U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Bessie Dunbar
ORD -- Bessie Dunbar, 101, of Ord died Friday, Aug. 21, 1998, at Valley County Nursing Home in Ord.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Ord Christian Church with the Rev. Mike Chase officiating. Burial will be in Ord City Cemetery.
Visitation is prior to service time Tuesday at the church.
Ord Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Dunbar was born on March 8, 1897, in Howard County near Boelus to Henry and Henrietta (Seeber) Busler. She grew up in Howard County and attended a country school. When she was 15, her family moved to Havelock. She traveled by streetcar to Lincoln, where she worked at a candy factory. The family then moved to Lingle, Wyo., to farm. She waited tables at a hotel cafe.
She married
Howard Dunbar at Torrington, Wyo., on July 17, 1918. The couple moved to Nebraska to Dunbar's father's homestead in Loup County. In the early 1930s, the couple moved to Taylor, where they operated a bakery.
They moved to North Loup and later moved to Ord. Mr. Dunbar died in 1963. She continued to live in Ord, where she worked for Carsons at the Cone Shop.
She moved to Rolling Hills Terrace west of Ord in 1982. She moved to Valley County Nursing Home in 1993.
She was a member of Ord Christian Church. She liked to cook, entertain, paint and do needlework. She enjoyed crafts, including making sock monkeys, dolls and quilts for her family.
Survivors include one son, Melvin of St. Charles, Iowa; two daughters, Etta "Jo" (Mrs. Harley) Fassnacht of Aurora and Betty (Mrs. Glenn) Ervin of Council Bluffs, Iowa; 24 grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren and numerous great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband; two sons, Harold and Eldon; two brothers, Charles and George; and four sisters, Minnie, Hazel, Laura and Nellie.
Alvin Kittelson
PETERSBURG -- Alvin E. Kittelson, 75, of Petersburg died Friday, Aug. 21, 1998, at his home near Petersburg.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Rosehill Evangelical Free Church in rural Newman Grove with the Rev. Clifford Branson officiating. Burial will be in North Branch East cemetery with military rites conducted by American Legion Post No. 334 of Petersburg.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Levander Funeral Home in Albion.
Mr. Kittelson was born on Nov. 24, 1922, on the family farm six and a half miles east of Petersburg to George and Clara (Larson) Kittelson. He attended District 51 grade school in Boone County and graduated from Newman Grove High School in 1940.
He married
Marjorie Christian on Nov. 8, 1958. He was an active member of Rosehill Evangelical Free Church, where he served as trustee and church chairman.
He was a lifelong farmer, except when he served in the U.S. Navy. He was a member of the American Legion and Gideons.
Survivors include two stepdaughters, Sharon (Mrs. Duane) Johnson of Cerritos, Calif., and Kay (Mrs. Bob) Williams of Hotchkiss, Colo.; one stepson, Larry Christian of Omaha; eight step grandchildren; five step great-grandchildren; one brother, Kenneth Kittelson of Petersburg; and one sister, Thelma (Mrs. Leland) Stejskal of Albion.
He was preceded in death by his wife; his brother, Garnes; and a stepson, Robert Christian.
'Linda' Thienel
WOOD RIVER -- Melinda "Linda" Thienel, 55, of Wood River died Sunday, Aug. 23, 1998, at her home in Wood River after a lengthy bout with cancer while receiving care from St. Francis Hospice.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at First United Methodist Church in Wood River with the Rev. Larry Nothstine officiating. Burial will be in the Shelton Cemetery.
Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Apfel Funeral Home in Wood River.
Memorials are suggested to the church or a scholarship fund.
Mrs. Thienel was born on July 3, 1943, at Ord to Alvin and Delpha (Williams) Smith. She was educated in rural Valley County and graduated from Hastings High School.
She married
David Thienel on April 16, 1963, at St. Paul. They lived in Lincoln while he finished his college education. They moved to Wood River, where they have since lived. She had one of the first licensed daycare centers in Wood River. She had seven foster children and worked at Casey's in Wood River for 10 years.
She was a member of First United Methodist Church and was past matron of Cement Lodge No. 115 Order of the Eastern Star.
