U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Venice Woitalewicz
ST. PAUL -- Venice Woitalewicz, 87, of St. Paul died Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2002, at Howard County Community Hospital in St. Paul.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Ord. The Rev. Bob Rooney will officiate. Burial will be in Ord Catholic Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in St. Paul with a 7 p.m. vigil and one hour prior to services Saturday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the church or the donor's choice.
Mrs. Woitalewicz was born April 17, 1914, near Ashton to Frank and Veronica (Metelski) Lewandowski. She attended District 56 School rural school and later St. Francis Parochial School in Ashton.
She married
William D. Woitalewicz on Nov. 4, 1936, in Ashton. The couple first lived in Loup City and later moved to Grant. In 1945, they returned to the area, living in Sherman and Valley counties. In September 1989, they moved to the Parkside Annex in St. Paul. Her husband died Aug. 14, 1991. She continued to live in St. Paul.
She was a member of Sts. Peter and Paul Church and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. She was also a member of the Council of Catholic Women and Catholic Daughters of America. She enjoyed family gatherings, sewing, crafts and playing cards.
Survivors include two daughter and sons-in-law, JoAnn Urbanski of St. Paul and Arlene and Dick Baasch of Grand Island; four sons and daughters-in-law, Norman and Alice Woitalewicz of Loup City, Donald W. and Connie Woitalewicz of Ord, Irvin and Jeri Woitalewicz of Loup City and Allen and Cathy Woitalewicz of Ord; 17 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband; a son-in-law, Jim Urbanski; three grandchildren; a great-grandchild; and four brothers, Vincent, Emil, Anselm and Donald Lewandowski.
Kim Christensen Beiriger
42, cosmetologist
INLAND -- Kim R. Christensen Beiriger, 42, of Inland, formerly of Central City, died Sunday, Jan. 6, 2002, as a result of a car accident.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Fairview Methodist Church near Central City. The Rev. Rich Savage will officiate. Burial will be in the Burke cemetery near Central City.
Visitation will be from noon until service time Thursday at the church.
Palmer Funeral Home in Fullerton is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Beiriger was born Feb. 12, 1959, at Central City to Dean and Mona (Munn) Christensen. She grew up and was educated in Central City, graduating from Central City High School in 1977. She also graduated from St. Joseph's School of Cosmetology in Omaha. She worked in Grand Island at the Hair Affair for two years. Then she moved to Vail and Fort Collins, Colo., and later to Hastings.
She married
Greg Beiriger in 1985 in Grand Island. The couple lived in Hastings for 12 years. Then she moved to Inland, where she resided until her death.
She was a past member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Central City and a member of the Billie Anderson School of Dance in Grand Island for 12 years. She enjoyed her dogs, baking, fishing, hunting, gardening, landscaping and boating.
Survivors include her parents, Dean and Bonnie Christensen of Fullerton and John and Mona Christensen Elton of Archer; her grandmother, LaVerne Christensen of Denver; two stepdaughters and stepsons-in-law, Jamie and Jeremy Gilfry of Hastings and Jackie and Justin Rose of Hastings; three step grandchildren; two brothers and a sister-in-law, Tim and Ann Christensen of Fullerton and Terry Christensen of Rochester, Minn.; a stepbrother, Jaramie Elton of Archer; a foster brother and his wife, Donald Judy Daubert of Chandler, Ariz.; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Kay and Dale "Andy" Puckett of Grand Island and Karla Christensen of Fullerton; and a stepsister and stepbrother-in-law, Leah and Tom Richardson of Central City.
She was preceded in death by grandparents, Carroll Christensen and Albert and Gladys Munn.
Cynthia Burleson
OMAHA -- Cynthia D. (Carter) Burleson, 39, of Omaha, formerly of Bellevue, died Friday, Jan. 4, 2002.
Services will be at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at New Bethel Baptist Church of God and Christ in Omaha. Family will greet family and friends one hour prior to services Saturday.
Larkin Funeral Home in Omaha is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to Multiple Sclerosis Society Midlands Chapter.
Mrs. Burleson born May 19, 1962, at Limestone, Maine, to William "BC" and Loretta Carter.
She was a former member of the Air Force ROTC at Bellevue West High School.
Survivors include a son, Christopher Carter, a daughter, Toni Burleson, her parents, two sisters, Sharon Williams and Alma Carter, and two brothers, Eric and Anthony Carter.
Thelma Neth
LEXINGTON -- Thelma E. Neth, 93, of Lexington, formerly of Broken Bow, died Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2002, at Tri County Area Hospital in Lexington.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at United Methodist Church in Broken Bow. Dr. Charles Spence and the Rev. Mel Shepard will officiate. Burial will be in Custer County cemetery in Broken Bow.
Govier Brothers Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Neth was born Nov. 26, 1908, at Callaway to Charles W. and Carrie (Shipley) Buckley. She graduated from Callaway High School in 1927. She also attended Kearney College and taught in rural schools for several years.
