U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Elsie Furtak
GOLDEN, Colo. -- Elsie Furtak, 91, of Golden, Colo., formerly of Ord, died Tuesday, May 7, 2002, in Golden.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Golden.
Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Ord Catholic cemetery in Ord. The Rev. Bob Rooney will officiate.
Memorials are suggested to Christian Action Guild in Golden or St. Mary's Catholic School in Ord.
Olinger Woods Chapel and Ord Memorial Chapel are in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Furtak was born July 12, 1910, at Ord to Josef and Mary (Drahokoupil) Pecenka. She graduated from Ord High School in 1929 and the University of Nebraska in 1932. She taught school for five years.
She married
Sylvester Furtak on Sept. 28, 1938, in Ord. She worked as a secretary in the Valley County Welfare office for six years. Later, she was active in the television and appliance business with her husband until he died Jan. 28, 1989. She moved to Golden in 1994.
She was active in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Ord, Altar Society and St. Anne's Study Club. She was the church organist for about 40 years. She was a member of Ord Does, longtime secretary of Valley County Historical Society and served as secretary of American Legion Auxiliary for 25 years and was member for 64 years. In Golden, she was a volunteer in the Christian Action Guild and a member of a Christian Community in St. Joseph's Church.
Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Tom and Kay Furtak of Golden and three grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband and a brother, Otto.
Robert Steuben
WARSAW, Mo. -- Robert V. Steuben, 70, of Warsaw, Mo., died Sept. 5, 2001, at Portland, Ore.
Graveside services will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. His body was cremated. The Rev. Jerry Quandt will officiate.
Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Steuben was born Feb. 10, 1931, at Worms to George Washington and Pearl E. Steuben. He grew up in Central City. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving aboard ship as a veteran of the Korean Conflict. He served aboard the USS Bon Homme Richard, USS Pasadena, aircraft carrier USS Essex and on the Presidential Yacht USS Sequoia during the term of President Lyndon Johnson from 1964 to 1967. He was a carrier sailor with 20 years of service, retiring in 1967.
He married
Rita C. Elstead on Oct. 25, 1950, in Bremerton, Wash. The couple lived in various ports where he was stationed in the U.S. Navy, including Bremerton, San Diego, Corpus Christi, Texas, and Washington D.C. In 1987, they moved to South Red Bud Park near Warsaw.
He was a lifelong member of VFW Post 1347 of Grand Island.
Survivors include his wife; sons, Robert V. Steuben Jr. of Vancouver, Wash., and Ron Steuben of Rogers; daughters, Pat Orendoff of Williamsburg, Va., and Sharon Short of Sunnerset, Ky., eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; brothers, Chuck Steuben of Warsaw and Bill Steuben of Grand Junction, Colo.; and sisters, Reta Sindelar of Huntington, Ind., and Marie Benson of Phillips.
John Baasch
John Henry Baasch, 69, of Grand Island died Thursday, May 9, 2002, at St. Francis Memorial Health Center.
Services will be at 10 a.m. with a 9:45 a.m. family prayer service Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church with the Rev. Robert Harms officiating. Burial will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery.
There will be no viewing or visitation at the family's request.
Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran School.
Mr. Baasch was born on Aug. 3, 1932, at Grand Island to Henry and Ruth (Norbeck) Baasch. He grew up and was educated in Grand Island, graduating from Grand Island Senior High.
He entered the U.S. Navy in 1950, serving as a hot shellman during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged in 1954.
He married
Roccene Wassermann on Feb. 8, 1959 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Grand Island. The couple lived their entire lives in Grand Island, where Mr. Baasch owned and operated John Baasch Inc. for many years.
He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters and sons-in-law, Lorri and Vance Wilkinson and Marianne and Randy Rapien, all of Grand Island; a son and daughter-in-law, John D. and Lisa Baasch of Grand Island; four grandchildren; a sister, Norma Kehm of Grand Island; and three brothers and sisters-in-law, Bill and Linda Baasch and Dick and Arlene Baasch, all of Grand Island, Jim and Lois Baasch of Chapman.
Reba Conrad
Reba Theola Conrad, 83, of Grand Island died Thursday, May 9, 2002, at Lebensraum Retirement Home.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home with the Rev. Vernon Rice officiating. Burial will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. with the family receiving friends from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to Lebensraum Retirement Home.
