U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Michelle (Jensen) Gatzemeyer, Bancroft, Oct. 10, age 44
Michelle M. Gatzemeyer of Bancroft passed away on Oct. 10 from injuries suffered in an automobile accident.
Michelle was born Feb. 13, 1966, in Wayne to Anton (Tim) and Claudette Jensen. She grew up on the family farm east of Hartington. Michelle married
Todd Gatzemeyer on March 23, 2002. The couple have been running Todd’s sod business in Northeast Nebr., Southeast S.D. and Woodbury County, Iowa, for 13 years.
Michelle is survived by her parents; her husband; four children: Chase Goeken of Lincoln, Paige Goeken of Lincoln, Vicki Gatzemeyer of Bancroft/Rosalie, and William Gatzemeyer also of Bancroft/Rosalie; siblings: Marylou (Bob) Pycha of Scribner, Anton Jr. “Jody” (Ronda) Jensen of Morse Bluff, Ken (Bonnie) Jensen of Newcastle, Tiffani (Lee) Stegemann of Wayne; step-sons Colbey Gatzemeyer of Omaha and Colter Gatzemeyer of Sioux City; paternal grandmother Lucile Jensen of Hartington.
Funeral services were held Oct. 13 at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Bancroft with interment at Holy Cross Cemetery.
Obit dated Oct. 20, 2010
Gary McDonald, Bellwood, Oct. 10, age 60
Gary J. McDonald of Bellwood died Oct. 10 at his home.
Gary was born July 8, 1950, in Columbus to Jay and Maxine (Crouse) McDonald, Jr.
He is survived by his wife, Shirley of Bellwood; two daughters; one son; four siblings; and 10 grandchildren. Funeral services were Oct. 14 with military honors.
Obit dated Oct. 20, 2010
Elaine (Bennett) Bogard, Clarksville, Tenn, Oct. 8, age 66
Marie Elaine (Bennett) Bogard passed away Oct. 8 at Williamson Medical Center in Clarksville, Tenn.
Elaine was a 1962 graduate of North Bend High School, and a piano, organ and music composition graduate of Austin Peay State University. She taught piano for over 40 years. Funeral services were held Oct. 14 at Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Clarksville.
Elaine is survived by her mother, Louise Bennet; her husband, Paul; two sons, Mark (Kris) Bogard and John Bogard; two grandchildren.
Memorials are suggested for Cumberland Presbyterian or the American Cancer Society.
Obit dated Oct. 27, 2010
Ethelynd (Quigley) Kothenbeutel, Fremont, Oct. 10, age 97
Ethelynd Quigley Kothenbeutel of Fremont died Oct. 10 at Nye Legacy. She was born April 9, 1913, to Benjamin Franklin and Clara Ellen (Porter) Quigley of North Bend.
Ethelynd grew up in North Bend, attended high school here then graduated from Wayne High School. She attended Wayne State College for two years and received her bachelor’s degree in teaching from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She began her teaching career in Dodge County, later teaching in Elm Creek, Nevada, Wyoming and Iowa. In 1976 she moved to Fremont.
On Sept. 14, 1941, Ethelynd married
Russel D. Kothenbeutel a the Purple Cane Methodist Parsonage in rural North Bend. He died March 18, 1988.
Ethelynd was a member of First United Methodist Church and the Ruth Circle.
She is survived by sons Donald Kothenbeutel of Overland Park, Kan, Richard (Diana) Kothenbeutel of Beverton, Ore., Bennett (Shirley) Kothenbeutel of Fremont. Stephen (Erin) Kothenbeutel of Long Beach, Calif., Mark Kothenbeutel of Fremont; brother Kenneth Quigley of Cheyenne, Wyo.; 11 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
The funeral is Friday, Oct. 15, at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Greg Hall officiating. Visitation will be Oct. 14 from 2-8 p.m at Moser Memorial Chapel, Fremont. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service Friday at the church.
Burial will be at Memorial cemetery in Fremont.
