U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Chayton Wills
10-month-old
Emerson baby
Chayton Lee Wills, 10-month-old son of Ashley Wills and Zachary Mullins of Emerson died on Friday, July 16, 2004 at St. Luke‚s Regional Medical Center in Sioux City.
Funeral services were held on Wednesday, July 21 at St. Luke‚s Lutheran Church in Emerson, with Pastor Gretchen Ritola officiating. Burial was in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Emerson.
Chayton is survived by his parents, Ashley Wills of Emerson, and Zachary Mullins of West Hamlin, W.Va., grandparents Keith Wills of Emerson, Jeff and Cheri Stingley of West Point, Neb., Anita and Dana Benjamin of Memphis, Tenn. and Ira Mullins of West Virginia; great grandparents Herb and Arlene Wills of Winside, Neb., Sparky and Joann Malmberg of O‚Neill, Neb.; Rona and Anna Diggs of Memphis, Keith and Ardeth Stingley of Scribner, Neb., and Ira and Blanche Mullins of West Hamlin. He is also survived by his aunts Shauna Wills and Lacee Wills of Emerson, and Jessica Newburn of Waterbury, and Morgan Mullins of West Hamlin and a cousin Bailey Benton.
Margaret Carroll
Born in South Sioux
Margaret E. Carroll, 96, of Sioux City, formerly of St. Paul, Minn., passed away Monday, July 19, 2004 at a Sioux City nursing and rehabilitation center.
Services will be Friday at the First United Methodist Church in Sioux City with the Rev. Roger Madden officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation at Becker-Hunt Funeral Home will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday.
The former Margaret E. Pilgrim was born July 20, 1907 in South Sioux City. She graduated from Business College and was employed at an insurance agency. She later was employed with the City of Sioux City. She married Harry L. Carroll April 19, 1937 in Elk Point, S.D. He died in August of 1959 in Sioux City. She moved to St. Paul to live with her sister and brother-in-law. After their deaths she then returned to Sioux City in 2002.
She is survived by her cousin Thomas and his wife Verna Pucelik of South Sioux City and other friends.
Dr. Helen Morten
Former SSC teacher
Dr. Helen Elizabeth Morten, 82, of Lincoln, formerly of South Sioux City, died Tuesday, July 13, 2004 at a Sioux Falls, S.D. hospital.
Memorial services were Monday at First Lutheran Church in South Sioux City, with the Revs. Jim Kruse and Dale Jirousek officiating. Private graveside services were held in Graceland Cemetery in Sioux City.
Helen was born Oct. 12, 1921 in Sioux City, the daughter of John and Ethel (Clark) Engelbrecht. She graduated from South Sioux City High School in 1939. She then graduated from Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Neb. in 1943.
She received a master’s degree and doctor of education from the University of South Dakota.
She married Joseph W. Morten in Hartington, Neb. Dr. Morten was a music teach for South Sioux City and Sioux City Schools. She was a professor of education and director of the Community Education Development Center at the University of South Dakota from 1976 to 1989.
Dr. Morten was a member of the Laura Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star in South Sioux City and served as Worthy Grant Matron of the Nebraska Order of the Eastern Star from 1966 to 1967 and was a member of the South Sioux City PEO Chapter DE. She was a member of First Lutheran Church in South Sioux City and was a church organist.
She was chairman and a member of the Coordinating Commission of Post-Secondary Education for the state of Nebraska. She was a founding director of the Tri-State Graduate Center in 1990 and was director from 1993 to 1994.
She was co-founder of the South Sioux City Community Chorus and was a long-time member and past chairman of the Board of Northeast Community College. She was an honorary life member and past chair of the Nebraska Community College Association and was a member of the board of trustees at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln from 1987 to 1999.
She was an avid tennis player and University of Nebraska football fan.
Survivors include her husband, Joseph W. Morten of Lincoln; a son, Jay Morten and his wife Carol of Lincoln; two brothers Richard Engelbrecht and his wife Alice of Montgomery, Texas, and Roger Engelbrecht of Sun City West, Ariz.; and three grandchildren, Tyler, Alex and Jaime, who called her Lizzie.
She was preceded in death by her parents, and a sister Majorie Rising.
Memorials may be made in Dr. Morten’s name to First Lutheran Church in South Sioux City or the Sioux City Chapter of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
July 15, 2004
Walter “Buck” Pratt
SSC resident
Walter W. “Buck” Pratt, 81, of South Sioux City passed away Friday, July 9, 2004 at a South Sioux City nursing home.
Services were July 12 at Becker-Hunt funeral Home with the Rev. Daniel Wittrock, pastor of St. Michael Catholic Church officiating. Burial was in the St. Joseph Cemetery at Ellendale.
Buck was born July 18, 1922 in LeMars, Iowa the son of Walter E. and Julia M. (Harvey) Pratt. He graduated from Union Township High School. He married Evelyn M. Took. He owned and operated his own trucking business, farmed in the rural Merrill area and was also employed at Raskin Packing Company. He later married Alberta F. Bennett Sept. 30, 1980 in Elk Point, S.D. He was a resident of South Sioux City since 1983.
He was a former member of St. Joseph Catholic Church at Ellendale. He was now a member of St. Michael Catholic Church and the Fraternal Order of the Eagles in South Sioux City.
He enjoyed going to the Crystal Café and visiting with friends and watching videos.
Survivors include his wife, Alberta; two sons and their wives, Walter H. and Cheryl Pratt of Ocala, Fla., Al and Marcia Pratt of Merrill, Iowa; a daughter Julie and her husband Craig Bergquist of Merrill, Iowa; a sister Florence and her husband Wayne Spies of Hinton; eight grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents a brother James Harvey Pratt and three sisters, Ethel, Juanita and Joyce, and one grandson Clint Bergquist.