Mrs. Conrad was born on August 19, 1918, in Butler County to Raymond and Geulian (Want) Clemmer. She attended rural elementary schools in Butler County and graduated from David City High School in 1935.
She married
Ray August Conrad on Feb. 8, 1935, at Plattsmouth. The couple lived in David City until 1948, when they moved to Shelby. They moved in 1950 to Osceola, where they ran the Osceola Hardware and Appliance Store until the late 1950s. They spent their winters in Arizona until her husband's death in 1985.
Mrs. Conrad moved to Grand Island in 1986 to be closer to her family. She and her cat, J.R., moved to Lebensraum Retirement Home in September 2000 due to Mrs. Conrad's failing health.
Mrs. Conrad enjoyed playing bridge and her volunteer work at St. Francis Medical Center and the American Red Cross bloodmobile.
She was a member of the First United Methodist Church, Volunteers at St. Francis Medical Center, Rebekah Truth Lodge 132, Rebekah Circle, Past Nobel Grands, Three Links and AARP Chapter 635.
Survivors include two sons and daughters-in-laws, Jack and Bonnie Conrad of Albion and Gary and Joyce Conrad of Sun Lakes, Ariz., and Sterling, Alaska; a daughter and son-in-law, Dee Anna "Dee" and Glen Hinkle of Grand Island; 11 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; and a brother, Morris Clemmer of Squim, Wash.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by one granddaughter and one brother, James L. Clemmer.
Kelly Logan
Kelly Logan, 79, of Grand Island Veterans Home, formerly of St. Paul, died Thursday, May 9, 2002, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Peters Funeral Home in St. Paul. Chaplain Bill Forbes will officiate. Burial will be in Elmwood cemetery in St. Paul with military honors provided by Carl Mogensen American Legion Post 119 of St. Paul.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to Alzheimer's Foundation.
Mr. Logan was born Nov. 1, 1922, at Rome, Miss., to Lytton J. and Lottie E. (Wiltshire) Logan. He grew up in the area and was a 1940 graduate of Clarksdale High School. He served in the U.S. Army from November 1940 to August 1945. After his discharge, he returned to Mississippi where he worked in commercial and residential construction. In March 1946, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force where he eventually became a warrant officer. He was discharged in July 1953 and moved to Redondo Beach, Calif. He worked for the U.S. Postal Service until his retirement in 1986. He then moved to Cushing in September 1986 and to St. Paul in 1991. In March 2000, he moved to Grand Island Veterans Home.
HE was a member of VFW Post 10752 of St. Paul. He enjoyed reading western novels and woodworking.
Survivors include three sons, Henry K. Logan of Aurora, Colo., Brian K. Logan of Garland, Texas, and David K. Logan of Dallas; a daughter, Karen K. Logan of Denton, Texas; two grandchildren; a great-grandchild; a brother, L. Jason Logan of Lyon, Miss.; and a special friend, Ted Potter of St. Paul.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Marion D. Logan.
Walter Runge
RAVENNA -- Walter H. Runge, 88, of Ravenna died Friday, May 10, 2002, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Services are pending with Rasmussen Mortuary in Ravenna.
Evangeline Johnston
HESPERIA, Calif. - Evangeline F. Johnston, 88, of Hesperia, Calif., died Sunday, May 5, 2002, at Hesperia.
Services were held May 9 at Desert View Mortuary in Hesperia.
Memorials are suggested to Alzheimer's Association in her name.
Mrs. Johnston was born Dec. 28, 1913, in Merrick County to Lee and Euphamia (Manifold) Rankin.
She married
Robert H. Johnston on Jan. 3, 1934, in Aurora. She and her husband farmed in Merrick County until moving to Colorado. They later moved to California, living in Bog Bear and later Hesperia due to health problems.
She was active in Elks Club. She was named Women of the Year four times by the Elks Club.
Survivors include her husband; two sons and daughters-in-law, Gerald "Jerry" R. and Melba of Lakewood, Colo., and Ronald M. and Judy of Long Beach, Calif.; a daughter and son-in-law, Linda K. and John Pearson of Palm Springs, Calif.; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two sisters, Lena Sullivan and Margaret Johnston, and two brothers, Kenneth and Mike.
