U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Jack Learned
Jack A. Learned, 74, of Grand Island died Wednesday, Dec. 22, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Trinity United Methodist Church. The Rev. Lonnie Logan will officiate. Burial will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m., with the family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m., Sunday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the Stuhr Museum Foundation, Stewards of the Platte or Habitat for Humanity.
Mr. Learned was born on June 22, 1925, at Edison to George Austin and Grayce (Marks) Learned. He was educated in the Arapahoe area, graduating from Arapahoe High School in 1943. He served in the U.S. Navy from June 21, 1943, to July 1946. He was on the crew of the USS St. Lo when it was sunk on Oct. 25, 1944, off Samar in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
He married
Embree Anne Rains on June 3, 1951, at Broken Bow.
He received his bachelor of music in education in 1950 and his master of music in 1957, both from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He taught vocal and instrumental music at Arapahoe schools for five years and vocal music for six years at Ogallala High School. He originated the Front Street Dance Hall Revue in Ogallala in 1964-65 and was the original director/performer, "Cactus Jack." He taught vocal music at Grand Island Senior High School for 11 years.
In 1972, he became director of Stuhr Museum. He held that position until 1989, when he became director of the Stuhr Museum Foundation. He retired from that position in July 1993.
He was a member of the United Congregational Church. He was also a member of the groundwater board and the Grand Island Rotary Club.
Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Cameron Jane "Cami" Learned of Denver, Jacqueline (Mrs. Robert) Powell of Carlisle, Pa., and Clista (Mrs. Larry) Campbell of Grand Island; three sons, Gregg Learned of Omaha, Vincent Learned of Lincoln and Brint Earnest Learned of Cleveland; five grandchildren; and one sister, June Mues of Boulder City, Nev.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Donald Learned.
Larry Murphy
Lawrence A. "Larry" Murphy, 63, of Grand Island died Thursday, Dec. 23, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. The Rev. Don Larmore will officiate. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the church with the family receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m. and the rosary recited at 7 p.m.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Murphy was born on Oct. 9, 1936, in Greeley to Earl and Mary (Trela) Murphy. He attended Grand Island schools and graduated from St. Mary's in 1954. He entered the U.S. Air Force in 1954.
He married
Donna Latham on Oct. 11, 1957, in Fort Worth, Texas. His tour of duty was in several stateside camps, Okinawa, Italy and Vietnam. He was an Air Force recruiter in Grand Island from 1965 to 1975. He retired after 21 years of service. After retirement, he worked as an insurance agent for Bankers Life. He was employed at Wal-Mart at the time of his death.
He enjoyed all sports, studying history and being the "voice" of Wal-Mart.
He was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and a commentator for several years.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Kelly (Mrs. Jim) Jolkowski of Omaha; two sons, Lawrence Murphy Jr. of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Scott Murphy of Kearney; and one sister, Inez (Mrs. Bill) Reher of Grand Island.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Evelyn Detamore
GILTNER -- Evelyn Elizabeth Detamore, 81, of Giltner died Wednesday, Dec. 22, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the United Methodist Church in Giltner. The Rev. Dwight DeLaet will officiate. Burial will be in the Giltner Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Higby Mortuary.
Mrs. Detamore was born on Jan. 20, 1918, at Giltner to Harvey and Minnie (Croxen) Bye. She grew up in Giltner and graduated from Giltner High School.
She married
Donald Detamore on April 26, 1939, at Modesto, Calif. They lived on a farm near Giltner.
She was a member of the Giltner United Methodist Church, past president of the local Independent Order of Foresters, past member of the Trail Blazers Camping Club and an honorary member of the GGG Club.
Survivors include her husband; a son, Frank Detamore of Hastings; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and four brothers, Harold Bye and Raymond Bye, both of Oakdale, Calif., Keith Bye of Modesto, Calif., and Clarence Bye of Fountain Valley, Calif.
She was preceded in death by a granddaughter; a sister, Audrey Risewig; and a brother, Darrell Bye.
Sam Escritt
CENTRAL CITY -- Sam W. Escritt, 69, of Central City died Thursday, Dec. 23, 1999, at Litzenberg Memorial County Hospital in Central City.
Services are pending with Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home.
Thomas Haas
POLK -- Thomas Kenneth Haas Jr., 52, of Polk died Tuesday, Dec. 21, 1999, at his home after battling cancer.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Solt Funeral Home in Polk.
Memorials are suggested to Tabitha Health Care Services in York.
Mr. Haas was born on Nov. 4, 1947, in Guttenberg, N.J., to Thomas K. Sr. and Gladys (Finn) Haas. After attending high school in Osceola, he joined the U.S. Army. He completed training with the 82nd Airborne and served with the 101st in Vietnam. He returned to the states and trained troops for duty in Vietnam.
He served two additional tours in Vietnam and was honorably discharged in 1969. He earned the Bronze Star while serving in Vietnam. He then moved his family to the Washington, D.C., metro area. He began the first of several business ventures. Due to illness, he retired and moved to Polk in May 1999.
He enjoyed his family and the ocean. He also enjoyed boating, deep-sea fishing, fresh-water fishing, snow skiing, camping, traveling and flying small aircraft.
Survivors include one son, Thomas Haas of Phoenix; one daughter, Kimmberleigh A. Haas of Huntington Beach, Calif.; his mother, Gladys Engert-Hurd of Aurora; his father, of Lake Placid, Fla.; one grandchild; five sisters, Gayle (Mrs. Lyal) Gustafson of Madison, Wis., Francis (Mrs. Brian) Weisgerber of Boonsboro, Md., Renee (Mrs. Chuck) Enderle and Marty Engert, both of Aurora, and Lorene Engert of York; and five brothers, Renard Engert of Grand Island, Bill Engert of Jefferson, S.D., Carlin Engert of Aurora, Loren Engert of Dalhart, Texas, and Jimmy Engert of Sidney.
He was preceded in death by one brother, Gary Engert; and one sister, Marjorie Haas Kidd.
Cecelia Meyer
SPALDING -- Cecelia E. Meyer, 99, of Spalding died Wednesday, Dec. 22, 1999, at the Friendship Villa in Spalding.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Spalding. The Revs. Joseph Hannappel and James Murphy will officiate. Burial will be in St. Michael's Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m., with rosaries at 4:30 and 8 p.m., Sunday at Dolce Scheef Mortuary in Spalding.
Memorials are suggested to the church.
Mrs. Meyer was born on Nov. 14, 1900, on a farm west of Loretta to Winchell and Amelia (Loss) Marisch.
She married
John J. Meyer on Feb. 14, 1927, at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Spalding. They lived and farmed south of Spalding until 1978, when they retired. She entered the Friendship Villa in 1994.
She was a member of St. Michael's Catholic Church.
Survivors include a son, Bernard "B.J."; nine grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; a sister, Eunice Meyer of Spalding; and a brother, Harold Marisch of Spencer, Iowa.
She was preceded in death by her husband; a daughter, Mary Ann; five brothers and two sisters.
