Obituaries from April 2013

Eli Lester Tirrill McCOOK, Nebraska -- Eli Lester Tirrill, infant son of Dusty and Bobbi (Wieseler) Tirrill, died Saturday (March 30, 2013), at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, Nebraska. He is survived by his parents, Dusty and Bobbi Tirrill of McCook, paternal grandparents, Tom (Kelly) Tirrill of McCook; maternal grandparents, Richard (Joella) Wieseler of Ireton, Iowa; uncles, Matt Tirrill of McCook and Steven Wieseler of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as well as his Aunt Becky (John) Medeck and cousins, Ian, Lauren and Addison, all of Papillion, Nebraska.. ...

Loraine McCartney BENKELMAN, Nebraska -- Loraine McCartney, 92, longtime resident of Benkelman, died March 28, 2013 in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Survivors include children, Robert McCartney and wife, Bonnie of St. Thomas, North Dakota, Nancy Frances of North Potomac, Maryland and five grandchildren...

Ray M. League Nov. 11. 1925 - March 20, 2013 OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma -- Ray M. League, 87, died suddenly on March 20, 2013. He was born Nov. 11, 1925, on a farm near Haigler, Nebraska, to Ray E. League and Anna Sophia Hawkinson League. Ray was one of 13 brothers and sisters...

Ronald Lee Brown April 1, 1936- April 1, 2013 COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado -- Ron Brown, currently of Springfield, Colorado, formerly of Culbertson, Nebraska, and Salix, Iowa died on April 1, 2013, in Colorado Springs. Ron was born April 1, 1936, in St. ...

Robert 'Van' Burrus March 4, 1923 - April 3, 2013 ST. FRANCIS, Kansas --Robert Van Burrus, 90, died Tuesday (April 3, 2013), at the Cheyenne County Hospital in St. Francis, Kansas. He was born March 4, 1923, in Red Willow County, Nebraska. He was a lumber yard manager...

Richard Paul Brubaker March 14, 1921 - April 3, 2013 BIRD CITY, Kansas -- Richard Paul Brubaker, 92, died Wednesday (April 3, 2013), at the Cheyenne County Hospital in St. Francis, Kansas. He was born March 14, 1921, in McCook, Nebraska. He was a farmer...

Georgie Jean Seybold May 2, 1941 -- March 6, 2013 TRENTON, Nebraska -- Jean Blankenship Seybold, Trenton, Nebraska, passed away at El Dorado Nursing Manor after a long battle with cancer. Georgie was born on May 2, 1941, in Cheyenne County, Kansas, to Walter Thomas Blankenship and Violet Stella "Dell" (Seitz) Blankenship. ...

Raymond Lester Swanson June 25, 1920 - April 5, 2013 NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska -- Raymond Lester Swanson, 92, of North Platte, died Saturday (April 5, 2013), in North Platte. He was born June 25, 1920, in Genoa, NE to Elmer Frederick and Ethel Anna Marie (Lundgren) Swanson. He was the oldest child and had 13 brothers and sisters...

Mary Joyce (Jacobson) Smith July 20, 1928 - April 6, 2013 ARAPAHOE, Nebraska -- Mary Joyce (Jacobson) Smith, 84, died Saturday (April 6, 2013), at the Good Samaritan Society at Beatrice, Nebraska. She was born July 20, 1928, at Cambridge, Nebraska, to Peter and Racheal (Kief) Jacobson...

Darlene Sullivan Aug. 18, 1928 - March 31, 2013 COTTONWOOD, Arizona -- Darlene Sullivan, 84 of Cottonwood, died Sunday (March 31, 2013.) She was born Aug. 18, 1928, in Hayes Center, Nebraska, to Wilbert and Gladys Bright. She was formerly of McCook, Nebraska...

Jack Cooper IMPERIAL, Nebraska -- Jack Cooper, 76, longtime resident of Imperial, died Tuesday (April 9, 2013), at the Sunrise Heights Nursing Home of Wauneta. Survivors include his wife, DeMarys of Imperial; daughters, Pam Murphy and husband, David, of Burlington, Colorado, Penny Portz and husband, Bob, of McCook, Nebraska, Linda Kerchal and husband, Steve, of Culbertson, Nebraska; and three grandchildren...

