U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Edward Petr
HASTINGS -- Edward J. Petr, 73, of Hastings died Friday, Sept. 22, 2000, at BryanLGH Medical Center East of Lincoln.
A rosary will be at 8 p.m. Sunday at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church. Burial services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the church. The Rev. Larry Gyhra will officiate. Burial will be in the Parkview cemetery at Hastings.
Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Butler-Volland Funeral Home. Visitation will continue from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday and one hour prior to services Monday at the church
Memorials are suggested to St. Cecilia's Catholic Church renovation fund.
Mr. Petr was born Feb. 22, 1927, to John and Mary (Karmazin) Petr on the family farm southeast of Deweese. The family lived there until 1937 when they moved to another farm southeast of Deweese. He farmed with his father and later worked with his brother, Emil, in his construction business. He attended Star country school, District 24, through the eighth grade. He attended high school in the Big Red School in Deweese, graduating in 1944. He stayed with his grandparents, Thomas V. and Josephine Karmazin for his freshman and sophomore years.
He married
Jeanne Pohlmeier on Oct. 4, 1949. They lived on the farm from 1949 to 1955 when they moved to Deweese. In 1958, they moved to Hastings. He worked as a diesel mechanic for Hastings Motor Truck for two years, from 1959 to 1961, and for Farmland Industries for 10 years, from 1961 to 1972. Since 1972, he sold Knights of Columbus Life Insurance as a general agent.
He was a member of St. Cecilia's Catholic Church, Third Degree Knights of Columbus Council No. 11823 and was financial secretary. He was a fourth degree Knights of Columbus Assembly Pius the XII and was a past faithful navigator and a member of Catholic Workman Association. His past memberships include state district deputy and state warden of the Knights of Columbus, Grand Knight, Knights of Columbus Council No. 1123, Men's Club at St. Cecilia's Church, Hastings Association of Life Underwriters, Nebraska Fraternal Congress and a Nebraska Chapter Fraternal Insurance counselor.
Survivors include his wife; seven sons, Steve of Fort Smith, Ark., John of Kearney, Ric of Denton, Texas, Larry of Knoxville, Tenn., Jeff of Riverdale, Greg of Shawnee, Kan. and Matt of Holmdel, N.J.; four daughters, Ann Harms of Charleston, W.Va., Jacque (Mrs. Jim) Armstrong of Lincoln, Joan (Mrs. Randy) Coble of Hastings, and Marge (Mrs. Greg) Tilberg of Mitchell, S.D.; 23 grandchildren; a brother, Emil of Natal, Brazil, and a sister, Rose Hansen of Deweese.
He was preceded in death by two infant children, Mary Lenora and Charles; a brother, George and a sister, Helen Hansen.
Velma Reed
ANSLEY -- Velma B. Reed, 82, of Ansley, died Friday, Sept. 22, 2000, at Heritage Hall Nursing Home in Broken Bow.
Services are pending at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow.
Magdalen Sautter
SCOTIA -- Magdalen Sautter, 96, of Scotia, died Friday, Sept. 22, 2000, at the Howard County Hospital in St. Paul.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Scotia Zion Lutheran Church. The Rev. Mark Middendorff will officiate. Burial will be in the Mt. Hope cemetery in Scotia.
Visitation will be prior to service time at the church on Monday.
Memorials are suggested to the Scotia Zion Lutheran Church or the Scotia Rescue Unit.
Ord Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Leona Thomas
BROKEN BOW -- Leona C. Thomas, 68, of rural Broken Bow died Friday, Sept. 22, 2000, at her home.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Govier Brothers Chapel in Broken Bow. Burial will be in the Broken Bow Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the mortuary.
A memorial has been established to the family.
Mrs. Thomas was born on Sept. 24, 1931, at Thedford to Charles A. and Ottilia A. (Baalhorn) Beckhoff. At a young age, she moved with her family to Mason City. She attended the Beechville School, country school and Mason City High School for two years. She graduated from Broken Bow High School in 1949.
She married
Eugene J. Thomas in December 1949 at Broken Bow. They lived on a farm southwest of Broken Bow.
She was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Broken Bow, Latrea Circle and Ryno Ash Creek Extension Club. She taught Sunday school.
Survivors include her husband; two sons, Duane E. of Callaway and Dean R. of Polk; two daughters, Diana S. Jackson of Loup City and Mary K. (Mrs. Kirby) Keim of Vista, Calif.; nine grandchildren; two great-granddaughters; and one brother, Dale Beckhoff of Ansley.
