U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Freda Cecelia Nokes
OBERLIN -- Freda Cecelia Nokes, 87, died Saturday (Nov. 17, 2001) at Cedar Living Center in Oberlin.
She was born Oct. 30, 1914, at Herndon to Stephen and Mary Marla (Pringetzer) Goltl. She was raised north of Herndon, and attended North Rural country school.
On Sept. 27, 1940, she married
Marion Nokes at Stockville. She was a homemaker. They lived on a farm northwest of Lebanon, and in Cambridge, and moved to Oberlin in 1998.
She was a member of the Herndon Evangelical Reformed Church.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Marion in September 2000; six brothers, George, Paul, Fred, Victor, John and Stephen Goltl; and two sisters, Eva Pavlicek and Susie Beneda.
Survivors include four daughters, Phyllis Zeller and husband, Richard of Ravenna, Shirley Axtell and husband, Eugene of Danbury, Mary Gutchewsky and husband, Jack of Herndon, and Linda Clapp of Grand Island; 11 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and one step-great-grandchild.
Services will be Tuesday, 10:30 a.m., at the Oberlin Methodist Church with the Rev. Doug Hasty officiating. Interment will be at the Lebanon Cemetery.
Visitation is tonight until 8 p.m. at Pauls Funeral Home of Oberlin, and Tuesday, 8 a.m. until service time at the church.
Memorials may be given in her name to the Wheatridge Terrace, or to the donor's choice.
Pauls Funeral Home of Oberlin is in charge of the arrangements.
Thaine Maurice Crown Sr.
IMPERIAL -- Thaine Maurice Crown Sr., 81, died Saturday (Nov. 17, 2001) at his home in Imperial.
He was born May 28, 1920, at Gretna, Kan., to Noah and Hazel (King) Crown. He grew up and attended school near Agra, Kan. He served in World War II, being inducted into the U.S. Army Air Force on March 16, 1942. He served in the North African and European Theaters and was honorably discharged on Sept. 15, 1945.
On Jan. 1, 1946, he married
Florence M. McFadden at Phillipsburg, Kan. He obtained his bachelor's degree from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kan., in 1951. He began teaching in Beattie, Kan. He also taught for a short time at Hutchinson, Kan. He and his family moved to Imperial where he spent most of his teaching career. He retired in 1983, and afterwards worked to build the Imperial Golf Course.
Survivors include his wife, Florence of Imperial; three daughters, June Hoover and husband, Roy of Phillipsburg, Kan., Judy Richardson and husband, Larry of Garden City, Kan., and Jennifer Smith and husband, Steve of Imperial; two sons, Thaine Crown Jr. and wife, Dotchi of Mesa, Ariz., and Jim Crown and wife, Sharon of Brady; three sisters, Doris Allen and husband, Lyle of Phillipsburg, Wilma McDowell and husband, Leland of Omaha, and Betty Elliott and husband, Glen of Assaria, Kan.; nine grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Services will be Wednesday, 10:30 a.m., at the Westside Church of Christ with Bill Lewis officiating. Interment will be at Mount Hope cemetery in Imperial.
Visitation will be Tuesday, 2 to 6 p.m., at Liewer Funeral Home of Imperial.
Memorials may be given in his name. Liewer Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Leone R. Smith
CURTIS -- Leone R. Smith, 98, died Friday (Nov. 16, 2001) at Sunset Haven Nursing Home in Curtis.
She was born Oct. 3, 1903, in Frontier County to Leo and Sophia (Siegel) Dold. She graduated from Curtis High School.
She married
Don "Rock" Smith. Together they owned and operated Rock's Photo Shop in Curtis for many years. After he preceded her in death in 1941, she moved to Colorado where she was employed by the Bureau of Reclamation for many years until her retirement. She returned to Curtis in March 1999, and has lived at Sunset Haven since that time.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Rock in 1941; three sisters, Twila, Esther and Veda; and one brother, Manford Dold.
Survivors include one sister, Mayme Dodson of Curtis; and five nephews, Don Dodson and wife, Sharon of Chadron, Leon Dodson and wife, Vicki of Thorton, Colo., Willis Dodson, Howard Dold and wife, Pat, and Allen Dold and wife, Teri, all of McCook.
Graveside memorial services and inurnment will be Saturday, Nov. 24, 2 p.m., at the Curtis Cemetery.
Memorials may be given in her name.
Blase Wetzel Funeral Home of Curtis is in charge of the arrangements.
Mabel L. Ritchie
BENKELMAN -- Mabel L. Ritchie, 99, of Stratton, died Wednesday (Nov. 14, 2001) at Sarah Ann Hester Memorial Home in Benkelman.
She was born Sept. 30, 1902, at Stratton to Joseph Aaron and Laura Alice (Rickard) Cowen. She attended school in Stratton and was a graduate of Stratton High School.
She married
Willis H. Ritchie, and they made their home in Stratton.
She was a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church of Stratton, a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and the United Methodist Women.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Joseph; and three brothers, Oscar, Ray, and Joseph.
Survivors include nieces, Nancy Bonin of Titusville, Fla., and Pat Shibbles of London, N.H.; and special friends, Roy and Ila League of Stratton.
Services will be Monday, 10:30 a.m. (CST), at Community United Methodist Church in Stratton with the Rev. Norman Prather officiating. Interment will follow at Rose Hill cemetery in Stratton.
There will be no visitation.
Forch Funeral Chapel of Stratton is in charge of the arrangements.
Daisy A. McMichael
HOLDREGE -- Daisy A. McMichael, 95, of Holdrege, formerly of North Platte, died Monday (Nov. 12, 2001) at Holdrege.
She was born June 9, 1906, at Maywood to Clyde and Edith (Doudna) Cowman. She graduated from Maywood High School in 1924.
On June 9, 1925, she married
Elmer McMichael. They lived on various farms in the Wellfleet and Maywood areas. In 1952 they moved to a farm in the Wild Horse Valley, near Brady. After the death of her husband, she moved to North Platte in 1971. She has been a resident of Holdrege Memorial Homes since November 1996.
She was a volunteer at the hospital and an active member of the First Christian Church.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Elmer in 1969; two infant children, Lois and Gordon; two sons, Melvin in 1983, and Herbert in 1988; one daughter-in-law, Doris in 1986; and two sisters, Thelma Godfrey and Opal Whitaker.
Survivors include one sister, Ruth Clay; one daughter-in-law, Patricia McMichael of Dublin, Calif.; six grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
Services were Friday at the Bethel Evangelical Free Church in North Platte with the Rev. Albert Neufeld officiating. Interment was at the Floral Lawns cemetery in North Platte. Carpenter Memorial Chapel of North Platte was in charge of the arrangements.
