U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Bessie Penney
ESCANABA, Mich. -- Bessie Eunice Hickerson Penney, 94, of Escanaba, Mich., died Sunday, Dec. 22, 2002, at Christian Park Health Care Center.
Services will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at Palmer Funeral Home in Fullerton. Burial will be in the Fullerton Cemetery.
Palmer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
John Lamb
CLARKS -- John "Joe" Richard Lamb, 67, of Clarks died June 7, 2003, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Peters Catholic Church in Clarks. The Rev. Don Cleary will officiate.
Burial will be in the Calvary cemetery at Clarks, with military rites.
Arrangements are by Palmer Funeral Home in Fullerton.
Mr. Lamb was born Feb. 12, 1936, at Clarks to Mark and Eva (Ackerman) Lamb.
Survivors of his immediate family include his wife, Shirley; four sons and two daughters-in-law, Col. Timothy and Raedene Lamb of Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., Rex and Vicki Lamb of Lincoln, Joe Lamb of Lincoln and Mark Lamb of Omaha; two daughters and sons-in-law, Lucinda and Curtis Colee of Deland, Fla. and Lisa and Tim Vie of Fontanelle; three brothers, Mike Lamb of Los Angeles, Rex Lamb of Clarks and Tom Lamb of Clarks; and a sister, Mary Lamb of Los Angeles.
Also surviving are 14 grandchildren and two great-grandsons.
Mr. Lamb grew up in Clarks and graduated from Clarks High School in 1954. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1955 and was honorably discharged in 1957. He served aboard the USS Hornet.
He married
Shirley Marcia Schultz on Feb. 25, 1956.
Mr. Lamb worked for the San Antonio Water Company in Upland, Calif., until 1960. He then worked for Fayette Manufacturing in Grand Island for 23 years and Dexter Axle for two years.
He opened J&S; Sales with his wife in 1985.
He loved being with his family and his grandchildren who knew him affectionately as "Papa." He was a loving, kind, affectionate person and loved his pets, wildlife and working in the yard.
He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers, Robert Lamb, Gerald Lamb and Leo Lamb.
George Livingston
GIBBON -- George W. Livingston, 59, of Gibbon died Tuesday, June 10, 2003, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Per his wishes, cremation will take place, with a family burial service to be held at a later date. Godberson Mortuary in Gibbon/Shelton is in charge of arrangements.
Survivors of the immediate family include his wife, Joy; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Jeff of Holdrege and Lath and Sharon of Minden; a daughter, Lorna Livingston of Hildreth; his mother, Viola Livingston of Gibbon; and a sister, Cherie Wagnitz of Eustes.
Minnie Pavlik
Minnie M. Pavlik, 97, of Elba died June 10, 2003, at Howard County Community Hospital in St. Paul.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Jacobsen-Greenway Funeral Home in St. Paul. The Rev. Martha Voigt will officiate. Burial will be in the National Bohemian cemetery near Elba.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Mrs. Pavlik was born Oct. 12, 1905, in rural Elba to Vincent and Anna (Krepel) Svoboda.
Survivors of the immediate family include two sons and daughters-in-law, Dennis and Luella Pavlik and Norman and Shirley Pavlik, all of Omaha.
Other survivors include seven grandchildren, two step grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, four step great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren and three step great-great grandchildren.
Minnie received her education in Howard County rural schools.
On Feb. 24, 1925, she was united in marriage to Joe Pavlik. The couple first farmed near Farwell. In 1929 the couple moved to a farm west of Elba, where they lived the rest of their married
life. Mr. Pavlik died on April 13, 1984. Minnie then moved into Elba, where she made her home until October 2001, when she entered the swing bed unit at the Howard County Hospital due to illness.
She enjoyed cooking, baking, crocheting, gardening and making quilts.
She was a member of the ZCBJ Lodge at Ord.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Joe; one son, Alvin; one daughter, Darlene; six brothers, Tony, Edward, Daniel, Hank, Bill and Emil Svoboda; and two sisters, Agnes Zyntek and Lillian Tuma.
Memorials are suggested to the Elba United Methodist Church or the Elba Volunteer Fire Department.
Sylvester Velder
O'NEILL -- Sylvester Velder, 83, died Monday, June 9, 2003, at his home in O'Neill.
Graveside services will be at 10:20 a.m. Friday at O'Neill Prospect Cemetery. Visitation will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill.
