Obituaries from March 2002

Donna G. Calkins, 101, died Wednesday (Feb. 27, 2002) at Sunset Haven Nursing Home in Curtis. She was born on April 12, 1900, to Perry and Harriet "Hattie"(Carothers) Coykendall at Maywood. She grew up in Maywood and graduated from Maywood High School...

Otto Potthoff, 88, died Wednesday (Feb. 27, 2002) at Community Hospital in McCook. He was born June 28, 1913, to Herman Fredrick and Anna (Gorath) Potthoff in Geisselhorst, Oldenburg, Germany. The family moved to Red Willow County in 1918. He graduated from Red Willow High School in 1932...

HOLBROOK -- Vera I. Stevens, 72, died Sunday (Feb. 24, 2002) at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. She was born Jan. 2, 1930, to Elmer and Nellie (Kidney) Hermle in Armour. On Sept. 18, 1948, she married Robert E. Stevens at Beatrice. The couple traveled throughout Kansas and Nebraska working in the construction field and eventually made their home in Silver Creek. She was employed for several years as a welder by G & M Manufacturing. The couple moved to Holbrook in 1986...

OBERLIN -- Queenie V. Critchfield, 89, died Tuesday (Feb. 26, 2002) at Decatur County Hospital. She was born on Aug. 16, 1912, to Elmer "Jack" and Rosa Bell (Barnes) Smith in rural Decatur County. She grew up on a Decatur County Farm northeast of Oberlin. She attended country school south of McCook...

CAMBRIDGE -- Ervin Nelson Lang died Saturday (March 2, 2002) at the Cambridge Manor. He was born June 14, 1913, near Holstein, to Niels and Sine (Holtze) Lang. When he was two years old the family returned to the farm, southeast of Wilsonville. His parents were born in Denmark and the family grew up speaking Danish and English. He graduated from the eighth grade at the Good Hope Country School where all the children, two boys and six girls, attended school and Sunday school...

LARAMIE, Wyo. --  Arthur A. Lauer, fondly known as "Archie", died at age 81, Feb.19, 2002, at his son's home at Laramie, Wyo., with his wife, Rema, and his family by his side. Archie was the youngest of 15 children. He was born to Edward and Magdeline (Vollmer) Lauer, April 26, 1920, at Merna, Neb. ...

CULBERTSON -- Kenneth D. Ruppert, 80, died Sunday (March 3, 2002) at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge. He was born June 20, 1021 to Earl and Florence (Bussard) Ruppert in the Quick Community in Frontier County. He graduated from Curtis High School and the University of Nebraska School of Agriculture at Curtis...

BENKELMAN -- David Harvey Hofer, 67, died Sunday (March 03, 2002) at the Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman. He was born April 19, 1934, to Harvey and Alice (Bunning) Hofer in Pine River, Minn.  He attended a rural school east of Benkelman, and graduated from high school at the Platte Valley Church School in Shelton in 1952...

BROKEN BOW -- Dale Henry Young, 89, died Saturday (March 2, 2002) at the Jennie Melham Memorial Hospital in Broken Bow. He was born Oct. 12, 1912, to George Almer and Flora (Ford) Young at their home north of the Lillian Church. He graduated from Gates school in 1930...

Archie John Hesterwerth, 82, died Saturday (March 2, 2002) at his home near McCook. He was born Nov. 7, 1919, to Otto and Sarah (Geishler) Hesterwerth in McCook. He graduated from rural school and spent his life farming in the McCook Community. He was a member of Saint Patrick's Catholic Church and the McCook Elks Lodge...

ATWOOD -- Russell D. Cochran, 77, died Sunday (March 3, 2002) at the Good Samaritan Center in Atwood. He was born Nov. 17, 1924, to William W. and Violet Rosamond (Felker) Cochran in Atwood. He served in the U. S. Marine Corps during World War II. On Oct. 12, 1950, he married Elaine Virginia Mock at Denver, Colo. He lived in Virgina and Arizona before moving to Atwood in 1991...

TRENTON -- Leona W. McCarthy, 94, died Sunday (March 3, 2002) at the El Dorado Manor in Trenton. She was born Feb. 11, 1908 to Fred and Frieda (Andorka) Shaffer in rural Atwood. She graduated from Trenton High School and later attended Kearney State College. She taught school in rural Hitchcock County...

Bobby J. Robertson, 73, died Saturday (March 2, 2002) at his son's home in Cheney, Kan. He was born Feb. 24, 1929, to Daniel H. and Lola (Dale) Robertson in a suburb of Kansas City, Mo. He grew up at Shawnee Mission, Kan. where he graduated from Shawnee Mission High School in 1947. He then graduated from Kansas City Junior College...

