Zella Izetta Kerchal

PALISADE -- Zella Izetta Kerchal, 91, died Tuesday (March 11, 2003) at Community Hospital of McCook.

She and her twin sister, Zora, were born July 18, 1911, to Martin and Bertha (Ruettimann) Price in their country home northeast of Palisade. After graduating from Palisade High School in 1929 and McCook Junior College in 1931, she began a teaching career that spanned over 30 years.

On June 1, 1938, she married Rudolph Charles Kerchal in a double-wedding ceremony with her twin sister and Merle Sailors in their parents' home. To this union three daughters were born. They farmed on their land 10 miles northeast of Palisade for 47 years. They retired to Hayes Center in 1985. She had been living at El Dorado Manor in Trenton since Sept. 1, 1996.

She was a lifelong member of the Palisade Methodist Church, Palisade Rebekah Lodge No. 254, Palisade Order of the Eastern Star, Daughters of the Nile in Hastings and Bahia Nilettes of McCook.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, Rudolph in 1996; one infant daughter, Marvelyn Kay; and one sister, Deliphene Downing.

Survivors include two daughters, Sheryl and husband, Steve Wiitala, of Omaha and Marla and husband, Chuck Nitsch, of Germantown, Tenn.; two sisters, Zora Sailors of Palisade and Esther Clawson of Eldon, Mo.; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Services will be Saturday, 2:30 p.m., at the Palisade United Methodist Church with the Rev. Michael Laing officiating. Burial will be in the Palisade Cemetery.

Visitation will be today and Friday until 8 p.m.

Memorials may be given to the Parkinson's Association or El Dorado Manor.

Carpenter Breland Funeral Home of McCook is in charge of the arrangements.