U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Gene Malsbury
Gene Malsbury, 73, of Aurora died Wednesday, May 5, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the United Methodist Church in Aurora. The Revs. Dr. Joe Scahill and Merwyn Davidson will officiate. Burial will be in the Aurora Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Higby Mortuary in Aurora.
Mr. Malsbury was born in Cadams on March 9, 1926, to Charles and Helen (Harper) Malsbury. He grew up in Bostwick on a farm and graduated from Superior High School.
On May 22, 1950, he married
Ruth Carter at Superior. He served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954. He attended telegraphy school and then went to work for Burlington Northern Railroad as an agent/operator for 33 years before retiring in 1985. They have been longtime Aurora residents.
He was a member of the United Methodist Church and Lions Club. In previous years he had been active in Little League Baseball, Junior Pro Football and Cub Scouts, where he was a scoutmaster.
He loved camping, woodworking, gardening, and fishing.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Kevin of Aurora; one daughter, Diana (Mrs. Raymond) Jorgensen of Kearney; one brother, Albert of North Platte; four sisters, Laura (Mrs. Harry) Jensen of Superior, Janet Hanson of Superior, Donna (Mrs. Robert) Bird of Clinton Corners, N.Y., and Nadine (Muril) Vincelette of Grand Junction, Colo.; and three grandsons.
He was preceded in death by two sisters, Dorothy and Helen.
William Berrick
PAPILLION -- William H. Berrick, 72, of Papillion died Saturday, May 1, 1999, when his newest home-built plane, a GP-4 crashed outside Murray.
Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, at the First Presbyterian Church in Bellevue. Kahler-Dolce Mortuary of Papillion is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to the New Organ Fund at the Church or your favorite charity.
Mr. Berrick was born Sept. 15, 1926, in Merino, Colo., to John Fredrick and Laurine Elizabeth (Propst) Berrick. He attended and graduated from Merino High School as an achieved scholar and athlete.
He received academic degrees from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., and Northwestern University at Chicago, Ill., in 1951 with a Degree of Doctor of Medicine; the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, 1976 and Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs, Iowa.
He served as an USAF cadet at the end of World War II.
He married
Helen Elinore Griffin in Denver, Colo., on Aug. 20, 1951. He was an accomplished surgeon and dedicated family physician. he served as medical doctor for Madison and the surrounding area from 1955 to 1975. His contributions to the Madison community were not limited to the medical care he provided. He also built the Taylor Creek Golf Club in Madison in 1967 and served on the school board.
His lifelong interest in aeronautics led him to join the U.S. Air Force in 1976. He was stationed at the Cannon Air Force Base in Clovis, N.M., the Bitburg AFB in Germany, the Chanute AFB in Rantoul, Ill., and the Offutt AFB in Omaha. He served as the hospital commander at Offutt AFB from 1985 until his discharge in 1988 with the rank of colonel.
Following his retirement he pursued interests in aeronautics and returned to school focusing on airplane construction. He became a certified A&P; mechanic. He completed his first home-built plane an Acro Sport in 1991.
Survivors include his wife; four children, Nancy (Mrs. Steve) Henrickson, Susan (Mrs. Tim) Pfeifer, Cindy Lou (Mrs. Scott) Beaudette and John Berrick; 14 grandchildren; two sisters, Eleanor (Mrs. Richard) Negri and Sarah (Mrs. Frank) Gotch.
He was preceded in death by one granddaughter.
'Toots' Luft
"Toots" Susan Opal Luft, 92, of Grand Island died Sunday, May 2, 1999, at Wedgewood Care Center.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home. The Rev. Alan Davis will officiate. Burial will be at 2 p.m. Friday in the Shelby Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m., with family greeting friends from 7 to 9 p.m., Thursday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the Cairo United Methodist Church or the donor's choice.
Mrs. Luft was born on July 16, 1906, in rural Nance County to William H. and Susan M. (Bull) Vaughn. She grew up and was educated in Nance County near Fullerton.
She married
Lawrence W. Luft on June 3, 1934, at Fullerton. They lived in Fullerton and moved to rural Hall County in 1940. They moved to a farm northwest of Cairo in 1944. They retired from the farm in 1973 and moved into town in 1981. Mr. Luft died on Feb. 17, 1986.
Mrs. Luft was a member of the Cairo United Methodist Church.
Survivors include one daughter-in-law, Jeri Luft of Grand Island, who cared for her; two grandchildren; one great-grandchild; one step grandchild; four step great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Margaret Wynne of Albion and Nell "Babe" Tallon of Columbus.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by one son, Roger; two brothers; and four sisters.
Laura Peterson
Laura A. Peterson, 45, of Grand Island died Saturday, May 1, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Bishop Michael McCain will officiate. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until service time Thursday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the daughters.
Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
She was born on Dec. 18, 1953, in Sidney to William and Doris (Frericks) Peterson. She grew up and was educated in Gurley, Sidney and Grand Island.
She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Survivors include two daughters, Brenda (Mrs. Damian Favazza) Price and Becky Price, both of Grand Island; one granddaughter; her parents, of Grand Island; three brothers, Walter Peterson, George Peterson and Dana Peterson, all of Grand Island; and three sisters, Kathy Wilson of Grand Island, Lucinda Williams of Wood River and Joan Lovendahl of Morganville, Kan.
She was preceded in death by two grandsons.
Benjamin Augustyn
ORD -- Benjamin F. Augustyn, 92, of Ord died Sunday, May 2, 1999, at the Valley County Nursing Home in Ord.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Ord. The Revs. James Warner and Andrew Augustyn will officiate. Burial will be in the Ord City Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m., with a rosary at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday at Ord Memorial Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to St. Mary's Catholic School.
Mr. Augustyn was born on March 17, 1907, in Valley County to Charles and Mary (Shotkoski) Augustyn. He grew up and was educated in Valley County. He graduated from Ord High School in 1927.
As a child and young adult, he farmed in the Fort Hartsuff area north of Ord. He later acquired land in Elyria and east of Ord. Due to his health, he retired in his 80s.
Mr. Augustyn donated his farms in Valley County to Creighton University. The proceeds from the farms will be used to create the Ben Augustyn Scholarship Fund.
He was a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Ord Elks Lodge Post 3271 and the Knights of Columbus.
He enjoyed spending winters in California with his sister Clara and visiting his niece Berniece in Colorado.
Survivors include one brother, Floyd Augustyn of Kansas.
He was preceded in death by three brothers, Adam, Frank and Thomas; and four sisters, Cecilia, Helen, Verna and Clara.
