Obituaries from May 2002

OBERLIN -- Helen Corcoran, 95, died Monday (April 29, 2002) at Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. She was born Feb. 23, 1907, to Oswa and Malinda (Worley) Traxler in Oberlin. She graduated from Decatur Community High School in 1925 and attended Fort Hays State for one year...

NORTH PLATTE -- Virginia Ann Smith, 44, died Tuesday (April 30, 2002) at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. She was born Oct. 12, 1957, in Colby, Kan., to Matthew and Aldea (Schrandt) Finnesy. She attended Golden Plains Grade Schools and high school in Selden before graduating from Rexford High School in 1976...

WAUNETA -- Darline Wicke, 68, a longtime resident of Wauneta, died Tuesday (April 30, 2002) at the McKee Medical Center in Loveland, Colo. She was born Meryl Darline on Aug. 26, 1933, to Perl and Nellie (Borland) Sexson in McCook. She attended country school northeast of Wauneta and graduated from Wauneta High School in 1951. She went to business school in Omaha and spent a short time in Washington, D.C...

Marcella Marie McNeill Luther, 84, died April 30, 2002 in Fountain in the Sun, Mesa. She had been in poor health the past two years. Of the many problems, lung cancer was probably the final blow. She endured these misfortunes with the same fortitude and courage that she exhibited throughout her life...

WAUNETA -- Eva Agnes Polly, 84, died Wednesday (April 24, 2002) at Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial. She was born June 19, 1917, to Joseph Iznac and Olga Cecelia (Vlasin) Kerchal on the family farm north of Wauneta. She attended grade school in Hayes County and she graduated from Wauneta High School in 1935. ...

ARAPAHOE -- Dulcie Winona Elston, 81, died Friday (May 3, 2002) at Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge. She born Jan. 16, 1921, to Frank and Alma (Voss) Elston in Arapahoe. She was raised in Furnas County and graduated from Holbrook High School in 1938. She taught country school for two years and worked as a teller at Security Bank in Holbrook...

TOPEKA, Kan. -- Louise W. Torluemke, 91, died Monday (May 6, 2002) at Midland Hospice House in Topeka, Kan. She was born Jan. 1, 1911, to C.F. and Adeline (Berndt) Germeroth at Russell Springs, Kan. The family moved to Hoxie when she was a small child. She attended Lutheran parochial school and graduated from Hoxie High School. She taught school in a one room school house...

DENVER, Colo. -- Darrell G. Tice, 72, died Friday (May 3, 2002) at Hospice of Metro Denver in Denver, Colo. He was born May 7, 1929, to Charley Van and Vera Maye (Kelley) Tice at Oberlin. He attended schools in Oberlin. On June 19, 1955, he married Jeanette Brunk in McCook. The couple spent time in McCook, Garden City, Kan., and Aurora, Colo. before moving to Denver. He was a supervisor for the city of Denver Storm Drainage Department...

JENNINGS -- Elmer E. Petracek, 68, died Tuesday (May 7, 2002) at his farm home northwest of Jennings. He was born Feb. 15, 1934, to Joseph and Oliva (Vacura) Petracek, Jr. He graduated from Jennings High School in 1952. He served in the U. S. Army from 1957-59...

MAYWOOD -- Donald LeRoy Covey, 61, died Monday (May 6, 2002) at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. He was born June 8, 1940, at Curtis to Donald Robert and Marie (Carstens) Covey. He graduated from Maywood High School in 1959. He entered the U.S. Army in 1959, serving for 22 years retiring in 1981, as a Sgt. 1st Class from Fort Hood, Texas...

LITTLETON, Colo. -- Richard M. Tellus, 60, died March 20, 2002, at Englewood, Colo. He was born Oct. 14, 1941, in Garden City, Kan. He was married to Carolyne L. Fournier. He worked as a lab technician. Survivors include one son, Keith Tellus of Littleton; three daughters, Katrina Tellus of Littleton, Karla Hennen of Lakewood, Colo. ...