She was preceded in death by one daughter, Debra Ann; and one sister, Darlene Jensen.
Emma Watson
KEARNEY -- Emma Evelyn Watson, 91, of Kearney, formerly of North Platte, died Thursday, Sept. 21, 2000, at St. Luke's Good Samaritan Village in Kearney.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Carpenter Memorial Chapel in North Platte. The Rev. Steven Jergensen will officiate. Burial will be in the North Platte Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 1 to 7 p.m. Sunday and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the First Christian Church of North Platte.
Mrs. Watson was born on Oct. 6, 1908, at Wilber to Ben and Emma (Hynek) Warta. She then moved with her family to a farm in Minnesota for a couple of years. The family moved back to Nebraska and settled on a farm north of Sumner, where she attended Lower Park Valley School. After leaving Sumner, she lived in Overton.
She married
Arthur "Art" Watson. They eventually moved to North Platte, where they lived for many years. Mr. Watson died in 1981. Mrs. Watson moved to Good Samaritan Village in Kearney in 1985 due to poor health.
She was a member of the First Christian Church in North Platte. She taught Sunday school, Bible school and participated in various church groups. She was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary for many years. She enjoyed her garden, accompanying her husband on his horse-buying business and entertaining nieces, nephews and children from her church and neighborhood.
Survivors include one sister, Anna Beckhoff of Ansley; and two brothers, Joseph Warta of Sumner and Ed Warta of Miller.
Other than her husband, she was preceded in death by four brothers and two sisters.
Rev. Gordon Patterson
SEWARD -- The Rev. Gordon L. Patterson, 70, of Seward died Thursday, Sept. 21, 2000, in Lincoln.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the United Methodist Church in Seward. The Revs. Kelly Karges and T.J. Fraser will officiate. Burial will be at 3 p.m. Monday in the Blair cemetery with full military honors.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday at Wood-Zabka Funeral Home in Seward and one hour before services Monday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the donor's choice in care of the Patterson family.
The Rev. Patterson was born on Nov. 16, 1929, in Sargent to Cloyd and Mary (Williams) Patterson. He graduated from Sargent High School in 1948.
He received a bachelor of arts degree from Hastings College, a master of theology and bachelor of divinity from Southern Methodist University and a doctorate of theology from East Coast University in Dade City, Fla.
He served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a first rifleman in the 1st Marine Division in Korea, in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and as a chaplain for the U.S. Navy Reserve from 1953 to 1988.
He served as national chaplain for the American Legion and chaplain for the Nebraska American Legion.
He was a United Methodist pastor for 39 years and a member of the United Methodist Church Nebraska Conference.
He married
LaVonne Plambeck on June 7, 1953, in Kearney.
He was a life member of Flynn American Legion Post 154 in Blair and a member of the Seward Kiwanis Club.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, Philip of Huntsville, Ala., David of Bloomington, Minn., and Paul of Topeka, Kan.; three daughters, Marcia (Mrs. Bob) Domeeq of Superior, Wis., Pamela (Mrs. Kurt) Davis of Blair and Sarah (Mrs. Charlie) Kurre of Columbia, Mo.; 11 grandchildren; and one sister, Dorothy (Mrs. Kenneth) Henry of Cozad.
'Shorty' Minor
BONESTEEL, S.D. -- Marlon R. "Shorty" Minor, 44, of Bonesteel, S.D., formerly of Grand Island, died Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2000, as the result of a farming accident near Herrick, S.D.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home. The Rev. John Douglas Russell will officiate. Burial will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time Monday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mr. Minor was born on May 13, 1956, at Grand Island to Millard R. and Irene H. (Siemers) Minor. When he was 6 months old, his family moved to Lancaster, Calif., where he grew up and was educated. He graduated from Antelope Valley High School in 1974.
He then moved to Grand Island, where he worked for his uncle, Robert Siemers.
He married
Sandy Rauert on Aug. 21, 1976. They moved to Hamill, S.D., in 1984 and to Bonesteel, S.D., in 1986.
He was an avid coin collector and enjoyed bowling. He was a driver for the Bonesteel Ambulance Department.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, Michael of West Point and Patrick of Virginia Beach, Va.; his mother, of Lancaster, Calif.; and two brothers, Lorin of Ridge Crest, Calif., and Kerry of Lancaster, Calif.
He was preceded in death by his father.
