U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
BARBARA FAY DAVIS
May 2, 1929 - May 7, 2013
Barbara Fay (Armer) Davis died Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at her home in Alliance. She was 84.
She was born May 5, 1929 at Phoenix, Arizona to Leroy Preston and Clarice Orine (Shepherd) Armer.
Barbara was saved and Baptized at the age of 12 Central Baptist Church, Phoenix, Arizona
She married
Gilbert Leroy Davis on March 5, 1960 at Winterhaven, California.
Barbara worked as the co-owner and seamstress of the "The Custom Shop.” She was a member of the Alliance Berean Church, W.O.K.R. Car Club, Rollin' Oldies Car Club and enjoyed square dancing and bowling. She had received a quilting award in Houston Live Stock Show, and was a prolific crocheter, and enjoyed sewing, knitting and making quilts for friends and family.
She is survived by her husband, Gil, her children, Ginger L. (Ernie) Consford of San Augustine, TX, Preston F.(Trudy) Davis of Sterling, CO, Larry W. (Pokey) Davis of Ontario, CA, Wayne L. (Tracy) Davis of Alliance, NE. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Joseph (Laura) Consford of Ghana, West Africa Mandy (David) Brignall of Alberta, Canada, Lori (Eli) Burkholder of Sturgeon, MO, Magan (John) Wood of Montreal, MO, Ben (Vickie) Davis of Jeffersonville, IN, Brian Davis of Curtis, NE, Lydia (Jeff) Wise of Ontario, CA and Jeren Davis of Nacogdoches, Texas, her great-grandchildren, Gilbert, Danny and Bonnie Consford of Ghana, West Africa, Samantha, Rachel, Margaret Brignall of Alberta, Canada and Ryleigh Wood of Montreal, MO and two great-grandchildren on the way.
Memorial services will be Friday, May 10 at 10:30 a.m. at the Alliance Berean Church with Pastor Glenn Johnson officiating. A private inurnment will be in the Nebraska Veterans Cemetery.
Memorials may be given to Prairie Haven Hospice, 2409 Box Butte Avenue, Alliance, NE 69301.
JANE ESMEIER
June 30, 1937 - May 3, 2013
Elda Jane (Ryan) Esmeier, 75, of 1103 Potash Ave, Alliance, Nebraska died at Good Samaritan Health Care Center Friday, May 3, 2013.
She was born June 30, 1937 to Frederick and Catherine Lowman Ryan at Pulaski, Virginia. She was married
to SSGT Charles Esmeier June 6, 1962 in the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. After their marriage, Jane accompanied Chuck on assignments to Chaumont, France; Mannheim, Germany; Las Vegas, Nevada; Rantoul, Illinois; Hampton, Virginia; Cincinnati, Ohio; and in 1986 they arrived in Alliance, Nebraska where Chuck was appointed official-in-charge of the National Weather Service Radar Site at the Alliance Airport. She was a member of Eagles 136 Auxiliary.
Jane is survived by her husband of the home and sons Kevin (Krista) of Lakeside Park, Kentucky and Charles A. “Ace” of Lincoln, Nebraska. She is also survived by brother William Ryan of Flintstone Maryland and sisters Mary Dennison of Front Royal, Virginia and Eleanor King of Fredericksburg, Virginia, eight grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Patrick, Keith, Franklin and James Ryan and sister Josephine Vann.
Memorial services and inurnment at the Nebraska Veterans cemetery will be held at a later date.
Freda P. Shellabarger
November 4, 1923 - April 30, 2013
Freda Pauline (Ashby) Shellabarger, a former resident of Alliance, passed away Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at Cambridge, NE.
She was born November 4, 1923 in rural Wapello, Iowa to George A. and Bertha (Browning) Ashby and raised in the Christian faith by her parents and her step-mother Orpha who continued to raise her and her sisters after their mother died.
She married
her high school sweetheart Mark Shellabarger on February 10, 1944 in Providence, Rhode Island. He preceded her in death in October of 1995.
As a U.S. Navy wife she moved her children from coast to coast until Mark retired from the Navy. They then made their home in Ottumwa, Iowa and Grant, Nebraska. In 1976 they moved to Alliance when her husband became the first administrator of Box Butte General Hospital and Freda was very active in the Hospital Auxiliary. She loved to dance, play bridge, work with flowers and do crafts. She particularly enjoyed their lives as “snow birds” after Mark’s retirement.