OBERLIN -- Velma Evangeline Jeffus, 94, died Tuesday (May 7, 2002) at Decatur County Good Samaritan in Oberlin. She was born Sept. 29, 1907, to Alva Dana and Anna Nora (Henderson) Megown in Sedalia, Mo. She was raised in Missouri, Wyoming and California...

HERNDON -- Eleanora Marie (Barenberg) Marintzer, 91, died Wednesday (May 8, 2002) at the Good Samaritan Center in Atwood. She was born on Feb. 8, 1911, to Frank and Mary (Neuberger) Barenberg, four miles west of Herndon. She attended school at Brown Country School, St. Mary's Parochial School and Herndon High School...

ATWOOD -- Clarence Lang, 71, died Thursday (May 9, 2002) at the Rawlins County Health Center in Atwood. He was born Dec. 19, 1930, in rural Graham County at St. Peter, Kan., to Peter and Katharine (Rome) Lang. He married Lillian Marie Sauer in St. Peter in 1950...

INDIANOLA -- Eldon Gerald "Gus" Guthrie, 64, died Thursday (May 9, 2002) at Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge. He was born Feb. 25, 1938, at Stratton, to Carl Willard and Ruby Viola (Zeigler) Guthrie. He graduated from Indianola High School in 1956...

BENKELMAN -- Don Eugene Whiteley, 78, died Saturday (May 11, 2002) at Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman.  He was born May 24, 1923, to Roy and Helen (Cooper) Whiteley in Chase County, Nebraska.  He attended grade school at Hiawatha and graduated from Chase County High School where he competed in boxing. He joined the Merchant Marines in 1945 and served in the Pacific...

ATWOOD -- Audrey Maxine (Penn) Weishapl, 74, died Sunday (May 12, 2002) at the Rawlins County Health Center in Atwood. She was born Aug. 23, 1927, to Finnis E. and Elsie (Patton) Penn in Parks. She attended grade school in Bird City and Atwood. She also attended Charles Denver Beauty School in Denver, Colo. She then worked at the telephone company in Atwood...

BENKELMAN -- Don Eugene Whiteley, 78, died Saturday (May 11, 2002) at Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman.  He was born May 24, 1923, to Roy and Helen (Cooper) Whiteley in Chase County, Nebraska.  He attended grade school at Hiawatha and graduated from Chase County High School...

BEAVER CITY -- Melvin O. Lamb, 93, died Tuesday (May 14, 2002) at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. He was born March 6, 1909, to George W. and Ella Ada (Parker) Lamb at Stamford. He spent his early years in Petersburg, Ind. The family moved to Beaver City in 1927...

Bernice I. Brown, 84, died Thursday (May 16, 2002) at Sunset Haven Nursing Home in Curtis. She was born April 30, 1918, to Ray and Eva (Schults) Warren in Lebanon. Survivors include one daughter, Sandra and husband, Harlow Daffer of Danbury; one son, Charles and wife, Karen Brown of Lebanon; two sisters, LaVonne Walters of Schulyer and Fern and husband, Griff Reiners of McCook; and three grandchildren...

Angela L. Mathias, 84, died Thursday (May 16, 2002) at Community Hospital in McCook. She was born on March 6, 1919, to Frank and Mary (Bokr) Oliva, in Kensington, Kan. She grew up in Kensington and graduated from high school there. She was also a graduate of Kansas State University...

OBERLIN -- Fern Pieratt, 97, died Friday (May 17, 2002) at Decatur County Good Samaritan Center in Oberlin. She was born Oct. 7, 1904, to Randolph J. and Lula Ella (Bradly) Forrest in El Reno, Okla. She was raised in El Reno as well as Carrizozo, N.M...

