U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Merrill A. 'Bill' Abshire, 90
Merrill A. "Bill" Abshire, 90, of Arlington died Wednesday, Oct. 7, 1998, at Crowell Memorial Home in Blair.
Services were Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Arlington Community Church. Rev. Shirley Schmidt officiated.
Merrill A. "Bill" Abshire was born Sept. 19, 1908, at Sidney, Iowa, to Ethan and Maybelle Abshire. On Dec. 25, 1929, he married
Lucille Brown at Hamburg, Iowa. He had lived at Omaha until moving to Arlington in 1940. He farmed near Arlington.
He was a member of the Arlington Community Church.
He is survived by his wife, Lucille of Blair; sister, Murilla Sterling of Lincoln; two brothers - in - law, Willis Brown of Fremont and Ralph Brown of Omaha; sister - in - law, Luella King, of Pennsylvania; and three nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers.
Pallbearers were Donald Lottman, Dan Connick, Jon Strenger, Ralph Brown, Mick Sterling and Michael Moeller.
Memorials are suggested to Crowell Memorial Home in Blair.
Reckmeyer - Moser Funeral Home in Arlington was in charge of arrangements.
Joel D. Albers, 28
Rev. Joel D. Albers, 28, of Naperville, Ill., a Blair native, died on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 1998, following an automobile accident in western Illinois.
Services were Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Roseville Lutheran Church in Roseville, Minn., where he had been confirmed and later ordained as a Lutheran pastor.
Joel David Albers was born on Dec. 1, 1969, in Blair to Rev. Robert and Sonia (Syverson) Albers. He was baptized into the Christian faith at First Lutheran Church on Jan. 4, 1970. He attended elementary school in Blair where his father served First Lutheran Church from 1968 to 1979. He also attended elementary school in Claremont, Calif., and junior and senior high school in Roseville, Minn. He receive his bachelor of arts degree with majors in sociology / geography / anthropology in 1992 from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. He had been instrumental in developing a men's volleyball club, served as a collegiate fellow in residential housing, worked in the admissions office and was appointed as an academic assistant in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology Department in his senior year. He worked for one year with the Lutheran Volunteer Corp. in Chicago, Ill, where he coordinated volunteers at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. He enrolled at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago in 1993. He participated in the Gospel Choir, worked in the admissions office and did his contextual parish work at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Chicago. He interned at Bethany Lutheran Church in Escanaba, Mich. He graduated from the Lutheran School of Theology in 1997 with a master of divinity degree. After his ordination, he was called as an associate pastor to Alleluia Lutheran Church in Naperville. His work included special responsibility in youth and family.
He is survived by his parents of St. Paul, Minn., his sister, Joyce Albers of Roseville; a brother and sister - in - law, Stephen Albers and Heidi, and their children Emily and Nathaniel of Shoreview, Minn.; and a host of aunts, uncles and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Louise and Melvin Syverson and Helen and Herbert Albers.
An endowed scholarship fund will be established at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago for students preparing for pastoral ministry. Memorials are suggested to the fund.
Otto H. Barjenbruch, 85
Otto H. Barjenbruch, 85, of Columbus, whose relatives live in Blair, died Thursday, Oct. 8, 1998, at the Columbus Manor.
Services were Monday, Oct. 12, at Christ Lutheran Church in rural Columbus. Rev. John E. Nelson, Jr., officiated. Burial was in the Christ Lutheran Church Cemetery.
He is survived by two daughters and a son - in - law, Corrinne Wurdeman of Columbus and Jane and Milt Heinrich of Blair; three sons and their daughters - in - law, Charles and Ella Barjenbruch of Leigh, Dean and Marian Barjenbruch of Scribner and Jim and Diane Barjenbruch of Leigh; 13 grandchildren and eight great - grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Louise, in 1997; and five sisters, Ida, Olga, Clara, Alvina and Leona Morlok.
Memorials are suggested to The Lutheran Hour or the family's choice.
Gass - Haney Funeral Home in Columbus was in charge of arrangements.
Earl H. Martens, 81
Earl H. Martens, 81, of Fremont, formerly of Arlington, died Saturday, Oct. 10, 1998, at the Fremont Area Medical Center.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Ludvigsen Mortuary in Fremont. Rev. Dr. William Deahl officiated. Burial will be in Ridge Cemetery.