She has been a resident of Tri-Valley Assisted Living for the past 6 years in Cambridge, NE.
She is survived by her children, Sharon and husband Dennis Kreinert of Hastings, Paul and wife Shelly of Cambridge and Rodger and wife Linda of Alliance, her 7 grandchildren, Naomi Williams, Mark and Joe Krienert, Cody Shellabarger, Katie Beasley, Stephanie Korth and Tiffany Shellabarger, as well as 5 great-grandchildren.
In addition to her husband and parents, she was also preceded in death by her sisters, Orpha and Geneva.
Graveside services will be Monday, May 6 at 10:00 a.m. at the Alliance Cemetery. Pastor Jim Rowe will officiate. Visitation will be Sunday, May 5 from 1-7 p.m. at the Bates-Gould Funeral Home.
Memorials may be given to the First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 700, Alliance, NE 69301.
Sandy Blumanthal
August 19, 1955 - April 22, 2013
Sandy Blumanthal, 57, passed away on Monday, April 22, 2013 at her home after a long hard fought battle with her health.
Sandy was born on August 19, 1955 to Floyd E. Andrews and Ann Marie Raygor in Norfolk, VA. Sandy lived in many places throughout her life, her younger years she attended grade school in Chicago, IL then moved to Phoenix, AZ where she attended and graduated high school in 1973. She excelled in sports and set school and state records in track that still stand today. She moved to Beloit, WI where she had her three children. Then she moved to Knoxville, TN and also lived in the Smokey Mountains near Chattanooga, TN before she moved to Beardstown, IL. From there she moved to Alliance, NE and put her roots down.
Her children were her life, she would work any job from washing laundry, sewing and mending clothes, scrubbing floors and cleaning homes to make that extra dollar to support her children. Sandy was a Jack of all trades when it came to working, she worked construction for a while building bridges, then she spent over 40 years as a waitress and manager of several area restaurants. Her last three years waiting tables were spent out at the Cattleman's in Lakeside, NE and at the Alliance Bakery.
Sandy was a very caring and generous person. Always willing to help those in need, she spent several years as a foster mom, and the local neighborhood kids all called her the block mom because all the kids hung out at her house where she always had lots of Kool-Aid and baked goodies. She always loaded up the van with as many kids as possible to spend the day at the lake, swimming, fishing, camping, which were some of her favorite things to do. She also coached youth Basketball for Community Action for many years. She loved to garden and canning up everything that came out of her garden. She was well known for her old style home cooking and especially her pies and fudge which were sought after by many people.
At every holiday Sandy would make everyone’s favorite pie. At many times there were well over twenty pies to choose from. It became a family joke to call her Sandy Crocker.
She met and married
Robert E. Blumanthal the love of her life in 1996. They were married
in Las Vegas, NV on July 12, 1998. Her survivors include her husband Rob Blumanthal of Alliance, NE. Her mother Ann (Raygor) Pautsch, and step father Charles Pautsch of Boise, ID, her father-in-law Ron Blumanthal of Bridgeport, NE, her sisters, Dianna Jo Malinconico of Phoenix, AZ, Susie McCormick (David) of Phoenix, AZ, her brother Miles Robert Hoffman of Boise, ID, her step siblings Jeff, Jodi and Lori Hayes of Phoenix, AZ, brother-in-law Rick (Kami) Blumanthal of Alliance, NE, sister in law Rene' Welch of Hemingford, NE, daughter Cheryl (David) Vasquez of Alliance, NE, Leanay (Brad) Warfield of Alliance, NE, step-children Rachel (Brad) Workman of Ralston, NE, Benjamin (Hannah) Blumanthal of Lincoln, NE, her grandchildren Victoria Ryytty of Alliance, NE, Matthew Franchetti of Alliance, NE. Jason Robert Ryytty of Torrington. WY. Katelyn Vasquez of Elgin, TX. Alexandria Vasquez of Alliance, NE, Trevor Warfield of Alliance, NE, Holly Ryytty Murphy of Fort Hayes, Kansas. Elijah Workman of Ralston, NE, Ezra Workman, Ralston, NE, Bonnie Miller of Longmont, CO, her great-grandchildren, Vicente Ryytty of Alliance, NE, AmberLee Ryytty of Torrington, WY, Alexis Miller of Longmont, CO and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her father Floyd and step mother Eloris Andrews, mother-in-law Fran Blumanthal, sisters Judith Andrews and Michelle (Shelly) Leahy and her son, Donald Robert Ryytty.