WAUNETA -- Riley Paxton Mintling, 77, died Friday (May 17, 2002) at Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial. He was born August 16, 1924, to William Leslie and Ethel Dee (Barrett) Mintling in a sod house in Hayes County near Camp Duke Alexis. He grew up in Hayes County and graduated from Hayes County high school in 1942. He farmed for a short time near Hayes Center. In 1947, he started his own business, Mintling Construction...

Joseph John Augustyn, Jr., 74, died of pancreatic stomach cancer Friday (May 17, 2002) at his home in McCook. He was born April 24, 1928, to Joseph John and Gertrude Barbara (Tomasiewicz) Augustyn at Loup City, Neb. He graduated as valedictorian from Loup City High School in 1945. ...

LEBANON -- Bernice I. Brown, 84, died Thursday (May 16, 2002) at Sunset Haven Nursing Home in Curtis. She was born April 30, 2002, to Ray and Eva (Shults) Warren, in Furnas County. She grew up in Lebanon and graduated from Lebanon High School. On Oct. ...

OXFORD -- Kay Lavon Haag, 59, died Sunday (May 19, 2002) at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. She was born April 25, 1943, to Milton and Ruth (Berner) Lueking in Oxford. She graduated from Oxford High School in 1960. She earned a bachelor's degree in Business and Education from Kearney Teacher's College...

Raymond John Real, Sr., 72, died Saturday (May 18, 2002) at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. He was born Nov. 10, 1929, at McCook to John E. and Amy Zenobia (Fisher) Real. He attended McCook Public Schools. He served with the Nebraska National Guard...

ST. FRANCIS -- Gertrude Mary Antholz, 88, died Saturday (May 18, 2002) at Good Samaritan Village in St. Francis. She was born March 2, 1914, to Roy and Sophia Mary (Kletchka) McKain in Rawlins County, Kan. In 1962, she married Edwin Atholz in Bird City. She was a homemaker and a nurse's aid...

Joseph John Augustyn, Jr., 74, died of pancreatic stomach cancer Friday (May 17, 2002) at his home in McCook. Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday, 11 a.m., at St. Patrick's Catholic Church with the Reverend Gary Brethour and the Reverend Andrew M. Augustyn officiating. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery...

BEAVER CITY -- Steven Lee Smith, 49, died Monday (May 19, 2002) at his home in Grand Island. He was born Sept. 17, 1952, to Merlin and Carol (Thorn) Smith at McCook. He attended Beaver City Schools and worked for a number of people in the Beaver City area. He moved to Grand Island several years ago where he worked at the time of his death...

WOODLAND, Wash. -- Bernice A. Hummels, 93, died Monday (Jan. 14, 2002) at Battle Ground Nursing Home in Woodland, Wash. She was born Dec. 17. 1908, to Mr. and Mrs. John L. Parrott at Goodland, Kan. In 1924, she married Francis Hummels. Following his death, she received her beauticians license and operated her own beauty shop in Woodland for 20 years...

Wilbur Lee Larson was born to Lee R. and Mary Ann Larson on Dec. 11, 1914 in Lincoln County, Neb. Wilbur departed this life on May 19, 2002, at the Chase County Hospital in Imperial. Wilbur grew up on his family's farm near Gothenburg. He was baptized and confirmed in the American Lutheran Church. He graduated from Gothenburg High School in 1933...

Wilbur Lee Larson was born to Lee R. and Mary Ann Larson on Dec. 11, 1914 in Lincoln County, Neb. Wilbur departed this life on May 19, 2002, at the Chase County Hospital in Imperial. Wilbur grew up on his family's farm near Gothenburg. He was baptized and confirmed in the American Lutheran Church. He graduated from Gothenburg High School in 1933...

HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. -- Austin Earle Oberly, 4 days old, died Monday (May 21, 2002) at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center in Denver, Colo. He was born May 17, 2002, to Larry E. and JoLinda L. (Beamgard) Oberly at Denver. Survivors include his parents, Larry and JoLinda (Beamgard) Oberly of Highlands Ranch, Colo.; twin brother, Andrew, who is yet to be born this summer; paternal grandparents, Earl and Marie Oberly of Tuscon, Ariz.; maternal grandparents, Bill and Jean Beamgard of Atwood; and great-grandmother, Virginia Burd of Ohio.. ...

OBERLIN -- Wanda V. Frickey, 84, died Thursday (May 23, 2002) at her home in Oberlin. She was born Oct. 29, 1917, to Wilbur and Jenne (Whartman) Chandler at Jennings. She graduated from Jennings High School. On. Aug. 20, 1947, she married Wendell Frickey in Norton. The couple farmed in the Lyle Community near Wilsonville before moving to Oberlin in 1970. She was a homemaker...

RANCHO BERNARDO, Calif. -- James Anthony Farrell, 75, died Jan. 27, 2002, at the Pomerado Hospital in Poway, Calif. He was born July 21, 1926, to Frank and Genevieve Farrell. He grew up on a farm near Lebanon where he attended grade school before later moving to Palisade. He graduated from Palisade High School in 1945. He then attended Regis College in Denver, Colo. and Fordham University in New York...

STRATTON -- Viola Fay Bailey, 91, died Thursday (May 23, 2002) at her home in Stratton.  She was born November 27, 1910, at Firth to Orman T. and Jessie C. (Huetson) Confer.    As a child, she moved with her family to the Confer Ranch south of Culbertson where she grew up and attended church at...

BEAVER CITY -- Robert "Bob" Theobald, 50, died Thursday (May 16, 2002) at his home in Bradenton, Fla. He was born April 10, 1952, to Robert and Florine (Harper) Theobald at Holdrege. He graduated from Beaver City High School in 1970. He graduated from McCook Junior College and transferred to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where he graduated in 1974. He worked at his parents store "Kelley's Supermarket" in Beaver City...

MILBURN -- L.D. "Luren" Dunbar, 84, died Friday (May 24, 2002) at the Community Memorial Health Center in Burwell. He was born Nov. 19. 1918, to C.A. and Rita (Hyde) Dunbar at Almeria. His education began at Knobby Ridge and he graduated from Taylor High School in 1935. He taught school in Blaine County and Springview before moving to Loup County...

Sylvia Grace Moore, 84, died Saturday (May 25, 2002) at Bryan LGH East in Lincoln. She was born Oct. 8, 1917, at Otis, Colo., to John and Sophia K. (Plager) Casper. She graduated from McCook High School in 1937. On Nov. 10, 1939, she married John H. Moore at Sidney. She was a beautician, a nurses aide at Community Hospital, was employed by Sehnert's Bakery, and spent countless hours doing genealogical research...

NORTH PLATTE -- Donna Jean Coykendall, 74, died Thursday (May 23, 2002) at her home in North Platte. She was born Feb. 5, 1928, to Leo and Pearl (Lawrence) Sellers at Wellfleet. She graduated from Maxwell High School in 1944. On June 20, 1949, she married Orval Coykendall in North Platte...

ST. FRANCIS -- Gertrude Mary Antholz, 88, died Saturday (May 18, 2002) at Good Samaritan Village in St. Francis. She was born March 2, 1914, to Roy and Sophia Mary (Kletchka) McKain in Rawlins County, Kan. In 1936, she married Edwin Antholz in Bird City. She was a homemaker and a nurse's aid...

BEAVER CITY -- Marcella "Mickey" Lee, 83, died Thursday (May 23, 2002) at the Beaver City Manor. She was born April 14, 1919, to Dr. J.W. and Veva (Spears) Meyers in Hendley. She grew up in Hendley and graduated valedictorian from Hendley High School in 1936. After graduation she moved with her family to Gardena, Calif., where she worked for Grauman Chinese Theater in Hollywood...

