U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Billie Zedicher
Billie Lloyd Zedicher, 72, formerly of Osceola, died Thursday, Jan. 21, 1999, at the Grand Island Veterans Home.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the United Methodist Church in Osceola. The Rev. Robert E. Berlie will officiate. Burial will be in the Osceola Cemetery.
Kepner-Roberts Funeral Home at Osceola is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Zedicher was born on Sept. 4, 1926, in Shelby to Benjamin and Julia (Brazee) Simonsen Zedicher. He graduated from Osceola High School in 1945.
He married
Ida A. Jenkins on July 23, 1945, in Belleville, Kan.
He joined the U.S. Army in 1945, served in Germany from 1946 to 1947 and was discharged in 1947.
He worked for a short time at Jack and Jill in York before moving to Osceola, where he lived until 1992. He was a Moorman Feed salesman, worked for Lee Nicholas Construction and partnered with Mark Gustafson in construction. He owned and operated the Muse Theatre from 1956 to 1978 and Zedicher Construction from the 1960s to 1991.
He worked at a local locker, delivered the Sunday Omaha World-Herald, was a part-time rural mail carrier and a custodian at Osceola High School from 1987 to 1991.
He retired in 1991 and moved south of Clarks in 1992. Mr. Zedicher moved to the Grand Island Veterans Home in May 1994.
He was a member of the Osceola United Methodist Church, Veterans of Foreign Wars Challenger Post 7595, American Legion Post 91, Osceola Chamber of Commerce, Osceola Alumni Association and Osceola Booster Club. He was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader.
Survivors include one son, Nick of Columbus; three daughters, Kathryn (Mrs. David) Otteman of Scribner, Christina (Mrs. Mark) Larreau of Norman and Marcia (Mrs. Max) Shelton of Red Cloud; an adopted daughter, Lori (Mrs. Berg) Coffin; seven grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; four brothers, Merrill Simonsen of Las Vegas, Dick Zedicher of Redwood, Calif., Grant Zedicker of New Brighton, Minn., and Donald Zedicher of Sand Point, Idaho; and two sisters, Lola Herrmann of Fulda, Minn., and Janet Ratzlaff of Greeley, Colo.
He was preceded in death by his wife; one granddaughter; and two brothers, Russell and Harry Earl Simonsen.
Fay Bender
CENTRAL CITY -- Fay Roberta Bender, 93, of Central City, formerly of Clarks, died on Monday, Jan. 25, 1999, at Integrated Health Services in Central City.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Clarks. The Rev. Don Cleary will officiate. Burial will be in the Clarks Cemetery.
A vigil service will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at the church.
Mrs. Bender was born on June 3, 1905, in Clarks to Robert E. and Cora P. (Sanders) McLean. She graduated from Clarks High School in 1923 and from LDS Commercial College in Salt Lake City in 1928.
She married
Francis P. Bender on April 15, 1925, in Laramie, Wyo. Mrs. Bender taught piano. They returned to Clarks in 1930. They owned and operated Benders Grocery until their retirement in 1968. She had lived at Integrated Health Services for the last several years.
She was a member of St. Peter's Catholic Church in Clarks. She loved cats and enjoyed music. While living in Salt Lake City, she had served as accompanist for a Russian ballet.
Survivors include cousins, Isabel Brown of Clarks, Rodney Guthrie of Cheyenne, Wyo., and caretaker, Helen Ramaekers of Lincoln.
Her husband died in 1997. She also was preceded in death by one infant sister.
'Rick' Ehlers
ALDA -- F.C. "Rick" Ehlers, 63, of Alda died Sunday, Jan. 24, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
The body was cremated. Memorial services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home. The Rev. Fred Gardner will officiate. Burial will be at a later date.
Memorials are suggested to the family's choice.
Mr. Ehlers was born on Dec. 29, 1935, in Otoe County to Lester C.W. and Frieda (Oelke) Ehlers. He grew up and attended school in Otoe County, graduating from Nebraska City High School in 1954.
Following his education, he worked as an over-the-road trucker.
