U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Samuel Roy
WOOD RIVER -- Samuel J. Roy, 15, of Wood River, died Saturday, May 1, 1999.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Abundant Life Christian Center in Grand Island. Rev. Steve Warriner will officiate. Burial will be in the Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday with family receiving friends from 5 to 8 p.m. at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home.
Mary Ann Swann
ALBION -- Mary Ann Swann, 70, of Albion, died Friday, April 30, 1999, at her home.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the United Methodist Church in Albion. Rev. Terry Otto will officiate. Burial will be in the Rose Hill cemetery in Albion.
Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Levander Funeral Home in Albion.
Thelma Bailey
Thelma L. Bailey, 91, of Lakeview Rehab/Nursing Center died Friday, May 14, 1999, at Lakeview.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Kleine Funeral Home. Envoy Jim Tooley will officiate. Mrs. Bailey will be cremated following services.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to Lakeview Rehab/Nursing Center.
Mrs. Bailey was born on Aug. 31, 1907, at Newport to Charles and Annie (Stolcpart) Keebaugh. She grew up and was educated in Newport.
She married
Ike Bailey on Nov. 28, 1924, at Newport. The couple lived in the Newport and Bassett area. She was a homemaker most of her life and also was a chef for the Bassett Hotel and Cozy Cafe in Bassett.
She lived at Haymaker Haven in Cozad for 16 years before moving to Grand Island in February 1997.
She enjoyed reading and crocheting.
Survivors include one son, Bill of Yankton, S.D.; three daughters, Mary Jean (Mrs. John) Ewing of Hastings, Laura Lou Brogard of Chico, Calif., and Ruth (Mrs. Larry) Alberts of Norfolk; 18 grandchildren; 35 great-grandchildren; and two brothers, Walter Keebaugh of Scribner and Wilmer Keebaugh of Alliance.
He was preceded in death by two son, John and Bruce Bailey; one daughter, Lois Bailey; two brothers, Charlie and Howard; and six sisters, Edna, Ruth, Sally, Mary, Florence, Sadie.
'Barney' Reher
Bernhardt F. "Barney" Reher, 87, of Grand Island died Sunday, May 16, 1999, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Mr. Reher was cremated, and there will be no visitation.
Memorial services will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Pauls Lutheran Church. The Rev. Joel Schroeder will officiate. Burial of the cremains will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the church or Nebraska Public Television.
Mr. Reher was born on March 7, 1912, on the family farm east of Grand Island to Ernest and Wilhelmina (Stoltenberg) Reher. He attended District 28 School.
He married
P. Juleen Sipple on Oct. 19, 1941, in Grand Island. The couple lived in Santa Monica, Calif., where Mr. Reher worked for Douglas Aircraft.
He entered the U.S. Air Force in September of 1942. He was stationed until 1945 at Chanute Field, Ill., where he was an instructor in sheet metal. He was discharged at March Field, Calif., in December 1945 and returned to Grand Island.
He worked for Peter Kiewit and then Kraus Roofing and Sheet Metal. In 1948, he then became a self-employed painting contractor, specializing in farms and large buildings. He retired in 1974.
He was a member of St. Pauls Lutheran Church, the Elks, Eagles Club, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, the Saddle Club, the Platt-Duetsche and the Liederkranz, where he served on the board of directors.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Jodi Govig of York and Jerri Haussler of Hastings; and five grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by six brothers, Art Reher, John Reher, Hugo Reher, Arnold Reher, Edward Reher and Emil Reher and three sisters, Freida Buettner, Dora Nelson Webster and Ella Husman Nelson.
Dean L. Almquist
AXTELL -- Dean L. Almquist, 72, of Axtell died Saturday, May 15, 1999, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lincoln.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Bethel Lutheran Church in Holdrege with the Rev. Steven Billington officiating. Burial will be in Bethany Lutheran Church cemetery south of Axtell.
Visitation is from 3 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Layton Funeral Home in Minden.
A memorial fund has been established in his name.
Mr. Almquist was born on Oct. 26, 1926, near Atlanta, Nebr., to Paul and Grace (Anderson) Almquist. He was baptized and confirmed at Bethel Lutheran Church in Holdrege. He attended rural schools near Atlanta and Wilcox and Wilcox High School. He graduated from Ragan High School with a teaching certificate in 1943. After graduation, he farmed with his father southwest of Wilcox.
He married
Joyce M. White on Feb. 4, 1947, in Phillipsburg, Kan. They bought a farm north of Wilcox where he lived his entire life. He worked for many years for the Burlington Railroad and later in construction. In 1969, he began working for Kansas Nebraska Energy. He retired in 1989.
He suffered burns over 20 percent of his body in an accident on his farm on Feb. 12. He spent the next three months and four days at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Lincoln.
He was a member of Bethel Lutheran Church.
Survivors include his wife, Joyce of Axtell; three sons, Kenneth of Lincoln, Bob of Wood River and Russell of Kearney; one daughter, Margie (Mrs. Rex) Schwaninger) of Bettendorf, Iowa; 12 grandchildren; one great-grandson; one sister, Betty (Mrs. Ron) Trauernicht of Henderson, Nev.
He was preceded in death by one brother, Gerald.
Hilda Berggren
ST. PAUL -- Hilda R. Berggren, 91, of St. Paul died Sunday, May 16, 1999, at the Heritage Living Center in St. Paul.
Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the United Methodist Church in St. Paul. The Rev. Martha Voight will officiate. Burial will be in Elmwood cemetery at St. Paul.
Visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Jacobsen Funeral Home in St. Paul.
Memorials are suggested to the church or the donor's choice.
Mrs. Berggren was born on Jan. 9, 1908, at Wolbach to Louis and Rosy (Suchanek) Bartunek. She grew up in Wolbach and graduated from Wolbach schools.
She married
Arnold "Swede" Berggren on March 17, 1928, in Omaha. They lived on a farm north of St. Paul in the Fairdale area. She taught at District 43 and 56 schools in the Fairdale area. They moved to St. Paul in 1945, and she taught at the Bunker Hill School south of St. Paul.
She also worked at the bakery in St. Paul.
Her hobbies included flower gardens, cooking and crafts. She was an avid bridge player.
She was a member of the United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women of St. Paul, Howard County Extension and the Associated Country Women of the World, which she served as delegate in 1965.
Survivors include one daughter, Rose Marie (Mrs. Ed) Woodward of Columbus; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Her husband died on Nov. 21, 1982. She also was preceded in death by two sisters, Lydia Smith and Mary Kolar.
Steven Grigsby
CENTRAL CITY -- Steven Lee Grigsby, 44, of Central City died Monday, May 17, 1999, in Merrick County.
Visitation is pending for Tuesday night at Solt Funeral Home in Central City.
Services are pending for Wednesday at the funeral home.
