOW -- Gloria Pracht, 59, of Broken Bow, died Saturday, Jan. 17, 1998, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday 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 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Govier Brothers Mortuary.
Mrs. Pracht was born Dec. 5, 1938, to Frank and Lenora (McLaughlin) Tappan at Broken Bow. She attended school at Broken Bow.
She married
Sherman Pracht on April 22, 1955, at Broken Bow. The couple lived in Broken Bow.
She was a member of the First Christian Church in Broken Bow, the NRA and a life member of DAV. She enjoyed animals, gardening, camping, fishing and family picnics.
Survivors include her husband; three sons, Sherman Pracht of Makakilo, Hawaii, and Brad and Keith Pracht, both of Broken Bow; three daughters, Angela (Mrs. Loren) Hofschult of North Platte, Lenora (Mrs. Wayne) Norden and Gloria Porter, both of Broken Bow; 16 grandchildren; two brothers, Draper Tappan of Anselmo and George Tappan of Broken Bow.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Hank; a grandson and one great-grandson.
Jerry Witt
CHAPMAN -- Jerry Witt, 56, of Chapman, died Saturday, Jan. 17, 1998, at his home following a bout with cancer.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, at Messiah Lutheran Church in Grand Island.
Kleine Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Ellen Becker
NEWMAN GROVE -- Ellen Becker, 92, of Newman Grove, formerly of Albion, died Sunday, Jan. 18, 1998, at the Mid-Nebraska Lutheran Home in Newman Grove.
Levander Funeral Home at Albion is in charge of funeral arrangements.
Eugene Dirkschneider
OMAHA -- Eugene Dirkschneider, 70, of Omaha, died Friday, Jan. 9, 1998, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center at Omaha after a bout with lung cancer.
Memorials are suggested to the Eppley Institute for Cancer Research or the St. Wenceslaus Parish.
Mr. Dirkschneider was born Nov. 27, 1927, to Frances and Tillie (Bazata) Dirkschneider at Dodge. He graduated from Howells High School in 1946. He attended the University of New Mexico and the University of Nebraska -- Lincoln as a student in the Navy V-5 aviation program. He graduated from Wayne State Teachers College with a bachelor's degree in secondary education. He received a master's degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in education administration.
He married
Minnie Anderson in 1953 at Camp Polk, La. He began his educational career as a teacher and coach at Platte Center, where he later served as superintendent. He subsequently served as superintendent of schools at Valley, Paxton, Wilber, Doniphan and Burwell. He retired from the Burwell School District in 1990.
He enlisted in the Navy in 1946. He was drafted into the Army in 1953, where he served as Master Sergeant during the Korean War.
He served two terms on the Board of Control of the Nebraska School Athletic Association. He served one term as district manager.
While in Wilber, he served on the Beatrice Southeast Area School Board, Nebraska School Board Association and presided at the Nebraska Federation of High School Administrators.
He also served as president of the Nebraska Czechs of Wilber.
He was also a member of the American Legion, VFW, chamber of commerce, Elks, Rotary and Lions Club.
He was active in the Harvey Oaks Home Owners Association, and served as area director on the Harvey Oaks citizen patrol.
Mr. Dirkschneider enjoyed reading, traveling, wood working and gardening.
Survivors include his wife; mother, Tillie Safarik of Omaha; two daughters, Diane (Mrs. Charles) Flohr of Sioux City, Iowa, and Dawn (Mrs. Dale) Livermore of Fall Creek, Wis.; three sons, Scott Dirkschneider of Park City, Utah, Todd Dirkschneider of Tucson, Ariz., and Kip Dirkschneider of Omaha; one sister, Joyce (Mrs. Robert) Lohner of Vero Beach, Fla.; four half-sisters, Carol (Mrs. Duane) Hylton and Mary Jane (Mrs. Perry) Lindsey, both of Belton, Mo., Vivian (Mrs. Al) Ellis of San Benito, Texas, and Martha Sue (Mrs. Richard) Newhouse of Kansas City, Mo.; one half-brother, Frankie Dirkschneider of Kansas City, Mo.; and eight grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father, and step-father, Joseph Safarik.
Ervin Tews
DALLAS -- Ervin A. Tews, 83, of Dallas, formerly of Grand Island, died Saturday, Jan. 17, 1998, at the Walnut Place Nursing Home in Dallas.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Grand Island City Cemetery. The Rev. Richard Karohl will officiate.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the Faith United Methodist Church or the Alzheimer's Foundation of Dallas.
Mr. Tews was born July 18, 1914, to Herman and Jennie (Frey) Tews in South Haven, Mich. He grew up and received his education at the Wright Business College.
He married
Florence Demske on Oct. 18, 1941, at Chicago. She died in 1990.
During World War II, he worked for Illinois Tool Works and received the Army/Navy "E" Award for outstanding machinist. He worked as a sales representative from 1947 to 1951 for Dearborn Stove Company in Chicago.
The couple moved to Grand Island in 1952, where he worked for Dearborn Stove Company for 23 years. He worked at St. Francis Medical Center from 1970 until his retirement in 1981.
He moved to Dallas to be near his daughter and son-in-law in 1993.
He was a member of the Faith United Methodist Church and the AARP.
Survivors include a daughter, Florence (Mrs. Greg) Simpson of Plano, Texas; and a sister, Gladys Olsen of Dickinson, Texas.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, a brother, a sister and his wife.
Don Woitaszewski
RENO, Nev. -- Donald F. Woitaszewski, 48, of Reno, Nev., formerly of Grand Island, died at his home of natural causes.
Northern Nevada Memorial Mortuary is in charge of funeral arrangements. Mr. Woitaszewski was cremated.
Victor Hahn
Victor E. Hahn, 82, of Grand Island, died Thursday, Jan. 1, 1998, at the Bryan Memorial Hospital in Lincoln.
Services are pending with Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home.
James Haldeman
WOOD RIVER -- James F. Haldeman, 57, of Wood River died Thursday, Jan. 1, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services are pending with Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home in Grand Island.
