John E. Walbridge

John E. Walbridge

May 25, 1956 - Feb. 22, 2014

BURNS, Wyoming -- John E. Walbridge, age 57, of Burns and Arapahoe, Nebraska, died Feb. 22, 2014, at Davis Hospice Center in Cheyenne.

He was born May 25, 1956, in Lexington, Nebraska, to Addison and Helen Walbridge, the youngest of three children. In 1958, the family moved to the farm north of Edison.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Helen Walbridge.

John attended District 7 country school, Arapahoe Public School and Kearney State College. John was very active in track, golf, football, and wrestling in high school. He was the first state champion wrestler for Arapahoe, he won the 98 pound weight class in 1972. During high school and college, he worked for neighbor Stan Ebel where he learned valuable life lessons on working with a cow-calf operation, a llama operation, and even experienced a wallaby chase. After graduation from Kearney State, he returned to farm and ranch full time with his brother Irvin.

He married JoDee Anderson of Arapahoe, on July 27, 1991, in Reno, Nevada. They raised three children, Sam, Max, and Fayth.

John enjoyed time at the lake with his family, golfing and coaching his nephews on golfing, taking his dad to morning coffee at the Muddy Creek, time with his nieces and nephews, and most recently the birth of his grandson, Ayden.

John "Banger" had a wonderful sense of humor and he will be missed immensely by his family and many friends.

He is survived by his wife, JoDee Walbridge of Burns and Arapahoe; children, Samuel Gillen and Jenna of Oxford, Nebraska; Maxwell Walbridge and Fayth Walbridge of Burns, Wyoming; grandson, Ayden Gillen; father, Addison Walbridge of Arapahoe; siblings, Irvin (Karen) Walbridge of Arapahoe and Rhonda (Jim) Lakey of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Cremation has taken place under the care of Schrader Funeral Home and memorial services will be held in Arapahoe, Nebraska at the Methodist Church, on Sunday March 16, 2014, at 2 p.m. Online condolences may be made at www.schradercares.com.