OBERLIN -- Phyllis L. Cochran, 72, died Sunday (May 26, 2002) at Cedar Living Center in Oberlin. She was born Jan. 6, 1930, to Shirley A. and Laura F. (Beam) Cochran in Decatur County. She attended Oberlin Schools and lived her entire life in Oberlin...

WAUNETA -- Elaine Irene (Christner) Foth, 73, died Monday (May 27, 2002) at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. She was born Aug. 25, 1928, to Henry J. and Meta (Quandt) Noffke near Grand Island. She graduated from Grand Island High School in 1946. She went on to attend Grand Island Business School...

IMPERIAL -- Lloyd Marlin Hager, 84, died Monday (May 27, 2002) at his home in Imperial. He was born Feb. 24, 1918, to Claude C. and Clara Belle (Van Vleet) Hager on a farm outside of Lushton. He attended the Dyke Country School in Hitchock County until the eighth grade...

LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- Vernon Nokes Sr., 78, died May 20, 2002. He was born to Lee and Odessa (Grafton) Nokes at McCook. He was a long time Mechanical Engineer with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Denver. He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers; and one sister...

Ervin Lewis Zander, 59, died Thursday (May 23, 2002) at his home in McCook. He was born June 19, 1942, to Eleanor Smith in Denver, Colo. He was raised by Edwin and Louise Zander on a McCook area farm. He worked for M & W Equipment before opening his own welding business known as Erv's Powderhorn...

ATWOOD -- Joyce Irene (Bryant) Parker, 60, died Monday (May 27, 2002) at her home in Atwood. She was born Sept. 12, 1941, to Lester and Ruth (Bevens) Bryant at Norton. She attended grade school to the eight grade in the Norton school system. She lived in Norton, Kan., Colorado, Utah and Wyoming before making her home in Atwood...

BEAVER CITY -- Jacob James Gustafson, 10, died Tuesday (May 28, 2002) at a Lincoln hospital as the result of an automobile accident near Beaver City. He was born June 21, 1991, to James and Connie (Hernandez) Gustafson at Grand Island. He was raised in the Martell, Neb. area. The family moved to Beaver City in 1997. He would have been in the fifth grade at Beaver City Schools this coming fall...

CAMBRIDGE -- Robert E. Mishler, 84, died Thursday (May 30, 2002) at the Cambridge Manor. He was born Feb. 9, 1918, to William and Avis (White) Mishler in Edison. He graduated from high school in Edison in 1936. On May 2, 1942, he married Wilma Robeson. On July 2, 1942, he was inducted into the Army and he spent three years and three months in the South Pacific. He was discharged on Oct. 16, 1945. He was a farmer...

AURORA, Colo. -- Barbara L. (Wilson) Creighton, 64, died Tuesday (May 28, 2002) at the Medical Center of Aurora, Colo. She was born Aug. 18, 1937, to Joseph and Alice (Learned) Wilson in Darby, Pa. She grew-up in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Ohio, New Jersey, Missouri and Delaware. She graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in Bellefont, Del. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Kansas University in 1959 with a bachelors in history and romance languages...

GRAND ISLAND -- Kimberlee Dawn Brenning, 27, died Wednesday (May 29, 2002) at her home in Grand Island. She was born June 29, 1974, to Michael and Carolyn (Brown) Brenning. She was one of the first to be born at the new Community Hospital in McCook. She attended Hayes Center Schools, graduating in 1992...

LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- Vernon Nokes Sr., 78, died May 20, 2002. He was born to Lee and Odessa (Grafton) Nokes at McCook. He was a long time mechanical engineer with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Denver. He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers; and one sister...

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Edna D. McGinnity, 79, died Wednesday (May 29, 2002). She was born in Lingo, Wyo. She was a graduate of Curtis High School. She was a nursing assistant. She was preceded in death by her husband, James. Survivors include a daughter, Mary and husband, George Hall of Billings, Mont; a son, Jim and wife, Karen; one sister, Millie; and three grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild...