Obituaries from October 2002

ATWOOD -- Alice Collier Samson, 98, died Saturday (Sept. 28, 2002) at the Lantern Park Manor in Colby, Kan. She was born Oct. 19, 1903, to John R. and Anna Jane (Evans) Collier in Rawlins County six miles west of Chardon on the family farm. She graduated from the Rawlins County High School with the class of 1921. ...

ERIE, Colo. -- Barbara L. Switzer, 29, died Sunday (Sept. 29, 2002) at the Longmont United Hospital in Longmont, Colo. She was born June 5, 1973, to James and Leola Ann (Traupe) Switzer in Lincoln. She had lived in Lincoln and Beatrice and recently moved to Erie, Colo. She had been employed at the Jefferson County Workshop as an assembler...

BARSTOW, Calif. -- Eva Mae Ferrell, 79, died Friday (Sept. 27, 2002) at Victor Valley Community Hospital in Barstow, Calif. She was born on Jan. 30, 1923, at Edison, to Boyd and Inace Evans. She had been a resident of Barstow for 31 years, and was employed as a phone operator for Verizon for 35 years until her retirement...

CURTIS -- Kenneth Harwick, 90, died Monday (Sept. 30, 2002) at the Sunset Haven Nursing Home in Curtis. He was born Aug. 5, 1912, at Moorefield to Fayette and Ethel (Grange) Harwick. He graduated from Moorefield High School in 1930. On Nov. 3, 1934, he married Faye Craig at Broken Bow. They farmed near Ingham and later near Moorefield. After leaving the farm he was employed by the City of Curtis...

BENKELMAN -- Leon E. "Cy" Ketler, 94, died Monday (Sept. 30, 2002) at Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman. He was born June 9, 1908, to John Clyde and Ethel B. (Ballard) Ketler on their farm in Cheyenne County, Kan., and as a young boy, he attended country school near his home. ...

WAUKEGAN, Ill. -- Iona Juanita (Myers) Horacek, 90, died Tuesday (Oct. 1, 2002) at Victory Lakes in Lindenhurst, Ill. She was born Aug., 24, 1912, to Angus and Murrell (Ike) Myers in Hitchcock County. She graduated from McCook High School in 1929 and then from Denver General School of Nursing in 1932...

MOOREFIELD -- Jacob Ray Dameron, 84, died Tuesday (Oct. 1, 2002) at the Premier Estates in North Platte. He was born May 29, 1918, at North Platte to Daniel Franklin and Martha Ellen (Hankins) Dameron. He served in the Navy during World War II. After getting out of the service he farmed and ranched near Moorefield...

ARAPAHOE -- Daisy E. Gardner, 96, died Wednesday (Oct. 2, 2002) at the C.A. Mues Good Samaritan Center in Arapahoe. She was born April 4, 1906, to Owen D. and Rachael (Meyers) Morse in rural Bertrand. She was raised on the farm near Edison. She attended school at Edison Public Schools...

WILSONVILLE -- Charles Allyn Ballou, 78, died Tuesday (Oct. 1, 2002) at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital following a lengthy bout with cancer. He was born July 26, 1924, to John and Helen (Colling) Ballou in Wilsonville. After graduating from Wilsonville High School in 1942, he enlisted in the Marines and fought during World War II. ...

GOTHENBURG -- A.T. "Tolle" Tollefson, 90, died Wednesday (Oct. 2, 2002) at his home in Gothenburg. He was born April 21, 1912, to Olaf and Ida (Thompson) Tollefson at Viroqua, Wis. He graduated from Viroqua High School in 1931. He graduated from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa in 1935. He taught school in Hills, Minn...

HUMBLE, Texas -- Doris Marie Ham, 83, died Saturday (Sept. 28, 2002) at Rosemont Assisted Living in Humble, Texas. She was born Aug. 31, 1919, in Dundy County to Ray O. and Nellie (Foster) Ham.  She graduated from the 8th grade in District 28 and attended Benkelman High School where she was a member of the graduating class of 1937.  After high school, she taught for three years in country schools in Dundy County. ...

McDONALD -- Louise L. (Eaton) Riley, 78, died Wednesday (Oct. 2, 2002) at the Rawlins County Health Center in Atwood. She was born May 10, 1924, to Jesse Stanford and Ruth Ann (Anglin) Eaton in Iconium, Mo. She was married to Walter E. Riley. She moved to McDonald from Brush, Colo. in 1974. She was a seamstress...

Helen May Hansen HAYES CENTER -- Helen May Hansen, 92, died Thursday (Oct. 3, 2002) at her home in Hayes Center. She was born Feb. 9, 1910, in the Blanche Community, in Chase County to Thomas Lee and Anna May (Grist) Barnes. On March 13, 1929, she married Hans Hansen in Oberlin. They lived in Hayes Center all of their life. She was employed for more than 30 years in the Hayes County Court House. She was also employed at the bank...

LAKESIDE, Calif. -- Geraldine "Gerri" C. Palmer, 61, died Tuesday (Oct. 1, 2002) in El Cajon, Calif. She was born March 11, 1941, in McCook. She was a court clerk and supervisor for the El Cajon Court. She married Larry Palmer in 1963. She was a member of the Lakeside School Board from 1982-1990. ...

COLBY, Kan. -- Charles L. Adams, 85, died Thursday (Oct. 3, 2002) at the Lantern Park Manor in Colby, Kan. He was born Sept. 15, 1917, in Levant, Kan. He spent most of his adult life in the Atwood, Herndon and Oberlin areas. He was a retired U.S. Post Office Rural Mail Carrier and an electrician...

ATWOOD -- Myrna Edna Marie (Headrick) Schnee, 81, died Saturday (Oct. 5, 2002) at the Rawlins County Health Center in Atwood. She was born March 1, 1921, to John Sylvester and Jesse Mae (Little) Headrick in rural McDonald. On March 3, 1946, she married Harold A. Schnee at Phillipsburg, Kan. She was a resident of the Rawlins County area all of her life, living first in McDonald and later in Atwood. She was a homemaker and a cook for the Atwood Good Samaritan Center for more than 20 years...

Lulu D. "Lou" Balius, 86, died Saturday (Oct. 5, 2002) at the Holton Manor Home in Holton, Kan. She was born April 17, 1916, in Trenton to Samuel Clayton and Eva Mae (Parrott) Cobb. She grew up in Stratton and moved to McCook where she graduated from McCook High School in 1932...

GERING -- John G. Simmerman, 85, died Friday (Oct. 4, 2002) at the Heritage Health Care Center in Gering. He was born Aug. 20, 1917, in McCook to Alva "Scot" R. and Jesse M. (Miner) Simmerman. He attended school in McCook, Bayard and graduated from Gering High School with the Class of 1935...

WAUNETA -- Virginia Joyce Einspahr, 70, died Saturday (Oct. 5, 2002) at the Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial. She was born June 29, 1932, on a farm north of Wauneta, to Jacob Oren and Alice (Gettys) Hopkins. The family moved to a farm on the east edge of Wauneta in 1937, where she attended school, graduating from Wauneta High School in 1950. ...

Lulu Delphine "Lou" Balius died Saturday (Oct. 5, 2002) at the Holton Manor Nursing Home in Holton, Kan. at the age of 86. She was born April 17, 1916, at Trenton, the daughter of the late Samuel Clayton and Eva Mae (Parrott) Cobb. Lou grew up at Stratton and came to McCook in 1932, where she graduated from McCook High School...

PALISADE -- Doris Lucille "Cookie" Ross Schipman, 88, of Palisade died Saturday (Oct. 5, 2002) at Hospice of Johnston in Des Moines, Iowa. She was born Oct. 4, 1914, at Mound City, Mo. to James Edgar and Julia Ann (McCumber) Ross. At the age of one year her family moved to a farm near Stratton and later moved to Eden Precinct, where she completed grade school and attended high school at Stratton. ...

TWIN FALLS, Idaho -- Cora (Meissner) Dybdahl, 61, died Monday (Oct. 7, 2002) in Twin Falls, Idaho. She was born Nov. 25, 1940, to Leo and June Meissner. She was preceded in death by her parents; one daughter, Della; one brother, James; and one sister, Thelma...

HOLDREGE -- Robert Duane Maurer, 76, died Tuesday (Oct. 8, 2002) at the Bryan LGH-East Hospital in Lincoln. He was born Jan. 1, 1926, at Genoa to Robert F. and Edith (Stromburg) Maurer. He attended school in Genoa and graduated with the class of 1943...

GOTHENBURG -- Sherri Lynn (Garratt) Blase, 39, died Thursday (Oct. 10, 2002) at her home in Gothenburg following a two-year battle with lung cancer. She was born Dec. 16, 1962, in Gothenburg to Arlond Francis and Creta Edna (Andrews) Garratt. She attended Gothenburg Public Schools and graduated from Gothenburg High School in 1981. She attended Mid Plains Community College in North Platte and graduated from Kearney State College in 1987 with a degree in social work...