Per Sandy's wishes cremation has taken place and there will be a memorial service announced at a later date. Memorials and cards may be sent to in care of the family at G-11 Trailerville Court, Alliance, Nebraska, 69301.
Jane Bowhay
October 24, 1925 - May 14, 2014
Jane Bowhay, 88, died Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff.
Madeline Jane was born on October 24, 1925 in Grand Island, NE to Arthur and Hazel (Bryson) Buchfinck. She moved to Alliance in 1943 and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1948. She met Marvin Bowhay in Lincoln and they were married
July 3, 1948 at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Alliance. To this union two sons were born, Scott and Brook.
The Episcopal Church was very important in Jane’s life and she was an active member of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Alliance and St. Francis Episcopal Church in Scottsbluff and P.E.O.
She is survived by her son, Scott and wife Polly Bowhay of Lincoln, her daughter-in-law, Mary Beth Wheeler of Scottsbluff, her 4 granddaughters, Sarah (Mark) Digman and their daughters, Adeline and Frances, Betsy (Jeff) Carr and their son Joel, Kira Bowhay and her fiancé’ Bryant Gilbert and Ari Bowhay.
In addition to her parents, Jane was preceded in death by her husband, her son, Brook and her sisters, Julie Hartman and Betty Dietrich.
Funeral services will be Monday, May 19 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Alliance with Father Coke McClure officiating. Burial will be in the Alliance Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday from 1-5 p.m. at the Bates-Gould Funeral Home.
Memorials may be given to St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church or the Nebraska Children’s Home, 4939 S. 118th Street, Omaha, Nebraska, 68137.
John Freiberger
John H. "Johnny" Freiberger, 84, surrounded by his wife and children, died Monday, May 12, at his home.
He was born on September 9, 1929 to Gust and Lillian (Goos) Freiberger at Bridgeport, NE. Johnny lived with his parents and older sister on a farm outside Bridgeport, NE. He swam, with friends, in the river, herded turkeys, broke Shetland ponies, attended school and teased his sister. His family moved to Alliance when he was 12 years old.
Johnny graduated from Alliance High School in 1947. He received many music awards, including a 4 year scholarship to Chadron State College. While at CSC he had the great honor to sing for the governor. He had worked for the Peterson Brothers Ranch and fallen in love with one of the owners' daughters. They decided in 1948 that he would quit college and start ranching. John and Tina were married
on December 19, 1948 in Alliance. They ranched south of Alliance in the Sandhills until they retired in 2010 and moved into town.
He was a devoted dad, husband and grandfather. He is survived by his wife, Tina, their four children, Carolyn Godwin of Minden, Ne., Peggy (John) Sampson of Alliance, Linda (Jim) Wodke of Loveland, Co. and Don (Vic) Freiberger of Alliance. He is also survived by 78 grandchildren and great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Johnny enjoyed the community he lived in and believed in helping out. He was active in the First Christian Church as Elder, Treasurer, Chairman of the Board, Sunday School Teacher, Choir Director, Children's Music Director, State Music Minister, Local Lay minister to National Conferences and faithful prayer warrior. He was the Alliance Chamber of Commerce Agricultural Chairman. He was active in the Storm Lake 4-H club where his children attended. He was on the board of the Nebraska Boys Ranch. Many of the Boys Ranch boys worked in his hay field to gain working experience. He belonged to the Nebraska Stockgrowers for 60 years and served as Chairman of the Western Nebraska area. He served on the State Water Board and even won the State Award for Ditching on his ranch. Johnny was the REA Country Telephone repairman for many years and helped establish the original phone lines. He was the rural fire chief for 2 terms and was responsible to keep all equipment ready for an emergency. He sang at many funerals and weddings in the area, even riding in the hearse to sing for out of town funerals. He loved his family, his ranch and his community giving them all he had to give. He will be missed.
Funeral services will be held Friday, May 16 at 10:00 AM at the First Christian Church on 9th and Box Butte Avenue. Pastor Kent Steinke will officiate. Burial will be in the Alliance Cemetery. Visitation will be on Thursday, May 15 at the Bates-Gould Funeral Home from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Memorials may be sent to the First Christian Church or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
