Stories from Saturday, December 31, 2005

After winning national championships as a football coach and serving in the U.S. Congress, you might think that Tom Osborne would be ready to take it easy. You would be wrong. He is a driven man. He worked relentlessly as a coach and a congressman, and now he is giving the same kind of all-out effort in his bid to be governor of Nebraska...

Water in its many forms and -- even the lack of it -- continued to dominate the front page of the McCook Daily Gazette throughout 2005. Irrigators began dealing in earnest with the repercussions of the Republican River Compact lawsuit judgement won by Kansas, and by the end of the year, thanks in no small part to what seemed like a break in the years-long drought, had reduced groundwater pumping to an acceptable level. ...

Jan. 28, 1920--Dec. 29, 2005 Lucille Ireland, 85, died Thursday, December 29, 2005 at Community Hospital in McCook. She was born Jan. 28, 1920, in Red Willow County to William and Lillian (Junker) Baumbach. She was raised in the Ash Creek Community southeast of McCook where she attended school and was a member of St. Catherine's Catholic Church in Indianola...

Jan. 15, 1918--Dec. 28, 2005 HAIGLER -- Marcella M. Samler, 87, died Wednesday (Dec. 28, 2005) at the Cheyenne County Hospital in St. Francis. She was born Jan. 15, 1918, to Thomas and Myrtle (Quimby) Hardwick in Dundy County. She attended country school near her family's farm. She graduated from Parks High School in 1934. She attended Riverside Junior College in Riverside, Calif...

Nov. 22, 1937-Dec. 29, 2005 CULBERTSON -- Dewey William Le Droit, 68, formerly of North Platte, died Thursday (Dec. 29, 2005) at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. He was born Nov. 22, 1937, to Dewey and Elizabeth (Spiegel) Le Droit in Lexington. He grew up in North Platte and Lexington...

LEXINGTON -- Destinee West and Cory Steinke, both of Holdrege, were united in marriage Saturday, Sept. 24, 2005, at the First Christian Church in Lexington with the Rev. KC BeDunnah officiating. Parents of the couple are Taun and Charlene West of Lexington and Roger and Kathy Steinke of Olpe, Kan...

Kelsey Sellers and Dustin Vakiner, both of Central City, were united in marriage Saturday, Oct. 22, 2005, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in McCook with the Rev. Gary Brethour officiating. Parents of the couple are Pam Sellers and Paul Sellers of McCook and Clifford and Donna Vakiner of Snyder...

Dawn Applegarth of Palisade and Kelly Doetker of Wauneta announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Kurt and Janet Applegarth of Palisade and Kent and Susie Doetker of Wauneta. The bride-to-be received her bachelor's degree in general studies in 2004 and her bachelor's degree in elementary education with a minor in music in 2005 from Fort Hays State University. ...

Christina Lynn and Johnny R. Scott, both of Bartley, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Don and Sharon Hayhurst, Lanny Scott and April Lechman. The bride-to-be works at Town Talk Restaurant in Cambridge and is a bartender at Old Sarge's Bar in McCook. The prospective bridegroom works at Burns Podiatric Laboratory. The ceremony is planned for Saturday, April 22, 2006, in Bartley...

Garret and Susanne Frecks of Lee's Summit, Mo., announce the birth of a daughter, Gracyn Alivia, on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2005, in Overland Park, Mo. She weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces and was 18 inches long. Grandparents are Gary and Pam Frecks of rural Cambridge and Dwaine and Marsha Enloe of Liberty, Mo. Great-grandparents are Pauline Frecks of Culbertson, the late Alvert Frecks, Lillian Lemaster of Wilsonville and the late Glenn Lemaster...

The family of Irene (DeHart) Wright is requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday. She was born Jan. 7, 1926. Cards of congratulations will reach her at PO Box 333, Palisade, NE 69040.