Earl H. Martens was born March 6, 1917, at Elkhorn to Ferdinand and Lena (Sachs) Martens. He moved to Arlington in 1936 and then to Fremont in 1947. In Fremont, he had worked for the Bob Sloan Service Station, Willison's Plumbing, Fremont Hatchery, Buckridge Plumbing & Heating Company, and for the Mead Ordinance Plant. On Nov. 21, 1951, he married
Esther L. Snyder in Fremont.
He was a member of the Calvary United Methodist Church in Fremont.
He is survived by his wife, Esther, and nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by two sisters and one brother.
Memorials are suggested to the Calvary United Methodist Church.
Ludvigsen Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
Dorothy G. Thompson, 87
Dorothy G. Thompson, 87, of Arlington died Wednesday, Oct. 7, 1998, at the Fremont Area Medical Center.
Graveside services were Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Arlington Cemetery. Rev. Shirley Schmidt officiating.
Dorothy G. Masters was born July 27, 1911, in Blair to Fred and Lillie (Woods) Masters. She grew up in Blair and was a 1929 graduate of Blair High School . She attended a summer session at Midland College in Fremont. She then taught at the Masters School southeast of Arlington and later south of Blair. On June 7, 1933, she married
Vernon C. Thompson in Arlington. The couple farmed north of Arlington and moved into town in 1966. She had resided at the Thompson Apartments in Arlington for the last 21 years.
She is survived by two sons and daughters - in - law, Lyle and JoAnne Thompson of Mound City, Mo., and Duane and Sharon Thompson of Arlington; a daughter and son - in - law, Vivian and Bobbie Gorman of Marion, Iowa; a brother and sister - in - law, Edgar and Nell Masters of Nixa, Mo.; eight grandchildren and six great - grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, he husband, Vernon on Nov. 10, 1990; and two brothers, Fred Masters, Jr. and Loren Masters.
Memorials are suggested to the Arlington Community Church or the Arlington Rescue Squad.
Reckmeyer - Moser Funeral Home in Arlington was in charge of arrangements.
Marcella A. Zimmerman, 92
Marcella Z. Zimmerman, 92, of Blair died Friday, Oct. 9, 1998, at Crowell Memorial Home in Blair.
Services were Monday at the First United Methodist Church in Blair. Burial was in the Blair Cemetery.
Marcella Ehernberger was born July 8, 1906, in Schuyler to Stephen and Margaret (Kaasch) Ehernberger. On Jan. 4, 1935, she married
R.D. Zimmerman, Sr., in Grand Island. She assisted with bill collections in the early years for Blair Transfer, which was owned and operated by her husband, "Bus, " and his partner, Harvey Simpson. She had lived in Blair for more than 50 years.
She was a member of First United Methodist Church and the Rebekah Lodge.
She is survived by one son, R.D. "Moose" Zimmerman, Jr., of Blair; two daughters, Joyce and husband, Paul Robinson, of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Marcelyn Rexroth Lund of Blair; five grandchildren; nine great - grandchildren and four great - great - grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, R.D and her parents.
Memorials may be directed to the First United Methodist Church's elevator fund.
Campbell - Aman Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Donald P. Bucklin, 69
Donald P. Bucklin, 60, of Phoenix, Ariz., a Blair native, died Tuesday, Oct. 6, 1998.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, at St. Paul's Catholic Church, 330 W. Coral Gables Dr., Phoenix.
Visitation will be Friday, Oct. 9, from 5 to 8 p.m., at Hansen Mortuary, 8314 N. 7th St., Phoenix.
Donald Paul Bucklin was born May 16, 1929, in Blair to Leslie Henry and Adella (Jorgensen) Bucklin. He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II. In 1950, he married
Dorothea Allen. He had worked as an executive sales manager.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothea, of Phoenix; a daughter, Barbara Arsena of Cleveland, Ohio; a son, Dr. Donald Bucklin of Phoenix; a brother, Leslie Bucklin, of Blair; and one grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Memorials are suggested to Valley of the Sun ALS Association, 3507 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, Ariz., 85012.
