U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Hesper Roepke
Hesper I. Roepke, 89, of Grand Island died Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2002, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at United Methodist Church in Waterville, Kan. The Rev. Paul Wolf will officiate. Burial will be in Riverside cemetery in Waterville, Kan.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home with family receiving friends from 6 to 7 p.m. Visitation will also be from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday at Terry Chapel and Funeral Home in Waterville, Kan., with family receiving friends from 6 to 7 p.m.
Memorials are suggested to the Hospice or the church.
Mrs. Roepke was born Jan. 5, 1913, at Blue Rapids, Kan., to Ira and Emma (Reed) Thorman. She grew up and was educated in Blue Rapids, Kan.
She married
Elmer H. Roepke on April 14, 1929, in Blue Rapids, Kan. The couple farmed in the Waterville, Kan., area. In 1958, they retired and moved to Waterville, Kan., where they owned and operated the Grandview Cafe in Marysville, Kan. In 1972, they moved to Grand Island. She worked with her son at Platter Restaurant for 16 years. Her husband died in 1988. She continued to live in Grand Island.
She was a member of United Methodist Church in Waterville, Kan.
Survivors include four sons and daughters-in-law, James and Gwen Roepke of Boulder, Colo., Larry and Linda Roepke of Big Springs, Roger and Rosemary Roepke of Grand Island and Kenneth and Joyce Roepke of Burlson, Texas; two daughters and sons-in-law, Joyce and Leo Cudney of Marysville, Kan., and Karen and Robert Porter of Grand Island; 21 grandchildren; 41 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Gladys Osbourn of Greenleaf, Kan.
She was preceded in death by her husband, a sister, Ilene, and two brothers, Harold and Robert.
Lyle Stewart
Lyle L. Stewart, 74, of Grand Island died Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2002, at his home.
Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Monday in Gollaher Chapel at Trinity United Methodist Church in Grand Island. The Rev. Jim Keyser will officiate.
Mr. Stewart was cremated. There will be no visitation.
Committal services will be at 3:30 p.m. Monday at the Ord cemetery. Military rites will be conducted by the Ord American Legion Post No. 38 and the VFW Post No. 7029.
Memorials are suggested to Special Olympics or the Shriners.
Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Stewart was born May 9, 1927, in Ord to William and Sylvia (Beranek) Stewart. He was educated in Ord and graduated from Ord High School in 1945. He entered the U.S. Navy on Aug. 10, 1945, and was honorably discharged on Aug. 16, 1946.
He married
Donna Wilson on Oct. 8, 1950, in Ord. For a brief time the couple lived in Scotia. They then moved to Fullerton to work on his uncle's farm. They then moved to Grand Island in 1951. Mr. Stewart was employed by Fairacres Dairy and also worked as an electrician.
The couple then moved to a farm near Cairo in 1962 before returning to Grand Island in 1985. He owned and operated Stewart's Pawn Shop from 1988 until the time of his death.
His hobbies included fishing, hunting, and camping. He enjoyed spending time with his family.
He was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, the Platt-Duetsche, Eagles, American Legion, VFW, the Saddle Club and the Central City Gun Club.
Survivors include his wife; two sons and daughters-in-law, Keith and Donna Stewart of Grand Island and Kirk and Patty Stewart of Redlands, Calif.; his mother, Sylvia Stewart of Grand Island; one grandson; and one brother, Lores Stewart of Creston, Iowa.
He was preceded in death by his father and two brothers, Floyd and Alwin Stewart.
James Wonderly
James Wonderly, 60, of Grand Island died Friday, Dec. 28, 2001, at Methodist Hospital in Omaha.
Services will be at 2 p.m. MST Saturday, Feb. 16 at Spellman-Schmidt Mortuary in Wray, Colo.
Mr. Wonderly was born Aug. 6, 1941, at Imperial to Ellsworth and Hazel Wonderly.
He married
Gleannys Lowe in 1960. The couple lived in Benkelman. In 1982, he moved to Grand Island where he worked for Miller Manufacturing.
He later married
Elizabeth Banks in 1990. He lived in Grand Island, working for Chief Industries.
He enjoyed playing his guitar and singing. In the earlier years, he and his band, the Country Drifters, played for dances, traveling for many years. He also enjoyed to hunt, fish and tell jokes or pull pranks.
Survivors include his daughter and son-in-law, Mindy and Leonard Whomble; two sons and daughters-in-law, Jim and Peggy Wonderly and Tony and Jeanette Wonderly; two stepdaughters and stepson-in-law, Peggy and Mike Sanders and Bobbi Banks, eight grandchildren; two step grandchildren; three sisters, Lela Snyder, Doris Bedford and Lois Hember; and two brothers, Red and Lanny Wonderly.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Elizabeth, and four brothers, Donald, Virgil, Ed and Rex.
