U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Wesley Christensen Sr.
ST. EDWARD -- Wesley E. Christensen Sr., 66, of St. Edward died Sunday, June 10, 2001, at Methodist Hospital in Omaha.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Faith Lutheran Church in St. Edward with Rev. Vernon Knight officiating. Burial will be in Rosenborg cemetery in rural Lindsay with military rites conducted by Crosier American Legion Post 226 of St. Edward.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Miller-Levander Funeral Home in St. Edward.
Mary Ellen Cowan
ORD -- Mary Ellen Cowan, 90, of Ord died Saturday, June 9, 2001 at the Valley County Nursing Home in Ord.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Ord Memorial Chapel with Stanley Morrison officiating. Graveside services will be at 3 p.m. at the Grand Island Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday with family receiving friends from 7 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the Ord Senior Center.
Mrs. Cowan was born Nov. 23, 1910, in Sargent to Lincoln and Minnie (Snow) Crouch. She moved with her family to Blaine County near Brewster, and in 1916 the family moved to a farm southwest of Ord. They moved to Taylor in 1926 and returned to Ord in 1929.
She attended Ord Elementary and her freshman year at Ord High School. She graduated from Taylor High School in 1928.
She married
Arthur Rux on Oct. 28, 1952, in Greeley, where they lived for two years before moving to Ord.
On Feb. 4, 1980, she married
William Cowan of Arena, Wis., in Kearney. The couple lived in Arena.
She returned to Ord in 1984.
She was employed at Hans Larsen Grocery Store, the telephone company, Sack Lumber Yard and Mode O'Day. While in Wisconsin she was the coordinator of the Senior Center Meal Site.
Survivors include one daughter and son-in-law, Carol and Leo Thomsen of Ord, three granddaughters; nine great-grandchildren; and one sister-in-law, Leona Crouch of San Benito, Texas.
She was preceded in death by her husbands; two brothers, Merrill and Harley Crouch; one sister, Leona Janssen; and one half sister, Lucy O'Shields.
Jeremy Jensen
DONIPHAN -- Jeremy J. Jensen, 17, of Doniphan died Sunday, June 10, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Trinity Lutheran Church with the Rev. Robert Harms officiating. Family prayer service will be at 10:15 a.m. in the church chapel.
Visitation is from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home. The family will be greeting friends from 6 to 8 p.m.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mr. Jensen was born June 24, 1983, in Grand Island to Marvin and Lisa (Wood) Jensen. He lived with his family in Ravenna until 1990, when they moved to Doniphan. He graduated from Doniphan High School with the class of 2001, where he participated in football, basketball and power lifting. He had planned to attend Central Community College in Hastings with a scholarship to study diesel mechanics.
He enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping.
Survivors include his parents; four brothers, Justin, Jason, Joshua and Jordan, all of Doniphan; and his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Don Jensen of Marquette and Mr. and Mrs. R. Dean Wood of Central City.
'Dick' Johnson
75, Retired
AURORA -- Warren R. "Dick" Johnson, 75, of Aurora, died Sunday, June 10, 2001, at Memorial Hospital in Aurora.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Presbyterian United Church of Christ in Aurora. The Rev. Mary McQueen will officiate. Burial will be in the Aurora Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Higby Mortuary.
Mr. Johnson was born Jan. 2, 1926, at Shickley to Reuben V. and Winnie (Killion) Johnson. He grew up in Shickley and graduated from high school in 1943.
He worked at Bruning Air Base for a year after high school. He joined the Navy in 1941 and received his training at Farragut, Idaho. He was then transferred to gunnery school in San Diego. He was assigned to the SS Mandarin and was sent to the South Pacific. He then transferred to the USS Indiana at San Francisco. He was discharged on June 4, 1946, at Bremerton, Wash., with the rank of yeoman 3rd class. He returned to his hometown of Shickley.
In 1947, he traveled to California, where he lived with his grandparents, the Frank Killions, and worked for the city of Glendale Light Department. He returned to Nebraska and moved to Aurora in 1953, where he worked for Consumers Public Power.
He married
Margaret Carnes on Feb. 5, 1954, at the Federated Church in Aurora. He worked for the Farmers Co-op Creamery until it closed in 1969. He then went to work for Berthelsen's Century Manufacturing until his retirement in January 1990.
He was a member of the Hamilton Merrick ARC and Presbyterian United Church of Christ, where he served on the building and grounds boards. He also had been a member of the American Legion and VFW.
He enjoyed all sports. He coached his daughter Linda's softball team under the name of Larry's Electric and also helped coach with Glade Snoberger's team, Aurora First National Bank. He was a Chicago Cubs fan. He enjoyed selling tickets for the Aurora alumni basketball tournament, He also enjoyed his pet schnauzer, Maggie.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Larry W. Johnson of Grand Island; one daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Bob Petzoldt of Grand Island; one stepgranddaughter; two sisters and brother-in-law, Clara Mae and Rodger Dishington of Redondo Beach, Calif., and Jackie Lund of Lincoln; and one brother and sister-in-law, Dale and Beverly Johnson of Beatrice.
He was preceded in death by his stepgrandson.
Richard Kelly
Richard P. Kelly, 81, of Central City died Sunday, June 10, 2001, at the Grand Island Veterans Home.
Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the United Kingdom Hall in Central City with Richard Fritz officiating.
Burial will be in the Central City Cemetery.
Solt Funeral Home in Central City is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Kelly was born May 22, 1920, in Johnstown, Penn., to Harry and Margaret (Harris) Kelly. After graduation from Johnstown High School, he attended college. He served in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1944.
He married
Faye A. Evans on Dec. 20, 1943, in Colorado.
After completing his military service, they lived in California until 1958 when they moved to Columbus.
Mr. Kelly was a sales representative all of his work life.
In 1991, he retired, and they moved to Central City.
He was a member of the Central City congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses and shared extensively in volunteer ministry with local congregation members.
Survivors include his wife; two sons and daughters-in-law, Richard E. and Helen Kelly of Grand Rapids, Mich., and Patrick J. and Ruth Kelly of Columbus; one daughter, Cathy O. Kelly of Central City; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one daughter, Marilyn Carlson in 1998.
'Hattie' Rodehorst
KEARNEY -- Harriet "Hattie" E. Rodehorst, 99, of Kearney died Sunday, June 10, 2001, at Good Samaritan Hospital.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Pleasanton United Methodist Church in Pleasanton. The Rev. Karla Sheffy will officiate. Burial will be in the Pleasanton Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Horner-Lieske-Horner Mortuary in Kearney and prior to service time Wednesday at the church. Family will receive friends from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the Pleasanton United Methodist Church or St. Luke's Countryside Villa.
Mrs. Rodehorst was born Sept. 5, 1901, to Alva and Ruth (Prest) Valentine at their home near McCool Junction. She attended Sunflower School in Buffalo County.
On March 14, 1929, she married
Arthur Rodehorst in Kearney. They farmed in the Pleasanton area, moving into town in 1974. Mr. Rodehorst died in 1984. She moved to Kearney in 1995, where she lived at St. Luke's Countryside Villa.
She was a member of the Pleasanton United Methodist Church, where she was active with ladies' aid and several committees. She was also a member of the Sunflower Kensington.
She enjoyed gardening, crocheting and spending time with family.
Survivors include one son, Wayne Rodehorst of Hampton, Va.; one daughter, Ardith Ray of Enid, Okla.; six grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, five brothers and one sister.