TRENTON -- Lois Evelyn Leonard, 93, died Saturday (March 2, 2002) at the El Dorado Manor in Trenton. She was born Oct. 1, 1908, to Hans and Belle (Spaulding) Larsen at Belvidere. She graduated from Beaver City High School. On July 17, 1926, she married Iralee Leonard at Norton, Kan. They spent their married lives farming north of Edison. She was a homemaker. In 1972, she moved to Wheatridge, Colo. and then returned to Trenton in June 2001...

BEAVER CITY -- Pearl I. Gentry, 90, died Tuesday (March 5, 2002) at Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge. She was born April 29, 1911 to Clarence and Ethel (Hutson) Eshelman at Fairview, Okla. The family moved to Beaver City in the early 1920's where she attended Beaver City Schools...

IMPERIAL -- John Fitzgerald, 86, died Monday (Feb. 4, 2002) at the Imperial Manor Nursing Home in Imperial. Survivors include his wife, Hope of Imperial; two daughters, Martha and husband, Steve Chartier of Paonia, Colo. and Cathy and husband, George Hoff of Imperial; one sister, Marie Sailors of Benkelman; and five grandchildren...

FORT MORGAN, Colo. -- Dale Marlin Steinbeck, 70, died Wednesday (March 6, 2002) at the Colorado Plains Medical Center in Fort Morgan, Colo. He was born Jan. 24, 1932, in Dundy County to Richard and Mary (Bernard) Steinbeck, and attended country school near Doane, west of Benkelman. He served in the United States Air Force...

OBERLIN -- Ida E. Barratt, 87, died Saturday (March 9, 2002) at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. She was born June 24, 1914, to John and Clara (Hemphill) Perona in Barton County, Mo. On Nov. 26, 1928, she married Floyd Holliday. He died in 1946. She then married LeRoy Barratt on Dec. 5, 1953. She had lived in Dodge City, Kan. and Great Bend, Kan. before moving to Decatur County in 2000. She was a homemaker...

IMPERIAL -- Isla Elgene Jaeger, 73, died Friday (March 1, 2002) at Presbyterian St. Lukes Hospital in Denver, Colo. She was born Aug. 4, 1928, to Albert W. and Lelia M. (Cox) Bauerle in Wallace County, Kan. She moved as a toddler with her family to a farm near Champion and attended a nearby country school. She continued to high school in Imperial...

RAPID CITY, S.D. -- Lemoine Trout, 58, died Feb. 7, 2002, at his home in Rapid City. He was born March 24, 1943, to Norval R. and Viola D. (Scott) Trout at Lincoln. He graduated from Alliance High School in 1961. He received his bachelor of science degree from Black Hills State University in 1966 and his master of education from Black Hills State University in 1971...

OBERLIN -- Joseph "Joe" A. Brown, 78, died Friday (March 8, 2002) at the Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. He was born Jan. 19, 1924, to Leslie and Vergie (Feaster) Brown in Kimball. He was raised in Oberlin and Fort Morgan, Colo. He was a World War II Staff Sergeant paratrooper with 17th Airborne. For 50 years he was an auto and implement dealer...

Sara Z. Lacey, 98, died Saturday (March 9, 2002) at her home in McCook. She was born Dec. 16, 1903, to Casper and Marie (Schneider) Zailer in McCook. She grew up at Culbertson where she graduated from Culbertson High School. She also graduated from McCook Junior College and Kearney State College...

CIBECUE, Ariz. -- Phillip Norman Krueger, 58, died Tuesday (March 5, 2002) at his home in Cibecue, Ariz. He was born Aug. 13, 1943, in Red Oak, Iowa, to Norman and Dorothy Krueger. He was preceded in death by his mother. Survivors include his wife, Joyce Krueger of Cibecue; a daughter, Mary Sue Haag of Maxwell (formerly of McCook); two sons, Sean Horton of Melbourne, Fla., and Karl Krueger of Denver; two step-daughters, Christina Pandimos of Elgin, S.C., Alicia Pandimos of Raleigh, N.C.; his father, Norman of Chino Valley, Ariz; a sister, Lori Krueger of Lakewood, Colo.; three brothers, Steve Krueger of Phoenix, Ariz., Mark Krueger of Denver, Colo., and Matthew of Melbourne; and three grandsons.. ...

BENKELMAN -- Lawrence R. Baney, 87, died Saturday (March 9, 2002). He was born July 23, 1914, on his family's farm, northwest of Benkelman, to Reverda and Lois (Hardwick) Baney, and attended country school near his home. On June 1, 1960, he married Inez Williamson and they farmed throughout Dundy County.  He was a lifelong farmer and spent time racing his car, "Old 99," with which he won numerous races...