'Isabelle' Dowse
ANSLEY -- Dora "Isabelle" Dowse, 96, of Ansley died Monday, Jan. 14, 2002, at Sandhills Manor in Broken Bow.
Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church in Mason City. Burial will be in Mason City Cemetery.
Iverson Memorial Chapel in Broken Bow is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Dowse was born Sept. 27, 1905, at the Doug Runyan home northwest of Mason City to Vannie and Bessie (Runyan) Reed. The family moved to Iowa and she started school there. They moved back to Nebraska in 1917 when her parents purchased a farm northeast of Mason City. The family lived in a sod house which was on the farm. She attended Graystone Grade School and graduated from Mason City High School in 1925. She taught country school for nine years.
She married
Harold Dowse on June 2, 1934, in Loup City. The couple farmed and ranched northeast of Mason City until retiring and moving to Ansley in 1986.
She was a member of First Baptist Church in Mason City. She enjoyed the country, flowers and gardening.
Survivors include two daughters and son-in-law, Dalene and Roger Slack of Ansley and Marjorie Wolititch of West Mifflin, Pa.; five grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Inez Dowse of Heritage Hall in Broken Bow.
She was preceded in death by her husbands, two sisters, Bertha and Bessie, a brother, James, a daughter, Dorthy E., a grandchild and a son-in-law.
Eddie Pesek
ORD -- Eddie Pesek, 69, of Ord died Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2002, at his home.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Ord United Methodist Church. The Rev. Jim Miller will officiate. Burial will be in Ord Bohemian cemetery with military rites conducted by Ord VFW Post 7029 and Ord American Legion Post 38.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Ord Memorial Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to Ord Volunteer Fire Department of the family's choice.
Mr. Pesek was born Dec. 19, 1932, on a farm in Valley County to Joseph and Mary (Pravecek) Pesek. He attended Pleasant View District 53 School. He served in the Korean War from 1953 to 1955.
He married
Mary E. Conner on June 1, 1957. The couple lived on a farm until December 1961 when they moved to Ord. They owned and operated Eddie's Pool Hall and Tavern for more than 20 years. He had been retired for 26 years.
He was a member of VFW Post 7029 for 36 years and American Legion Post 38 for 41 years. He enjoyed going to sales in Grand Island and Bohemian and country music.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter and son-in-law, Peggy Pesek-Taylor and Kent McMullen of Trumbull; a son, Mark Pesek of Ord; two grandchildren; a brother, James Pesek of Loup City; and two sisters and a brother-in-law, Lydia and Ernest Chalupa and Rosie Pesek, all of Ord.
He was preceded in death by three brothers, Johnny, Joe and Adolph, and five sisters, Mary Shiemek, Emma Bruha, Lillie Paider, Mamie Konel and Irene Koncel.
Richard Cushing
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Richard H. Cushing, 74, of Surprise, Ariz., formerly of Hastings, died Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2002, at Boswell Hospital in Sun City, Ariz.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church in Hastings. The Rev. Steven Major will officiate. Burial will be in Parkview cemetery in Hastings with military rites.
Book signing will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday with a 5 p.m. rosary at Butler-Volland Funeral Home chapel in Hastings.
Memorials are suggested at the church.
Mr. Cushing was born Dec. 11, 1927, at Hastings to Harry H. and Grace (Lavely) Cushing. He graduated from St. Cecilia's High School in 1946. He served in the U.S. Army from Aug. 28, 1946, to Dec. 12, 1947. He attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and was a member of S.A.E. Fraternity.
He married
Patricia Frasier in 1949. He worked in the family's food brokerage business, the Cushing Company in Hastings until the mid-1950. He moved to Denver, Colo., Billings, Mont., and then to Omaha to rejoin his father in the family business. His wife died June 10, 1984. He moved to Surprise, Ariz., in 1995 from Omaha.
He later married
Goldia Story on July 25, 2001.
He was a past member of St. Cecilia's Catholic Church and American Legion Post 0374.
Survivors include his wife, Goldia; three daughters and sons-in-law, Beccie and Gary Braun of Omaha, Carrie and Steve Smith of Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Shannette and Mitchell Lewis of Colorado Springs, Colo.; two sons and daughters-in-law, Richard "Rick" and Karen Cushing of Huntersville, N.C., and Todd and Karen Cushing of Louisville; two stepdaughters, Allison Jones of Duluth, Ga., and Chelle Yarbrough of Olympia, Wash.; 18 grandchildren; a brother and sister-in-law, Tom and Jan Cushing of Sun City West, Ariz.; and two sisters and brother-in-law, Dolores McCameron of Collinsville, Ill., and Karen and John Roseberry of Alliance.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Patricia, and a son, Judson Cushing.
