U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Dwight Elkanah Pierce
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Dwight Elkanah Pierce, 78, died Saturday (Oct. 13, 2001) at his home in Albuquerque after a brief struggle with heart disease.
He was born April 16, 1923, at Stratton.
He owned and operated a farm and ranch north of Stratton for more than 30 years. He also owned and operated other businesses, including manufacturing and real estate.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and two sisters, Ruby Truitt and Helen Miller Wyss.
Survivors include his wife, Edna; two sons, Paul Pierce and wife, Sharon, and Jim Pierce and wife, Jan; two brothers, Ted Pierce and wife, Jeannine, and Richard Pierce and wife, Vivian; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Services will be Thursday, 2 p.m., at the United Methodist Church in Stratton, with the Rev. Norman Prather officiating. Forch Funeral Chapel of Stratton is in charge of the arrangements.
Verle Florence Menze
ARAPAHOE -- Verle Florence Menze, 86, died Sunday (October 14, 2001) at the C.A. Mues Good Samaritan Nursing Center at Arapahoe.
She was born April 10, 1915, at Edison to John and Retta (Elifrets) Richardson.
Her mother died when Verle was four. She was raised by Wilhelm and Caroline Hilker. She attended the Sunflower District and the St. Mathew Parochial School North of Arapahoe. She was baptized on Sept. 13, 1925, and confirmed on June 30, 1929, at the St. Mathew Lutheran Church.
On Aug. 22, 1933, she married
Edward August Karl Menze at the Gosper County Courthouse in Elwood. They made their home in Gosper County. On March 7, 1987, her husband Edward passed away. She then moved to Arapahoe. She moved to the C.A. Mues Good Samaritan Nursing Center on Jan. 23, 1998.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Edward; one daughter Lois Pfeiffer; one son Allen Menze; three brothers, her twin, Merle, Ralph, and Joseph E.; and three sisters, Lucille, Mildred, and Fay.
Survivors include one son-in-law, Lyle M. Pfeiffer and wife, Bonnie of Holbrook, seven grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and one great-great-granddaughter.
Services will be Wednesday, 10:30 a.m., at the Trinity Lutheran Church of Arapahoe with the Rev. Carl Lilienkamp officiating. Interment will be at the Arapahoe Cemetery.
Visitation is tonight until 8 p.m. at Williamson-Wenburg Funeral Home in Arapahoe, and will continue prior to the service at the church Wednesday.
Williamson-Wenburg Funeral Home of Arapahoe is in charge of the arrangements.
Mabel Carpenter
STROMSBURG - Mabel E. Carpenter, 94, of Stromsburg died Sunday, March 4, 2001, at Annie Jeffrey Memorial County Health Center in Osceola.
Services are pending with Palmer Funeral Home in Stromsburg.
Ruthe F. Poirier
Ruthe Frances Poirier, 87, died Saturday (Oct. 13, 2001) at Community Hospital of McCook.
She was born Nov. 16, 1913, in Frontier County to George and Mabel (Bennett) Dey. She grew up in Frontier County, and graduated from Gresham High School in Gresham in 1929. She was a rural schoolteacher for seven years, and then worked as a secretary and treasurer for the Agriculture Adjustment Agency at Curtis and Stockville.
On Dec. 1, 1942, she entered the U.S. Navy where she was a Telegrapher First Class, serving in Norman, Okla., during World War II. She received the Captains Award. She was honorably discharged on Oct. 6, 1945.
After her discharge from the Navy, she worked at the McCook Army Air Field until it closed in February 1946. She then worked for the Bureau of Reclamation until March 1947.
On March 9, 1947, she married
Kenneth Lawrence Poirier. They spent their married
lives in McCook.
She was a member of the Hospital Auxiliary since it's beginning in 1962.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Kenneth on March 27, 1998; one brother, Wayne Dey; and three sisters, Cleda Dey, Lois Wilder and Pearl Boerher.
Survivors include two daughters, Suzanne Poirier, Ph.D., of Chicago, Ill., Renee Poirier, CPCU, of St. Louis, Mo.; and one sister, Iris Courkamp of Lamar, Colo.
Services will be Wednesday, 2 p.m., at the Herrmann Memorial Chapel in McCook with the Rev. Steve Swanson officiating. Interment will be at Memorial Park cemetery in McCook.
Memorials may be given in her name, and friends may call at Herrmann Funeral Home in McCook.
Herrmann Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Gloria Uphoff
COLUMBUS - Gloria M. Uphoff, 74, 3717 34th St., died Saturday, April 21, 2001, at Columbus Community Hospital Inc.
Services are 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the First United Methodist Church in Columbus with the Rev. Gary Main officiating. Burial will be at Crown Hill cemetery in Madison with a graveside service at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Visitation is 7-9 p.m. today at McKown Funeral Home in Columbus and 9:30 a.m. until service time Tuesday at the church.
Mrs. Uphoff was born June 13, 1926, in Madison to Harlow and Evelyn (Gerling) Dover. She graduated from Madison High School in 1944. She married
Victor J. Uphoff on Nov. 10, 1945, in Columbus. She was a Columbus resident for more than 50 years.
Survivors include one daughter, Roxi (Mark) Hanson of Schuyler; two sons, Barry (Linda) Uphoff of Charlotte, N.C., and Gary (Debbie) Uphoff of Fort Collins, Colo.; one brother, Harlow (Anita) Dover Jr. of Lincoln; one sister, Doris (Lee) Vig of Pilger; and nine grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; and one son, Victor Uphoff Jr.
Memorials may be directed to family choice.
Mary J. Keller
TRENTON -- Mary J. Keller, 84, of Trenton, died Friday (Oct. 12, 2001) at Community Hospital of McCook.
She was born March 10, 1917, in Hitchcock County to Joseph Charley and Elizabeth Jane (Pierce) Cole. She grew up in Hitchcock County, graduating from Dyke Country School southwest of Culbertson.
On July 27, 1941, she married
Carl E. Keller at Norton, Kan. They made their home in Trenton until 1959, when they moved to St. Anthony and Buhl, Idaho. They returned to Trenton in 1974, where she spent the remainder of her life.
She was a member of the Church of God in Trenton.
She was preceded in death by her parents; four brothers, Clarence Cole, Ray Cole, Johnny Garrett Cole, and Jasper Cole, and five sisters, Nellie Frakes, Maggie Pine, Lena Anderson, Lora Pierce and Violette Kautz.
Survivors include her husband, Carl of Trenton; two sons, Leon Keller and wife, Thinh of Round Rock, Texas, and William Keller and wife, Lena of Sidney; three daughters, Carlene Keller of McCook, Marilyn Salter and husband, James of McMinnville, Ore., and Gail Kohn of McCook; one sister, Josephine Cadle of Clio, Mich.; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
Services will be Tuesday, 11 a.m., at the Church of God in Trenton with Johnny Walker officiating. Interment will be at the Trenton cemetery in Trenton.
Memorials may be given in her name, and friends may call at Herrmann Funeral Home in McCook.
Herrmann Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
