U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Seraphine Trausch
Seraphine M. Trausch, 90, of Grand Island, formerly of Hastings, died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2001, at Tiffany Square Care Center.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Michael's Catholic Church. The Revs. Michael Houlihan and Steven Major will officiate. Burial will be in Assumption cemetery in Assumption.
Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at Brand-Wilson Funeral Home in Hastings. A rosary will be at 8 p.m. at the church and one hour prior to service Saturday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to Assumption Catholic Church for the construction of an outdoor prayer garden.
Mrs. Trausch was born May 15, 1911, at Juniata to Theodore and Clara (Eschen) Hoffman. She graduated from Juniata High School and attended Kearney State Teachers School. She began teaching in 1930 at District 25 (Waldron) School and then District 12 (Oregon Trail) School, both in rural Adams County.
She married
Lester S. Trausch on Aug. 12, 1941. The couple lived on a farm near Holstein. She resumed her teaching at Assumption Catholic Grade School and later taught at St. Michael's grade school in Hastings. Her husband died Aug. 24, 1955.
She was a member of St. Michael's Catholic Church and Altar Society, Catholic Daughters, Retired Teachers Association, Legion of Mary, Lincoln Diocese Mother of the Year, 4-H leader, China Belles, the Cut-ups, card clubs and a past member of Adams County Extension Club.
Survivors include three daughters, Claire Hupf of Holstein, Maryann Lowe of Denver and Carol Stringer of Colorado Springs, Colo.; two sons, Bernard of Hastings and Joseph of Doniphan; 20 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Celestine Trausch of Hastings.
She was preceded in death by her husband, a sister, Lillian Schmitz and four brothers, Emil, Dominic, Leo and LaVern Hoffman.
Richard Block Jr.
DONIPHAN -- Richard F. Block Jr., 87, of Doniphan, died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2001, at BryanLGH East in Lincoln.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Rosedale Methodist Church in Rosedale. The Revs. Jim Johnson, Bill Hunter and Jeff Hale will officiate. Burial will be in the Rosedale Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Friday with the family receiving friends from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the Doniphan Senior Center or the Rosedale United Methodist Church.
Mr. Block was born Nov. 6, 1914, in Hall County to Richard and Chloe (Thomas) Block. He grew up in the Doniphan area. He attended Denman Public School and graduated from Doniphan High School.
He married
Helen Mason on March 22, 1947, in Marysville, Kan. The couple lived on a farm in the Doniphan area. Mrs. Block died in 1988.
Mr. Block married
Iola Culp on Sept. 1, 1989, in Eldorado, Kan. They lived on a farm near Doniphan. Mr. Block farmed and raised cattle in the Doniphan area for 56 years. He retired in 1987.
He was a member of the Rosedale Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Iola; two stepdaughters and their husbands, Sheila and Jim Hatfield of Eldorado, Kan., and Carol and Don Staley of Murrieta, Calif.; and a stepson, Jack Culp of Frederick, Colo.
He was preceded in death by his first wife and a sister, Gwen Peebles.
Maurice Hughes
WOOD RIVER -- Maurice Dale Hughes, 79, of Wood River, died Thursday, Dec. 6, 2001, at the Nebraska Veterans Home in Grand Island.
Services are pending with Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home.
Victor Wassermann
FULLERTON -- Victor C. "Vic" Wassermann, 66, of Fullerton died Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the Abundant Life Christian Center in Grand Island. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time Monday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Survivors include his wife, Joan Wassermann; a son and daughter-in-law, Edward and Lena Wassermann of Spokane, Wash.; two daughters and sons-in-law, Jann and Scott DeLong of Geneva and Sherri and Randy Andrews of Grand Island; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; his mother, Loretta Wassermann of Grand Island; and a sister and brother-in-law, Roccene and John Baasch of Grand Island.
He was preceded in death by his father, Victor Wasserman.
'Tad' Finney
EVANSVILLE, Wyo. -- Tadley "Tad" S. Finney, 33, of Evansville, Wyo., formerly of Broken Bow, died Sunday, Dec. 2, 2001, from injuries in a an automobile accident near Gillette, Wyo.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Govier Brothers Mortuary chapel in Broken Bow. The Rev. James Stark will officiate.
A register book will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the mortuary.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mr. Finney was born May 25, 1968, to Steven and Donna (Harrold) Finney. He graduated from Elm Creek High School in 1986 and from Wyoming Technical College in 1987 with a degree in diesel mechanics.
He married
Jackie Burnett on July 8, 1995, in Lincoln. The couple moved to Evansville, Wyo., in August 2001. He worked at Rissler and McMurry Contractor in Casper, Wyo.
He enjoyed fishing, camping, hunting, spending time with his family and studying Indian history and artifacts.
Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Jennifer, Lacey and Kelly, and a son, Bradley, all at home; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Teresa and John Gallentine of Waterloo, Iowa, and Mary and Jason Afrank of Springfield; his father and wife, Steven and Carmen Finney of Broken Bow; his mother and husband, Donna and Ron Stewart of Broken Bow; grandparents, Gerald and Georgia Finney, Delvin Harrold, and Wayne and Maxine Stewart, all of Broken Bow; two stepsisters and a stepbrother-in-law, Shawna and Del Moninger of Broken Bow and Janet Kaelin of Miller; and a stepbrother, Rick Stewart.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Joann Finney and grandparents, Mary Harold, Ramona Harrold and Irene Finney.
'Jim' Straight
REASNOR, Iowa -- Lewis J. "Jim" Straight, 54, of Reasnor, Iowa, died Monday, Dec. 3, 2001, at his home.
Services were Thursday at Wallace Funeral Home in Newton, Iowa. The Rev. Syd McCrorey officiated.
His body was cremated following the service. Burial will be in Ida Grove cemetery in Ida Grove, Iowa, at a later date.
Visitation was held Wednesday at the funeral home.
Mr. Straight was born July 23, 1947, at Scobey, Mont., to Alvin R. and Frances L.J. (Beeks) Straight.
He lived in Newton, Iowa, from 1981 to 1997 and then moved to Reasnor, Iowa. He most recently worked for Car Country and had been a driver for Manatt's Inc.
He was a member of Third Wheel.
Survivors include four brothers, Patrick Straight of Grand Island, William Straight and Gus Straight, both of Newton and Joseph Straight of Des Moines, Iowa, and two sisters, Laura Goin of Elgin, Ore., and Cora "Dian" Straight of Newton.
Charles Coppersmith
Charles T. Coppersmith, 80, of Grand Island, died Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2002, at his home in Grand Island.
Services are pending with Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home.
Ruth Neubert
Ruth C. Neubert, 83, of Grand Island, died Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2002, at the Lakeview Nursing and Rehab Center in Grand Island.
Services are pending with Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home.
