U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Amanda Jo Hambleton
GENOA -- Amanda Jo Hambleton, infant daughter of Kent and Kathy (Peterson) Hambleton of Genoa, died at birth Nov. 15, 2001, at Boone County Medical Center in Albion.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Fullerton Cemetery.
Palmer Funeral Home in Fullerton is in charge of arrangements.
Survivors include her parents; a brother, Cody and two sisters, Abbie and Alyssa Hambleton, all at home; and grandparents Elston and Carolyn Hambleton of Fullerton and Curtis and Anne Peterson of Genoa.
She was preceded in death by grandparent Donna Hambleton.
Frank Iwanski
BURWELL -- Frank J. Iwanski, 85, of Burwell died Nov. 15, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Burwell. The Rev. Bernard Berger will officiate. Burial will be in Cottonwood cemetery in Burwell.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the church with a wake service at 7 p.m.
Memorials are suggested to the Cancer Society.
Hitchcock Funeral Home in Burwell is in charge of arrangements.
Fern Polzkill
CENTRAL CITY -- Fern D. Polzkill, 82, of Central City died Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001, at the Central City Care Center.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Solt Funeral Home chapel in Central City. Curtis Williford will officiate. Burial will be at 11:45 a.m. Monday in the Fullerton Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Miss Polzkill was born Aug. 31, 1919, at Fullerton to Bernard W. and Leota M. (Meyer) Polzkill. She grew up and received her education in Nance County. She lived in the Fullerton, Marquette and Central City area. She worked for Tranburgers Variety Store in Fullerton for many years, the Cold Storage in Central City and for Clark Bakery in Central City. She also worked in private homes. She retired in the late 1970s and continued to live in Central City. She moved into the Central City Care Center in February 2001.
She enjoyed working crossword puzzles and was an avid walker.
Survivors include a brother, Paul Polzkill of Central City; a sister and brother-in-law, Margaret and Harley Riley of Everett, Wash.; and two sisters-in-law, Donna Mate of Central City and Phyllis Hansen of Alma.
She was preceded in death by two brothers, Bernard and John Polzkill.
'Shorty' Williams
HASTINGS -- Guy "Shorty" Williams, 97, of Hastings, died Thursday, Nov. 15, 2001, at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital in Hastings.
Services and burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Greenwood cemetery in Trumbull. The Rev. Lloyd Boyce will officiate.
There is no visitation. Mr. Williams' body was cremated. Book registration will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Butler-Volland Funeral Home in Hastings.
Mr. Williams was born Nov. 27, 1903, in DeKalb County, Mo., to Charles and Viola (Stockton) Williams. He moved to the Hastings area with his family in 1908.
He married
Doris Schultz on April 20, 1933.
He was a member of Hanover Presbyterian Church in rural Glenvil and was a farmer before his retirement.
Survivors include his wife; four daughters and two sons-in-law, Marjorie Hays of Hastings, Jean and Duane Walker of Hastings, Ann Frisch of Los Fresnos, Texas, and Judy and George Briggs of McCook; 11 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and five great-great-grandchildren.
Victor Gardner
KENESAW -- Victor C. Gardner, 41, of rural Kenesaw died Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2001, at his home of natural causes.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at United Congregational Church in Grand Island. The Rev. Lonnie Logan will officiate. Burial will be in Evergreen cemetery in Loup City.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday at All Faiths Funeral Home with family receiving friends from 5 to 8 p.m.
Memorials are suggested to American Diabetes Fund or the church.
Mr. Gardner was born June 14, 1960, at Ainsworth to the Rev. Fred C. and Norma L. (Ritz) Gardner. He was raised in Plainview where he graduated from Plainview High School in 1978. He then graduated from Milford Technical School. He lived in Phoenix where he worked as a mechanist. He returned to Nebraska in 1988. He has lived a life of sobriety for the past 13 years.
He was raised a member of the Congregational Church. He enjoyed his dogs and traveling. He was a devoted uncle.
Survivors include his parents; a sister and brother-in-law, Joni and Rodney Ballinger of Jefferson, S.D.; a nephew, Timothy; two nieces, Lindsey and Tiffany; a special friend, Neal Sahling of Prosser; and grandparent Lilly Ritz of Arcadia.
He was preceded in death by grandparents Harry Ritz and Fred and Sadie Gardner.
Evelyn Pearson
THEDFORD -- Evelyn T. Pearson, 77, of Thedford died Sunday, Nov. 11, 2001, at Pioneer Ridge Healthcare Center in Lawrence, Kan.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Bethel Assembly of God Church in Thedford. The Rev. Jonathan Busch will officiate. Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday at the church with family greeting friends from 5 to 9 p.m.
Memorials are suggested to the church, cemetery or Douglas County Kansas Hospice Program.
Mrs. Pearson was born May 28, 1924, at Akron, Colo., to Omar A. and Lavina (Shaffner) Beason. The family moved to the Thedford area when she was young. She attended Thedford schools, graduating in 1942. She taught at Norway, Thomas and Sranton rural schools in Thomas County.
She married
L. B. "Bud" Pearson on Jan. 3, 1945, in Ventura, Calif. She worked for the U.S. Navy while her husband was in the U.S. Army. After the war, they returned to Thedford and ranched south of town. She worked as a postal employee for 42 years. They moved west of Thedford in 1977. The couple had been married
for almost 57 years.
She served as a Thedford school board member for 12 years and participated in many other community groups. She was a Bethel Assembly of God member for more than 50 years.
Survivors include her husband; a daughter and son-in-law, Marian and Doug Eicher of Lawrence; two grandchildren; a great-grandchild; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Carol Murphy of North Platte and JoAnne and Melvin Blauvelt of Thedford; and a brother and sister-in-law, Don and Wanda Beason of Grand Island.
She was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Nancy Jo.
Robert Gappa
PORT ISABEL, Texas -- Robert J. Gappa, 71, of Port Isabel, Texas, died Thursday, Oct. 26, 2001.
Services will be at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 24 at St. James Catholic Church in Kearney.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mr. Gappa was born at Loup City to John and Anna Gappa. He attended school in Loup City. He resided in Ravenna.
He married
his wife Connie in Ravenna. They were married
for 48 years. He had an accounting practice in Kearney. He moved to Estes Park, Colo., in 1979, where he owned and operated Mountain Dew Liquors. After retiring in 1997, he moved to Port Isabel, Texas, on the Gulf of Mexico, where he did volunteer work for the Port Isabel public library, preparing income taxes for AARP members.
He was a member of Kearney Elks Lodge, Kearney Optimist Club and a worker for the United fund. He enjoyed hunting and fishing. He attended all Nebraska football games for 17 years. He was also a member of Our Lady of the Mt. Catholic Church and Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church.
Survivors include his wife of Port Isabel; three daughters, Sherri Lahm of Grand Island, Pam Reidy of Florissant, Mo., and Peggy Gappa of Superior, Colo.; a son, Doug Gappa of Fairbury; seven grandchildren; a great-grandchild; a brother, Jim Gappa of Omaha and a sister, Rita Kunkle of Omaha.
He was preceded in death by an infant brother, Richard.
