U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Leonard Spotanski
Leonard P. Spotanski, 69, of Grand Island and formerly of Loup City, died Thursday, Feb. 18, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Josaphat's Catholic Church in Loup City with the Rev. Tom Ryan officiating. Burial will be in the Evergreen cemetery in Loup City with military rites by Loup City American Legion Post No. 48.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Higgins Funeral Home in Loup City and from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at St. Josaphat's Catholic Church, with a wake service at 7:30 p.m. at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mr. Spotanski was born March 29, 1929, near Loup City to Frank and Mary (Zelinski) Spotanski. He grew up and attended school in the Sherman County area and also farmed in the Sherman County area.
Mr. Spotanski entered the U.S. Air Force in 1949 and was stationed in California.
He married
Irene Wroblewski on Nov. 28, 1953, in Loup City. They moved to Wichita, Kan., in 1957. They moved to Grand Island in 1965. Mr. Spotanski worked for Desch-Paine Monument in Grand Island from 1964 to 1978. He worked for Monfort in Grand Island from 1978 until his retirement in 1991.
Mr. Spotanski enjoyed polka music, and playing the accordion and the harmonica. He also enjoyed working on his pickup and flying with his brother, Melvin.
Survivors include his wife, Irene; four sons, Mike, Virgil and Steven, all of Grand Island and David of St. Libory; his daughter, Deb Szafrajda of Ravenna; nine grandchildren; and two sisters, Theresa Phillips of Maine and Irene Blades of Sioux City, Iowa.
He was preceded in death by five brothers.
Amy Beins
AURORA -- Amy Ada Beins, 91, of Aurora, died Saturday, Feb. 20, 1999, at the Hamilton Manor in Aurora.
Services will be 2 p.m. Monday at the Aurora First Christian Church with the Rev. Jay Mitchell officiating. Burial will be in the Aurora Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Higby Mortuary in Aurora.
Mrs. Beins was born to James and Sarah (Baker) Lockhart at Aurora on June 24, 1907. She grew up and received her education at Aurora, graduating from Aurora High school in 1926 and also from the Lincoln School of Business.
She worked for Nebraska Buick and was later a private secretary to the president of Lincoln Telephone Company. She also was employed by the Fidelity Bank of Aurora.
She married
Harold Beins on Feb. 5, 1931, at Aurora. They farmed west of Aurora until they retired and moved into Aurora in 1969. Mr. Beins died on April 8, 1989. Mrs. Beins entered the Hamilton Manor in October 1994.
Mrs. Beins was an active member of the Aurora First Christian Church, belonged to the Christian Women's Fellowship, was a 50-year member of the T.P.M. Extension Club and was an avid flower gardener who loved roses. She also enjoyed cooking, crocheting and traveling.
She is survived by two daughters, Bertina (Mrs. Jerry) Anderson of Phillips and Beverly (Mrs. Len) Beckenbach of Lincoln; seven grandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two brothers, four sisters and a grandson, Ricky Anderson.
Mary Larson
BROKEN BOW -- Mary Barnes Larson, 80, of Dunning, died Saturday, Feb. 20, 1999, at the Sandhills Manor Nursing Home in Broken Bow.
Services will be 2:30 p.m. Monday at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow with the Rev. David Hansen officiating. Burial will be in the Broken Bow cemetery with Govier Brothers in charge of arrangements.
Visitation will be from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday and from 8 a.m. to service time Monday at the funeral home. Memorials have been established to the St. Jude's Children Hospital.
She was born July 16, 1918, to Alonzo and Loretta (Halverstadt) Patterson at Jackson Hole, Wyo. At the age of four, she moved to Taylor, Neb., and attended school at Brewster.
She marred Lyle Barnes Sr. on May 4, 1935, at Brewster. The couple lived in Blaine and Custer Counties. They moved to Broken Bow in 1961. Mr. Barnes died in January 1966.
She continued to live in Broken Bow, where she worked as a cook at the Mobile Cafe, Buzz and Betty's, Pleasure Lanes, and the Starlight Lounge, until she retired in 1983.
She married
Robert Larson on Sept. 22, 1981, at Taylor. Mr. Larson died in January 1985.