WAVELAND, Miss. -- Alice Marie Farrell of Waveland, Miss., formerly of San Diego, Calif., passed away at her home Friday (Oct. 4, 2002). Memorial services will be Nov. 2, 10 a.m., at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Herndon with burial services following at St. Mary's Cemetery...

Linda Marie Leising ARAPAHOE -- Linda Marie Leising, 54, of Stillwater, Okla., died Wednesday (Oct. 9, 2002) at the Stillwater Medical Center in Stillwater. She was born July 27, 1948, at Smith Center, Kan., to William A. and Bessie E. (John) Garretson. She attended Jackson and Reamsville country schools and Smith Center High School. In 1970, she received her degree in Music Education from Kearney State College...

Mildred L. Fritsch, 83, died Wednesday (Oct. 9, 2002) at Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie, Wyo. She was born Dec. 19, 1918, in Decatur County to George L. and Lena V. (Bryan) Harris. She grew up in McCook where she graduated from McCook High School in 1937. She was employed by A & M Rexall Drug Store and the Olympia Candy Company in McCook...

BENKELMAN -- Zella Eloise Adams, 68, formerly of Haigler, died Friday (Oct. 11, 2002) at Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman. She was born July 29, 1934, at Haigler to Francis Emmons and Iona Beatrice (Altman) Adams, and grew up in the Haigler area. Due to a lifetime handicap, she lived with her parents and after their passing, moved to Hester Memorial Home in Benkelman where she resided for the past 25 years. ...

EL CAJON, Calif. -- Geraldine Palmer, 61, passed away Tuesday (Oct. 1, 2002) at the Stanford Court Nursing Home in El Cajon, Calif. after a battle with cancer. She was born March 11, 1941, in McCook to Glen and Loretta (Joyce) Cappel. She attended elementary school at Perry District 23 and graduated from McCook High School in 1958...

COLBY, Kan. -- Wilfred J. Miller, 81, died Saturday (Oct. 12, 2002) at his home in Colby. He was born Nov. 24, 1920, to Edward J. and Christina B. (Zimmerman) Miller in Sheridan County, Kan. He was raised on a farm in the Dresden area and graduated from Leoville High School at Leoville, Kan., in 1939...

OBERLIN -- Wayne LeRoy Wheeler, 71, died Sunday (Oct. 13, 2002) at the Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. He was born Nov. 15, 1930, in Dellvale, Kan., to Fred Enoch and Lela Faye (Gaylord) Wheeler. He attended District No. 81 School in Norton County and Norton High School...

IMPERIAL -- Doris Anderson, 70, died Friday (Oct. 11, 2002) at the Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial. She was born June 26, 1932, at Imperial to Orville O. and Elsie L. (Cecil) Bressie. She grew up on a farm south of Wauneta where she attended country school. She graduated from Wauneta High School in 1950...

ATWOOD -- Thelma L. Crist, 93, died Friday (Oct. 11, 2002) at the Rawlins County Health Center in Atwood. She was born Jan. 26, 1909, to Greenup C. and Adelia (Smith) Leeper in rural Rawlins County. She was a resident of the Rawlins County area most of her life...

Richard C. Pilcher, 45, died Saturday (Oct. 12, 2002) at Community Hospital of McCook. He was born June 29, 1957, to Charles E. and Rachel M. (Shaffer) Pilcher. He grew up in McCook and was a 1976 graduate of McCook High School. He graduated from McCook College in 1978 and from Kearney State College in 1982...

Frieda Wagner, 98, died Friday (Oct. 11, 2002) at Perkins Pavilion, Good Samaritan Village, in Hastings. She was born Feb. 28, 1904, at McCook, to John and Anna Margaret (Frick) Wagner. She attended school in McCook. She was employed for more than 35 years as a sales clerk for DeGroff's Department Store, retiring in 1970. She was a resident of McCook for 81 years and had been residing in Hastings for the past 17 years...

Justin Eric Peterson, 22, died Monday, (October 14, 2002) at Bryan LGH West in Lincoln. He was born Aug. 9, 1980, to Daniel E. and Cynthia M. (Crawford) Peterson in McCook. He graduated from McCook High School in 1998. He was a manager at the McCook Pizza Hut...

BEAVER CITY -- Jean Bauer, 93, died Sunday, (Oct. 13, 2002) at the Beaver City Manor. She was born Feb. 16, 1909, at Beaver City to Earl E. and Selina (Smith) Hopping. She graduated from Beaver City High School with the class of 1927. Following graduation, she taught at County School at Edison. The following four years she attended and graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. She then taught at Mullen and North Platte...

