Elden Giles Earlley

Elden Giles Earlley

Aug. 15, 1938 - April 10, 2014

WILSONVILLE, Nebraska -- Elden Giles Earlley, 75, of Wilsonville, died April 10, 2014, at his daughter's home in Waverly, Nebraska, after a three-year battle with COPD.

He was born on Aug. 15, 1938, on a farmstead near Norcatur, Kansas, to Glenn and Edith (Dicks) Earlley.

He attended elementary school and his freshmen year of high school in Norcatur. He graduated from Holbrook High School in 1956. He joined the Nebraska National Guard in McCook.

He married Mariann Vreugdenhil on Oct. 6, 1963, near Akron, Iowa.

After high school, he began his life-long occupation as a soil conservationist, farmer and steward of the land. During this time, he assisted his father with his farming operation while starting his own. They received outstanding soil and water conservation steward awards in July 1993. The same year, the Lower Republican Natural Resources District awarded the couple with its conservation award. The Republican Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever awarded them "Conservationist of the Year" in 2010.

He was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church of Arapahoe, Nebraska.

Elden was preceded in death by his parents.

Survivors include his his wife, Mariann Earlley of Wilsonville; daughtes, Dawn Wright and husband, Bill of Scott City, Kansas, April Ondrak and husband, Jerry of Shelton, Nebraska, Alison Warner and husband, Randy of Waverly, Nebraska, Amber Sarnecki and husband, Jason of Salina, Kansas, and Marla Brown and husband, Dan of Kearney and two grandchildren.

Funeral services are 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 15, 2014, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Arapahoe with the Rev. James Moshier officiating. Interment is at the Norton cemetery in Norton, Kansas, with military rites by the Nebraska National Guard Honor Guard.

Viewing and visitation is today until 8 p.m. at Wenburg Funeral Home in Arapahoe with family present from 6-8 p.m., and prior to the service at the church.

Memorials be sent to the American Lung Association. Condolences or personal reflections can be left at wenburgfuneralhome.com

Wenburg Funeral Home in Arapahoe is in charge of the arrangements.