U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Joe Wieczorek
AURORA -- Joseph "Joe" Edward Wieczorek Sr., 67, of Aurora died Tuesday, Sept. 15, 1998, at his home.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Aurora. The Rev. John Keefe will officiate. Burial will be in the Aurora Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Higby Mortuary in Aurora, with the rosary at 7 p.m.
Mr. Wieczorek was born on Oct. 22, 1930, at Rockville to Michael and Mary (Hanson) Wieczorek. His early years of schooling were at Boelus, and later he attended Grand Island Senior High School.
He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, from Jan. 2, 1948, to Dec. 22, 1951. After serving in the military, he farmed and worked for the Rainbow Bakery for many years.
He married
Shirley Wilson on March 2, 1955, at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Grand Island.
He worked as a journeyman/lineman for 20 years. His last employment was at The Grand Island Independent.
He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Aurora. He was an avid gardener and loved to can and make jellies of his produce. He was a Nebraska football fan and enjoyed working with cars and pickups.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, Joseph of Lubbock, Texas, Steven of Rockhill, S.C., and George of Aurora; two daughters, Rebecca Spidle of Central City and Hillary Wieczorek of Aurora; seven grandchildren; two brothers, Leo and Clem, both of Grand Island; and two sisters, Stella Schleicher of St. Libory and Helen Lartique of Memphis, Tenn.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Melvin; and two sisters, Verna and Cecilia.
Timothy Drevo
CRETE -- Timothy D. Drevo, 35, of Crete died Saturday, Sept. 12, 1998, in Stillwater Pass in Grand County, Colo.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Kuncl Funeral Home. The Rev. David McCreary will officiate. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery.
Visitation began at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mr. Drevo was born on April 9, 1963, in Crete to Marvin "Babe" and Kate (Crisman) Drevo. He attended school in Crete and graduated in 1981. He won many trap and shooting awards in high school and lettered in trap.
He was instrumental in starting the trap shooting team at Crete High School. He received an applied science degree in automotive technology from Southeast Community College in Milford.
He married
Becky Spilinek on Sept. 10, 1983, in Ord. He had been a machinist with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad for three years and was a member of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees.
He had served in the Crete Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department for five years and was a member of the scuba team. He was a past board member of the Crete Wrestling Club and was an Izaak Walton League member.
He loved hunting, archery, fishing and camping. He enjoyed drag racing and participated in racing for a short time.
Survivors include his wife; one daughter, Jessica of Crete; one son, Ray of Crete; his father and stepmother, Marvin "Babe" and Jeanne Drevo of Crete; his mother and stepfather, Kate and Ron Dittmer of Crete; one brother, Cody of Crete; one sister, Sheryl (Mrs. Steve) Bray of Charleston, W.Va.; one stepbrother, Jeff Dittmer of Crete; five stepsisters, Camie Nitzel of Crete, Sally Dittmer of Lincoln, Jennifer Fager of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Susan Fager and Jill Jones, both of Bloomington, Ill.; his grandparents, Helen Drevo and Harlyn and Nila Crisman, all of Crete; and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Jim and ClaraAnn Spilinek of Ord.
He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Adolph Drevo.
Joseph Higgins
Joseph M. Higgins, 81, of Grand Island died Wednesday, Aug. 26, 1998, at his home.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Leo's Catholic Church. The Rev. Jack Rademacher will officiate. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m., with a rosary at 7 p.m., Friday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to St. Francis Medical Center, Goodwill Industries or the donor's choice.
Mr. Higgins was born on Dec. 10, 1916, in Revere, Mass., to John J. and Rilla (Cullen) Higgins. He grew up in Revere, Mass., and graduated from Revere High School in 1934. He graduated cum laude in civil engineering from Northeastern University in 1939.
He married
Dorothy Connell on Jan. 3, 1942, in Shreveport, La. He came to Grand Island in 1969 to work as manager of the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant.
He most recently was a vice president for Mason & Hanger Corp. He worked for the company for 59 years in numerous locations around the country.
He was a member of St. Leo's Catholic Church, the Liederkranz, Riverside Golf Club and the American Defense Preparedness Association.
He had been president of the Grand Island Area Chamber of Commerce, Rotary International of Grand Island and the United Way. He also was a member of the President's Club in the Industrial Foundation.
He served on the boards of Central Nebraska Goodwill Industries, St. Francis Medical Center, Crane Meadows Nature Center and Mid-Nebraska Mental Health Center and was a member of the St. Francis Foundation and CAAP Reuse Committee.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Christina Settlemeyer of San Antonio and Valerie Higgins of Sykesville, Md.; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his oldest daughter, Marilyn Lumpkin.
Paul Norton
Paul D. Norton, 94, of Lebensraum Retirement Home died Wednesday, Aug. 26, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services are pending with Kleine Funeral Home.
Mae Belle Ross
Mae Belle Ross, 102, of Grand Island died Wednesday, Aug. 26, 1998, at Tiffany Square Care Center.
Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. The Rev. Tim Anderson will officiate.
There will be no visitation. Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to St. Stephen's Episcopal Church.
Mrs. Ross was born on Sept. 17, 1895, at Sterling to Logan and Martha (Rexer) Chiles. She grew up and was educated at Sterling, Chapman and Callaway.
She married
Floyd R. Ross on March 6, 1918, at Broken Bow. The couple lived in Custer County. They moved to Grand Island in 1923.
Mrs. Ross was a member of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, the Order of the Eastern Star, Betsy Hager Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Ladies Auxiliary Railroad Trainmen.
Survivors include three daughters, Gwyn Wallis of Boise, Idaho, Marilyn Coleman of Fort Collins, Colo., and Joyce (Mrs. Neal R.) Garey of Grand Island; five grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, an infant son, a granddaughter, a great-grandson, a brother and seven sisters.
Eva Bute
AURORA -- Eva Bute, 100, of Aurora died Wednesday, Aug. 26, 1998, at the Hamilton Manor in Aurora.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Aurora First Christian Church. The Rev. Jay Mitchell will officiate. Burial will be in the Aurora Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Higby Mortuary in Aurora.
She was born on Sept. 26, 1897, at Aurora to George and Sarah (Stickler) Bute.
She grew up and was educated at Aurora and graduated from Aurora High School. She then received her degree in home economics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
She worked for the government as a home demonstration agent in South Dakota and later moved to Holdrege, where she worked for the University of Nebraska Extension Department. She returned to Aurora to live when she retired and entered the Hamilton Manor in December 1994.
She was a member of the Aurora First Christian Church and was an avid Nebraska football fan.
Survivors include nieces.
She was preceded in death by four brothers, Wilford, Winfield, Frank and Sterling Bute; and five sisters, Ethel Warren, Bessie Hazel Bute, Anne Bute, Stella Binckley and Florence Bute.
