U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Stanley Wardyn
LOUP CITY -- Stanley E. Wardyn, 93, of Loup City died Thursday, Aug. 20, 1998, at Community Care of America in Grand Island.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Josephat's Catholic Church in Loup City with the Rev. Reginald A. Urban officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen cemetery at Loup City.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m., with a 7:30 p.m. vigil service, Friday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the family's choice or the Loup City emergency medical technicians.
Peters Funeral Home of Loup City is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Wardyn was born on Aug. 12, 1905, at Paplin to Frank and Mary (Goc) Wardyn. At the age of 7, he moved with his family to a farm near Ashton. He was educated at District 54 Rural School and St. Francis Parochial School in Ashton. Upon completing his education, he farmed with his family. He later farmed on his own.
He married
Estella Slominski on Feb. 10, 1931, at Loup City. The couple farmed in the Sherman County area and moved into Loup City in 1962. They retired from farming in 1980. Mrs. Wardyn died on April 15, 1987, and Mr. Wardyn continued to live in Loup City until October 1996, when he moved to Community Care. He enjoyed farming and raising cattle.
He was a member of St. Josaphat's Catholic Church in Loup City.
Survivors include one son, James Wardyn of St. Paul; one daughter, Mary Ann (Mrs. Fred) Matulka of Grand Island; 13 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Helen Guzinski of Casey, Iowa, and Emily Borzych of Colorado Springs, Colo.
He was preceded in death by one son, Donald Wardyn; one great-grandson; four sisters, Elizabeth Karslon, Pauline Jakubowski, Ann Steggs and Constance Kowelewski; and three brothers, Frank, Hubert and Tony Wardyn.
Russell Seidel
NORFOLK -- Russell D. Seidel, 65, of Norfolk and Mesa, Ariz., died Saturday, Aug. 22, 1998, at his home.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the First United Methodist Church in Norfolk. The Rev. Dan Flanigan will officiate. A flag presentation will be given by American Legion Post 16 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Winter-Munson Post 1644.
Memorials are suggested to hospice.
Howser-Fillmer Mortuary in Norfolk is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Seidel was born on June 10, 1933, at Mason City, Iowa, to Charles and Verneille Walters Seidel. He graduated from Mason City High School in 1951 and attended college in Mason City. He served in the U.S. Navy from Jan. 9, 1952, to Dec. 22, 1955. He worked as a chamber of commerce executive in several places. He moved in January 1967 to Norfolk, where he was executive secretary of the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce.
He married
Joyce "J.J." Calhoon on Jan. 19, 1973, at Yankton, S.D. He joined the 3-M Co. in Norfolk in March 1974. They moved in 1976 to St. Paul, Minn., where he worked at the 3-M corporate headquarters. They moved in 1987 to Austin, Texas. He retired from 3-M on July 1, 1993, and moved back to Norfolk.
He was a member of Eldorado Hills Golf Course and the American Legion and a life member of the VFW of Norfolk.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Mark of Mason City, Iowa; one daughter, Tamara (Mrs. Kevin) Watson of Jackson, Wyo.; one stepdaughter, Debbie Calhoon of Hudson, Wis.; three stepsons, Doug Calhoon, Bill Calhoon and Kevin Calhoon, all of Norfolk; one grandchild; six step grandchildren; his mother, of Norfolk; and a brother, Stan of Apache Junction, Ariz.
He was preceded in death by one brother.
Elsie Metcalf
LOS ANGELES -- Elsie (Coslor) Metcalf, 85, of Los Angeles, formerly of Sargent, died Saturday, Aug. 22, 1998, in Los Angeles.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Eternal Valley Mortuary in Canyon Country, Calif.
Survivors include a daughter, Jerilyn O'Shea of Los Angeles; a son, Clark Jr. of Los Angeles; two grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a sister, Dorothy Solt of Sargent; and a brother, Rex Coslor of Cedro Woolie, Wash.
Grant Benjamin
Grant Lee Benjamin, 69, of the Veteran's Administration Medical Center, died July 31, 1998, at the medical center.
Services will be held Monday, August 3 at 1 p.m. at Ft. McPherson National Cemetery, with military rites by the North Platte Honor Guard. Klein Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Mr. Benjamin was born in Valley on April 7, 1929, to Marion and Estella (Farrington) Benjamin. He was a commercial truck driver and served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean Conflict from June 1947 until June 1952.