Florence J. Hedges, 82, died Monday (Oct. 14, 2002) at Community Hospital of McCook. She was born May 2, 1920, at North Loup to Thomas John and Ethel Mae (Clement) Hamer. She graduated from North Loup High School in 1937. She graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1942. She began teaching at Sargent...

Evelyn B. Bunnell, 69, died Tuesday (Oct. 1, 2002) at Community Hospital of McCook. She was born Nov. 9, 1932, in Butler County, Mo., to Gifford and Opal (Rae) Hurt. She grew up at Adrian, Mo., where she attended high school. On April 30, 1949, she married Clinton Brown at Wauneta. They farmed at Wauneta until his death...

CURTIS -- Donald Penner "D.P." Wilkinson, 78, died Tuesday (Oct. 15, 2002) at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lincoln. He was born Oct. 30, 1923, to Harry Robert and Bertha Penner Wilkinson of Curtis. He graduated from the Nebraska School of Agriculture in 1941...

ARAPAHOE -- Iris Edna (Schroder) Witt, 86, died Tuesday (Oct. 15, 2002) at the C.A. Mues Good Samaritan Center in Arapahoe. She was born Aug. 28, 1916, at Orleans to Nicoloi and Edna (Humiston) Sasse. She graduated from Stamford High School with the class of 1934...

OBERLIN -- Wayne LeRoy Wheeler, 71, died Sunday (Oct. 13, 2002) at the Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. He was born Nov. 15, 1930, to Fred Enoch and LeLa Faye (Gaylord) Wheeler at their farm near Dellvale, Kan. He grew up on the family farm. He attended District No. 81, Norton County School and Norton High School...

LONGMONT, Colo. -- Dale P. Makings, 76, died Monday (Oct. 14, 2002) as a result of a vehicular accident near Hudson, Colo. He was born Dec. 30, 1925, at Atwood to Joseph Frank and Nellie Mae (Palmer) Makings. He served four and one-half years in the U.S. Army...

Charles William Sughroue, 75, died Tuesday (Oct. 15, 2002) at McCook Community Hospital. He was born Jan. 28, 1927, at Indianola to Francis W. and Johanna (Schutte) Sughroue. He attended Indianola Schools. On May 8, 1945, he entered the U.S. Army and served during World War II. He was honorably discharged on Dec. 15, 1946...

Benjamin F. Hormel, 88, died Tuesday (Oct. 15, 2002) at Bickford Cottage in Lincoln. He was born Jan. 19, 1914, in Austin, Minn., to Benjamin Franklin and Flora Mae (Kaufman) Hormel, Sr. He grew up at Austin and graduated from Principia Upper School at St. Louis, Mo. He attended college at Grinell, Iowa, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1937...

OMAHA -- Leon R. League, 68, died Monday (Oct. 14, 2002) at the Ambassador Longterm Care Center in Omaha. He was born Nov. 30, 1934, to Floyd and Nellie (Ovenden) League on a farm south of Stratton. He grew up in Stratton where he attended elementary and high school, graduating with the class of 1953...

Sylvia Elizabeth Mihm died on Saturday, October 19, 2002, at McCook Community Hospital. She was 76 years old. Sylvia was born on January 28, 1926, at McCook, to Mirl LeRoy and Ola Elizabeth (VanVleet) Townsend. She graduated from Danbury High School in 1943 and attended Kearney State College. She taught school for two years...

ONAWA, Iowa -- Naomi Elizabeth King, 7, died Sunday (Oct. 20, 2002) at her home in Onawa, Iowa. She was born Jan. 4, 1995, in Onawa, to David and Cindy (Romine) King. She attended Lark Elementary School in Onawa and was in the 2nd grade. She wanted to be a zookeeper when she grew up and take care of the cats...

SUTHERLAND -- William A. Wederski, 73, died Tuesday (Sept. 3, 2002) at the Sutherland Nursing Home in Sutherland. He was born Feb. 2, 1929, to Elijah and Sarah (Bramblette) Wederski at Stratton. He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Nathan; and one sister, Mary Crews...

CHAMPION -- Oneta Silvester, 73, died Sunday (October 20, 2002) at Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial. Services will be Wednesday, 1:30 p.m. (MDT), at First United Methodist Church in Imperial with Rev. Karl Lent officiating. Interment will be at Crete Cemetery in Champion...

NORTH PLATTE -- Alice Viola Rockwell, 86, died Monday (Oct. 21, 2002) at Centennial Park Retirement Village in North Platte. She was born March 18, 1916, to William and Gertrude (Hughes) Fablinger at Garfield Table. She received her education in the Gandy schools and graduated from Logan County High School in 1933. She received a two-year degree in teaching from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She taught kindergarten, first and second grades during her 25 years as a teacher...

