Stories from Monday, November 24, 2014

Verna Vernetta Mackey July 4, 1914 - Nov. 22, 2014 McCOOK, Neb. -- Verna Vernetta Mackey of McCook passed away peacefully with her family by her side on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014, at Hillcrest Nursing Home. Verna recently celebrated her 100th birthday with family and friends. She was born on July 4, 1914, on the family farm in Red Willow County, Nebraska, to parents Fred and Mattie (Simmerman) Traphagan. She graduated from Red Willow High School in 1932...

Karen L. Scott June 12, 1938 - Nov. 22, 2014 McCOOK, Neb. -- Karen L. Scott, 76, died Saturday, Nov 22, 2014, at Community Hospital in McCook. Services are pending with Carpenter Breland Funeral Home in McCook.

Everett William Holthus June 21, 1930 - Nov. 13, 2014 ATWOOD, Kan. -- Everett William Holthus was born on June 21, 1930, on the family farm, eight miles east of Atwood, Kansas, to Ted and Lydia (Dunker) Holthus. He was baptized and confirmed at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Ludell, Kansas. He passed away at Atwood Good Samaritan on Nov. 13, 2014, at the age of 84...

Gene Haarberg IMPERIAL, Neb. -- Gene Haarberg, 78, died Thursday (Nov. 20, 2014), at Imperial Manor in Imperial. Survivors include his wife, Kay Haarberg of Imperial; children, Dirk Haarberg and wife, Elizabeth, of Imperial and Keeli Yonkers and husband, Mark of Bridgeport, Nebraska; brother, Lorris Haarberg and wife, Ruth, of Arapahoe, Nebraska; sister, Marilyn Baldonado and husband, Paul of Fort Scott, Kansas; brother-in-law, Kermit Kuecker of Clive, Iowa; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.. ...

60th birthday The family of Donnie Sughroue is requesting a card shower in honor of his 60th birthday Nov. 29. Cards of congratulations will reach him at P.O. Box 283, Bartley, NE 69020.

Steve Forbes, left, and Ed Newcomb represent Ag Valley Co-Op as they present a $100 check to Dorothy Henton of the McCook, Nebraska, Food Pantry Thursday afternoon. Newcomb said Ag Valley's employees at 20 locations recently hosted a company-wide food drive and donated food stuffs and a $100 check to each of the 11 pantries within Ag Valley's service area...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The McCook City Council will say goodbye to Mayor Dennis Berry next week after he swears in City Councilman-elect Gene Weedin. Mayor Berry will exit the position after serving more consecutive years as mayor than anyone in the history of McCook...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The City of McCook received a bid late last week which has disrupted, at least for the time being, the sale of city property to City Councilman Mike Gonzales. The Gonzales family had planned to pay $1,540 for a 3500 sq. ft. partial lot just south of their Norris Avenue home. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- "Grannie Annie" Trail is tired of packing boxes to send to U.S. military chaplains serving their country abroad. It's not because she doesn't want to participate in the "Adopt a Chaplain" program anymore after nine years. Annie's tired of packing the "we care" boxes simply because it means the chaplains and their fellow soldiers, sailors and Marines are not where she wishes they were -- home...

The dispute is far from over, but common sense seems to have prevailed in the most recent activity concerning the Republican River. Colorado and Nebraska entities have responded to downstream demands for water by converting groundwater into surface water, through augmentation projects Colorado's North Fork Republican River project, Rock Creek by the Upper Republican Natural Resources District and N-CORPE the Middle, Upper, Twin Platte and Lower NRDs...

Note: At Thanksgiving, that time when we count our blessings with gratitude and memories, I have chosen to reflect on a couple of events in my life that occurred about this time of year. The first was the fire in our home, which happened six years ago. The second happened more than 60 years ago---in Korea. (From the Gazette archives.)...