Stories from Monday, July 18, 2005

The family of Wally and Sharon (Schow) Derr are hosting an open house in honor of the couple's 40th anniversary Saturday, July 30, from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. at the Heritage Hills Golf Course Clubhouse in McCook. The couple married July 18, 1965, in McCook. ...

The family of Mark and Vicki Helm is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 25th wedding anniversary July 19, 2005. Their children are Ben Helm and the late Christina Helm. Cards of congratulations will reach them at PO Box 62, Indianola, NE 69034...

The family of Richard and Thelma Walter are hosting an open house in honor of the couple's 50th wedding anniversary Sunday, July 24, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall in McCook. The couple was married July 24, 1955, at the Methodist Church in McCook. ...

The family of Bill and Shirley (Hansen) Ashley of Culbertson are requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 40th wedding anniversary. The couple married July 24, 1965, in Canton, N.Y. The family includes children, Tina and Mark Sovereign of Lincoln, Michelle and Ryan Krauter of Keystone and Crystal and Chris Smith of Manhattan, Kan.; and six grandchildren. Cards of congratulations can reach them at PO Box 202, Culbertson, NE 69024...

Verna (Moss) and Wendell Wertz of Trenton will celebrate their 50th anniversary at an open house Sunday, July 24, from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m., in the Trenton TCDC Community Room. The couple married on June 26, 1955, in Trenton. Their family includes sons Ron and wife, Gail, and Kelly and wife, Roni, and their families. Cards will reach Wendell and Verna at PO Box 397, Trenton, NE 69044...

Michelle and Chris Leitner of Omaha announce the birth of their daughter, Graci Elyse, on Friday, June 24, 2005. She weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces and was 20 inches long. She has one sister, Ainsley. Her grandparents are Jim and Kristi Clapp of McCook and Laney and Judy Leitner of McCook. Her great-grandparents are LaVonne Clapp of McCook, Darlene Korf of McCook, Barney and Lola Leitner of McCook and Jim Thomson of Beloit, Kan...

David and Linda Schliep of McCook announce the birth of their son, Spencer David, on Friday, July 1, 2005, at Community Hospital in McCook. He weighed 8 pounds, 15 ounces and was 20 inches long. Grandparents are Marian Dempewolf of Oberlin and the late Gerald Dempewolf and Duane and Lucille Schliep of Glenvil. Great-grandmother is Berdina Schliep of Hastings...

The children of Mildred Myers are requesting a card shower in honor of her 85th birthday, July 25. Cards of congratulation will reach her at 912 West 10th, McCook, NE 69001.

Arline (Myers) Richardson of Palisade will celebrate her 85th birthday at a reception Sunday, July 24, from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., at 309 N. Main in Palisade. The open house is hosted by her granddaughters, Tina Richardson and Angel Smith. Arline was born July 24, 1920, at Sutton. Her family also includes her daughter, Phyllis Wood of Tulsa, Okla., and four grandchildren...

Lillian (Lang) Lemaster of Cambridge will celebrate her 90th birthday at a potluck lunch Sunday, July 24, at 1 p.m., at the Cambridge Community Room. The meat, rolls, drink and table service will be furnished. An open house will follow until 4 p.m. Lillian was born June 17, 1915, on her parents' farm near Wilsonville. ...

Brenda Bortner and Brad Whitten, both of Lincoln, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Bill and Carrol Bortner of McCook and Stan and Jeannine Whiten of McCook. Grandparents of the couple are Gene and Gernadine Bortner of McCook and Bernice Dunn of Omaha. ...

Dallas and Diane Cobb of McCook and Gail and Grace Swanson of Sutherland, Iowa, announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of their children, Julie Renae Cobb of Kearney and Gregory Gail Swanson of Hull, Iowa. Grandparents of the bride-to-be are Eldred Cobb of Stratton, the late Bob Cobb, Ardyce Bick of Moorfield and the late Harold Bick. ...

Michaela Fields of Omaha and Ryan Fuller of McCook announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. The parents of the couple are Randy and Pat Fields of Omaha, Val Fuller of McCook and Patsy Fuller of Plano, Texas. The bride-to-be is employed by the Pepsi Bottling Group. The prospective bridegroom is employed by Fuller's Family Restaurant. The ceremony is planned for Aug. 6, 2005, at the Faith Westwood United Methodist Church in Omaha...

INDIANOLA -- Helena Helm and Brian Perks were united in marriage March 5, 2005, at St. Catherine's Catholic Church in Indianola with the Rev. Nicholas Baker officiating. Parents of the couple are James and Yanis Helm of Danbury and Terry Perks of Bartley and Sandra Schwab of McCook...

Gothenburg pitcher Aaron Mitchell stole the stage from the First Central Bank American Legion Seniors Saturday evening at the Jaycees Sports Complex in McCook. He allowed just six McCook base runners to get into scoring position and struck out eight, as the No. 1-seeded Gothenburg Melons defeated McCook 9-4 in quarterfinal action of the district tournament...

Bison Nebraska Red squad falls to Team Minnesota KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Bison Nebraska Red's run at Mullen's High Profile basketball tournament ended in the second round Friday afternoon as Team Minnesota overcame an 11-point first half deficit and defeated Bison Red 84-80...

July 1, 1918-July 16, 2005 BEAVER CITY -- Dothen D. Ventling, 87, died Saturday (July 16, 2005) at Beaver City Manor and Assisted Living in Beaver City. He was born July 1, 1918, at Edison to Loyd & Lizzie (Cline) Ventling. He grew up in Furnas County...

May 30, 1965-July 15, 2005 CULBERTSON -- Andrew Joe Loop, 40, died Friday (July 15, 2005) at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. He was born May 30, 1965, at Oakley, Kan., to Leo Joe and Mary Aidyl (Stohler) Loop. He attended school in Lamar, Imperial and Paxton, where he graduated. He attended Omaha Trucking School to become an over the road truck driver...

Jerry Niemeth of Herndon fires up his 1948 Panhead Custom, which he restored as the epitome of the old nostalgic chopper, complete with suicide shift. The Sports Shoppe took first place in the Wild Thing Extraordinaire costume contest for the Chamber of Commerce's 2005 Crazy Days promotion. ...

McCook is a relatively easy city in which to find addresses. After 1908, McCook streets running north and south were identified with numbers. For in-stance, First being the first street east or west of Main (now Norris) Avenue and so on. Streets running east and west were identified with letters, be-ginning with A, starting with the street just north of the depot. (After World War II in the newer additions to the city, developers again began to name streets.)...

Fair season is kicking in to high gear today in the Golden Plains of Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas. Beginning with the fairs now in progress for Rawlins County in Atwood and Furnas County in Beaver City, the series of county expositions will continue through the third week of August. Before the dust settles, the counties in the region will have hosted more than a dozen fairs and community festivals...