COLBY, Kan. -- Charles Louis Adams was born south of Levant, Kan., Sept. 15, 1917, to Thomas Vernon and Annie (Reid) Adams. He attended school in Thomas and Sherman counties. In 1936, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps to help support his mother, brothers and sisters at home...

BENKELMAN -- Donna Leigh Baney, 69, died Monday (Oct. 14, 2002) surrounded by her family at their home in Phoenix, Ariz. She was born May 19, 1933, at Benkelman to Richard "Dick" and Opal (Borchert) Zieke, and attended school in Benkelman. On July 30, 1950, she married Waldo E. ...

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- Mary JoAnn Mucklow, 71, passed away peacefully in her home on Oct. 21, 2002, in Hollywood, Fla. JoAnn was born in rural Hayes County on Nov. 17, 1930, to John and Bessie Lawless. She graduated from Palisade High School in 1948. After graduation she moved to Franklin and worked for Franklin County Bank. She met her future husband, Chester Mucklow (formerly of Franklin), on a blind date in the summer of 1947. They married on Nov. 19, 1950, and spent the next 52 years together...

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- William Myatt Volentine was born Feb. 20, 1946, in McCook to Myatt Wesley and Mary Genevieve (Bell) Volentine. He passed away Oct. 21, 2002, at his home in Santa Barbara, Calif. On Nov. 8, 1970, he married Mary Patricia Coburn in Santa Barbara...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Robert D. Schneider was born Sept. 16, 1933, on his uncle and aunt's farm south of Imperial. He died on Oct. 21, 2002, at Sacramento, Calif. His father and mother were Dean and Margaret Schneider of rural Funk. He attended Prairie Rose school, District 11, his first five years of grade school and then District 11 consolidated with Axtell Public Schools...

BENKELMAN -- Lindsey Jean DeWester, 14, died Friday (Oct. 25, 2002) in rural Dundy County, north of Benkelman. She was born Nov. 20, 1987, in Benkelman to Richard (Dick) and Julie DeWester. She was a member of the freshman class at Dundy County High School in Benkelman. She excelled in basketball, volleyball, softball, and the swim team, and was active in Future Business Leaders of America and FCCLA...

PALISADE -- Kenneth E. Ungles, 89, died Monday (Oct. 28, 2002) at the Good Samaritan Nursing Home in Arapahoe. He was born Jan. 20, 1913, in Dundy County, to William Thomas and Essie Frances (Graves) Ungles. He grew up at Palisade where he received his education. For 22 years, he was employed by Southwest Public Power at Palisade...

YORK -- Albert W. Russell, 80, died Monday (Oct. 28, 2002) at York. He was born May 13, 1922, at Palisade to Lewis and Gladys (Kirkpatrick) Russell. He graduated from Hayes County High School at Hayes Center and was a longtime Hayes County Farmer. On Aug. 20, 1955, he married Verla Anderson at Oberlin...

Leslie Walter Horn was born April 19, 1918, at the farm in Ansley. He was born to Charles R. Horn and Nell M. (Kellogg) Horn. Les graduated from high school in Broken Bow and attended college at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. On March 27, 1940, Les married Vera Mae Volzke in Lexington. They lived in the Burr Oak Community and later owned and operated a ranch near Oconto on the South Loup River for 15 years. They moved to McCook in 1957...

HAIGLER -- Olive E. Stasser, 89, died Saturday (Oct. 26, 2002) at the Hester Memorial Home in Benkelman. She was born Nov. 13, 1912, to Edna (Barnard) Rockwell and James N. Rockwell in Waldron, Kan. She graduated from St. Francis High School and taught school in Cheyenne County, Kan., for several years...

Vera Mae Meissner, 86, died Monday (Oct. 28, 2002) at Community Hospital of McCook. She was born Aug. 14, 1916, in Telephone, Texas, to Jesse and Ida Mae (Wheeless) Shrum. She grew up at Telephone and Bigbee, Texas where she received her education. On May 31, 1930, she married Noel Lankford at Honey Grove, Texas. He preceded her in death...

PALISADE -- Dale A. Pugh, 83, died Wednesday (Oct. 30, 2002) at Community Hospital of McCook. He was born Dec. 2, 1918, at Madison, to Blaine Albert and Grace Lucinda (Young) Pugh. He attended rural school near Palisade. He entered the U.S. Navy in 1945, and served during World War II. He was honorably discharged in 1946...