He married
Marilynn Milligan on Dec. 29, 1962. When their children reached school age, the couple moved to Grand Island. He worked as a driver for Mettenbrink Farms. Due to failing health, he retired in 1983. They moved to Alda in 1985.
He was an avid reader and enjoyed polka music. He also enjoyed swimming at the YMCA and loved German shepherd dogs.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Karen (Mrs. Bill) Ehlers-Baker of Scottsbluff and Kalyn (Mrs. Todd) King of Wood River; one son, Rick Ehlers of Aurora; two grandchildren; and two sisters, Ardith Morris of Arlington, Va., and Marian Ehlers of McAllen, Texas.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Doris Harbottle
ALBION -- Doris Magdalene Harbottle, 81, of Albion died Saturday, Jan. 23, 1999, at Wolf Memorial Good Samaritan Center in Albion.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the United Church of Christ in Albion. The Rev. Mary Avidano will officiate. Burial will be in Rose Hill cemetery at Albion.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Levander Funeral Home in Albion.
She was born on June 23, 1917, at Osceola to Frederick and Esther (Bartlett) Luft. She grew up in the Osceola and Silver Creek areas and attended school at District 61 near Havens, District 57 near Silver Creek and District 46 near Polk before moving with her family near Primrose, where she attended District 85 School. She also attended District 11 School in Clarks before graduating at Albion in 1936.
She married
Cecil John Harbottle on June 17, 1945, at the Congregational parsonage. She worked at Kelly Hamburger Cafe for two years. She did housework and cleaning around Albion and served large parties for various families, including Max and Hattie Wolf.
She was bookkeeper for Farmers Union Feed, Seed and Co-op Gas Station until late 1946. She then did bookwork for her husband's Harbottle Iron and Metals business from 1957 to 1976.
Mrs. Harbottle did ironing for families and helped canvas Albion for donations to start the Boone County Senior Citizens Center. She was treasurer for the center in 1980 and had done various other duties for the organization.
She was a member of the OK Band, Hobby Club, Crochet Club and Pitch Club. She enjoyed jigsaw and word-search puzzles and playing cards.
Mr. Harbottle died in 1978. Mrs. Harbottle continued to live at home until September 1998, when she entered Wolf Memorial Good Samaritan Center.
Survivors include one son, Doug of Norfolk; one stepson, Duane of Rifle, Colo.; 12 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and three sisters, Dorothy Bussell of Greenville, Iowa, Gladys Jackson of McPherson, Kan., and Opal (Mrs. Bob) Scarlett of Albion.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by four grandchildren and one brother, Glen.
Frieda McHargue
AURORA -- Frieda Mae McHargue, 93, of Aurora died Sunday, Jan. 24, 1999, at Hamilton Manor in Aurora.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the United Methodist Church in Aurora. The Rev. Peggy Michael-Rush will officiate. Burial will be in the Aurora Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Higby Mortuary in Aurora.
Mrs. McHargue was born on Feb. 25, 1905, in Rising City to William and Cora (Minnick) Drawbaugh. She grew up and was educated at Rising City. She graduated from Kearney State Teachers College and taught school for two years.
She married
William H. McHargue on June 1, 1927, at Council Bluffs, Iowa. They lived in Central City and Marquette and were well known cattle feeders and farmers.
They retired and moved to Aurora in 1959. They moved to Mesa, Ariz., in 1970 and lived there for 10 years. Mr. McHargue died on Oct. 26, 1980.
Mrs. McHargue lived in Aurora for two years before entering Hamilton Manor, where she lived for the past 16 years.
She was a member of the Aurora United Methodist Church, the Daughters of the Nile, Naamah Temple of Hastings, and was a 50-year member and past matron of the Laura May Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star in Chapman.
Survivors include her son, Billy of Lincoln; two daughters, Ramona (Mrs. Donald) Larson of Franktown, Colo., and Nancy (Mrs. Clayton) Kauffman of Grand Island; nine grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by one son, Dale Eugene; and seven brothers and sisters.