HASTINGS -- Lucille Mildred (Wegener) Block, 75, died Tuesday (March 12, 2002) at Hastings. She was born Feb. 21, 1927 in Norton, Kan. to August and Mildred (Rathe) Wegener. She grew up in the McCook area. On Oct. 12, 1952, she married Richard Esslinger of McCook. They made their home on a farm north of Arapahoe before later moving to Lexington. Following his death, she married James Kring in 1989; and after his death, married Edwin Block in 1997...

OBERLIN -- Ida Naomi Robertson, 102, died Thursday (March 14, 2002) at the Cedar Living Center in Oberlin. She was born Jan. 19, 1900, to John Henry and Ida May (Burtch) Edmonds in Smith County, Kan. She attended Cedar Valley Grade School and graduated from Kenningston High School...

ASHLAND -- Francis Poppinga, 84, died Monday (March 11, 2002) at his home in Ashland. He was born Dec. 28, 1917 to Frank Heit and Renska Johanna (Raveling) Poppinga at Hildreth. He was a mortuary assistant. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Dorothy; and one daughter, Donna...

STRATTON -- Lois Marie Carlson, 91, died Wed. (March 13, 2002) at Community Hospital in McCook. She was born March 2, 1911, to Harry and Mertie (Baker) Bowman on her family's farm in Hitchcock County, Nebraska, near Palisade.  At an early age, she moved with her family to Trenton where she spent her childhood and attended school.  She graduated from Trenton High School in 1929 and taught at different country schools near Trenton...

HOLBROOK -- Vera I. Stevens, 72, died Sunday (Feb. 24, 2002) at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. She was born Jan. 2, 1930, to Elmer and Nellie (Kidney) Hermle in Armour. On Sept. 18, 1948, she married Robert E. Stevens at Beatrice. The couple traveled throughout Kansas and Nebraska working in the construction field and eventually made their home in Silver Creek. ...

BEAVER CITY -- David Lee Horton, 69, died Wednesday (March 13, 2002) at his home in Beaver City. He was born Sept. 17, 1932, to Charles and Blanch (Williams) Horton in Quinn, S.D. He grew up and graduated in South Dakota. He served in the U. S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict...

RANCHO BERNARDO, Calif. -- Elaine (Loar) Isley, 83, died Thursday (March 7, 2002). She was born in Atwood to Maude and Grover "Pop" Loar. At age six, the family moved to McCook and she attended East Ward elementary school. She graduated from McCook High School in 1937. ...

BOWIE, Texas -- Ronald A. Brush, 65, died Tuesday (March 12, 2002) in Bowie, Texas. He was born Nov. 23, 1936, in Curtis. On Dec. 20, 1958, he married Aurelia Garcia in Beeville, Texas. He was a truck driver and has made his home in Bowie for the past 30 years...

Waldo Waid "Andy" Anderson was born February 8, 1936, and died March 12, 2002, at his home in Pearland, Texas. Andy is survived by his mother, Melba Anderson; his wife, Beth Bradley Anderson; and his daughters, Kirsten Burress, Katherine Tanner, Cynthia Easler and Corey Fox...

COLUMBUS -- Edra Mikkelsen, 86, died Sunday (March 10, 2002) at her home in Columbus. She was born July 19, 1915 to Ralph and Irene (Ruby) Boyer in Danbury. She received her education in Danbury, where she graduated from Danbury High School. She received a Regents Scholarship to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and she later received her bachelor's degree from Chadron State College and her master's in education from the University of South Dakota...

TRENTON -- Josephine K. Hawkins, 90, died Thursday (March 14, 2002) at Community Hospital in McCook. She was born May 10, 1911, to Joseph and Elizabeth (Baumfalk) Berger at Ludell. She grew up on a farm south of Trenton and attended Trenton High School...

POINT PLACE, OHIO -- Angelin Nola Rookstool, 77, formerly of Ansley, Nebraska, died Friday, March 15, 2002, at her home in Point Place, Ohio, after battling cancer. Nola was born Dec. 20, 1924, to Thomas Benton and Nettie Maude (Cox) Grim in Dutchman Valley, Neb. She graduated from Westerville High School in 1943...

SIDNEY -- Vincent Calahan, 74, died Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2002, at the Memorial Health Center in Sidney. He was born Sept. 29, 1927, to William and Mabel (Glaze) Calahan, in McCook. He grew up in Wellfleet and North Platte. At the age of 17, he entered the SeaBees during World War II, where he served in the Pacific Islands...

