U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Bessie Jane Kreis
STROMSBURG -- Bessie Jane Kreis, 69, of Stromsburg died Saturday, Oct. 31, 1998, at her home in Stromsburg.
Services will be 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Stromsburg United Methodist Church with the Rev. Jeffery Thurman officiating. Burial will be in the Stromsburg Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at Palmer Funeral Home in Stromsburg.
Mrs. Kreis was born Dec. 26, 1928, in Louisville, Ky., to Olan F. and Ethel L. (Cook) Casey. She attended school in Camp Taylor, Ky. After high school, she worked for Bremmer Biscuit. She also worked at General Electric Appliance Park for 15 years in Louisville.
She married
Tom Kreis on Aug. 8, 1959, in Louisville, Ky. They moved to Orlando, Fla., for two years and then to Stromsburg in 1963, where Mrs. Kreis did the bookkeeping for Tom Kreis Dry Wall Construction.
She belonged to the Order of the Eastern Star, where she was a past Worthy Matron and Daughter of the Nile. She also was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary.
Survivors include her husband of Stromsburg; a daughter, Patricia (Mrs. Raymond) Ochsner of Sutton; three grandchildren; a great-grandson; and a sister, Louise Dunn of Louisville, Ky.
Helen Lewin
AURORA -- Helen Lewin, 85, of Aurora died Sunday, Nov. 1, 1998 at Aurora Memorial Hospital.
Services will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Aurora Evangelical Covenant Church, with the Rev. Karl Larson officiating. Burial will be in the Douglas Grove cemetery at Comstock.
Higby Mortuary in Aurora is in charge of arrangements.
John Wozab
ORD -- John J. Wozab, 87, of Ord died Sunday, Nov. 1, 1998, at the Valley County Nursing Home in Ord.
Mr. Wozab was cremated. A memorial service will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday at the First Presbyterian Church in Ord, with the Rev. David Stipp officiating. Military rites will be conducted at the church by the Ord V.F.W. and the American Legion.
Memorials are suggested to the Valley County Nursing Home.
Ord Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Gerald 'Bus' Anderson
AINSWORTH -- Gerald D. "Bus" Anderson, 76, of Ainsworth died Sunday, Nov. 1, 1998, at the Brown County Hospital in Ainsworth.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Assembly of God Church in Ainsworth with the Rev. Ralph Russo officiating. Burial will be in the Ainsworth Cemetery. Military honors will be conducted by Ainsworth American Legion Post No. 79.
Visitation will be at the Hoch Funeral Home in Ainsworth Tuesday and until service time on Wednesday. Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mr. Anderson was born on June 1, 1922, at Ainsworth to Ray and Hattie (Lochmiller) Anderson. He married
Elizabeth A. Williams on Sept. 2, 1939, at Springview. She died on Jan. 5, 1996.
Mr. Anderson served in the U.S. Navy from March 1944 through January 1946.
Survivors include two daughters, Bobbi (Mrs. Jess) Buettgenbach of Wheatland, Mo., and Shirley (Mrs. Jerry) Greenough of Aurora; 11 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Edna Sandoval of Gallup, N.M.
'Sue' Bassham
LOUP CITY -- Walterena "Sue" Bassham, 59, died Sunday, April 25, 1999, at the Rose Lane Home in Loup City.
Services are pending with Higgins Funeral Home of Loup City.
Leland Fox
BREWSTER -- Leland L. Fox, 66, of Brewster died Friday, April 23, 1999, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Berean Fundamental Church in Broken Bow with the Rev. Steve Hicks and the Rev. Jim Mintle officiating. Burial will be in the Ansley cemetery with Govier Brothers Mortuary in charge of arrangements.
Visitation will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at Govier Brothers Mortuary. A memorial has been established for the Leland Fox Memorial Fund.
Mr. Fox was born Sept. 5, 1932, northeast of Ansley to Ralph and Helen (Loy) Fox. At the age of three he moved with his family to a ranch near Brewster. He attended Pleasant Valley country school near Brewster and graduated from Brewster High School in 1950.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1954 and served in Elizabeth City, N.C.
On June 10, 1956, he married
Marilyn Anderson in Broken Bow and the couple made their home near Brewster.
Mr. Fox was a member of the Brewster School Board, was a county commissioner for 16 years and drove the school bus for several years.
Survivors include five daughters, Sheri (Mrs. Steve) Oman of Callaway, LeAnne (Mrs. Greg) Coleman of Dunning, Connie (Mrs. Byron) Cox of Purdum, Marcia (Mrs. Bob) Keeney of Callaway, and Debbie (Mrs. Pat) Higgins of Amherst; 14 grandchildren and his mother, Helen Fox of Brewster.
Mr. Fox was preceded in death by his wife, his father and a sister, Ida Belle.
Richard Heinzer
MINDEN -- Richard E. Heinzer, 55, of Minden died Saturday, April 24, 1999 at the VA Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services are pending with Kleine Funeral Home.
Gracie Hidy
KEARNEY -- Gracie M. Hidy, 64, of Kearney died Friday, April 23, 1999, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Holy Cross Lutheran Church with the Rev. Russ Sommerfeld officiating. Burial will be in the Kearney Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Monday and from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Horner-Lieske-Horner Mortuary and then until service time Tuesday afternoon at the church.
Memorials are planned to the Good Samaritan Hospice Program.
Mrs. Hidy was born Sept. 27, 1934, in Broken Bow to Delwin and Florence (Tyson) Stithem. She attended rural Custer County schools and schools in Broken Bow .
On Nov. 6, 1955, she married
John Hidy Jr. in Broken Bow. The couple then moved to Kearney.
She was employed as an autotender at Eaton Corporation for 13 years before she retired.
Survivors include two daughters, Eva (Mrs. Dwayne) Nickel-Drabek of Kearney, and Shelly (Mrs. Roger) Doud of Grand Island; two sons, Bob of Loveland, Colo., and Larry of Kearney; one stepson, William Hidy of Independence, Mo.; one stepdaughter, Verena (Mrs. Ray) Wetter of Hanover, Kan.; eight grandchildren; nine step grandchildren; one great granddaughter; two sisters, Reta Litchtenberger of Mason City, and Vickie Childress of Oklahoma; three brothers, Darwin Stithem of Overton, Denny Stithem of Mason City and Teddy Stithem of Cozad.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and one brother, Nicky Ray.
Elinor Johns
BURWELL -- Elinor E. Johns, 61, of Burwell died Sunday, April 25, 1999, at St. Francis Skilled Care Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the United Methodist Church in Burwell with the Rev. Roger Gillming officiating. Burial will be in Cottonwood Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Eberle-Hitchcock Funeral Home in Burwell.
Memorials are suggested to the Wishing Well Foundation.