She attended the United Church of Christ in Dunning and was a past member of the Dunning VFW Auxiliary.
Survivors include three daughters, Marion (Mrs. Bill) Copper of Broken Bow, Lauretta (Mrs. Don) Rice of Alda and Winnona Love of Dunning; three sons, Lyle Barnes of Kearney, Maynard Barnes of Broken Bow and Everett Barnes of Dunning; 17 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and one brother, Frank Patterson of Malpetas, Calif.
She was preceded in death by both husbands, two brothers, infant triplet brothers, one grandson and one great-granddaughter.
Bernetta Swartzendruber
SHICKLEY -- Bernetta D. Swartzendruber, 75, of Shickley, died Friday, Feb. 19, 1999, at York.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Salem Mennonite Church in rural Shickley with the Rev. Wilton Detweiler officiating. Burial will be in the Salem cemetery in Shickley. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Farmer and Son Funeral Home in Geneva.
Mrs. Swartzendruber was born on Nov. 26, 1923, at Carleton, Neb. to Lloyd and Katie (Springer) Schweitzer.
Survivors include her husband Virgil of Schickley; son, Billie of Elkhorn; daughter, Robin (Mrs. Scott) Lobeda of Central City; five brothers, Clinton Schweitzer of Geneva, Nick Schweitzer and Ron Schweitzer, both of Fort Wayne, Ind., Galen Schweitzer of Lincoln, and John Schweitzer of Shickley; five sisters, Alberta Bruning of Bruning, Vera Lichtl of Geneva, Betty (Mrs. Wayne) Kennel of Geneva, Marge (Mrs. Robert) Kremer of Omaha and Mary (Mrs. Jerry) Stutzman of Phoenix; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Viola Kolar
Viola M. Kolar, 78, of 1610 N. Cleburn died Thursday, Feb. 18, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home. The Rev. Jerry Quandt will officiate. Burial will be at 3 p.m. Monday in the Ord Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mrs. Kolar was born on Nov. 9, 1920, on a farm east of Ord to Emil and Ida (Radil) Skolil. She was educated in the Ord schools.
She married
Edward Frank Kolar on Nov. 8, 1937, at Ord. They lived and worked in the Ord area and later in the Dannebrog area. Mr. Kolar died in 1971. Mrs. Kolar moved to Grand Island in 1978 and lived with her son, David.
She loved flowers, cooking, crafts and playing cards.
Survivors include two sons, Edward Kolar of Central City and David Kolar of Grand Island; two grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and four sisters, Emma Novotny, Elsie Skala and Elaine Schriner, all of St. Paul, and Elma Hrebec of North Loup.
Other than her husband, she was preceded in death by a daughter, Evelyn; and a son, Frank.
Leonard Spotanski
Leonard Spotanski, 69, of Grand Island, formerly of Loup City, died Thursday, Feb. 18, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Josaphat's Catholic Church in Loup City. The Rev. Tom Ryan will officiate. Burial will be in Evergreen cemetery in Loup City with military rites by Loup City American Legion Post 48.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Higgins Funeral Home in Loup City and from 6 to 8 p.m., with a 7:30 p.m. wake service, Sunday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mr. Spotanski was born on March 29, 1929, near Loup City to Frank and Mary (Zelinski) Spotanski. He grew up and attended school in the Sherman County area and also farmed there.
He entered the U.S. Air Force in 1949 and was stationed in California.
He married
Irene Wroblewski on Nov. 28, 1953, in Loup City. They moved to Wichita, Kan., in 1957 and to Grand Island in 1964. He worked for Desch-Paine Monument Co. from 1964 to 1978 and for Monfort from 1978 until retiring in 1991.
He enjoyed polka music, playing the accordion and harmonica. He also enjoyed working on his pickup and flying with his brother, Melvin.
Survivors include his wife; four sons, Mike, Virgil and Steven, all of Grand Island, and David of St. Libory; a daughter, Deb Szafrajda of Ravenna; nine grandchildren; and two sisters, Theresa Phillips of Maine and Irene Blades of Sioux City, Iowa.
He was preceded in death by five brothers.
