U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Burgess E. Powell, Sr.
ST. PAUL -- Burgess E. Powell, Sr., 74, of St. Paul died Saturday, April 14, 2001, at the Howard County Community Hospital in St. Paul.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in St. Paul with the Rev. Larry Lepper officiating. Burial will be in Elmwood cemetery in St. Paul with military honors by the Carl Morgensen American Legion Post 19.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at Jacaobsen-Greenway Funeral Home in St. Paul.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mr. Burgess was born March 16, 1927, to Wilson and Farrall (Burgess) Powell in Burr. He was raised on the family farm in Otoe County and attended country school. He graduated from Cook High School in 1944.
After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving aboard the destroyer USS Champlin in the Pacific during World War II in 1944 and 1945.
On Sept. 1, 1950, he married
Wilmetta "Willie" Siske in Steinauer.
He wired houses for electricity before working bridge construction for W.A. Lynn and Beatrice Construction Co. He moved to St. Paul in 1961 and worked for the City of St. Paul for 26 years before retiring as superintendent of the street and water department in 1998.
He enjoyed restoring Stuedebakers and going to classic car events. He also enjoyed fishing and making mechanical items and his own tools.
He was a member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church, Carl Morgensen American Legion Post 19 and the VFW. He also was a retired St. Paul fireman.
Survivors include his wife of St. Paul; one son, Burgess, Jr. of Norfolk; two daughters, Debra (Mrs. Tom) Grim of Burwell and Kathy (Mrs. Roger) Kassebaum of Omaha; six grandchildren; his mother, Farrall Ruckman of St. Paul; one brother, Roger Powell of Flower Mount, Texas, and one sister, Shirley Rockel of Lincoln.
He was preceded in death by his father.
Joyce Seely
DONIPHAN -- Joyce E. Seely, 49, of Doniphan died Saturday, April 14, 2001 at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Chapel with the Rev. Jeff Hale officiating. Burial will be in Rosedale cemetery in rural Doniphan.
Visitation will be Monday from 4 to 9 p.m. with family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m.
Memorials are suggested to the Kidney Foundation or donors' choice.
Miss Seely was born May 18, 1951, in Hastings to Lloyd G. & Mildred A. (Hill) Seely. She grew up on the family farm and graduated from Doniphan High School in 1969 She was self-employed and also provided childcare.
She enjoyed gardening, cooking, baking and attending rodeos.
Survivors include two sisters, Peggy (Mrs. John) Lipps of St. Libory and Judy Seely of Doniphan, and two brothers, Robert Seely of Grand Island and Thomas Seely of Doniphan.
She was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents.
Louise Barrett
Louise W. Barrett, 90, of Grand Island died Tuesday, March 27, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Jim Keyser officiating. Burial will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church
Mrs. Barrett was born on Sept. 21, 1910, in Scotia to Fred and Christine (Nietfeld) Kroeger. She lived in Grand Island nearly all of her life, graduating from Grand Island Senior High School in 1929.
She married
Charles C. " Cecil" Barrett on May 18, 1937, in Central City. The couple lived in Grand Island where she was employed as a bookkeeper at the Donald Co. (later selling out to Skagway) for 20 years. She was then employed in the Hall County Treasurer's Office as a bookkeeper for 15 years and then as the deputy treasurer for five years until her retirement in 1976.
She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church for more than 50 years and a member of the Auxiliary W.W. I Post 53.
Mrs. Barrett enjoyed sewing and working in her vegetable and flower gardens. Mr. Barrett died on Dec. 29, 1993.
Survivors include one sister; Elizabeth Betty (Mrs. Allen) Behm of Lincoln.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Cecil Barrett; and two brothers, Carl and Arthur Kroeger.
Darwin Hamm
Darwin A. Hamm, 76, of Grand Island died Monday, March 26, 2001, at Heritage Living Center in Fairbury.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Fairbury.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, with family receiving friends from 5 to 8 p.m. at Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home in Fairbury. Rosary will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Fern Versaw
Fern E. Versaw, 79, of Grand Island died Tuesday, March 20, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the First Church of the Nazarene with the Rev. Dominic Pecoraro officiating. Burial will be in the Wood River cemetery in Wood River.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Friday with the family receiving friends from 4 to 7 p.m. at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to First Church of the Nazarene.
Mrs. Versaw was born July 29, 1921, on a farm south of Moon Lake to George and Minnie (Jessup) McDaniel. She grew up in Johnstown, graduating from Johnstown High School in 1938. After graduation, she taught at a country school for one year. She helped to raise her two younger brothers, Arthur and George.
On April 24, 1939, she married
Paul E. Versaw at Ainsworth. The couple lived in Ainsworth until moving to Wood River in the spring of 1949, where she was a homemaker and mother. They moved to Grand Island in 1984. At this time, she began quilting for other people. After 59 years of marriage, Mr. Versaw died on Dec. 31, 1998.
She was a member of the First Church of the Nazarene in Wood River and then in Grand Island. Throughout her life she remained active in the church.
She enjoyed quilting and spending time with family and grandchildren.
Survivors include five sons, Robert of Earlsboro, Okla., Francis of Black Forrest, Colo., Gene and Paul, both of Lincoln and Duane of Grand Island; one daughter, Helen Winstryg of Geddes, S.D.; a foster daughter, Debbie Dombrowski of Grand Island; 23 grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; two step-great-grandchildren; three brothers, Louis McDaniel of Omaha, Vernon McDaniel of Arkansas and Art McDaniel of Ainsworth; and two sisters, Lois Titus of Springview and Mabel Perisfield of Peoria, Ill.
She was preceded in death by her husband, an infant daughter, an infant granddaughter, one foster grandchild and two brothers.
