U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Merle Kirkpatrick
Merle Kirkpatrick, longtime resident of Imperial, Neb., passed away Saturday morning, July 7, 2007, at the Imperial Manor Nursing Home.
Survivors include daughters, Cheryl Honours of Sharon, Conn., Merlena Collins of Colorado and Kathy Roberts of Pueblo, Colo.; sister, Eva Oehlerich of Ellensburg, Wash.
Graveside inurnment services will be held Thursday, July 11, 2007, at Mount Hope Cemetery, with Pastor Kay Alnor officiating.
A memorial has been established in Merle's memory.
A full obituary will follow in a later issue.
Liewer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Alyce Gray
Alyce Gray, age 84, longtime Ogallala resident, died June 26, 2007 at Centennial Park Retirement Village in North Platte.
Alyce Rose Gray, daughter of George and Rena Fisher Bussard, was born Oct. 8, 1922 in a part dugout and part sod house on a farm near Hayes Center, Neb.
She attended schools in and around McCook, Neb. Alyce accepted Christ as her personal Savior in 1936.
On Aug. 11, 1941, Alyce married
LeRoy Farrell Gray at Bridgeport, Neb. The couple made their home in Scottsbluff. To this union six children were born: Judy, James, Janet, Jeannie, John and Jeffory.
The family moved to California in 1942 while LeRoy was in the Navy. In 1945 they returned to Scottsbluff and in 1946 they moved to McCook. They relocated to Imperial in 1957 and to North Platte in 1965. The Grays moved to Ogallala in 1977 and retired.
Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, LeRoy, in 1982; two daughters, Judy Redinger and Jeannie Gray; two grandsons, Timothy Gray and Bruce Redinger; five brothers and four sisters.
Survivors include her daughter, Janet, and husband, Roger Skinner, of Ogallala; three sons, James Gray and his wife, Roberta, of Curtis, John Gray and his wife, Brenda, of North Platte, and Jeffory Gray and his wife, Anna, of Ogallala; one sister, Greta Thornley, of Cheyenne, Wyo.; 24 grandchildren and 39 great-grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren and three great-great-great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held Friday, June 29, at 10:30 a.m. in the Ogallala New Hope Worship Center with Rev. Mark Carlton officiating.
Interment was at 1:30 p.m. in the Mount Hope cemetery at Imperial, Neb.
A memorial has been established to New Hope.
Online condolences may be sent to www.drauckerfh.com.
Draucker Funeral Home of Ogallala was in charge of arrangements.
John Teply, Jr.
John Teply, Jr. of Champion, Neb., died Wednesday, June 6, 2007 at Chase County Community Hospital. He was 92 years old.
John was born on Nov. 18, 1914, on the family farm north of Wauneta to John and Martha (Neverve) Teply. He attended the rural Elmer School north of Wauneta.
On Dec. 7, 1940, he married
Opal Lucille Lovitt in North Platte. They made their home on a farm north of Wauneta. To this union four children were born: Roger, Marvin, Coleen and Rick.
In 1953, they moved their family to the Champion community where they continued to farm and raise registered cattle. John and Opal provided a second home to many young people throughout the years.
John was a member of the Imperial United Methodist Church and past member of Future Farmers of America earning the Honorary Chapter Farmer in 1962. He served as a 4-H Leader for many years earning the Gold Clover Award. He was also a Boy Scout Leader taking the troops to Camp Opal Springs.
In his younger years John played baseball for the Hi-Line Team. He was recruited in 1939 at the age of 25 to be a pitcher for Philadelphia. He chose to remain on the farm with his family. John loved fishing, arrowhead hunting, and playing cards with his many good friends.
Preceding him in death were his parents, John and Martha Teply; one sister, Josie Keller; and four brothers, Henry, Charles, Raymond and Eddie Teply.
Survivors include his loving wife of over 66 years, Opal Teply, of Champion; daughter, Coleen and husband, Bill Mumford, of Imperial; three sons, Roger Teply and wife, Judy, of Champion, Marvin Teply and wife, Terrie, of Imperial and Rick Teply of Champion; seven grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews and a host of friends.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be given in his name.