Pallbearers were grandchildren Curt, john, Jay and Kayla Bergquist, Sam and Luke Pratt. Honorary pallbearers were Walter and Michael Pratt and Darin Burns.
George and Helen (Surber) Gorin
Former SSC resident
Dr. George Gorin died March 22, 2004. Helen Surber Gorin died June 10, 2004 in Stillwater, Okla., the couple’s home for 40 years.
George Gorin was a retired chemistry professor at Oklahoma State University. He earned his doctorate at Princeton University in New Jersey.
Helen Surber Gorin was a graduate of South Sioux City and the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. She earned her master’s degree in microbiology at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
They were married 51 years ago in Eugene, Ore. and had two children, Victor of Oklahoma City, Okla. And Sarah Gorin (Berne) Hinckley and two grandchildren, Franklin and Marlis of Laramie, Wyo.
Survivors include George’s sister in Oakland, Calif., and Helen’s sister, Arlene Everton, who lives in Ponca, Neb.
The family held a private committal service on June 19, 2004 at the Ponca Cemetery in Ponca, Neb.
July 8, 2004
Eldred Cochran
South Sioux City resident
Eldred “Gene” Cochran, 76, of South Sioux City entered into rest Friday, July 2, 2004 at a Sioux City hospital, after a battle with cancer.
Services were Tuesday at Becker-Hunt Funeral Home with the Rev. Brad Goff, pastor of Goodnews Baptist Church officiating. Burial was in Memorial Park Cemetery.
Gene was born Aug. 27, 1927 in Falls City, Neb., the son of Alice Cochran and Jess Kirkendall. He grew up in Falls City. After graduation he moved to Omaha, where he met and married Glenetta Clark on Aug. 7, 1949. In 1952 he and his family moved to South Sioux City where he was a distributor for Storz Beer for 15 years. Gene owned and operated two businesses until his retirement in 1986.
Gene loved fishing, playing cards, mushroom hunting, Nebraska football, the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, spending time with his many friends and family, especially his grandkids and great grandkids.
Gene is survived by his wife Glenetta of 54 years, a son Kevin of Sioux City, four daughters: Sherri and her husband Steve Flaugh of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Leslie and her husband Jim Weber of Westfield, Iowa, Debra Christiansen of South Sioux City, Kimberly Cochran and her longtime companion Jeff Wessendorf of Sioux City, 10 grandchildren: Jami Lewkutz, Kobey Flaugh, Casey Jacobsen, Jessica Wendel, Theresa Weber Sexton, Andrea Westergard, Shane Cochran, Melissa Cochran, Steven Levi Maryott, Aleah Cochran and eight great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents.
Pallbearers were Casey Jacobsen, Kobey Flaugh, Shane Cochran, Steve Levi Maryott, Jim Weber, Steve Flaugh and Jeff Wessendorf.
Catherine O’Conner Harrington Kemper
Formerly of Homer
Catherine O’Conner Harrington Kemper, 95, of LaPlata, Md., formerly of the Homer area, died Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2004 at Charles County Nursing and Rehab Center in LaPlata.
A Celebration of Life Memorial mass was Saturday, July 3 at St. Cornelius Catholic Church in Homer with her cousin, Father Kevin Culligan OCD officiating. Burial of the cremated remains was in St. Cornelius Catholic Cemetery in Homer.
Catherine was born Nov. 9, 1908 in Homer, the daughter of Timothy and Mary (Dillon) O’Conner.
Survivors include her daughters, Catherine Jensen of Cobb Island, Md. and Patricia Ann Rodriguez and her husband Bar of Mexico City, eight grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Congressman Vincent Harrington, her second husband Laurence Kemper, her parents and a grandson Charles Jensen.
Memorials may be made to the St. Cornelius Catholic Cemetery fund, Homer, Neb.
Greta White
South Sioux City resident
Greta L. White, 82, of South Sioux City passed away Monday, July 5 at her residence from a two-year illness with cancer.
Services will be today (Thursday) at St. Michael Catholic Church with the Rev. Daniel Wittrock officiating. Burial will be in the Dakota City Cemetery. Visitation will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday at Becker-Hunt Funeral Home. The body will then be taken to the church for visitation from 4 to 8 p.m. with a Legion of Mary Rosary at 4:30 p.m. and a scriptural wake service at 7 p.m.
Greta was born Nov. 12, 1921 in Ashland, Neb., the daughter of Charles C. and Mary E. (Rager) Brothers. As a child she moved with her family to the Walthill area where she graduated from high school. She married Harold J. White Nov. 26, 1942 in Ponca. She and her husband were co-owners of White Furniture in South Sioux City.
She was a member of St. Michael Catholic Church and the Legion of Mary.
She enjoyed baking, crocheting, reading and spending time with her children and grandchildren.
Survivors include her husband Harold, a son Tom White, a daughter Karen and her husband Dan Twohig, all of South Sioux City, seven grandchildren, nine great grandchildren and a lifelong friend Marge Tapper.
She was preceded in death by her parents, a son Craig White, and a brother Eben Brothers.
Pallbearers will be her grandson and grand-sons-in-law: Charlie White, Matt Tibbels, Dan Mohr, Dave Williams, Craig Posson and John Loos.
Honorary pallbearers will be grandchildren: Theresa Tibbels, Mary Ellen Mohr, Elizabeth Posson, Terry Williams, Nichole White and Eileen Loos.