Obit dated Oct. 13, 2010
Helen (Uher) Horn, Schuyler, Oct. 7, age 71
Helen E. Horn of Schuyler, died Oct. 7 at the Methodist Hospital in Omaha. The funeral was Oct. 11 at Divine Mercy Parish, St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Schuyler. Burial will be at the Schuyler Cemetery.
Helen was born May 26, 1939, on the family farm in Dodge County to August and Helen (Bazata) Uher. She graduated salutatorian from the Notre Dame Academy in Omaha, in 1957 and from St. Joseph’s Hospital X-Ray Technology School in 1959.
Helen worked at the Creighton Clinic in Omaha, St. Francis Memorial Hospital in West Point, Nebraska and Alegent Health Memorial Hospital in Schuyler for 34 years. She was the recipient of Alegent’s Spirit of Mission Award in 1997, the Alegent One Excellence Award in 2006 and the “Caring Kind” award from the Nebraska Hospital Association which will be presented posthumously later this month.
On Sept. 15, 1962, Helen and Duane A. Horn were married
at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Dodge. They farmed in the Wilson area and moved to Schuyler in 1984.
Helen was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and the Alegent Health Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.
Survivors include husband Duane Horn of Schuyler; daughters Susan (Lynn) Faltys of Schuyler, Sandra (Kenneth Michael) Goul, of Mesa, Ariz., Sharon Horn of Omaha; son Steven Horn of Windsor, Colo.; three grandchildren; mother, Helen Uher of Dodge; sisters Marilyn (Jerry) Ortmeier, of Dodge, Anita (Wes) Evers, Omaha; and brother David (Donna) Uher of Dodge.
Obit dated Oct. 13, 2010
Rose (Navrkal) Pospisil, Fremont, Sept. 28, age 87
Rose M. Pospisil of Fremont died at the Fremont Area Medical Center on Sept. 28.
Rose was born on Aug. 19, 1923, to James and Mary (Cerny) Navrkal in Linwood. She grew up in the Linwood area and married
Vladimir P. “Pete” Pospisil on April 14, 1941.
The couple lived in Wahoo, Cedar Bluffs and Ames. In 1955 they moved to Fremont, where Rose worked for Campbell’s Soup from 1956-1975.
Rose is survived by sons Terry L. (Sandy) Pospisil of Schuyler and Lee A. (Alison) Pospisil of Fremont; daughters Sharon (Ron) Lott of Fremont, Jean Owen of Norfolk, Janet (James) Sweeney of Rockford, IL; 15 grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband and a daughter, Patricia Zimmerman.
Funeral services were held on Oct. 1 at Moser Memorial Chapel in Fremont, with burial at Memorial Cemetery, Fremont.
Memorials are suggested for the American Cancer Society and the Dodge County Humane Society.
Matthew R. Wachal, Schuyler, Sept. 23, age 88
Mass of Christian Burial for Matthew R. Wachal, of Schuyler, was Sept. 27 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with the Rev. Carl Zoucha officating. Burial will be in the Schuyler Cemetery.
Matt was born Oct. 19, 1921, in Colfax County to Matthew, Sr. and Anna (Najmon) Wachal. He attended rural school District 16, Richland High School for grades 9 and 10 and graduated from Schuyler High School in 1938. He married
Arlene Dubsky at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Schuyler on Nov. 29, 1950. Besides farming, Matt worked for John Deere Implement, Grubbs Grocery, North Bend Trailer Factory, and operated a maintainer for Coflax County. He owned and operated the Happy Travelers Tour Bus Company from 1997 to 2009.
Matt was a member of the Knights of Columbus and a past member of Colfax County Civil Defense. In the late 1940s he held a pilots license and an Amateur Radio License (which he still held).
Matt died Sept. 23 at Golden Living Center in Schuyler.
Matt is survived by his wife Arlene of Schuyler; five children, Teresa “Teri” (William) Chromy of Linwood, Daniel M. Wachal of Schuyler, Marilynn (Tony) Vanek of Gretna, Donna (Kelly) Misek of Schuyler and Matthew F. Wachal of Columbus; ten grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; sister, Marcella (Kenneth) Schmid of Columbus.