Carmen Lea (Blankenship) Smith Dec. 18, 1972 - April 7, 2013 CULBERTSON, Nebraska -- Carmen Lea (Blankenship) Smith, 40, died April 7, 2013, at North Platte after a four-year battle with leukemia. She was born Dec. 18, 1972, in Newton, Kansas, to Charles and Marie (Ramsey) Blankenship. She attended school in Burlington and graduated from Idalia in 1992...

ichard Dale 'Butch' Johnson Jan. 26, 1944 - April 11, 2013 CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- Richard Dale "Butch" Johnson, age 68, of Cambridge, died at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital on Thursday, April 11, 2013. He was born on Jan. 26, 1944, in Cambridge to Roy and Opal (Bathrick) Johnson. Butch attended and graduated from Cambridge High school in 1962. He went to McCook Community College for two years and later a semester at Kearney State Teachers College...

John F. Sutton Jan. 9, 1953. - April 13, 2013 McCOOK, Nebraska -- John F. Sutton passed away Saturday, April 13, 2013 at his home in McCook, after a battle with cancer. He was 60 years old. John was born in McCook to Jack D. and Margaret Mary (Petherbridge) Sutton on Jan. 9, 1953. He graduated from McCook High School with the class of 1972...

Darlene Louise Werkmeister July 8, 1938 - April 10, 2013 MAYWOOD, Nebraska -- Darlene Louise Werkmeister,74, died Wednesday (April 10, 2013), at her home. She was born July 8, 1938, at White in Hayes County to Adolph and Ella (Klug) Werkmeister. She attended Valley School. She moved to Longmont, Colorado, in 1960. She was employed and retired from AT&T after 27 years of service. After retiring she returned home to Maywood sometime in the 1990s, where she made her home until her passing...

David LeRoy 'Tiny' Tournade McCOOK, Nebraska -- David LeRoy "Tiny" Tournade, 61, 0f McCook, died at his home. He was born in Liberal, Kansas, on May 21, 1951, to Albert Galen and Paula (Chaffin) Tournade. He attended school in Liberal, graduating from Liberal High School in 1969. He attended Electrical Engineering School in Denver for two years, receiving a degree in welding and fabrication...

Wilma Keiser Sept. 13, 1926 - April 13, 2013 IMPERIAL , Nebraska -- Wilma Keiser, aged 86, of rural Stratton, died at the Imperial Manor Nursing Home on April 13, 2013. Wilma was born Sept. 13, 1926, at the family farm in Dundy County, northwest of Stratton, to Fred and Edna (Miles) Harrison. ...

Maxine E. Fernandez Oct.12, 1920 - April 12, 2013 MCCOOK, Nebraska --Maxine E. Fernandez, 92, died Friday April 12, 2013), at the Hillcrest Nursing. She was born in Wilsonville, Nebraska, on Oct. 12, 1920, to Clarence and Opal (Payne) Scott. She graduated from Wilsonville High School...

Leona Evelyn Weverka March, 5, 1929 - April 15, 2013 ARAPAHOE, Nebraska -- Leona Evelyn Weverka, 84, died Monday (April 15, 2013), at Beaver City Manor, in Beaver City. She was born on March, 5, 1929, to Felix and Caroline Fahnholz in rural Gosper County, Nebraska...

Loraine McCartney BENKELMAN, Nebraska -- Loraine McCartney, 92, longtime resident of Benkelman, died March 28, 2013 in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Funeral services are Saturday, April 20, 2013, at 11 a.m. (MT), at the United Methodist Church in Benkelman with the Rev. Sheila Taylor officiating. Interment will follow at 2 p.m. (MT) at Riverside Cemetery in Wauneta, Nebraska...

Val Edward Kotrous Oct. 25, 1946 - March 12, 2013 HOUSTON, Texas -- Val was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Duane and Hazel (Smith) Kotrous while his father served in the Civilian Core at Pearl Harbor Navel Yards. He grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, where he graduated from Omaha South High in 1964. He is survived by his wife, Monte (Wills), who is of Curtis, Nebraska...

Floyd Edward Finch Nov. 11, 1933 - April 12, 2013 LEBANON, Nebraska -- Floyd Edward Finch of Lebanon, Nebraska, died April 12, 2013, in Aurora, Colorado. Floyd was born Nov. 11, 1933, to Harry and Sarah "Sadie" (Colligan) Finch. He grew up in Indianola, Nebraska and graduated from Indianola High School in 1951. He joined the United States Air Force in 1951 and served four years. He was stationed in Japan during the Korean War. He married Patricia Ann Lehn on Feb. 13, 1956, in Oberlin,Kansas...

