U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Leo Modelski
Leo E. Modelski, 73, of Grand Island died Saturday, Nov. 10, 2001, at the Grand Island Veterans Home.
His body was cremated. Burial of the cremains will be in the Fort McPherson National cemetery in Maxwell.
Memorial services will take place at a later date.
Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Modelski was born June 1, 1928, in St. Edward to John and Victoria (Siedlyk) Modelski. He attended school in St. Edward and Genoa.
He joined the U.S. Army, serving three different tours of duty from 1949 to 1967. He served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars. He received a Purple Heart, given to U.S. soldiers wounded in a combat zone, as well as a Combat Infantry Badge and an Air Medal.
Following military service, he worked in maintenance for the U.S. Postal Service.
He married
Barbara Morten-sen in 1979. He retired from the postal service in 1985. In 1992, due to poor health, he entered the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where he received care for two years. He then became a resident of the Grand Island Veterans Home.
He was a member of the Eagles, American Legion and the Order of the Purple Heart.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Patricia Schnitzmeier of Huntsville, Ala.; two stepdaughters and a stepson-in-law, Julie and Robert Muirhead of Grand Island and Jolene Schrock of Billings, Mont.; three step grandchildren; five step-great-grandchildren; a brother, Stanley Modelski of St. Edward, and a sister, Stella Cruise of Norfolk.
He was preceded in death by three sisters, Dorothy, Helen and Minnie; and four brothers, Virgil, Mike, Eddie and John.
Donna Moravec
Donna L. Moravec, 69, of Grand Island died Monday, Nov. 12, 2001, in Grand Island.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at First United Methodist Church in York. The Rev. Ralph Ford will officiate. Burial will be in Greenwood cemetery in York.
Visitation will be from 1 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday with family greeting friends from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Metz Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to the Alzheimer's Association.
Mrs. Moravec was born Aug. 13, 1932, in York to Charles and Maude (Popejoy) Anderson. She was raised in the York area and attended York College, where she majored in music education. After graduation, she taught school in Dannebrog.
She married
Carl Faaborg on Aug. 12, 1956. Her husband died in 1962.
She married
Milton Moravec of Cotesfield on June 6, 1964. She taught music at Elba Public School and also worked as a bank teller at Cotesfield Credit Union. In 1985, the couple retired and moved to York, where they lived until his death in 1997. She worked at Wal-Mart in York for a many years, the last few as a greeter.
In 1999, she moved to Grand Island to be closer to her children and grandchildren.
She was a member of First United Methodist Church in York where she was active in choir and served as Bell Choir director.
Survivors include two sons and daughters-in-law, Randy and Cathy Faaborg of Cotesfield and Lee and Lisa Faaborg of Grand Island; two daughters and sons-in-law, Marilyn and Russel Williams of Grand Island and Diane and Francisco Garcia of Denver, Colo.; three grandchildren; and two sister and brothers-in-law, Helen and John Bettger of York and Opal Breckenridge of Omaha.
She was preceded in death by a sister, Marguerite McConnell; and a brother, Earl Anderson.
Frederick Ewoldt
SILVER CREEK -- Frederick H. Ewoldt, 71, of Silver Creek died Saturday, Nov. 10, 2001, at his home.
Graveside services and burial will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. The Rev. Bev Minor will officiate. There will be no visitation.
Wagner Funeral Home in Central City is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mr. Ewoldt was born Sept. 14, 1930, in Grand Island to Frank E. and Alvina H. (Niedfelt) Ewoldt. He grew up on a farm near Grand Island.
He married
Lillian M. Eisenmann on Dec. 12, 1954, in Grand Island. The couple lived in Grand Island, where he worked as a welder at the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant.
In 1964, they moved to Lincoln for a year and then back to Grand Island. In 1970, they moved to Lexington, where he worked for Valley Sales (now Behlen). In 1990, the couple moved to Columbus and he worked for Behlen. In 1991, the couple moved to Silver Creek, where he retired.
He was baptized in the Lutheran faith. He was a member of the American Legion, VFW and the Grand Island Eagles Club.
He enjoyed fishing, gardening, camping, building bird houses, catching snapping turtles and spending time with his grandsons.
Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Roy and Wanda Ewoldt of Cozad; a daughter, Nannette "Dee" Gass of Silver Creek; and four grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife; a son, Daniel Ewoldt; a sister, Virginia Anderson; and two brothers, Kenneth and Harold Ewoldt.
Rev. John Hooge
HASTINGS -- The Rev. John E. Hooge, 86, of Hastings died Sunday, Nov. 11, 2001, at Prairie View Gardens Assisted Living facility in Kearney.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church in Kearney. The Revs. Stan Murdoch and Bob Gannon will officiate. Burial will be in Kearney cemetery with military rites given by American Legion Post No. 52 and VFW Post No. 759.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Horner-Lieske-Horner Mortuary.
Memorials are suggested to the church or Good Samaritan Hospice Program in Kearney.
The Rev. Hooge was born Sept. 23, 1915, at Munich, N.D., to Jacob and Elizabeth (Wiens) Hooge. He graduated from Northwestern Bible School in Minneapolis in 1940, and from Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis in 1942. After graduation, he moved to Summit, S.D., where he was pastor at First Baptist Church. He entered the U.S. Army in 1943.
He married
Orpha R. Brenner on March 18, 1944, at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, a rural church near Junction City, Kan. He served in the Pacific Theatre as a hospital medic and chaplain's assistant until he was discharged in 1946.
After the war, he returned to school at Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kan., where he received his bachelor of arts degree in 1948. While a student at Ottawa, he served as pastor of the Lebo Baptist Church in Lebo, Kan. After receiving his bachelor of arts degree, the couple moved to Wellsville, Kan., where he was a pastor at First Baptist Church and continued his education. He received his bachelor's degree in divinity in 1951 and master's degree in theology from Central Baptist Seminary in Kansas City, Kan., in 1954. From Wessville, they moved to Fort Scott, Kan., where he served as pastor of First Baptist Church for six years.
They moved to Lincoln in 1960, where he served as pastor of Sheridan Boulevard Baptist Church until moving to Gibbon in 1964. He was a pastor of Gibbon Baptist Church until 1973, when he and his wife moved to Sumner where he served Sumner and Fairhaven Baptist Churches. They moved to Juniata in 1982, and he served as interim pastor of Community Church and also as interim at Baptist Churches in Alliance, Bridgeport, Emporia, Kansas, Fargo, North Dakota and Hastings until he retired in 1989. They then moved to Kearney.
He was a member of First Baptist Church in Kearney and Gibbon American Legion Post where he served as chaplain.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Carol O'Neill of Kearney; two sons, John R. and Dave, both of Lawrence, Kan.; four grandchildren; a brother, Richard of Langdon, N.D.; and three sisters, Lucila Helms of Dallas, Ore., Marie Hodel of Yucaipa, Calif., and Catherine Wiens of Langdon, N.D.
He was preceded in death by a son, Donald; a brother; and a sister.
George Oliver
GIBBON -- George H. Oliver, 78, of Gibbon died Monday, Nov. 12, 2001, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Kearney. The Rev. Thomas P. Hansen will officiate. Burial will be in the Shelton cemetery with military graveside rites by the Gibbon American Legion Bradley Buck Post 310.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Godberson Mortuary in Gibbon.
Memorials are suggested to the Gibbon Emergency Unit or donor's choice.
