Stories from Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Ralph 'Lefty' Felker Sept. 29, 1925 - Jan. 5, 2015. McCOOK, Neb. -- Ralph "Lefty" Felker died at Hillcrest Nursing Home on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015. He was born in Culbertson, Nebraska, on Sept. 29, 1925, to Alex and Mary (Propp) Felker. He was raised on the family farm near Culbertson and was confirmed in 1940 at St. ...

William E. 'Bill' Fitzpatrick MCCOOL JUNCTION, Neb. -- William E. "Bill" Fitzpatrick, age 84, of McCool Junction passed away Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015, at Central City, Nebraska, following a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. He was born in rural York, Nebraska, to Richard and Elizabeth "Betty" (Russell) Fitzpatrick. ...

Don 'Brownie' Brown Aug. 5, 1920 - Jan. 2, 2015 PRATT, Kan. -- Don "Brownie" Brown died Friday (Jan. 2, 2015), at Pratt Regional Medical Center in Pratt, Kansas. He was born on Aug. 5, 1920, in Burlingame, Kansas, to Rev. Robert and Orphana Brown. He married Geraldine Fryback on Dec. 25, 1944; she preceded him in death on Feb. 17, 2002...

Tod James Rogers May 1, 1952 - Jan, 2, 2015 DENVER, Colo. -- Tod James Rogers, 62, of Denver, died Friday (Jan, 2, 2015), at Denver Hospice in Denver. He was born May 1, 1952, in Denver. He was an office manager at Concrete Construction. Survivors include his parents, James and Beryl (Headrick) Rogers and brother, Eric Rogers of Denver...

Mary Lou Munn BENKELMAN, Neb. -- Mary Lou Munn, 87, a longtime resident of Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas, died Sunday (Jan. 4, 2015), at Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman, Survivors include children, Nancy Anderson of Omaha, Nebraska and Diane Malleck of Spokane, Washington and two grandchildren...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A Lincoln area nonprofit organization is asking the McCook City Council for use of the vacant Public Safety Center and hopes the location will help it expand operations in Western Nebraska. The nonprofit, Prairie Gold Homes, builds on-site and modular homes using a select group of state inmates and partners from the construction and housing industry...

ABILENE, Kan. -- Orscheln Farm and Home has purchased a former Alco facility and announced plans to double its number of stores. Orscheln Farm and Home LLC, a Midwest family-owned rural retailer, has purchased the 357,000-square-foot distribution center on 54 acres in Abilene, Kansas, formerly owned by Alco...

Nebraska: The Cornhusker State. Whatever the fortunes of our favorite football team, Nebraska is inexorably linked to those fields of corn growing along our highways, nourished with water drawn from the Ogallala aquifer through center-pivot systems, many of which are manufactured right here in McCook...

Grannie and I just returned from the warmth of southern California. Interesting people there. They complain when the temperature gets down to 50 degrees or so. "Cold! Have to wear a jacket!" Ah, the glories of four seasons back home where we have chosen to enjoy our lives. I'm reminded of the wise Scandinavian who noted when being about in challenging weather that "There is no bad weather; just poor clothing!"...