Harold Eugene Harsch Aug. 10, 1926 - April 19, 2013 CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- Harold Eugene Harsch passed away Thursday, April 19, 2013, at the Cambridge Manor in Cambridge Nebraska. He was born on Aug. 10, 1926, to Henry C. Harsch and Hilda (Brenning) Harsch of rural Bartley, Nebraska. ...

Norma J. Kisker Sept. 11, 1936 - April 18, 2013 BUTTE, Nebraska -- Memorial services for Norma J. Kisker, age 76 of Butte, Nebraska, were 6 p.m. Sunday, April 21, 2013, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Butte. Pastor Harrison Goodman and Pastor David Feddern officiated, with burial in the Riverview Cemetery at McCook, Nebraska, at a later date...

Mabel E. McLaughlin July 27, 1927 - Jan. 7, 2013 OBERLIN, Kansas -- Mabel was born in Hitchcock County, Nebraska, on July 27, 1927, and died in Vacaville, California, on Jan. 7, 2013. She was preceded in death by her parents, Omar and Maudie Brown; brothers, Morton (Marie, Jeannie), Elmore (Jeannie), Kenneth (Marjorie, Sara), Harold (Gloria, Carol, Josephine); sisters, Frieda (Fred), Lucille (Howard, Vernon, Limon), Florence (Clayton), Mildred (Jack), Maxine (Tom), and Lila; and the father of her two sons, Robert McLaughlin.. ...

Debra Ann Amen June 28, 1961 - April 14, 2013 LOVELAND, Colorado -- Debra Ann Amen, 51, of Loveland, died Sunday (April 14, 2013), at McKee Medical Center in Loveland. She was born June 28, 1961, in McCook, Nebraska, to Harold and Frances (Hershfeldt) Amen...

Melvin Wayne Nokes Sept. 22, 1922 - April 20, 2013 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Melvin Wayne Nokes died peacefully on Saturday, April 20, 2013, at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. He was 90 years old. Mel was born in Danbury, Nebraska, on Sept. 22, 1922, to parents Earl L. ...

Edward Johnson PALISADE, Nebraska -- Edward Johnson, 64, died Saturday (April 20, 2013), in an auto accident near Palisade. Survivors include his wife, Becki of Palisade; sons, Benji Harrison of McCook, Nebraska, Andrew Harrison and wife, Rebecca, of Thorton, Colorado and Kevin Harrison and Jessica Mowrer of Longmont, Colorado; sister, Kathy and Jim Fickle of Bartley, Nebraska and two grandchildren...

Lt. Col. Dale L. Hulse Oct 23, 1919 -- April 21, 2013 FORT WALTON BEACH, Florida -- Dale L. Hulse, at the age of 93, passed away peacefully after a brief illness while family members held his gentle hands. Dale was born in Stoneham, Colorado, to Ed and Ida Hulse. ...

Donald R. Chapman Aug. 31, 1920 - April 23, 2013 ELWOOD, Nebraska -- Donald R. Chapman, 92, died Tuesday (April 23, 2013), at the Lexington Regional Health Center, in Lexington, Nebraska. He was born Aug. 31, 1920. at Powell, Nebraska, to Ralph and Esther (Leisenfeldt) Chapman. ...

Kenneth A. Giespert June 10, 1922 - April 23, 2013 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Kenneth A. Giespert, age 90, passed away Tuesday, April 23, 2013, at Hillcrest Nursing Home. On June 10, 1922, he was born at St. Ann, Nebraska, to Anton John and Jennie Margaret (Ryan) Giespert. Kenneth attended District 39 North of Indianola through the 8th grade and then graduated from Indianola High School in 1942. He also he attended McCook Community College, graduating in 1948...

Earl L. Winder Feb. 14, 1929 - April 23, 2013 OBERLIN,Kansas -- Earl L. Winder, 84, of Oberlin, died Tuesday (April 23, 2013) at Oberlin. Services are pending with Pauls Funeral Home in Oberlin.

Ivan Joseph Sramek Oct. 20, 1941 - April 22, 2013 ATWOOD, Kansas --Ivan Joseph Sramek, 71, died Monday (April 22, 2013), at Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kansas. He was born Oct. 20, 1941, in Stratton, Nebraska, to Edward and Lucille (Prochazka) Sramek. ...