Survivors of the immediate family include a daughter and son-in-law, Shirlie and Gary Roder of Grand Island; a son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Michelle Cadwell of Elkhorn; a sister, Dorothy Condon of Fort Smith, Ark.; and a brother, Denny Velder of O'Neill.
Paul Gerberding
HEBRON -- Paul William Gerberding, 88, died Saturday, June 7, 2003, at Blue Valley Lutheran Nursing Home in Hebron.
Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Grace Lutheran Church in Hebron. The Rev. Richard Pfleiderer will officiate. Burial will be in the Rose Hill cemetery at Hebron.
Mr. Gerberding was born Sept. 7, 1914, on a farm southwest of Gilead to William and Amanda (Doehring) Gerberding.
Survivors of the immediate family include a son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Elizabeth Gerberding of Grand Island; a daughter, Donna Prasser of Bonita Springs, Fla; a sister, Lorna Fangmeyer of Fairbury; and a brother and sister-in-law, Harold and Lucille Gerberding of Deshler.
Survivors also include five grandchildren and one granddaughter-in-law, Dean Gerberding of Grand Island, Deanne Fry of Hastings, Cindy Meyer of Mandeville, La., Tim and Fernanda Prasser of San Diego, Calif., and Andrea Prasser of Cleveland, Ohio; two great-grandchildren, Anthony Gerberding of Grand Island and Matthew Fry of Hastings; nieces; nephews; other family members and friends.
Paul's mother passed away at a young age. Paul was at a young age at this time. At an early age, Paul made his own way in life. He was a hard worker and loved by the friends who employed him.
Paul married
Opal Mae Taylor of McPherson, Kan., on March 17, 1935, at Deshler, Neb. Opal was a loving wife, even in rough times. Sometimes their only home was their car. Four years later, a loving son, Gary, was born to them on July 30, 1939. Then four years later a loving daughter, Donna, was born on July 2, 1943. Even in those hard, depressing times, Paul always seemed to find a job and keep his family together. No job was too lowly. He worked as a farmer, businessman, transport truck driver, heavy road equipment operator, oil field worker, ASC bin site supervisor and other jobs totaling 37 different jobs. He was well liked by many friends and relatives alike. He loved the Lord, wife and family above all else.
At the time of his passing, Paul was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Hebron, for more than 50 years. He also had been an active member of the Hebron Lions Club. Paul donated blood to the American Red Cross every time he was able to, until he reached the age that he wasn't allowed to donate anymore.
Those preceding him in death were his loving wife, Opal, on Feb. 20, 1985, and his parents.
Music at the funeral included congregational hymns "Children of the Heavenly Father," "He Leadeth Me," and "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," with Adam Peithman as organist.
Pallbearers were Frank Hartley, Harold Gerberding, Dean Gerberding, Russell Gerberding, John Kripal and David Hintz.
Memorials have been established to Grace Lutheran Church in Hebron.
Patricia Finley
SAN MATEO, CALIF. -- Patricia Martha Finley, 79, of San Mateo, Calif., died Monday, May 26, 2003, in Burlingame, Calif.
Services were held June 2 at the First Presbyterian Church in San Mateo.
Mrs. Finley was born Nov. 14, 1923, at Salem to Paul and Martha (Cunningham) Parrish.
Survivors of her immediate family include her husband, Roland Finley, formerly of Grand Island; a daughter and son-in-law, Paula Jean Finley and Samuel Varner of Roseville, Calif.; a son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Barbara Finley of El Dorado Hills, Calif.; a brother and sister-in-law, Paul Rogers and Carmen Parrish Jr. of Zephyr Cove, Nev.; and a sister-in-law, Barbara Brown of Grand Island.
Also surviving are a grandson, Gavin Finley of El Dorado Hills, Calif., and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
When Mrs. Finley was an infant her family moved to Denver. She later attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.
She married
Roland Finley on June 22, 1947. In 1948, they moved to California's Bay Area, and they settled in San Mateo in 1951.
She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church for almost half a century. She also served as a Sunday school teacher, a deacon and in various capacities with the Presbyterian Women's Association and church couples groups. She was a founding member of the Keenagers Senior Center.
She was also active in the San Mateo County Kappa Alpha Theta Alumnae Chapter, the American Association of University Women and the San Andreas Lake Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
