Stories from Friday, July 18, 2014

Nancy Ann Steinkruger Aug. 5, 1949 - July 15, 2014 OMAHA, Neb. -- Nancy Ann Steinkruger, of Cambridge, Nebraska, was born on Aug. 5, 1949, to Jack and Velma (Lipp) Siel in Red Cloud, Nebraska, and died suddenly on Tuesday, July 15, 2014, at Alegent Health Immanuel Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, at the age of 64 years, 11 months and 10 days...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Ryan Ankersen, a 2006 McCook High School graduate, will be ordained at Peace Lutheran Church on Sunday, July 20, 5 p.m.. It is same church where he was baptised and confirmed. A potluck dinner/reception will follow; meat will be provided...

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. -- Katie Nabower of Grand Island, Nebraska, and Shawn Pfanstiel of McCook, Nebraska, were united in marriage Nov. 23, 2013, at Grace Lutheran Church in Grand Island with the Rev. Daniel Bremer officiating. Parents of the bride are Neal and Tami Nabower of Grand Island. Grandparents are DeWayne and Jackie Boesen of Kenesaw, Nebraska, and Bill and Ellen Nabower of Kenesaw, Nebraska...

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- Scott Tirrill, formerly of McCook, Nebraska, now of Grand Junction, Colorado, and Adrienne Simons, of Grand Junction were married on May 31, 2014, with their families present. Cards of congratulations will reach the couple at 566 1/2 Garfield Drive, No. B, Grand Junction, CO 81504...

Gary Siebrandt of McCook, Nebraska, will celebrate his 60th birthday July 18. His family includes wife, Cindy; children, Becky and husband, Tracey Mai of McCook, Lisa and husband, Brandon Sughroue of McCook, April and husband, J.D. of Kearney, Nebraska; and five grandchildren, Caleb, Riley and Evan and Diego and Tony...

Susan Doak SW Nebraska Genealogy Society McCOOK, Neb. -- This week I have had the strangest trio on my mind: gingham, calico and seersucker. Those three fabrics should give someone a pretty good idea how old I am. The reason that I was thinking of those fabrics actually is tied to my "hope chest" which has turned into a memory trunk filled with bits and pieces of my childhood including two gingham dresses that my grandmother Davison cross-stitched for my mother and I ; a long antique child's calico dress complete with a sun bonnet, my costume for an Old Settler's Parade; lastly, a tiny green seersucker dress with a tulip embellishment that I wore until the day my mom told me I had grown too big to wear it another time! I'm surprised that it didn't go into the rag bag but somehow it survived.. ...

50th anniversary The family of Eldon and Delores Moore of Bartley are hosting an open house in honor of the couple's 50th wedding anniversary. They were married July, 26, 1964 at the Bartley Christian Church. The open house is Saturday, July 26, 2014, noon to 4 p.m. ...

The family of Marjorie Schlegel of rural Culbertson, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of her 85th birthday. She was born July 28, 1929, in Culbertson. Her family includes her late husband, Darold; children, Tim and Kathy Schlegel of Centerton, Arkansas, Kristi Schlegel of Aiken, South Carolina, Mike and Carol Schlegel of rural Culbertson and the late Doug Schlegel; five grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. ...

90th birthday The family of Ruby Zimbelman Stock are hosting a reception in honor of her 90th birthday on Sunday, July 20, 2014, 1 to 5 p.m. at the Heritage Senior Center in McCook, 1312 W. Fifth. No gifts, please. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 313 Elizabeth Lane, McCook, NE 69001...

The family of Gary and Cindy Siebrandt is requesting a card shower in honor the couple's 40th wedding anniversary July 20. They were married at United Methodist Church of McCook. Their family includes children, Becky and husband, Tracey Mai of McCook, Lisa and husband, Brandon Sughroue of McCook, April and husband, J.D. of Kearney, Nebraska; and five grandchildren, Caleb, Riley and Evan and Diego and Tony. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 1201 W. First, McCook, NE 69001...

Jett Harvey Welch Dawson and Megan Welch of Moorefield, Nebraska, announce the birth of their son, Jett Harvey Welch, born June 16, 2014, at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte, Nebraska. He weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces and measured 18.5 inches long. ...