Family suggest memorials to Schuyler Senior Center or St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
Obit dated September 29, 2010
James V. Kaspar, Malmo, Sept. 20, age 81
James V. Kaspar of Malmo died Sept. 20 at the Pathfinder House in Fremont.
James was born Jan. 6, 1929, on the family farm near Malmo to James A. and Louise E. (Petrus) Kaspar. He attended Dist. 75 school and graduated from Prague High School in 1946. Jim was inducted in the U.S. Army in 1946 at Ft. Crook. He served during WWII and was honorably discharged in 1948 at Camp Stoneman, Calif.
Jim was a lifelong farmer, and served on the board of the Prague National Cemetery, Prague School Board and also drove school bus for 30 years. He was active in American Legion Post 254 and was a life member of the ZCBJ Lodge of Prague.
Jim is survived by his companion of 16 years, Laverna Skarka of Rogers; son Bryan (Dorene) Kaspar of Fremont; daughters Susan Poulson of Rochester, Minn, Roxann Fritze of Marion, Iowa; sisters Evelyn Hindmarsh and Norma Nickelson both of Lincoln; and four grandchildren.
A private family grave side service was held at Prague National Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to Prague National cemetery and American Legion Post 254.
Obit dated September 29, 2010
Howard Shanahan, Naples, Fla., Sept. 19, age 86
Howard Daniel Michael Shanahan In His Own Words:
“I’ve traveled from the China Sea to the Black Sea and visited most places in between ... and been fortunate to have had great friends to hunt and fish with me from the Yukon to the Gulf of Mexico ... Mignon, who could make a beautiful meal with anything I was able to bring back was a bonus.
“I was born in Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska, on Dec. 23,1923, to Minnie and Daniel Shanahan, attending the North Bend schools and later Creighton University. I enlisted in the U.S. Merchant Marines and spent World War II in the Pacific Theater, as a gunner. At the conclusion of the war, I returned to North Bend and married
my childhood sweetheart Mignon Cantlin, who was a teacher in the North Bend area.
In 1946, I bought a tavern and a liquor store in Blair, Nebraska, making many wonderful friendships. I owned and operated these businesses until 1962. Mignon and I began our family in Blair and have had many wonderful memories with folks of Blair who were a part of our beginning.
In 1962 I purchased a wholesale beer franchise in Waterloo, Iowa. This provided all my children with a wonderful education through St Edward’s Parish and Columbus High School.
In 1972, I formed a corporation, Vertical Investments, a commercial real estate development and vending operation in northeast Iowa. Mignon and I then jointly ran the first video and pinball arcades in Waterloo. We were able to purchase a lakeshore farm in Minnesota where our family spent many summers with horses and water sports.
In 1985 I sold the companies and retired to Naples, Florida. Mignon and I made many new friends in Royal Harbor and again enjoyed the water of the Gulf through boating and fishing. I have had a great life raising my seven daughters and one son. They have helped Mignon and I stay young and vigorous throughout the years. In fact, having this large family has been the best, most courageous thing that I ever could have imagined for my life.”
During this Thanksgiving season we would like to inform you of our father’s passing on Sept 19. He was a man of risk and adventure, a great storyteller and entrepreneur. Our dad was one who always welcomed and engaged his children’s friends. We were all so lucky to have him as long as we did, to see us into adulthood and become our friend and companion.
This year we will celebrate with our mother their 65th wedding anniversary, two days after Thanksgiving. Mignon, their six daughters and one son continue to live on in his legacy: Kathleen, Margaret, Kerry, Mary, Trish, Ann, John. We miss our sister Cindy ... and now our larger-than-life dad. This Thanksgiving we are especially grateful for our large, extended family: seven grandchildren, five great-grand children and the wonderful men who have become part of the Shanahan clan.
Our father would like to be remembered for his community work, fund raising for the Catholic Church and schools, The Nature Conservancy, and the American Cancer Society. He was a member of Rotary, Moose, Elk Clubs and the Knight of Columbus. Even in death, Howard gave to others by being an organ donor. A funeral Mass was held in Naples. He will be interred a Mt. Olivet cemetery in Waterloo, Iowa.
Obit dated Dec. 1, 2010
