U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Evalea Prather
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Evalea F. Prather, 79, of Scottsdale, Ariz., died Tuesday, Feb. 29, 2000, in Scottsdale.
Services will be at 3 p.m. Friday at Newcomer Family Mortuary in Scottsdale.
Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society.
Mrs. Prather was born at Cortland, Kan.
She married
Omer Prather. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband; one daughter, Linda K. Welty; two sons, William Van Camp and Larry R. Van Camp; two sisters, Margaret Bergren and B. Joan Myers; 13 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren.
Orlin Watley
MESA, Ariz. -- Orlin "D" Watley, 71, of Mesa, Ariz., formerly of Kearney, died Monday, Feb. 28, 2000, at Mesa Lutheran Hospital in Mesa.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church in Kearney. The Rev. Ron Roemmich will officiate. Burial will be in the Kearney cemetery with military rites at the grave by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 759 and American Legion Post 52.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at Horner-Lieske-Horner Mortuary in Kearney and until service time Saturday at the church. The family will greet friends from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at the mortuary.
Memorials are suggested to the Salvation Army, Catholic Relief or the American Cancer Society.
Mr. Watley was born on July 1, 1928, in Marmaduke, Ark., to Frank and Dorothy (Ash) Watley. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
He lived in Columbus, where he worked as manufacturing engineering manager at Dale Electronics from 1957 to 1965. He then purchased Ag-Tronic Inc. in Hastings and Kearney and was president of the company until he retired in 1986. Ag-Tronic was sold and became part of the Coleman Powermate Co. of Kearney.
He married
Anne Marie Isabey on Dec. 31, 1972, in Kearney. He was a Kearney resident for 30 years.
He was a member of Lexington VFW Post 5136, Masonic Lebanon Lodge 323, Kearney Elks Lodge 984, YPO and the World Business Council.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, Kevin of Norman, Okla., and Geral of Kearney; seven grandchildren; three brothers, Norman of Locust Grove, Okla., Dale of Centerville, Iowa, and Jerry of Cassville, Mo.; and four sisters, Joyce Phillips and Vel Wiltfong, both of Cassville, Shirley Gault of Colcord, Okla., and Melva Tremaine of Mayetta, Kan.
Marjorie Meinecke
Marjorie H. Meinecke, 80, of Grand Island, formerly of Central City, died Thursday, Dec. 23, 1999, at the David City Hospital.
Services are pending with Solt Funeral Home in Central City.
More information will appear later.
Ethel Nelson
ALDA -- Ethel G. Nelson, 97, of rural Alda died Thursday, Dec. 23, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Alda United Methodist Church. The Rev. Rosalie Andersen will officiate. Burial will be at Westlawn Memorial Park cemetery in Grand Island. Apfel Funeral Home of Wood River is in charge of arrangements.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the church or the donor's choice.
Mrs. Nelson was born July 23, 1902, near Nora to Fred A. and Edna (Whiting) Wilson. She graduated from Beach School south of Nora. She then attended the University of Nebraska College of Agriculture, graduating in 1923. She later taught school in rural Nuchols County.
She married
Arthur Nelson on May 29, 1925, in Nelson. They farmed east of Superior near Hardy. In 1937, they moved to a farm in Alda, and in 1944, moved to a farm in rural Alda.
Mrs. Nelson enjoyed her family, gardening, quilting and helping with the farming operation.
She was a member of the Alda United Methodist Church, Farmers Union, Valley View Extension Club and Monday Quilters.
Survivors include a son, Gerald W. Nelson of Cody, Wyo.; two daughters, Elnora (Mrs. Dale) Weinrich of Alda and Ardis (Mrs. Ron) Wiese of Doniphan; 12 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; five step-grandchildren; and one step- great-great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur, in 1972; two brothers Wilford and Clyde; and a sister, Nona.
Truman Peters
Truman "John" Peters, 72, of 217 E. 19th died Saturday, Dec. 25, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday from the chapel of Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home. The Rev. Robert Harms will officiate. Burial will be in the Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday, with the family receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m.
Memorials are suggested to Trinity Lutheran Church.
Mr. Peters was born Nov. 27, 1927, at Palmer to Fred and Margaret (Muhlberger) Peters. He graduated from Palmer High School in 1945. He farmed with his father on the family farm near Palmer.
He married
Donna Schimmer on June 12, 1949, in Grand Island. They farmed until 1962, when they moved to Grand Island. He then worked for the American Crystal Sugar Factory, Grand Island Elevators and Agricultural Services. After his retirement, he worked part-time tending bar.
He enjoyed hunting and fishing.
He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and the Platt-Duetsche Society.
Survivors include his wife, Donna, of Grand Island; a son, Tom of Lincoln; two daughters, Sue (Mrs. Rick) Noden of Grand Island and Lori (Mrs. John) Woodruff of Omaha; and eight grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Norman.
Samuel Escritt
CENTRAL CITY -- Samuel W. Escritt, 69, of Central City died Thursday, Dec. 23, 1999, at the Litzenberg Memorial Hospital in Central City.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Chapel of Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home. The Rev. Jerry Quandt will officiate. Burial will be at 3 p.m. at the Oakdale Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday, and from 8 a.m. until service time Tuesday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to Pible Bible Camp.
Mr. Escritt was born Jan. 15, 1930,at Antelope County to William and Edith (Harbaugh) Escritt. He graduated from Oakdale High School in 1947. He worked in Norfolk and attended Nebraska Christian College.
He moved to Ottumwa, Iowa and attended college, and then moved to Superior, where he worked for Hill Oil Company and preached at a rural church in Kansas. He then moved to Kearney and did construction work, and worked for Mueller Motor. While in Kearney, he supplied the pulpit at the Church of Christ in Broken Bow.
He married
JoAnne Harkness on May 19, 1956, in Holdrege. The couple lived in Kearney, Hays Center and other cities in Nebraska, where Mr. Escritt worked in various agriculture fields. They settled in Minden in 1968. There, Mr. Escritt worked as a water patrolman for Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation for 24 years.
He retired in 1992. The couple lived in Minden until September 1996, and then moved to Superior where they lived until April of 1999. Then they moved to Central City.
Mr. Escritt was an active member in the church, and served as a Bible school teacher, song leader and supply minister.
He was a member of First Church of Christ in Palmer.
Survivors include his wife, JoAnne of Central City; three daughters, Kathy Furby of Amherst, Lou Ann Bauer of Fremont and Cindy Berck of Hastings; two sons, Philip of Minden and Warren of Bethany, Okla.; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; four brothers, David of Oakdale, Dan of Proctor, Mont., Bill of Rantoul, Ill., and Art of Walhalla, S.C.; two sisters, Ann Stanley of Oregon and Zella Schwarting of Oakdale.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Benjamin and Merle; and two sisters, Genevieve Escritt and Ruth Petersen.
