U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Alvin Holmes
ARCADIA -- Alvin Holmes, 87, of Arcadia died Sunday, April 22, 2001, at Valley County Hospital in Ord.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the United Methodist Church in Arcadia with the Rev. Doug Jones officiating. Burial will be in the Arcadia Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Govier Brothers Mortuary.
Memorials are suggested to the donor's choice.
Mr. Holmes was born Feb. 3, 1914, near Arcadia to Benjamin F. and May Etta (Teeter) Holmes. He attended rural schools near Arcadia. After his schooling, he farmed with his parents on the family farm northeast of Arcadia. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served during World War II in England. After his discharge, he returned to the family farm and continued farming with his brothers.
His hobbies included hunting, fishing and playing pool.
Survivors include one brother, Dale of Arcadia; and one sister, Velma Jackson of Ord.
He was preceded in death by one sister, Fern Gregg; and two brothers, Ivan and Earl Holmes.
Donald Witt
AURORA -- Donald Witt, 71, of Aurora died Monday, April 23, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services are pending with Higby Mortuary in Aurora.
Leona Foss
YORK -- Leona Foss, 94, of York, formerly of Grand Island, died Saturday, April 21, 2001, at The Hearthstone of York.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Grand Island with the Rev. Richard Whitaker officiating. Burial will be in the Aurora cemetery in Aurora.
There will be no visitation.
Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home is charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be made to the donor's choice.
Mrs. Foss was born Dec. 25, 1906, at Paradise, Utah, to William and Elizabeth (Humphreys) Shaw. She grew up and received her education in Utah.
She married
Kenneth Berntson in Utah, where they lived. She later moved to Santa Monica, Calif., where she was employed by the Defense Department.
She married
Lee Foss on Feb. 25, 1945, at Santa Monica, Calif. They moved to Aurora in 1946, where they raised their family on the family farm north of Aurora. The couple moved to Grand Island after their retirement.
Mrs. Foss was a homemaker and active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She was an avid reader and enjoyed many hobbies, among them decorating, baking, crocheting and sewing. She was an active member of the Church Relief Society. She was president of the Hamilton County Home Extension Council from 1959 to 1960 and served as representative on the Hamilton County Home Extension Board for one year. She was a member of the S.S. Extension Club and active with the P.T.A., 4-H Club and Girls Scouts, all in Hamilton County. Mr. Foss died on Feb. 25, 1991. She later moved to York to be near her daughter.
Survivors include two sons, Craig of Grand Island and Steve Berntson of Los Angeles, Calif.; one daughter, Kathy Brown of York; seven grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and 10 great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband; two daughters, Joyce Henderson and Dorothy Reeder; four sisters; and one brother.
Norma Swisher
HALSEY -- Norma L. Swisher, 65, of Halsey died Monday, April 23, 2001, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at the United Methodist Church of Christ in Halsey with Rev. Kurt Clark officiating. Burial will be in the Purdum Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Govier Brothers Mortuary of Broken Bow.
Memorials are suggested to the Arthritis Foundation.
Mrs. Swisher was born June 22, 1935, to Floyd W. and Florence (Brodine) Applegarth in Broken Bow. She graduated from Broken Bow High School in 1954.
On Nov. 7, 1954, she married
Francis Swisher in Broken Bow. They moved to Halsey, where they spent most of their married
life.
She attended the Assembly of God Church in Broken Bow and was a member of M.A.D.D. She enjoyed painting, writing poems and crocheting.
Survivors include her husband, Frances of Halsey; two sons, David Swisher of Norton, Kan., and James Swisher of Dunning; five daughters, DeEtta (Mrs. Pat) Irish of Ogallala, Rose (Mrs. Ron) Garretson of Cozad, Betty Hauser of Berwyn, Mary Morris of Broken Bow, Ann Ahrens of North Platte, Kay (Mrs. Jim) Wallin of Colby, Kan., and Donna (Mrs. Nathanael) McIntosh of Halsey; 32 grandchildren; six great- grandchildren; two brothers, Laverne Applegarth of Fitchburg, Mass., and Larry Wright of Cozad; and two sisters, Goldie Freese of Cozad and Diane Wright of Lexington.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Delores Rickertson.
Jerry Schroeder
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. -- Jerry H. Schroeder, 63, of Libertyville, Ill., died Friday, April 20, 2001, at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago after a short illness.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at McMurrowgh Funeral Chapel in Libertyville.
Mr. Schroeder was born Jan. 31, 1938, at Grand Island to Herbert and Clara (Schroeder) Schroeder. He attended Trinity Lutheran School and Walnut Junior High and graduated from Grand Island Senior High in 1956. He lettered in both football and basketball at Senior High. He was also a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and served in the United States Air Force.
He married
Sandra Balog in June l968 in Joliet, Ill. He was employed by Shure Brothers in Chicago.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Capt. Scott Schroeder of Fayetteville, N.C.; one daughter, Heidi (Mrs. Tim) Miller of Fayetteville, N.C.; two grandchildren; one brother, Harold of Omaha; and two sisters, Phyllis (Mrs. Joe) Dunn and Darlene (Mrs. Al) Knoepfel, both of Grand Island.
He was preceded in death by one sister, Maxine (Mrs. Fred) Little.
Mildred Wilson
LOVELAND, Colo. -- Mildred I. Wilson, 90, of Loveland, Colo., formerly of Burwell, died Saturday, April 21, 2001, at Loveland.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Burwell with the Rev. Jane Ellefson officiating. Burial will be in the Cottonwood cemetery in Burwell.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Hitchcock Funeral Home in Burwell.
Memorials are suggested to the church.
Bill Kelsey
William L. "Bill" Kelsey Sr., 71, of Grand Island died on Nov. 28, 2000, at the Omaha Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Central City Cemetery. The Rev. Ronald Ruark will officiate.
Solt Funeral Home of Central City is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Kelsey was born on July 6, 1929, at Columbus to Lester and Alene (Miller) Kelsey. He attended Columbus public schools.
He entered the U.S. Air Force on Jan. 5, 1948, and served in Japan as a senior firefighter. He was discharged on Jan. 4, 1952.
He married
Beverly Jean Kuk on Nov. 30, 1952, in Columbus. He worked for the state of Nebraska. He then worked in California before returning to Nebraska in 1965.
He was a member of the Grand Island Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.
He enjoyed ceramics, working with his hands and listening to music.
Survivors include two sons, Randy and Rhinehart Kelsey, both of Columbus; five sisters, Maxine (Mrs. Bill) Kretschmer of Burlington, Wis., Sally Markham of Arizona and Pauline (Mrs. Myrle) Hadcock, Dorothy Bernt and Ada Coulter, all of Columbus; and his former wife, Jean Gredell of Grand Island.
He was preceded in death by a son, William, in 1999.
