U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Dennis Coplen
WOLBACH -- Dennis A. Coplen, 53, of Wolbach died Saturday, July 10, 1999, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Omaha.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the United Methodist Church in Wolbach. The Rev. Thomas Hyde will officiate. Burial will be in Hillside cemetery in Wolbach with military rites by Ray Mapes American Legion Post 236 of Wolbach.
Visitation will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the church.
Jacobsen Funeral Home in St. Paul is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mr. Coplen was born on Jan. 7, 1946, at North Loup to Marion and Lillian (Dasher) Coplen. He grew up in the Wolbach area and graduated from Wolbach High School in 1964. He entered the Navy in 1965, served on the USS Roosevelt as fireman and also served in Vietnam.
He married
Theresa Easton on June 11, 1973, in Ruckersville, Va. He then worked for the University of Virginia as a maintenance technician for one year. The couple moved to Wolbach, and he worked at Atlantic and Champion Homes in Central City from 1975 to 1977.
He was a member of the United Methodist Church and American Legion Post 236, both of Wolbach.
Survivors include wife; three daughters, Michelle Rasmussen, Mary Anna Coplen and Kelly Coplen, all of Wolbach; two grandchildren; his mother, of Wolbach; two brothers, Jerry of Harvard and Ray of Central City; and seven sisters, Linda Valasek of Scotia, Kathy Conroy of Chesapeake Beach, Md., Debbie Keeler of Aurora, Brenda Coplen of Palmer, Donna Coplen of North Platte, Teresa Coplen of Wolbach and Connie Lopez of Grand Island.
He was preceded in death by his father and one brother Jimmie.
Cathryn Currier
GIBBON -- Cathryn Currier, 44, of Gibbon died Sunday, July 11, 1999, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Faith United Church in Gibbon. The Rev. Barbara Spangler will officiate. Burial services will be at a later date.
There will be no visitation. Godberson Mortuary of Gibbon/Shelton is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to the Gibbon Emergency Unit or Good Samaritan Hospice.
Mrs. Currier was born on June 7, 1955, at Grand Island to Gordon and Shirley (Fritz) Thomas. The family moved to Gibbon in 1956, and Mrs. Currier attended Gibbon schools. She graduated in 1973 and later attended Central Tech School in Hastings.
She married
Randall Swedland on Feb. 14, 1974, in Gibbon. He died in 1977.
She married
Stephen Currier in 1982 in Denver. The family moved to Atascadero, Calif., in 1988, to Phoenix in 1992 and back to Gibbon in 1995. Mrs. Currier worked for the Gibbon schools as a bus driver.
She was a member of the International Library of Photography and enjoyed taking pictures of nature.
Survivors include her husband; one son, Aaron of Gibbon; two daughters, Angela of Gibbon and Misty Bernal of Aliso Viejo, Calif.; one grandchild; her parents, of Gibbon; one brother, Randall of Sand Springs, Okla.; and one sister, Debra Meierdierks of Tulsa, Okla.
Grace Urbauer
HASTINGS -- Grace A. Urbauer, 88, of Hastings died Saturday, July 10, 1999, at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital in Hastings.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Urbauer-Williams Funeral Home in Edgar. The Rev. Rick Cepris will officiate. Burial will be in the Edgar Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday at Urbauer-Williams Funeral Home in Edgar. Further visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Brand-Wilson Funeral Home in Hastings.
Memorials are suggested to Sunnyside Home of Hastings.
Virgil Welsh
HASTINGS -- Virgil H. Welsh, 93, of Hastings, formerly of St. Paul, died Monday, July 12, 1999, in Hastings.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Jacobsen Funeral Home in St. Paul. Dr. Tom Osborne will officiate. Burial will be in Elmwood cemetery in St. Paul.
Visitation will be before services Wednesday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the St. Paul EMTs or the First Presbyterian Church in St. Paul.
Mr. Welsh was born on May 10, 1906, at Farwell to Willie and Mary (Sorensen) Welsh. He attended St. Paul schools and graduated from high school in 1925. He later attended St. Paul Business College and worked at Bartle's Store.
He married
Nonnie Suchy on July 30, 1938, in O'Neill and worked at the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant in Grand Island during World War II.
He also worked at the St. Paul Bank and owned Citizen's Bank until 1967, when he retired. He moved to Hastings in 1990.
Mr. Welsh enjoyed fishing, hunting, golf, football, trapping, tennis and spending winters in Texas.
He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, Duck's Unlimited and the St. Paul Gun Club. He served two terms on the St. Paul school board, St. Paul Fire Department and St. Paul Golf Club board of directors. He was the city treasurer for 30 years and treasurer of the Salvation Army for 35 years.
Survivors include one daughter, Jean (Mrs. Donald) Reynolds of Hastings; and two grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife and one sister, Erma Osborne.
Donald Machan
PROVO, Utah -- Donald Louis Machan, 85, of Provo, Utah, formerly of Grand Island, died Friday, July 9, 1999.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Provo Latter-day Saints Stake Center. Burial will be in Wasatch Lawn Mortuary and Memorial Park at Salt Lake City.
Walker Mortuary of Provo is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Machan was born on June 14, 1914, in North Bend to John and Blanche Machan.
He married
Opal Lee Kixmiller on June 5, 1937, at the Nance County Courthouse in Fullerton. On Aug. 29, 1963, they were married
at the Logan, Utah, Latter-day Saints Temple.
He worked for the Union Pacific Railroad for 20 years in Grand Island before retiring to Provo.
He served in many capacities in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including the bishopric. President Ronald Reagan honored him in 1981 in the White House Rose Garden for Distinguished RSVP Service. He also received the Governor's Annual Coronation Bowl Award from Gov. Scott Matheson.
Mr. Machan was host and master of ceremonies of the TV show "The Midwest Jamboree" for five years and enjoyed calling square dances all over the Midwest and Utah for more than 40 years.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Gary Machan; five grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and a sister, Arlene Steinwart of Grand Island.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Kenneth.
