Stories from Monday, April 20, 2015

Elsie A. Hofman Aug.11, 1918 - April 16, 2015 IMPERIAL, Neb. -- Elsie A. Hofman was born on the family farm west of Elwood, Nebraska, on Aug. 11, 1918, the fourth child of Emil and Mary (Marquardt) Gruber. Elsie attended country school and parochial grade school and graduated from Elwood High School. She obtained a normal teaching certificate from Kearney State College and taught in country and parochial grade schools for about five years...

Betty Y. Riepe Nov. 17, 1934 - April 13, 2015 NORTON, Kan. -- Betty Y. Riepe, 80, of Norton, died Monday (April 13, 2015), at the Andbe Home in Norton. She was born Nov. 17, 1934, to Fred and Louise (Koeteman) Huxoll at Arapahoe, Nebraska. On June 14, 1953, she married George Edward Riepe of Arapahoe...

Roger Lee Luke July 15, 1957 - April 18, 2015 HOLBROOK, Neb. -- Roger Lee Luke, 57, of Holbrook, died Saturday (April 18, 2015), at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook, Nebraska. He was born July 15, 1957, to Virgil and Leona (Fisher) Luke in Holdrege...

Wayne E. Wolford July 19, 1935 - April 16, 2015 COZAD, Neb. -- Wayne E. Wolford, age 79, of Cozad, died April 16, 2015, in Lincoln, Nebraska. Wayne was born east of Kearney on the family farm on July 19, 1935, to Cecil M. and Leanda (Munson) Wolford. ...

Roger W. Monter Nov. 24, 1933 - April 18, 2015 EUSTIS, Neb. -- Roger W. Monter, age 81, of Eustis, passed away Saturday, April 18, 2015, at Lexington, Nebraska. Roger was born Nov. 24, 1933, at Arapahoe, Nebraska, to Otto and Minnie (Wendland) Monter. He graduated from Arapahoe High School in 1951. Roger worked for NSW Construction, running a caterpiller. He served in the U.S. Air Force in Texas and Mississippi for two years and was honorably discharged in 1957...

One of the first needs of the settlers to our area was the establishment of a post office. In the Republican Valley these post offices were laid out following the route of the railroad. By 1881 Postal authorities reported that there were 59 post offices in Southwest Nebraska! (Fairview, which became McCook, was one of these). Each of these post office locations had the aspiration of becoming the hub town of Southwestern Nebraska. Most of these post office sites no longer exist...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The Mid Plains Community College board of governors will accept applications to serve on the board following the resignation of Elizabeth Benjamin, who submitted her resignation effective March 26. Meeting in McCook Wednesday, the board is expected to declare a vacancy and seek applications in hopes of filling the spot with an open ballot at its May 20 board meeting...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The Southwest Nebraska Leadership Institute board of directors has extended the deadline for applications to this Wednesday, April 22. If you received a letter and application in the mail, you still have time to fill it out and submit to the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce...

McCOOK, Neb. -- This Wednesday, April 22, the City of McCook, Nebraska Public Power District, and McCook third grade students will come together to plant trees at Felling Field. The event is hosted by NPPD in celebration of Arbor Day. Beginning at 12:30 p.m. ...

Students in fancy dresses and fancy vehicles converged at the McCook High School auditorium Saturday for Promenade 2015, with the dance at the near-by McCook Learning Center (formerly the armory). Arriving the old-fashioned way in horse and buggy, below, are Cailee Zwickle and Dane Larington, with "coachman" Brad Randel. ...

Bob Brown of Trenton, Nebraska, on a John Deere H, rolls a barrel through the obstacle course and across the finish line in 1 minute, 34 seconds during the tractor rodeo Saturday in the Kiplinger Arena on the Red Willow County Fairgrounds in McCook. ...

McCOOK, Neb. -- The Mid Plains Community College board of governors will accept applications to serve on the board following the resignation of Elizabeth Benjamin, who submitted her resignation effective March 26. Meeting in McCook Wednesday, the board is expected to declare a vacancy and seek applications in hopes of filling the spot with an open ballot at its May 20 board meeting...

McCOOK, Neb. -- UNL Extension and the Nebraska Forest Service plan a tree care workshop in McCook, Nebraska, Thursday, April 30. To register for the class, call the Red Willow County Extension office at (308) 345-3390. Extension educator Robert Tigner of McCook says the past years of drought have hurt many trees in Southwest Nebraska. This workshop will answer some questions about tree problems and care...

McCook's biggest celebration every year celebrates the fact that, with the possible exception of those of us with Native American heritage, our ancestors came from somewhere else. The coming of the railroad in the late 19th century saw an influx of settlers, many of them of German heritage who had been living in Russia...

McCOOK, Neb. -- A rural McCook man was ordered to serve jail time and attend anger management classes stemming from a disturbing assault of his wife and two young daughters. The offender, 35-year-old James Conrad Geihsler of 39077 County Road 708, accepted a plea agreement in February admitting guilt to a Class 3A felony for child abuse and a Class I misdemeanor for negligent child abuse. ...