U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Arnold Nelson
VERDIGRE - Services for Arnold Nelson, 89, of Verdigre are pending at Brockhaus Funeral Home in Verdigre. Mr. Nelson died Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2005, at Creighton Care Centre.
Richard Simons
ALBION - Services for Richard Simons, 69, Albion, will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Michael’s Catholic Church here with burial in the parish cemetery.
Visitation at the church will be 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, with a 7:30 p.m. wake, and continue after 8:30 a.m. Thursday. Levander Funeral Home is in charge.
He died Monday, Jan. 23, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
Memorials are suggested to St. Michael’s Catholic School in Albion.
Richard Joseph Simons, the son of James and Katherine Engelbart Simons, was born Aug. 5, 1936, on a farm northwest of Albion.
He was baptized at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Albion and attended country school at Boone County District 84 and St. John the Baptist Elementary School in Petersburg. Dick entered the U.S. Army in 1955 and was honorably discharged in 1957.
On June 25, 1957, Dick was united in marriage to Jeanette Magsamen at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Albion. They lived in the Closter area west of Petersburg for four years. They moved to a farm northeast of Albion and farmed there until moving into Albion in 1985.
Dick was a member of St. John’s Catholic Church in Petersburg prior to his membership at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Albion. He was a member of Knights of Columbus Council 1739 and was a member and past president of St. Michael’s School Board.
He is survived by his wife, Jeanette of Albion; two sons, Richard Jr. and wife Trina of Albion and Gerald of Albion; three granddaughters, Jessica, Jennifer and Justine Simons, all of Albion; his mother, Katherine Person of Eastport, Mich., along with other relatives and friends.
Dick was preceded in death by his father, James, and his stepmother, Harriet.
The Rev. Stan Schmidt will officiate.
Terry Vrzal
NEWMAN GROVE - Services for Terry Vrzal, 57, York, will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Newman Grove with burial in the Iowa Valley cemetery at Lindsay.
Biglin’s Mortuary of O’Neill is in charge of arrangements.
He died Monday, Jan. 23, 2006, at York General Hospital.
Ruth Swarm
Services for Ruth E. Swarm, 87, of Norfolk will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Norfolk with burial in the McCoy cemetery near Meadow Grove.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Home For Funerals.
Mrs. Swarm died Monday, Jan. 23, 2006, at St. Joseph’s Rehabilitation and Care Center.
Ruth was born at Battle Creek on July 23, 1918, the daughter of William and Margaret (Willy) Zierke. She was baptized on Aug. 7, 1919, at her grandparents’ home.
She spent her younger years on the family farm and then moved with her family into Battle Creek, where she attended St. John’s Lutheran School.
On May 14, 1933, Ruth was confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Battle Creek. She later moved to Meadow Grove. Ruth did domestic work.
On Nov. 14, 1937, Ruth married
George Swarm. He was a heavy equipment operator, and they lived in Walthill. He died in 1986. Ruth returned Norfolk, and she was employed at Gibson’s for a number of years.
Ruth is survived by one brother and his wife, Leslie and Betty Zierke of Brownfield, Texas. She was preceded in death by two brothers and one sister.
The Revs. Randy Bader and Howard Mohlke will officiate.
Frank Morfeld
CLARKSON - Services are pending at Miller Funeral Home for Frank Morfeld, 81, formerly of Leigh. He died Tuesday, Jan 24, 2006, at Stanton Health Center.
Mabel Ogden
NELIGH - Memorial services for Mabel Ogden, 105, Neligh, will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Beyer Funeral Home with burial in Laurel Hill cemetery here. She died Saturday, Jan. 21, 2006, at a Neligh nursing home.
Arthur Primrose
PRIMROSE - A memorial service for Arthur R. Primrose, 94, Cedar Rapids, will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Primrose Presbyterian Church. Levander Funeral Home is in charge. He died Monday, Jan. 23, 2006, at Neligh Care Center.
Richard Simons
ALBION - Services for Richard Simons, 69, Albion, will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Michael’s Catholic Church with burial in the parish cemetery.
Visitation at the church will be 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, with a 7:30 p.m. wake, and continue after 8:30 a.m. Thursday. Levander Funeral Home is in charge.
He died Monday, Jan. 23, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
Irene Solberg
HARTINGTON - Irene Solberg, 89, formerly of Hartington, died Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006, at Colonial Manor in Randolph.
The funeral will be Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Hartington with burial at St. Michael’s Cemetery. Visitation will be Wednesday from 1 to 8 p.m., with a rosary at 2 p.m. and vigil at 7:30 p.m., at Wintz Funeral Home in Hartington.
Joseph Bode
RAEVILLE - Services for Joseph B. Bode, 84, Raeville, will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church here with burial in the parish cemetery and military rites by American Legion Post 334.
Visitation will be 3-5 p.m. Friday at Huffman’s Brooks Chapel in Elgin and after 7 p.m. at the church with a wake at 7 p.m.
He died Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2006, at Boone County Medical Center.
The son of Anton F. and Theresa (Pelster) Bode was born Nov. 1, 1921, at Raeville. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church and attended St. John Berchman School at Raeville. He grew to manhood on his parents’ farm near Raeville and for several years in the 1930s lived and worked in California before returning to Nebraska.
During World War II, he served in the Army Air Corps from July 1942 to February 1946. He was an equipment mechanic and was sergeant in charge of gunnery instruction.
On June 21, 1949, he married
Miss Lenore Chavanu, and they lived on a farm near Raeville and were parents of two sons, James and Jerald, and one daughter, Judy. Lenore died of injuries received in an accident, and after her death on Aug. 9, 1952, Joe continued to live on the farm and was assisted in rearing the children by his sister, Odelia “Della” Bode.
During the 1950s, Joe was a pioneer in establishing mechanical hay moving business in the area, and the operation has been shared by his sons.
On March 6, 1971, he married
Marjorie Kennedy of Columbus. The couple lived in their homes at both Raeville and Columbus and spent 18 years wintering in Texas. Marjorie died Dec. 14, 1988.
Joe was an active member of St. Bonaventure Church and its Holy Name Society. He was also a member of American Legion Post 229 and the Rae Valley Heritage Association.
Survivors include his two sons, James J. and friend Lois Bennett and Jerald L. and wife Carol, and his daughter, Judy and husband Larry Petsche, all of Petersburg; two stepsons, John and wife Bonnie Kennedy of Lincoln and Kevin and wife Colleen of Scottsbluff; nine grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, three step grandchildren, 11 great-great-grandchildren, one step great-grandchild; five sisters, Christine Bode of Albion, Catherine Bode of West Point, Sylvia Schrad of Omaha, Viridiann Gorman of Grand Island and Teresa Marie Schaecher of Madison; and sister-in-law, Dolores Bode of Elgin.
He was preceded in death by his parents and wives; one sister, Odelia Bode; three brothers, Chuck and wife Marie, Sylvester and Theresa, and Delbert Bode; and one great-granddaughter, Taylor Ann Bode.