Clay B. Grilli Jan. 20, 1973 - April 24, 2013 BEAVER CITY, Nebraska -- Clay B. Grilli, 40, died Wednesday (April 24, 2013), at Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge, Nebraska. He was born on Jan. 20, 1973, at Boulder, Colorado to Bill and Barbara (Harris) Grilli...

Evelyn E. Balderston ARAPAHOE, Nebraska -- Evelyn E. Balderston, 95, of Beaver City, Nebraska, died Thursday (April 25, 2013), at Phelps Memorial Hospital. Services are pending and will be announced later Condolences may be left at wenburgfuneralhome.com...

Darold 'Hawk' DeMoss Jan. 18, 1947 - April 25, 2013 SYRACUSE, Kansas -- Darold "Hawk" DeMoss, 66, of Syracuse, Kansas died Thursday (April 25, 2013) at St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City. He was born Jan. 18, 1947, in Denver, Colorado, to Donald and Marjorie Elaine (Sonday) DeMoss...

David Gregory Denton CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- David Gregory Denton, age 48, of Wilsonville, Nebraska, died at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital on April 26, 2013. He was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The family moved to Pekin, Illinois, where David grew up...

Clyde E. Raburn Feb. 22, 1937 - April 27, 2013 MCCOOK, Nebraska -- Clyde E. Raburn, age 76, died at the Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook, Nebraska, on April 27, 2013. He was born in Lebanon, Nebraska, on Feb. 22, 1937, to Harry and Pearl (Sutherland) Raburn. He attended school in Lebanon. In 1948, his family moved to McCook, where Clyde remained as lifelong resident...

Susan Kay Whatley July 1, 1953 - April 27, 2013 TRENTON, Nebraska -- Susan Kay Whatley, age 59, of Trenton, died at the El Dorado Manor on April 27, 2013. She was born in McCook, Nebraska, on July 1, 1953, to James and Dorothy (Campbell) Shaffer. Susan grew up in the Culbertson area and attended school at Culbertson...

Evelyn Elizabeth Balderston Jan. 7, 1918 - April 25, 2013 BEAVER CITY, Nebraska -- Evelyn Elizabeth Balderston, 95, of Beaver City, died Thursday (April 25, 2013), at Phelps Memorial Hospital in Holdrege, Nebraska. She was born on Jan.7, 1918, at Manzanola, Colorado, to William and Clara (Johann) Torney...

Dr. Bruce B. Snyder, DDS Jan. 5, 1927 - April 22, 2013 SUN CITY, Arizona -- Dr. Bruce B. Snyder, DDS, MS born Jan. 5, 1927, to the late Ralph D. and Esther C. Snyder in Fairbury, Nebraska, passed away in his home peacefully surrounded by his family on April 22, 2013, in Sun City, Arizona...

Harry Thomas Hutchens July 16, 1929 - April 28, 2013 BEAVER CITY, Nebraska -- Harry Thomas Hutchens, 83, of Hendley, Nebraska, died Sunday (April 28, 2013), at his home. He was born July 16, 1929, the third child of five to Thomas S. and Dott Marie (Stucker) Hutchens...

Donna M. Goss Feb. 5, 1934-Jan. 14, 2013 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Donna M. Goss died Jan. 14, 2013, at Hillcrest Nursing Home. She was born Feb. 5, 1934, in Cedar Bluffs, Kansas to Sarah and Clarence Witt. She grew up in the Cedar Bluffs and Oberlin Kansas, communities...

Donna M. Goss Feb. 5, 1934-Jan. 14, 2013 McCOOK, Nebraska -- Donna M. Goss died Jan. 14, 2013, at Hillcrest Nursing Home. She was born Feb. 5, 1934, in Cedar Bluffs, Kansas to Sarah and Clarence Witt. She grew up in the Cedar Bluffs and Oberlin Kansas, communities...

Lee Edwards HYANNIS, Massachusetts -- Lee Edwards, 91, was born in Culbertson, Nebraska, on June 29, 1921. He grew up on the family farm 14 miles south of Culbertson and became the patriarch of his family when his father died at an early age. When he was young, he was with the Civilian Conservation Corps in Beaver City, Nebraska. He farmed as well as worked for Klein Motor and Electric in McCook...