Survivors include her husband, David of Wood River; two sons, Tim of Wood River and Bill of Grand Island; two granddaughters; her mother, Delpha Smith of Grand Island; five brothers, Daryl, Robert and Dennis Smith, all of Grand Island, James Smith of Wood River and Anthony Smith of Hampton; one sister, Barbara Hull of Grand Island; and seven foster children.
She was preceded in death by her father.
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 the Evergreen cemetery at Loup City.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the church with a 7:30 p.m. vigil service.
Memorials are suggested to the family's choice or the Loup City EMTs.
Peters Funeral Home of Loup City is in charge of arrangements.
Esther Wimberley
KEARNEY -- Esther R. Wimberly, 90, of Mt. Carmel Home in Kearney died Friday, Aug. 21, 1998, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at First United Methodist Church in Kearney with the Rev. Ron Roemmich officiating. Private burial services will be prior to the memorial service.
Visitation is for family members only.
Horner-Lieske-Horner Mortuary in Kearney is in change of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to First United Methodist Church or Mt. Carmel Home.
Mrs. Wimberley was born on April 5, 1908, in Hamilton County near Aurora to John and Anna R. (Crain) Bachman. She graduated from high school in Grand Island and attended Kearney Normal School, where she received her teaching certificate. She taught in rural schools near Grand Island until marrying M. Luther Wimberley on June 23, 1928, in Grand Island.
After she was married, she moved to Kearney, where she taught at the Boys Training School and then for Kearney Public Schools until retiring. She was then activity director at the Nebraska State Tuberculosis Hospital and later at Mt. Carmel Home.
She was a member of First United Methodist Church, a church circle, was a member and past president of Kearney B.P.O. Does and Tuscan Chapter of Order of Eastern Star.
Survivors include two brothers, John D. Bachman of Boise, Idaho, and Robert N. Bachman of Roswell, N.M.
She was preceded in death by her husband on Oct. 26, 1990, six brothers and one sister.
Edward Berst
Edward C. Berst, 69, of Grand Island, died Friday, Sept. 11 at the St. Francis Medical Center.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Messiah Lutheran Church. The Reverands Douglas Stensby and Gretchen Diers will officiate. Burial will be in the Westlawn Park Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, with the family receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m. at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the family's choice.
Mr. Berst was born on Dec. 3, 1928 to Charlse adn Marie (Peterson) Berst at Cushing. He grew up on the family farm near Cushing. He received his education from rural schools in Howard County. He entered the U.S. Army on Oct. 24, 1951 and served during the Korean conflict as a medic. He was honorably discharged on Oct. 7, 1953.
On Sept. 25, 1955 he married
Charlottet A. Woods at Palmer. They lived in Grand Island. Mr. Berst worked at SuperSweet Feeds in Grand Island for 37 years, and retired in 1990.
He was a member of the Lutheran faith, and enjoyed gardening and baseball.
Survivors include his wife; son, Robert Berst of Grand Island; daughters Betty Wilson of Newport, Debra Henderson of Seoul, South Korea, and Janice Sperling of Grand Island; brothers, Delbert Berst of Grand Island and Harold Berst of Crete; sister, JoAnn Koth of Yorba Linda, CA.; and 14 grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by an infant sister.
Dorothy Harris
Dorothy M. Harris, 74, of Grand Island, died Saturday, Sept. 12 at Bryan LGH Medical Center East in Lincoln.
Services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Faith Lutheran Church with Rev. Carl H. Rehwaldt officiating. Visitation will be at Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m., and Wednesday until 9 a.m. Burial will be in Parkview Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Faith Lutheran Church or the American Diabetes Association.
Mrs. Harris was born Feb. 29, 1924 in Tekamah to Vern and Ula (Anderton) Fowler. She graduated from Kearney State College and married
Keith G. Harris in Walthill on August 22, 1945. They moved from Doniphan to Hastings in 1959. She taught in Ayr, Hansen and Juniata grade schools, and retired in 1987. She was a member of Faith Lutheran Church, Christian Women, Daughters of the American Revolution and Retired Teachers Association.
Survivors include her husband; sons Gary Harris and Robby Harris, both of Hastings; daughter, Gayle Harris, of Hastings; sister, Beverly Fowler of Colulmbus, and one grand daughter.