She married
Everett Neth on Oct. 5, 1932, in Ainsworth. The couple lived on a farm in the Broken Bow area. After retirement, they spent eight winters in Clearwater, Fla. She moved to Lexington in 1997. Her husband died Oct. 24, 1998. She was a resident of Park Avenue Estates in Lexington.
She was a lifelong member of United Methodist Church. She was also a member of DAR, Rebekah Lodge, Custer County Grange, HEO Club and Broken Bow Garden Club. She enjoyed to cook for company and work in her gardens.
Survivors include a son, Kenneth Neth of Pinellas Park, Fla.; a daughter, Joyce Petet of Lexington; eight grandchildren; four step grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; six step great-grandchildren; eight great-great grandchildren; and daughters-in-law, Rebecca Neth of Josplin, Mo., Minnie Neth of Fort Worth, Texas, and Elisabeth Neth of Wichita, Kan.
She was preceded in death by her husband, three brothers, three sons, Gerald, Philip and James, son-in-law, Loren Petet and daughter-in-law, Judy Neth.
Leon Wiegand
PETERSBURG -- Leon F. Wiegand, 70, of Petersburg died Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2002, at his home.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Petersburg. The Rev. Frank Baumert. Burial will be in the parish cemetery with military rites provided by American Legion Post 334 of Petersburg.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday at Levander Funeral Home in Albion and after 7 p.m. at the church with a 8 p.m. wake. There will also be visitation from 9 a.m. until service time Friday at the church.
Mr. Wiegand was born Dec. 10, 1931, at Petersburg to Henry E. and Barbara (Kunzman) Wiegand. He was baptized Dec. 13, 1931, at St. John the Baptist Church in Petersburg. He attended St. John's School in Petersburg and graduated from Petersburg High School in 1949. Following graduation, he helped on the farm and his father's trucking business. He entered the U.S. Army on Feb. 2, 1953, and was honorably discharged Jan. 7, 1955.
He married
Marlene Karabel on Aug. 27, 1956, at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Albion. They lived in Petersburg where he owned and operated the Wiegand Truck Line, along with running a commercial feedlot and farming.
He was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Petersburg where he was a parish council member, usher, lector and Eucharistic Minister. He was a Scout Master for Boy Scout Troop 216, a member and commander of American Legion Post 334 of Petersburg, American Legion State Children and Youth Committee where he was a chairman, Petersburg Fire Department for 50 years, Petersburg EMT's and Petersburg Community Club. He served on Petersburg Public School Board for 20 years and Advisory Board of Wolf Memorials Good Samaritan Center. He was also a Rainfall Reporter and donated 16 gallons of blood.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters and sons-in-law, Lynnette and Patrick Seier and Linda and Harold Clear, all of Petersburg; seven grandchildren; and three sisters and brother-in-law, Elaine Faust of Petersburg, Sr. Rita Wiegand of Campbellsport, Wis., and Carol and Bill McDermott of Fremont.
He was preceded in death by three brothers, Henry, Ronald, and infant Joseph and a sister, Joan Leifeld.
E. Vern Rafferty
94, teacher
FOLSUM, Calif. -- E. Vern Rafferty, 94, of Folsum, Calif., died Friday, Dec. 26, 2001, in Folsum, Calif.
Memorial services were held Jan. 3 at Price Funeral Chapel in Citrus Heights, Calif. The Rev. Verleen Fisk officiated.
Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Mr. Rafferty was born Oct. 4, 1907, on the family farm near Wellfleet to Roy and Jennie (Latimer) Rafferty. He attended rural schools and graduated from North Platte High School. He attended Kearney State Teachers College in Kearney.
He married
Thelma Knudson on June 4, 1933, at his wife's family farm near Mason City. He taught school in Custer County for several years. The couple moved to Petaliema, Calif., in 1942, where he worked in the Mare Island Shipyards. Their home was a weekend refuge for several servicemen during World War II. After the war, they returned to Nebraska for a few years. He taught in the Broken Bow schools. In 1948, they moved to Weimar, Calif., where he taught near Auburn, Calif. In 1952, he took a teaching position at Fair Oaks, later teaching in the San Juan School District. He retired in 1973. While living at Carmichael, the couple helped to start the First Church of Christ Scientist there. Upon retirement, they built a new home on five acres of land in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains near Placerville. They lived there for 10 years, growing vegetable and flower gardens. His wife's mother lived with them from 1960 until her death in 1985. They moved back to the Sacramento area in 1983.
The couple was active in their local church and served as volunteers at the Thrift and Gift Shop. He enjoyed oil painting.
Survivors include a son, Elwyn Rafferty of Redding, Calif.; three daughters, Verleen Fish of Richland, Wash., Corrine Tharp of Folsum, Calif., and Elaine Rietz of Fair Oaks, Calif.; 10 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; a brother, LeRoy Rafferty of Rocklin, Calif.; and a sister-in-law, Alice Staab of Ansley.