The family of Gary and Carolyn Leitner of McCook is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 60th wedding anniversary. They were married July 30, 1954, in McCook. Their family includes children, Chandra and Mike Berry of North Platte, Nebraska, Michele Root of Bellevue, Nebraska, Deon and Cheryl Leitner of McCook, Kristi and Dave Bross of Blue Springs, Missouri, 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 911 E. Fifth, McCook, NE 69001...

Zilah Naomi Powell of South Carolina will celebrate her 100th birthday July 27. She was born in Grant, Nebraska, and grew up in Stratton, Nebraska. A 1932 graduate of Stratton High School, she taught 12 grades in a one-room school house in 1934-35. She is the daughter of Nola Pember Bailey, a former milliner and prominent business woman of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Seymour E. ...

Driving through freshly harvested fields of wheat, thriving fields of corn and soybeans and it's hard to believe that there is hunger anywhere in the world. This year, especially, our Golden Plains are producing an abundance of food -- at least the majority of fields, those that didn't receive hail -- and there is no reason some of it can't get to people who would otherwise starve...

Yesterday, man's inhumanity to man raised its ugly head again. In the span of a few hours, we were witnesses to a commercial airline with nearly 300 souls on board being shot down by a surface-to-air missile along the border of Ukraine with all aboard perishing, the invasion of Gaza by thousands of Israeli ground troops accompanied by the shelling of Gaza City by planes, drones and missiles and a bank robbery in California that resulted in three hostages being taken and, after a bullet-riddled chase through three towns, three people were killed including two of the robbers and a hostage while the other two hostages were thrown out of the chased vehicle.. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A McCook man facing multiple felonies in two counties alleging sexual assault of a child stood mute Monday during his hearing in Red Willow County District Court. District Court Judge David Urbom entered a not guilty plea on behalf of the man, 65-year-old Benito Garcia, after Garcia chose not to respond to a request for a plea...

Four-year-old Rowen Hamilton of Culbertson gets a word of encouragement from his mom, Pam, before the 4-H Clover Kids poultry show during the Hitchcock County fair in Culbertson Thursday morning. It was Rowen's first time showing at the fair, and he and his Delaware chicken earned a rainbow participant ribbon. ...

Bransen Schaffert and "Pebbles," right, and Paige Witt and "Rex," above, work for dog show judge Pam Gaston at the Hitchcock County fair in Culbertson, Nebraska, Thursday morning. "Your first priority is getting your dog set up," then keeping an eye on the judge, Gaston told the youngest showmen. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A recent survey indicates the majority of McCook residents prioritize improvements to the city swimming pool as a recreational item they would like to see happen. Of the 152 surveys returned to city staff last month, 107 listed pool improvements in their top three priority recreational items to be built or improved upon...

McCOOK, Neb. -- Going forward into the final months of 2014, the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce is looking for more and better ways to serve its members and the people of the McCook area. This was the central theme Wednesday when the Chamber's Board of Directors gathered for their July meeting at McMillen Hall on the McCook Community College campus...

DANBURY, Nebraska -- The memoirs of the only Red Willow County, Nebraska, servicemen stationed at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, are captured in a new book sponsored by McDonald Ryan, Danbury American Legion Auxiliary No. 276. Patsy Lee Redfern of Bartley, Nebraska, co-authored the book with her son, Jim, who was named for his great-uncle, Navy Seaman James Martin Gammill of Bartley/Indianola, who was serving aboard the U.S.S. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The Board of Governors of Mid-Plains Community College will meet for a work session and regular meeting Wednesday in McCook Community College's McMillen Hall. The work session begins at 4:30 p.m., and the regular meeting is 6:30 p.m...

Mary Jane 'Janie' Lentz April 25, 1949 - July 15, 2014 LUFKIN, Texas -- Mary Jane "Janie" Lentz, 65, was born April 25, 1949, in McCook, Nebraska, to Donald and Mary (Phelps) Lehl and died Tuesday, July 15, 2014, at her turn of the century home in Lufkin, Texas...

80th birthday The family of Ken Foster of McCook is requesting a card shower in honor of his 80th birthday. He was born July 29, 1934, in rural Dundy County, north of Max, Nebraska. His family includes his wife, Marlene; children, Kristinia and Greg Johnson of Des Moines, Iowa, Deanna and Greg Donohue of Evergreen, Colorado, Todd and Dawn Foster of McCook; and grandchildren, Carly and Joseph Johnson, Sam and Stefen Donohue and Kendell and Cameron Foster. ...