U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Frances S. Sawyer
ORCHARD -- Frances S. Sawyer, 89, of Orchard died Friday, May 28, 1999 at the Marion Health Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the United Methodist Church in Orchard with the Rev. Norma Jean Andrews officiating. Burial will be in the Orchard Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at the church.
Ashburn Funeral Home in Orchard is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Sawyer was born July 8, 1909 in Spokan, Wash., to Emil and Ameilia (Wagner) Bach. Her family moved to Illinois, then to Wisner and later to Orchard in 1918. She was a member of the Orchard High class of 1927.
On Sept. 24, 1930 she married
Lon Sawyer in Omaha, and was a member of the United Methodist Church.
Survivors include two sons, Wayne of Grand Island, and Wilfred of Ludlow, Mass., 11 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, a son, Willis, a sister and two brothers.
James Shirley
PHILLIPS -- James Leo Shirley, 73, of Phillips died Thursday, May 27, 1999, at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Fort McPherson National cemetery in Maxwell. The Rev. Steven Jergensen will officiate. North Platte Honor Guard will provide military rites.
Visitation will be from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at Kleine Funeral Home. Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mr. Shirley was born Feb. 18, 1926, to Thomas C. and Isabelle (Wagner) Shirley at Stockville. He grew up and attended school at Maywood. He served in the U.S. Navy from Feb. 17, 1944, to May 21, 1946. After the service, he worked in construction, building bridges for a Fremont construction firm. He then worked on farms until he started working on oil rigs for the oil fields.
He spent his latter years farming.
He was a member of the Christian faith.
He enjoyed hunting, fishing and trapping.
Survivors include three brothers, William of Phillips, Thomas of McCook and Robert of Maywood; and two sisters, Margaret Boner of Wray, Colo., and Maryann Noragard of Maywood.
Leo Evans
Leo W. Evans, 75, of Grand Island died Tuesday, May 25, 1999, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Kleine Funeral Home. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Gordon City Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Thursday and from 10 a.m. until service time Friday.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mr. Evans was born on Aug. 17, 1923, at Winner, S.D., to Juel and Rosa (Ludwick) Evans. He grew up and was educated in Bateland, S.D. He worked on the ranch with his family.
He married
Dorothy Gardner on March 29, 1954, at Gordon. He worked on various farms and ranches in the Panhandle area. They moved to Hay Springs in 1972. They moved in 1977 to Bridgeport, where he worked for nine years as a parts man in a farm machinery business.
He semiretired in 1987 but worked part time for the city of Bridgeport until 1991, when he retired. The family moved to Grand Island in 1994.
He enjoyed his yard and lawn work as well as his flower gardens. He also enjoyed raising tropical fish.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, Loyd of Omaha and Leonard of Grand Island; three grandchildren; two brothers, Jim Evans of Gordon and Junior Evans of Arvada, Colo.; and two sisters, Agnes Evans of Westminster, Colo., and Ruth Ellen Smith of Alliance.
He was preceded in death by a son, Wilson; and a brother, Otto.
Helen Goodrich
Helen A. Goodrich, 72, of Grand Island died Wednesday, May 26, 1999, at her home.
Services are pending with Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home.
Paul Roberts
Paul H. Roberts, 87, of the Grand Island Veterans Home, formerly of Kearney, died Monday, May 24, 1999.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at O'Brien-Straatmann-Apfel Funeral Home in Kearney. The Rev. Ron Roemmich will officiate. Burial will be in the Kearney cemetery with military graveside rites by Veterans of Foreign Wars No. 759, American Legion No. 52 and the National Guard unit of Kearney.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the Members Activity Fund at the Grand Island Veterans Home.
Mr. Roberts was born on March 25, 1912, at Sioux Falls, S.D. He attended school in Conde, S.D., and graduated from Conde High School. He attended Northern State at Aberdeen, S.D. He moved to Kearney in 1936 and worked at the Gambles Store.
He served in the National Guard from 1940 to 1945. During that time, he served in the Pacific during World War II. He received numerous medals including a Purple Heart, Silver Star, American Defense Service Medal, Asiatic Pacific Service Medal and the Philippines Liberation Ribbon with Bronze Star.
He married
Ada Soto in Kearney. She died in October 1942.
He married
Leona Blethen in 1946 in Kearney.
After his discharge from the service, he came back to Kearney and managed the Gambles Store. He later became the owner. He retired in 1971. He had lived at the Grand Island Veterans Home for 12 years.
He was a member of the First United Methodist Church, VFW No. 1347 and American Legion No. 53, both of Grand Island.
Survivors include two sons, David Roberts of San Diego and John Roberts of Chicago; four daughters, Linda Hird of Minden, Lori Hallock of Waco, Texas, Marianne Schmitt of Weatherford, Texas, and Marsha Hood of Louisville, Ky.; 11 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one sister.
Jeffrey Bonenberger
Jeffrey S. Bonenberger, 32, of 2222 Bellwood Drive died Tuesday, May 25, 1999, in a car accident near Beaver Crossing.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Omaha. Burial will be in West Lawn cemetery in Omaha.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Roeder Mortuary in Omaha.
Memorials are suggested to the Northwest Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or the donor's choice.
Survivors include his parents, Ron and Ellen Bonenberger; and a sister, Jodi Wetjen.
Lawrence Albers
HASTINGS -- Lawrence O. Albers, 83, of Hastings died Monday, May 24, 1999, at Perkins Pavilion at Good Samaritan Village.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Brand Wilson Chapel in Hastings. Pastor David Ritter will officiate. Burial will be in the Blue Valley cemetery near Ayr.
Visitation will be from 8 a.m. until service time Thursday.
A memorial will be established.
Mr. Albers was born on Sept. 17, 1915, at Campbell to Elmer and Evelyn (Boudreau) Albers. He graduated from Campbell High School in 1933. He worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps camps after high school.
He married
Helen Tucker on Jan. 6, 1940. He lived in Cheyenne, Wyo., from 1940 to 1947, when he moved to Hastings. He owned Albers Auto Service for 50 years.
He was a member of the Seventh Day Baptist Church, Optimist Club, MADD and Hastings Museum.
Survivors include four daughters, Shelley Albers and Glenda Albers, both of Hastings, Paula Albers of Missoula, Mont., and Jennifer Albers of Bloomington, Ill.; one son, Dennis of Sonora, Calif.; two grandchildren; one great-grandchild; one sister, June Johnson of Harvard; and one brother, Roy of Sebring, Ill.
He was preceded in death by one son, Larry; one brother, Elwyn; and one sister, Owenn Maul.