Graveside services were held Saturday, June 9, 2007, 10 a.m. at Mount Hope cemetery in Imperial with Rev. Francis Baker officiating.
Soloist was Kim Silvester.
Pallbearers were R.D. Teply, Ty Mumford, Jimmy Ganstrom, Bob Milner, Seth Spicer and Troy Leach.
Honorary bearers were Irvin Bauerle, Don Welch, Stan Smith, Lamont Neverve and Bill Goddard.
Burial was at Mount Hope Cemetery.
Liewer Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Bruce Kitt
Bruce Edwin Kitt was born Aug. 21, 1921 to Ray and Hilda Seward Kitt in a sod house southwest of Wauneta, Neb.
He grew up in the Wauneta area, attending Wauneta schools. On Oct. 21, 1938, he suffered severe spinal injury during a high school football game in Sutherland but recovered enough to graduate from Wauneta High School in 1940 and to continue to help his dad farm. Despite the cause of his injury, he remained an avid football fan.
On Aug. 21, 1942, his 21st birthday, Bruce married
Nirene Troxel.
After farming for 10 years, in 1952 Bruce began his career selling insurance for Banker's Life in Nebraska and then for Farm Bureau in California until his retirement in 1977.
Except for brief stays in North Platte and Missouri, Bruce and Nirene lived in the Chase County area until 1960, when they moved to the San Diego, Calif. area. They returned to Nebraska in 1989, living in North Platte until May, 2007, when they returned "home" to Chase County. They were blessed with four children: Lauretta Yvonne, Wayne Edwin, Cheryl Ann and Phyllis Marie.
Bruce's faith in God was evident to all and is the most important legacy he leaves his four children, 15 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. Baptized into Christ at the age of 22, he was a dedicated Bible student and follower of God's Word. He served as an elder in churches of Christ in Wauneta, Nebraska; El Cajon California; and North Platte, Nebraska.
Bruce passed away Thursday morning, June 7, 2007, at the Manor Nursing Home after a brief battle with a lung melanoma.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one sister, Merle Janice; and two brothers, Kenneth and Ralph.
Survivors include wife, Nirene Kitt, of Imperial; one son, Wayne Kitt of La Mesa, Calif.; three daughters, Yvonne Streeter and husband, Jay, of Plano, Texas; Cheryl Bryan and husband, Bill, of Imperial; and Phyllis Broadus and husband, Bob, of Jackson, Tenn.; one brother, Cloyd Kitt, of El Cajon, Calif.; one sister, Elna Rae West, of Imperial; grandchildren Alyson Streeter Hopkins of Bolingbrook, Ill., Sean Streeter of Santee, Calif., Ryan Streeter of Atlanta, Ga., Adam Kitt of Brea, Calif., Tamara Kitt McClure of Santee, Calif., Afton, Meagan, Bryce and Ian Kitt of La Mesa, Calif., Jan Bryan of Scottsdale, Ariz., Beth Bryan Williams, Neale Bryan and Sarah Bryan, all of Nashville, Tenn., Joycelyn and Kittia Broadus of Jackson, Tenn.; 12 great-grandchildren and numerous nephews and nieces, among whom are Lloyd Smith of Champion, Marla Smith of Imperial, Merle Konken of Hershey, and Bob Kitt of Wauneta.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be given in his name.
A memorial celebration was held on Saturday, June 9, 2007, 7 p.m. at Westside Church of Christ in Imperial with Bill Bryan and Brad Hopkins officiating.
A private family inurnment will be held at a later time at Riverside cemetery in Wauneta.
Liewer Funeral Home of Imperial is in charge of the arrangements.
Dale McLain
Dale Martin McLain, departed this life on June 6, 2007, at the age of 57, as a result of injuries suffered in a trucking accident in New Mexico.
He was born Oct. 9, 1949, in Denver, Colo. and grew up in Imperial, Neb.
He was a 1967 graduate of Chase County High School (Imperial, Neb.) and a 1986 graduate of Mesa State College (Grand Junction, Colo.)
For the past two years Dale made his home in the rural Boerne, Texas area where he enjoyed gardening, riding his tractor, making home improvements and playing with his dogs.
In the early years Dale was employed in farming in southwestern Nebraska and at the high school in Imperial.
