U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Fonda Rae Jones
CHAPMAN -- Fonda Rae Jones, 28, of Chapman died Friday, Nov. 24, 2000, as the result of a car accident near Central City.
Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the United Methodist Church in Chapman with Rev. Joy Savage officiating.
Solt Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Ms. Jones was born Feb. 11, 1972, to Charles William and Joyce Ann (Rogers) Jones in Mt. Holly, N.J. She grew up and received her education in New Jersey and Ohio. She moved to Colorado and then to Chapman in 1993.
She enjoyed working with children, making crafts and doing artwork.
Survivors include one son, Branden; three daughters, Samantha, Nichole, and Rebecca, all at home; her parents, Charles and Joyce Jones of Fullerton; grandmother, Marion Rogers of Ohio; two brothers, William Jones of Central City, and Andrew Jones of Fullerton; one sister, Angel Jones of Fullerton; one nephew; three nieces; and fiance, Tom Stalnaker of Chapman.
Irene Swanson
FULLERTON -- Irene Swanson, 92, of Fullerton died Friday, Nov. 24, 2000, at Beverly Healthcare in Fullerton.
Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Palmer Funeral Home in Fullerton with the Rev. Wendell Davis officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be at a later date.
Ms. Swanson was born Feb. 1, 1908, to Fred and Martha (Thomason) Swanson in Villisca, Iowa. She attended rural Nance County schools and graduated from Fullerton High School in 1926. She attended Kearney State College.
She taught in Nance County rural schools for 14 years and at Fullerton school for 26 years, retiring in 1970. She moved to Central City in 1998 and returned to Fullerton Manor in 2000.
She was a member of the United Methodist Church in Fullerton, Methodist Women and Eastern Star. She enjoyed traveling, reading, crossword puzzles and was active in the senior center.
Survivors include six cousins.
Harold Olson
OMAHA -- Harold S. Olson, Sr., 76, of Omaha died Friday, Nov. 24, 2000, at Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth, Tex.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the First Baptist Church in Loup City with the Rev. Douglas DeNeui officiating. Burial will be at the Evergreen cemetery in Loup City with military honors by the Loup City American Legion Post 48.
Visitation will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Higgins Funeral Home in Loup City. Memorials are suggested to the family.
Bryon Avers
Bryon C. Avers, 80, of the Grand Island Veterans Home, formerly of Edgar, died Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2000, at the Grand Island Veterans Home.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the All Faiths Chapel in the Grand Island Veterans Home. The Rev. Bill Forbes will officiate. Burial will be in the Edgar cemetery at 1 p.m. Saturday with the military rites by the American Legion Post No. 248.
Visitation will be at 8:30 a.m. at the Kleine Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the Grand Island Veterans Home, the American Legion Post No. 248 of Edgar, or the donor's choice.
Mr. Avers was born Aug. 3, 1920, on the family farm south of Edgar, to Emiel H. and Edith S. (Joy) Avers. He attended rural school and helped his father on the farm.
He joined the U.S. Army on July 28, 1942, at Fort Crook, Neb. He was a pistol and carbine sharpshooter, a rifleman, and an ammunition carrier. He was stationed in the Aleutian Islands, and was honorably discharged on Dec. 6, 1944.
After his discharge, Mr. Avers farmed for a few years. When he retired from farming, he moved into Edgar and drove trucks. He continued to live in Edgar until September 1998, when he moved to the Grand Island Veterans Home.
He was a member of the American Legion Post No. 248 in Edgar for 17 years. He enjoyed horse racing and playing bingo.
Survivors include one sister, Bessie Williams of Aurora, and a special niece and caregiver, Bonnie Jensen of Grand Island.
He was preceded in death by four sisters, Lois Nansel, Myrtle Hoins, Mildred Culin and Esther, an infant; and two brothers, Harvey Avers and Maurice, an infant.
Amber Weitzel
Amber Marie Weitzel, 18, of 4020 Sacramento in Grand Island, died Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2000, as the result of a car accident near Kearney.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the United Congregational Church in Grand Island. The Rev. Lonnie Logan will officiate. Burial will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the Acapella Choir at Northwest High School.
Miss Weitzel was born on Sept. 4, 1982, at Fremont, Calif., to Lyle and Jackie (Bixenmann) Weitzel.
She attended Newell grade school, Walnut Middle School, and graduated from Northwest High School in May. While at Northwest, she was a member of the Northwest Vikettes for four years, and also sang with the Acapella Singing group that performed in New York.
Miss Weitzel was a student at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She was a member of the Alpha Pi Sorority, and the UNK Dance Squad. She also worked part time at Trade Home Shoes in Kearney.
Survivors include her mother Jackie Bartu and her step-father, John Bartu of Grand Island; her father, Lyle Weitzel of Grand Island; two sisters, Caitlin Weitzel and Taylor Bartu, both of Grand Island; one brother, Bryce Bartu of Grand Island; grandparents Judy and Lyle Tibbs of Grand Island, Bill and Lucy Bixenmann of Dell Rapids, S.D., and Bryce and Phyllis Bartu of Seward; great-grandparents, Bill and Lee Unzicker, and Henry Wiese all of Grand Island.
Janice Craven
ROSE - Janice Marie Craven, 62, of Rose, died Thursday, Dec. 21, 2000, at the Valley County Nursing Home in Ord.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the United Methodist Church in Burwell. Burial will be in the Cottonwood cemetery in Burwell. The Rev. Michael Lang will officiate.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the Hitchcock Funeral Home in Burwell.
Memorials are suggested to the Lung Cancer Society, the United Methodist Church or the Garfield County Frontier Gals.
Mrs. Craven was born on July 5, 1938, on the family farm in rural Garfield County near Burwell to Cecil and Irma (Shafer) Butts. She attended rural District 14 School and graduated from Burwell High School. She was also a member of the Rodeo National Honor Society. She loved horses, and was active in many rodeos as a barrel racer, winning many ribbons.
She married
Kenneth Roggasch with whom she had her only child, Jeffrey Lynn. The couple later divorced.
She married
Bernard Craven on Sept. 25, 1976, in Grand Island. She was a longtime secretary for Clinch and Crandall Attorneys in Burwell.
Mrs. Craven joined the Garfield County Frontier Galls Drill Team in 1988, and traveled with them to perform in rodeos and parades in Nebraska, Kansas and Wyoming. She also served as the group's treasurer, and continued to ride with them until her health failed in June 1997.
She was an avid crocheter, was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, and was a Gold Star Sister.
Survivors include, her husband; son Jeffrey Roggasch of Montrose, Colo.; two grandsons; two sisters, LaVonne Tefft of Mulvane, Kan., and Madelon Petersen of Loup City; three brothers, Kenneth Butts of Stanley, Idaho, Donald Butts of Grand Island, and Ray Butts of Benson, Ariz.; and one aunt, Velma Shafer of Grand Island.
She was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Leonard D. Butts.