ARAPAHOE -- Roger G. Felt, 57, died Friday (March 15, 2002) at Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge. He was born July 11, 1944, to Glen and Viola (DeSelms) Felt in McCook. He was raised in Culbertson where he also attended school. He served in the U. S. Navy for three years at Newport, R. I...

IMPERIAL -- Alan Cleith Wagner, 19, died Saturday (March 16, 2002) of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. He was born on Jan. 1, 1983, to Terry Wagner and Carol (Sines) Brown in Grant. He attended school in Lamar and Imperial. He graduated from Chase County High School in 2001. He had worked for Pribbeno Construction, Scott Neal of Imperial and, most recently, Valmont Industries of McCook...

ARAPAHOE -- Roger Gene Felt was born on July 11, 1944, in McCook, Neb., to Glen Edward and Viola Edwina (Deselms) Felt. In August of the following year, his mother passed away and Roger, age 13 months, and two brothers, Walter James, age seven and Edward Eugene, age four, went to live with and be raised by their grandparents, Jim and Cora Felt...

SUN CITY, ARIZ. -- Willard H. "Will" Ebeling, 75, died Monday (March 18, 2002) at his home in Sun City, Ariz. He was born Feb. 8, 1927, to Edwin Nathan and Laura Catherine (Lintner) Ebeling at Atwood. He attended school in Atwood, Concordia and Clay Center, Kan...

OBERLIN -- Rex L. Bolliger, 65, died Wednesday (March 19, 2002) in Wichita, Kan. He was born March 25, 1936, to Walter and Leona (Cuthbertson) Bolliger in Dellvelle, Kan. He was raised in the Norcatur area and in 1954, he graduated from Norcatur High School...

WICHITA, Kan. -- Tara L. Huss-Emert, 24, died March 11, 2002, in Wichita, Kan., from injuries sustained in motor vehicle accident. She was born April 12, 1977, in Atwood. She attended several schools and graduated from Spring Hill High School in Spring Hill, Kan., in 1995...

CURTIS -- Dora M. Weiss, 96, died Wednesday (March 19, 2002) at Sunset Haven Nursing Home in Curtis. She was born Nov. 18, 1905, to George and Clara (McMichael) Johnson near Farnam in Frontier County. She graduated from Stockville High School in 1923...

PALISADE -- Marie V. Strayer, 92, died Saturday (March 16, 2002) of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. She was born Sept. 1, 1909, to Henry and Elizabeth (Wacker) Bauer in Culbertson. She was raised primarily in Palisade. On Nov. 25, 1933, she married Virgil W. Strayer, in Culbertson...

PALISADE -- Bernes "Bernie" J. Schutte, 69, died Wednesday (March 20, 2002) while on duty as a fireman at a fire near Hamlet. He was born Oct. 8, 1932, to Clyde T. and Dorothy K. (Bolte) Schutte at Lawrence. He served in the U. S. Army during the Korean conflict from 1953-1955. He completed his education while in the army. He lived and worked in Palisade since 1955...

CURTIS -- Ruth A. Hall, 80, died Thursday (March 21, 2002) at her home in Curtis. She was born Dec. 14, 1921, in a sod house southwest of Curtis to Clarence A. "Jack" and Ettie B. Dettra Hinton. She attended the North Star School in District No. 29 and graduated from the Nebraska School of Agriculture in Curtis in 1939...

BEAVER CITY -- Bonnie J. McClain, 82, died Thursday (March 21, 2002) at Beaver City Manor. She was born Jan. 25, 1920, to John and Mabel (Chambers) Bickford at Beaver City. She graduated from Hendley High School in 1938. On June 20, 1943, she married A.F. ...

INDIANOLA -- Christina Ellen Helm, 17, died Saturday (March 23, 2002) near Perry, west of McCook, of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. She was born Nov. 3, 1984, to Mark Walter and Victoria "Vicki" Elizabeth (Barlow) Helm at North Platte. She was a Junior at Republican Valley High School. She sang in the high school choir and was a past band member. She was a life guard at the Indianola pool. She lived most of her life in the Indianola area...

OBERLIN -- Pearl G. Cameron, 84, died Saturday (March 23, 2002) at Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. She was born Feb. 23, 1918, to Thomas and Rena (Taylor) McMann in Rexford. She was raised in Dresden and graduated from Dresden High School in 1936...

BENKELMAN -- Evelyn Faye (Myer) Creach-Friesen, 94, died Wednesday (March 20, 2002) at Sarah Ann Hester Memorial Home in Benkelman. She was born Dec. 23, 1907, on a ranch north of Callaway. She graduated from Franklin High School in 1926 and graduated with Magna Cum Laude honors from Chadron State College in 1957, earning her bachelor of science degree in education. She taught for 41 years in Nebraska, Wyoming, Maryland, Missouri and Kansas...

