U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Ivan Dittmer
WOOD RIVER -- Ivan Dittmer, 64, of Wood River died Monday, May 24, 1999, at St. Francis Hospital in Broken Arrow, Okla.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Countryside Christian Church in Kearney. The Rev. Ken Fairbrother will officiate. Burial will be in Fort McPherson National cemetery in Maxwell.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Apfel Funeral Home in Wood River.
Memorials are suggested to the American Heart Association, the VA Wall Memorial at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center or the Policeman's Association.
Mr. Dittmer was born on June 21, 1934, at Clarks to Bill and Bernita (Fox) Dittmer. He grew up in Clarks and graduated from Clarks High School.
He served in the Navy from 1952 to 1956 and also in the Army Reserve and National Guard. After his military service, he farmed in the Clarks area and later worked for the Bureau of Reclamation in Ainsworth, Valentine and Moses Lake, Wash.
In 1983, he came to Grand Island, where he worked as a police officer for eight years.
He married
Coral Bilslend on April 24, 1988. The couple retired to Wood River in 1993, and he worked part time for the city of Shelton as a police officer.
He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Policeman's Association.
Survivors include his wife; two sons, John of Concordia, Kan., and Paul of Norfolk; one daughter, Jane Wentz of Kearney; four grandchildren; his mother; one brother, Francis of Omaha; and one sister, Leona Scherer of Clarks.
He was preceded in death by his father.
Eva Dusek
RAVENNA -- Eva Dusek, 92, of Ravenna died Wednesday, May 26, 1999, at the Good Samaritan Center in Ravenna.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Rasmussen Mortuary in Ravenna. The Rev. Doug DeNeui will officiate. Burial will be in Highland Park cemetery in Ravenna.
Visitation will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the mortuary.
More information will appear later.
Melvin Sunderland
ALBION -- Melvin W. Sunderland, 56, of Albion died Tuesday, May 25, 1999, at a home near Hayes Center.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Primrose. The Rev. Ralph Steffensmeier will officiate. Burial will be in the parish cemetery with military rites.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m., with a rosary at 7 p.m., Thursday at Levander Funeral Home in Albion.
More information will appear later.
Joann Rice
COZAD -- Joann Rice, 59, of Cozad died Tuesday, May 25, 1999, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the First United Methodist Church in Cozad. The Rev. Jim Johnson will officiate. Burial will be in the Cozad Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at Berryman Funeral Home in Cozad.
Memorials are suggested to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Mrs. Rice was born on June 8, 1939, at Cozad to John "Tex" and Edna (Heller) Hergenrader. She was a 1957 graduate of Cozad High School.
She married
Roger Loibl on Aug. 24, 1958. She worked as a secretary for First Federal Savings and Loan and also at the Cozad High School office for 10 years. She later worked as a secretary for Evans Bakery and Nelsen and Nelsen Law Office.
She was a member of Parkview United Methodist Church. She was a longtime member and very active with the BPO Does. She was a volunteer at the Robert Henri Museum and was an avid Cornhusker football fan.
Survivors include two daughters, Marci Conroy of Cozad and Janna (Mrs. Scott) Zimbelman of St. Paul; five grandchildren; a brother, Gerry Hergenrader of Campbell, Calif.; and a sister, Judy (Mrs. Jim) Haver of Gothenburg.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Wilma Beekman
Wilma A. Beekman, 80, of Grand Island died Sunday, May 23, 1999, at St. Francis Skilled Care Unit.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Wiegert cemetery near Grand Island. The Rev. Richard Karohl will officiate.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home.
Memorials are suggested to the family's choice.
Mrs. Beekman was born on March 1, 1919, at Grand Island to John and Marie (Wiegert) Ehlers. She was educated at District 32 School. She graduated from Grand Island Senior High.
She married
Robert L. Beekman on Aug. 11, 1951, at Brady. They lived in Grand Island. She worked for White Island Cafe, Dreisbach's, the Yancey and Allen's.
She was a member of Faith United Methodist Church, where she taught Sunday school. She was also a member of Faith's Circle.
She enjoyed embroidery, gardening, cooking and caring for others.
Survivors include three sons, Randal Beekman and Kenneth Beekman, both of Lincoln, and Jon Beekman of Grand Island; one brother, Lloyd Ehlers of Grand Island; and three sisters, Ethel (Mrs. Evert) Manchester of Minden, Doris (Mrs. Duane) Rouse of Doniphan and Vera (Mrs. Claire) Grudzinski of Norfolk.
Her husband died in 1997.
Alma Kamper
Alma W. Kamper, 100, of Grand Island died Friday, May 21, 1999, at Lakeview Rehab/Nursing Center.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in North Platte. The Revs. Marion Von Rentzell and Herbert B. Schutte will officiate. Burial will be in Floral Lawns Memorial Garden, North Platte.
Memorials are suggested to Lutheran World Relief.
Mrs. Kamper was born on Feb. 18, 1899, in Platte County to John W. and Amanda (Lueschen) Hake. In 1912, the family moved to a farm near Archer, where she lived until 1924.
She married
George Kamper on June 3, 1924, and the couple lived on a farm northeast of St. Libory. They later moved to Palmer. In 1963, the Kampers moved to North Platte, where her husband died in 1968.
Mrs. Kamper continued to live in North Platte until 1989, when she moved to the Grand Island Veterans Home.
She was a Gold Star mother and enjoyed fishing and gardening.
Survivors include four daughters, Maxine Williams and Grace Schutte, both of Grand Island, Jeannine Shafer of North Platte and Phyllis Gates of Mesa, Ariz.; 36 grandchildren; 78 great-grandchildren; 19 great-great-grandchildren; and one sister, Hulda Kuppinger of Hammond, Ind.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her son, George M.; two daughters, Caroline F. Zwelling and Betty J. Morgan; five sisters and four brothers.
Leota Lee
Leota Mary Lee, 82, of Grand Island died Monday, May 24, 1999, at Lakeview Rehab/Nursing Center.
Services are pending at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home in Grand Island.
Caroline Scott
Caroline A. Scott, 105, of Grand Island died Monday, May 24, 1999, at the Grand Island Veterans Home.
Services are pending with Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home.