He is survived by his brother, Carroll Benjamin of Fremont.
Melvin C. Dobesh
Melvin C. Dobesh, 78, formerly of Ansley, died Saturday, Aug. 1, 1998, at the Veteran's Administration Medical Center in Grand Island.
Dobesh was cremated and there will be no services.
Doris Ford
Doris Ford, 70, of Grand Island died Thursday, July 31, 1998, at Park Place Nursing Center in Grand Island.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the First Baptist Church of Texhoma, Okla. Fred Weiss of Harvest Time Baptist Church in Grand Island will officiate. Burial will be in the Texhoma Cemetery. Dawson-Welch Funderal Home of Texhoma will handle the arrangements.
Memorials to the family will be accpeted at the Dawson-Welch Funeral Home.
Mrs. Ford was born November 28, 1927, in Vernon, Texas to Lonnie Lee King and Mason Hollen King. She moved to Texhoma with her family in 1949.
She married
Dale Duncan King on December 22, 1952, in Clayton, N.M.
Survivors include two daughters, Kay Childers of Grand Island, and Norma Quimby of Balko, Okla.; three sons, Jerry McFarlin of Lawton, Okla.; Duane Ford of Longview, Texas, and Lonnie Ford of Sperry, Okla.; one sister, Janell Moore and one brother, Darrell King, both of Texhoma, Okla., 18 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband and parents.
George Meier
George L. Meier, 84, of Grand Island died Thursday, July 30, 1998, at St. Francis Memorial Health Center.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Trinity Lutheran Church. The Revs. Martin Schmidt, John Reehl and Robert Harms will officiate. A family prayer service will be at 9:45 a.m. Monday. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday, with the family receiving friends from 4 to 7 p.m., Sunday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the church.
Mr. Meier was born on Feb. 7, 1914, at Grand Island to John and Anna (Lohman) Meier. He grew up and was educated at Grand Island.
He married
Alma Johanna Uden on April 15, 1941, at Grand Island. The couple lived on a farm east of Grand Island. He remained active in farming until he passed the farm on to his son.
He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church.
Survivors include his wife; one son, John L. Meier of Grand Island; three daughters, Betty (Mrs. Garold) McCan of Omaha, Carol (Rev. David) Caspersen of Cheyenne, Wyo., and Sharon Meier of Aurora, Colo.; six grandchildren; and two sisters, Alma Schultz of Crystal Lake, Ill.; and Ann Pollock of Grand Island.
He was preceded in death by five brothers, Carl Meier, William Meier, Edward Meier, Fred Meier and Walter Meier; and three sisters, Matilda Quandt, Emma Wiemer and Clara Klein.
William Bishop
GIBBON -- William Edgar Bishop, 81, of Gibbon, died Saturday, Aug. 1, 1998, at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Gibbon Baptist Church. Visitation will be Monday frmo 6 to 8 p.m. from the Godberson Mortuary in Gibbon. Military graveside rites will be conducted by the Gibbon American Legion, Bradly Buck Post 310 at the Riverside Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the Gibbon Baptist Church or church of the donors choice.
Leonard Church
ELM CREEK -- Leonard Richard Church, 88, of Elm Creek, formerly of Clarks, died Friday, July 31, 1998, at Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdredge.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Solt Funeral Home in Central City. Rev. Robert Hopkins will officiate. There will be no visitation. Burial will be in the Pierce Chapel Cemetery.
Mr. Church was born on Mar. 13, 1910, to LeRoy and Mabel (Branting) Church northwest of Clarks. The family moved to the Prairie Island area in 1919. Mr. Church attended District 25 and then District 22 schools and Clarks High School.
He married
Marjorie Key on Dec. 7, 1929, in Osceola. In 1929, Mr. Church began a career with Union Pacific Railroad. He retired in 1970
Mr. Church was a member of Masonic Solar Lodge 134 and had served as past master and past worth patron of the Clarks Order of Eastern Star. He also was a member of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees.
Survivors include one son, Robert Church of Bella Vista, Ark.; two daughters, Shirley Kelly, of Holdredge and Patricia Anderson of Herman, Mo.; one brother, Wilbur Church, of Central City; three sisters, Violet Willits of Fall City, Nona Hoffer, of Grand Island and Iola Moore of Lake Havasu City, Ariz.; 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, two brothers, Russell and Cecil Church, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
