U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Gary Champoux
60, Insurance agent
SARGENT -- Gary Champoux, 60, of Sargent died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2001, at Valley County Hospital in Ord.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sargent. The Revs. Bernard Berger and Mike Eckley will officiate. Burial will be in St. Patrick's Catholic cemetery in Battle Creek.
Visitation will be from 1 to 6 p.m. Friday at Rhoad Funeral Home in Sargent with a 7 p.m. wake at St. Mary's Catholic Church.
Memorials are suggested to St. Mary's Catholic Church or to the family.
Mr. Champoux was born in Lincoln to Leon and Madeline Champoux.
He was a career insurance agent and an active member of Independent Insurance Agents of Nebraska (Big I) & Professional Insurance Agents of Nebraska. He also was an active member of Knights of Columbus, Sargent Chamber of Commerce, Sargent Lions Club and administrator of the Community Salvation Army.
Survivors include his wife, Marianne; his mother; three sons and two daughters-in-law, Tom and Christy, and Jonathan, all of Lincoln, and Maury and Julie of Omaha; two daughters, Angela and Jacqueline, both of Omaha; four grandchildren; and two sisters, Bonnie Murphy of Apollo Beach, Fla., and Mary Tomlinson of Lincoln.
He was preceded in death by a son, Martin; his father; a brother, Ron; and a sister, Jean Ann.
Heidi Roth
WOOD RIVER -- Heidi Roth, 42, of Wood River died Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2001, at Clarkson Hospital in Omaha.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at United Methodist Church in Cairo. The Revs. Cloy Roth and Denton Jantzi will officiate. Burial will be in Wood River Mennonite Church Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at United Methodist Church.
Memorials are suggested to Wood River Mennonite Church, cancer research or to the family.
Mrs. Roth was born Feb. 23, 1959, at Hutchinson, Minn., to William and Joy (Rathman) Dibbern. She attended District 37 School north of Wood River and graduated from Wood River High School in 1977. She then graduated from St. Francis School of Nursing in 1980 and received her bachelor's degree in nursing May 13, 2000, at Nebraska Wesleyan University.
She began her nursing career at Lutheran Hospital in Grand Island and then St. Francis Medical Center, where she was a CICU nurse, department director, director of coronary radiology lab and most recently a department supervisor.
She married
Marvin L. Roth on May 30, 1981, at St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Grand Island.
She was a member of Wood River Mennonite Church. She enjoyed teaching Sunday School and Bible School, nursing, cooking, quilting and helping others.
Survivors include her husband; two sons, Joshua and Caleb and a daughter, Megan, all at home; her father; three sisters and brothers-in-law, Colleen and Larry Rakes of Bartlesville, Okla., Doreen and Robert Paitz of Kearney and Carrie and Scott Loy of Wood River; and four brothers and sisters-in-law, Randy and Gloria Dibbern of Cairo, Joed and Robyn Dibbern, and David Dibbern, all of Grand Island, and Billy and Karen Dibbern of Riverdale.
She was preceded in death by her mother, an infant brother, Nathan, and her grandparents.
Kenneth Svoboda
49, Plumber
HASTINGS -- Kenneth E. Svoboda, 49, of Hastings died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2001, at his shop in Hastings.
Services will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church in Hastings. The Rev. Andrew Menke will officiate. Burial will be in Sunset Memorial Garden in Hastings.
Visitation was Thursday and will continue Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Butler-Volland Funeral Home in Hastings and from 8:45 a.m. until services Saturday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to Adams Central Sports Program.
Mr. Svoboda was born Dec. 15, 1952, in Grand Island to Enos "Jim" and Jeanette (Trausch) Svoboda. He graduated in 1971 from Adams Central High School in Hastings.
He married
Linda Warburton on Sept. 13, 1975. He served in the Air National Guard. He was owner/operator of Svoboda Plumbing.
He was a lifelong area resident and a member of St. Cecilia's Catholic Church and Elks.
Survivors include his wife, a daughter, Lori Kyle of Red Cloud, three grandchildren, his mother, a sister, Kathleen Owens, and four brothers, Rick Svoboda, Dave Svoboda and Donnie Svoboda, all of Hastings, and Alan Svoboda of Holdrege.
He was preceded in death by his father.
Roland Meyer
KENESAW -- Roland J. Meyer, 81, of Kenesaw died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2001, at Haven House in Kenesaw.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Grand Island City Cemetery. The Rev. Joel Schroeder will officiate.
There will be no visitation.
Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home in Grand Island is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Meyer was born Feb. 27, 1920, to Henry J. and Laura (Liedtke) Meyer. He lived in Peetz, Colo., as a child and moved to a farm west of Grand Island with his family in 1945. He had been a resident of Haven Home in Kenesaw for the past 10 years.
He was a member of the Lutheran faith.
Survivors include many cousins.
Theresa A. Wermeskerch
LINCOLN -- Theresa A. Wermeskerch, 99, of Lincoln died Thursday, Dec. 27, 2001, at Madonna Longterm Care Center in Lincoln.
Services are pending at Kleine Funeral Home in Grand Island.
Bertha Boardman
Bertha M. Boardman, 91, of Grand Island, formerly of Fullerton, died Saturday, Sept. 30, 2000, at the Wedgewood Care Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3 at the First Presbyterian Church in Fullerton. The Rev. Jim Howland will officiate. Burial will be in the Fullerton Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Palmer Funeral Home in Fullerton. Palmer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Joe Parrella
Joe L. Parrella, 63, of 3604 S. Blaine No. 6, died Friday, Sept. 29, 2000, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Evangelical Free Church in Grand Island. The Rev. Curtis Holzworth will officiate. Burial will be in the Parrella family mausoleum at the Grand Island City cemetery at a later date.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Monday at the church. Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to the Evangelical Free Church, YMCA or the Salvation Army.
Mr. Parrella was born June 17, 1937, in Bridgeport, Conn., to Joe and Margaret (Toth) Parrella. He grew up and received his education in Bridgeport. He entered the U.S. Air Force in 1955 and served three tours in Vietnam with the Security Combat Police Group. He received Ranger training, and in his last five years of service he was with the Inspector General Team.
He married
Shirley Hooper on Nov. 22, 1958, in Portsmouth, N.H., at the Pease Air Force Base Chapel. They lived on various Air Force bases in the U.S. and overseas during his time in the service. Mr. Parrella retired from the Air Force in 1976 in Bellevue and then worked with the Farmer's Insurance Group.
The couple then moved to Grand Island, where Mr. Parrella was the development director and a football coach for Grand Island Central Catholic from 1985 to 1988. In 1990 he began a career in auto sales, and in 1995 he opened Parrella Motors.
Mr. Parrella was a member of the Evangelical Free Church, the United Way, the Grand Island Area Chamber of Commerce, YMCA and Salvation Army. He was a board member with Lakeview Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. He was also a member of the Saddle Club, Riverside Golf Club and Rotary International. He was a supporter of area youth groups in schools and churches and Campus Crusade for Christ.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter Valerie (Mrs. Rick "Woody") Weigman; two sons, John and Joseph "J.P., " both of Grand Island; nine grandchildren; and a stepbrother, Michael Galaty Jr. of Orange, Conn.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his stepfather, Michael Galaty Sr.
