U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Ted Donscheski
BOONE -- Theodore 'Ted' Ray Donscheski, 46, of Boone died Sunday, Aug. 16, 1998, at the Boone County Health Center in Albion after suffering an apparent heart attack at his home.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the United Church of Christ in Albion. The Rev. Mary Avidano will officiate. Burial will be in the Rose Hill cemetery with military rites conducted by American Legion Post 162 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 736 of Albion.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Levander Funeral Home in Albion and after 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at the church.
Mr. Donscheski was born on Feb. 20, 1952, at Albion to Emil and Pauline (Austin) Donscheski. He received his elementary education at Albion Public Schools and graduated from Albion High School in 1971. After graduation, he worked in construction in Lincoln.
He entered the U.S. Army on Oct. 25, 1972.
He married
Debra "Deb" L. Molt on Oct. 26, 1973, at the United Church of Christ in Albion. They lived in Monterey, Calif., where he was stationed at Fort Ord until his honorable discharge on Oct. 24, 1974. He worked in Lincoln and later for Mogensen's Construction until 1976, when he started work at Lindsay Manufacturing. He was working in the Lindsay Manufacturing shipping department at the time of his death.
Mr. Donscheski enjoyed hunting and fishing and was a member of the United Church of Christ (Congregational) in Albion.
He is survived by his wife; two daughters, Angela (Mrs. Jack) Swinney of Omaha and Carisa Donscheski of Boone; one son, Jason Donscheski of Boone; his mother, of Albion; two brothers, Don Donscheski of Omaha and Jim Donscheski of Lincoln; one sister, Joyce Donscheski of St. Edward; and a half sister, Denise (Mrs. Randy) Ney of Omaha.
He was preceded in death by his father and an infant sister, Nancy.
Fredrick Fast
HASTINGS -- Fredrick O. Fast, 78, of Hastings died Sunday, Aug. 16, 1998, at his home.
Services are at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at First St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Hastings. The Rev. Harold Stromen will officiate. Burial will be in Parkview Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Brand-Wilson Funeral Home in Hastings.
Memorials are suggested to St. Paul's Lutheran Church or the American Cancer Society.
Mr. Fast was born on March 17, 1920, in Luxhaven, Germany, to Paul and Marie (Kohnke) Fast. He came to the United States with his parents when he was 4 years old. They lived in Clay Center for a short time before moving to Hastings, where he had lived since. He graduated from Hastings High School in 1938, attended Kearney State College and Hastings College.
He was a veteran of World War II, serving with the 1638th Engineer Survey Liaison Team for four years.
He married
Georgia Hellner on July 21, 1946. He was a partner in Fast Construction Co. for 35 years. He retired in 1981.
He was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, a life member of the International Union of Bricklayers and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Jane Muessel of Grand Island; two sons, Fredrick of Papillion and Thomas of Littleton, Colo.; eight grandchildren; one sister, Rosemarie Fannis of Hastings; and one brother, Robert of Hastings.
He was preceded in death by one brother, William.
Robert Ruzicka
PHILLIPS -- Robert Ruzicka, 47, of Phillips died Sunday, Aug. 16, 1998, at the Phillips Cemetery.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Phillips United Methodist Church. The Rev. Dwight DeLaet will officiate. Burial will be in the Phillips Cemetery.
There will be no visitation. However, the casket will be open prior to services.
Higby Mortuary in Aurora is in charge of arrangements.
Survivors include his wife, June; one son, Justin Lee Ruzicka of Kansas; three stepsons, David Starkey and Gilbert Starkey, both of Columbus, and Kenneth Starkey of Phillips; one stepdaughter, Victoria Burnes of Phillips; two grandchildren; three brothers, Richard, James and John, all of Grand Island; and one sister, Pat Barr of Brenham, Texas.
Jim Springer
DONIPHAN -- James "Jim" A. Springer, 45, of Doniphan died Sunday, Aug. 16, 1998, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Giltner United Methodist Church. The Revs. Dwight DeLaet and Paul A. Nauman will officiate. Burial will be in the Giltner Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m., with the family receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m., Wednesday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home in Grand Island.
Memorials may be made to the family or to the donor's choice.
Mr. Springer was born on Aug. 12, 1953, at Hastings to Melvin and Mary E. (Chaney) Springer. He grew up and went to school in Giltner, graduating from Giltner High School in 1971.
He married
Tracey J. Hawthorne on Dec. 1, 1979, at Giltner. The couple farmed near Giltner and Ord until 1991, when he began working for Platte River Irrigation, where he worked until the time of his death.
He was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing, hunting and Nebraska football.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, Jeffrey James Springer and Justin Dean Springer, both of Doniphan; three sisters, Verla (Mrs. Gary) Williams of Aurora, Marian Pittman of Rogers, Alaska, and Carlene (Mrs. Jim) White of Doniphan; and a brother, Brad Springer of Aurora.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Sharon Boysen.
Evelyn Lawrence
NORTH PLATTE -- Evelyn G. Lawrence, 88, of North Platte, formerly of Grand Island, died Sunday, Aug. 16, 1998, at her home.
Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Carpenter Memorial Chapel. Burial of the ashes will be in the North Platte Cemetery.
Register book signing will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday.
A memorial has been established to hospice.
Mrs. Lawrence was born on March 10, 1910, in Lodgepole to James A. and Mary Peters. When she was young, the family moved to North Platte, where she attended school and graduated in 1927.
She married
Noel Lawrence on Aug. 16, 1939, in North Platte. The couple lived in Colorado, Grand Island and California, where Mr. Lawrence was a school administrator. After her husband's death, Mrs. Lawrence moved back to North Platte in June 1979.
She enjoyed reading and playing bridge.
Survivors include one daughter, Gay Lawrence of North Platte; and one brother, Melvin Peters of North Platte.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by a son, Gary; and a brother, Glenn.
Donald Payne
DUDLEYVILLE, Wyo. -- Donald Edwin Payne, 66, of Dudleyville, Wyo., south of Riverton, Wyo., died Sunday, Aug. 16, 1998, at his home.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Davis Funeral Home. Cremation will follow the services in Casper, Wyo.
Mr. Payne was born on Jan. 2, 1932, in Chadron to Gerald E. and Julia M. (Sanford) Payne. He graduated from Ericson High School. He was raised near Bartlett and Ericson and also lived in California.
He served in the Korean War.
He married
Miguela Payne on Oct. 25, 1993, in Lander, Wyo. He had lived in Wyoming since 1980 and had lived at Dudleyville since 1983. He had been self-employed for many years as a farmer and truck driver.
He enjoyed hunting and fishing and ammunition reloading.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Mitchell O. Payne of Riverton; three stepdaughters, Janiece Desmond of Lander, Wyo., Melodye Thomas of Casper, Wyo., and Toni Miller of Rock Springs, Wyo.; nine grandchildren; his mother, of Ord; and three brothers, Richard Payne of Grand Island, Edwin Payne of Purdum and Gail Payne of Ericson.
He was preceded in death by his father and a brother, Gary Payne.