CAMBRIDGE -- Phyllis E. Niemeier, 75, died Thursday (March 21, 2002) at the Good Samaritan Center in Arapahoe.] She was born on Aug. 20, 1926, to Arthur Mattoon and Jessie Eleanor (Watson) Hyde at Fowler, Colo. She grew up in the Edison area and attended school in Edison...

BEAVER CITY -- Eugene L. Smith, 86, died Friday, (March 22, 2002) at the Beaver City Manor in Beaver City. He was born Oct. 23, 1915, to Eugene Leroy and Alta Frances (Jones) Smith at Orangevale, Calif. He attended grade schools in Sacramento Valley and graduated from San Juan High School in 1934. He was a truck driver...

Florence Catherine Unger, 78, died Friday, (March 22, 2002) at Hillcrest Nursing Home. She was born Aug. 18, 1923 at Herndon to Frank and Anna (Kogl) Weishapl. She graduated from Atwood High School in 1940, and later became a teacher there. During World War II she worked in Omaha for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers...

CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. -- Carroll C. Agee, a resident of Castro Valley, Calif., died March 15, 2002. She was the daughter of Robert and Bernice Carter. She graduated from Palisade High School in 1936. She attended the Nebraska State Teachers College at Kearney for one year and then went to California where she was employed by Standard Oil Company until her marriage to Lee Agee in 1939. To this union four children were born...

Dale Ruppert, 74, died Saturday (March 23, 2002) at Immanuel Medical Center in Omaha. He was born Dec. 1, 1927, to Jay and Doris (Meissner) Ruppert at Quick. He grew up and attended school in Frontier County. On April 2, 1946, he entered the U.S. Army and served until he was honorably discharged in 1947. He was a member of the legendary Quick Baseball team during the late forties and early fifties...

BENKELMAN -- Malvin Dean Hendrickson, 97, died Saturday (March 23, 2002) at his home in Benkelman. He was born July 10, 1904, in Hebron to John Otto and Della (Cain) Hendrickson. At the age of two, he moved with his mother to Haigler where they lived with his grandparents.  When he was eight, his mother married Otis Edwards and they moved to the Pleasant Valley area...

CAMBRIDGE -- Hildegard Fichtner, 94, died Tuesday (March 26, 2002) at the Cambridge Manor. She was born July 1, 1907, to Gottlied and Olga (Peters) Fichtner south of Bartley. She attended school at District 69 south of Indianola. She farmed south of Bartley with her brother Lloyd. She retired from farming in 1994 and moved to the Parkside Manor in Cambridge. In August 2000 she moved to the Cambridge Manor...

INDIANOLA -- Jeffery Anderson, 24, died Monday (March 25, 2002) at a Kearney hospital from injuries sustained in an accident west of McCook. He was born Jan. 15, 1978, to Neil and Jeana (Cornelius) Anderson in Perkins County. The family moved to Bertrand when he was young. ...

KIRKLAND, Wash. -- Lydia Anna Marie (Bartels) Troester, 86, passed away peacefully on Friday (March 22, 2002) at Hope Adult Family Home in Kirkland, Wash. She was born Sept. 26, 1915, to William and Agnus Bartels, at Campbell in the family farm home. She was baptized and confirmed, and on June 1, 1933, was united in marriage to Walter Martin Troester at Trinity Lutheran Church...

OBERLIN -- Marvin "Perk" Lloyd Leitner, 81, died Wednesday (March 27, 2002) at Cedar Living Center in Oberlin. He was born Dec. 31, 1920, to Paul and Theresia (Wendelin) Leitner at Herndon. He was raised at Traer and attended Traer Rural Schools. He served in the United States Army during World War II...

STRATTON -- Betty Joy Latta, 77, died Tuesday (March 26, 2002) at Haven Home of Kenesaw in Kenesaw. She was a resident of Stratton. She was born Aug. 8, 1924 at Wray, Colo., to Albert M. and Zelma B. (Harding) Latta. At an early age, she moved with her family to Stratton.  She graduated in 1943 from Stratton High School, and worked as a clerk at the grocery store in Stratton for many years.  She later cared for children in her home for several area families. ...

NORTH PLATTE -- Elizabeth "Betty" T. Wirth, 83, died Monday (March 25, 2002) at Bryan LGH in Lincoln following heart surgery. She was born May 21, 1918, to Frank and Anna (Henner) Neuhalfen in Nebraska City. She graduated from Dunbar High School. She worked in Washington, D.C. for the War Department during World War II...