Later he returned to Colorado and worked in auto body repair and sales, eventually going into the transportation business where he was employed by Sterling Downey at the time of his death.
In 1971, he was married
to Marion Rundle in Ft. Collins, Colo. A daughter, Devon Worth McLain, and a son, Robert Edgar McLain were born to this former union.
Dale McLain is survived by his children and his loving partner of many years, Lynnda McGowan of Boerne, Texas. Other survivors include a father, Martin McLain; a brother, Phil McLain; nephews, Sid McMullen (Valerie), Sean McMullen and Chris McMullen and a niece, Jennifer (Jones) Reinschmidt (Kevin), all of Colorado.
Survivors also include grand nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and numerous cousins.
He was reunited in death with his mother, Catherine (Ragsdale) McLain; a sister, Barbara (McLain) McMullen; and paternal grandparents, Edgar and Mary (Troxel) McLain. He was also preceded in death by several McLain uncles, and aunts, Reneta (McLain) Hallett, Jean (McLain) Herbert and Ruby McLain.
The McLain and Troxel families of Chase County were pioneers and early settlers in the community.
Memorial services were held in Denver on Tuesday, June 12, 2007. A graveside gathering will be held on Saturday, June 16, 2007, in Imperial.
Nathan Mohler
Nathan Lapp Mohler, was born Feb. 2, 1914 in a sod house near Wauneta, Neb. and died May 16, 2007 at Colorado Springs, Colo.
Graveside inurnment services will be held Tuesday, June 12, 2007, at 10:30 a.m. at the Riverside Cemetery, Wauneta, Neb. with Rev. Marjorie Good officiating.
Inurnment will be at the Riverside Cemetery, Wauneta, Neb.
Liewer Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Patsy Teply
Patsy Mae (Creasman) Teply was born May 24, 1928 to Bill and Charlotte (Powers) Creasman in Indianola, Neb., the oldest of four children.
As a child she grew up in southwest Nebraska and graduated from Wauneta High School in 1946. Patsy attended McCook Community College and after receiving a teaching certificate, she taught one year at a rural county school.
She married
Eddie Teply on Sept. 11, 1947 at St. John's Catholic Church in Wauneta. To this union were born four children, David LaVern, Samuel Edward, Daniel Joseph and Cindy Callista.
They settled on the Teply home place in northeast Chase County, where they farmed and ranched until moving to Imperial in 1991.
After Eddie's passing in 1999, Patsy moved to a small acreage, northwest of Imperial. There she raised chickens, ducks and geese. She also enjoyed her garden and flowers. She returned to Imperial in 2002.
Patsy passed away Friday evening, June 1, 2007, at the Chase County Community Hospital after a brief battle with lymphoma. She had just celebrated her 79th birthday.
While living near Wauneta, Patsy was a proud member of St. John's Catholic Church and was a member of their Altar Society. She also enjoyed playing cards with her friends as a member of the Garfield Club.
Then in Imperial, Patsy was an active member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church and also their Altar Society. Patsy enjoyed her life on the farm and loved her family. Her greatest joy was spending time with her grandchildren and watching them grow up.
In addition to her parents, Patsy was preceded in death by her husband, Eddie; one son, Danny Joe and one brother, Billie.
Survivors include sons, David Teply of Imperial, Sam Teply and wife, Kristie, of Lexington; one daughter, Cindy Balsom and husband, Steve, of Great Falls, Mont.; brother, Roger Creasman and wife, Sharon, of Elfrida, Ariz; one sister, Joyce Hofman of McCook; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Rosary was recited Monday, June 4 at 7 p.m. at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Imperial.
Funeral Mass was held Tuesday morning, June 5 at 10 a.m. with Father Valerian Bartek officiating.
Organist was Marcy Nesbitt and singers were Paulette Dillan and Ronnie Moritz.
Casketbearers were Tanner Teply, Matthew Teply, Patrick Teply, Buck Teply, J.J. Teply and Logan Mohr.
Honorary casketbearers were Marilyn O'Neil, Mary Carman and Patty Fanning.
Interment followed at Riverside Cemetery, Wauneta, Neb.
Liewer Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
