U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Thomas Anderson
Thomas E. Anderson, 70, of Grand Island died Thursday, April 8, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home. The Rev. C. Roger Nelson will officiate. Burial will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Fort McPherson National cemetery near Maxwell.
Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Mr. Anderson was born on Feb. 15, 1929, at Waterloo, Iowa, to Daniel and Beatrix Anderson. He grew up and attended school in Grand Island, graduating from Grand Island Senior High in 1947. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a bachelor of arts in journalism in 1951.
He served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a public information specialist from 1951 to 1953. He also edited a military newspaper and graduated from Armed Forces Information School.
Mr. Anderson worked as a news reporter for The Grand Island Daily Independent from 1953 to 1956. He then worked as a copy editor/reporter for the Omaha World-Herald from 1956 to 1958.
He worked in press relations management for United Airlines in Denver, Pittsburgh and New York City until 1966. He then returned to Grand Island to work at The Independent as sports editor until 1974.
He worked for the Nebraska Department of Roads as a carrier enforcement officer out of Grand Island from 1975 to 1982. He also graduated from the state Law Enforcement Training Center.
Mr. Anderson worked as historian and curator of photographs at Stuhr Museum from 1983 to 1997. He was a regular contributor of historical articles to the museum newsletter.
He also served as marshal during living history events in Stuhr's Railroad Town.
He is survived by many friends.
Flossie Michalski
Flossie H. Michalski, 85, of Grand Island died Thursday, April 8, 1999, at St. Francis Medical Center.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Leo's Catholic Church. The Rev. Jack Rademacher will officiate. The body will be cremated, and burial will be at a later date.
Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m., with a 7 p.m. wake service, Sunday at Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home.
Leo Roberts
Leo B. Roberts, 78, of Grand Island died Thursday, April 8, 1999, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney after a short illness.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Kleine Funeral Home. The Rev. Julie Bringelson will officiate. Full military rites by the Fort Riley, Kan., Honor Guard will be at Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the family's choice.
Mr. Roberts was born on Sept. 18, 1920, at Sweetwater to Bryan and Eva (Powell) Roberts. He attended Sweetwater District 6 School and Newberg District 7 High School and graduated from Ravenna High School in 1939.
After high school, he enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps in Broken Bow. He entered the U.S. Navy in 1940 and served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. He served on 12 ships and stations and received 14 combat and service medals, including eight battle stars in World War II and five battle stars in Korea.
He retired from the U.S. Navy in 1968 as a chief warrant officer and moved back to Nebraska. He worked as a security guard at the Cornhusker Army Ammunitions Plant. He worked for the Grand Island Parks Department for 11 years until 1982. He continued to work 10 summers at Hall County Park.
His wife, Evelyn, died on June 15, 1993.
He belonged to the Retired Officers Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1347, American Legion Post 53, Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 378 and the Platt-Duetsche Society.
Survivors include two stepdaughters, Sharon (Mrs. Gordon Jr.) Bigger and Marilyn (Mrs. Kenneth) Luth, both of Grand Island; one sister, Helen Jean Gruhn of Lakewood, Colo.; and one brother, Lawrence of Waterloo, Iowa.
Other than his wife, he was preceded in death by a sister, Lenore Safranek; and an infant brother.
Merle Brundage
CAIRO -- Merle Clarence Brundage, 82, of Cairo died Friday, April 9 ,1999, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the Cairo United Methodist Church. The Rev. Alan Davis will officiate. Burial will be in Mount Pleasant cemetery in Cairo.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Apfel Funeral Home in Cairo.
Mr. Brundage was born on March 17, 1917, on a farm southwest of Cairo to Clarence and Bertha (Orndoff) Brundage. He went to school at Bluff Center and attended Cairo High School.
He married
Mary Scott on March 17, 1940. The couple farmed until 1980 in the Cairo area. They moved into Cairo in 1970.
He served on the Bluff Center school board and the township election board.
He was a member of the Cairo United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife; a son, Ron of Cairo; five grandsons; 10 great-grandchildren; and one brother, Leslie of Cairo.
He was preceded in death by one daughter, Sandra Kyhn; one granddaughter; an infant grandson; two brothers, Dale and Lenard; and one sister, Lola.
Robert Hugo
WOOD RIVER -- Robert J. Hugo, 67, of Wood River died Thursday, April 8, 1999, at the Western Hall County Good Samaritan Center in Wood River.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Apfel Funeral Home in Wood River. The Rev. Ray Kosmicki will officiate. Burial will be in St. Michael's cemetery in West Point.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m., with a 6 p.m. rosary, Monday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to the Good Samaritan Center in Wood River.
Mr. Hugo was born on Feb. 2, 1932, at West Point to Francis and Joan (Kuhlman) Hugo. He grew up and was educated in West Point at a Catholic school until his family moved to a farm outside of West Point. He continued his education at a country school.
He had a reaction to a medication when he was a teen-ager and became blind. He lived at the Beatrice State Home for some time and also in West Point near relatives and friends. He moved to Wood River in 1981 to live at the Good Samaritan Center.
Survivors include his brother, Don of Burlingame, Calif.; a half brother, Roy Boldt of California; and a half sister, Judith Peace of California.
He was preceded in death by a stepsister, Donna Petz.
Lawrence Kelly
SARGENT -- Lawrence Kelly, 87, of Sargent died Wednesday, April 7, 1999, at Phelps Memorial Hospital in Holdrege.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sargent. The Rev. Bernard Berger will officiate. Burial will be in St. Mary's Catholic cemetery at Sargent.
Rhoads Funeral Home in Sargent is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mr. Kelly was born on July 28, 1911, at Merna to William and Frances (Spitz) Kelly. He grew up in Merna and graduated from Merna public schools.
He married
Juanita Stroud on Jan. 18, 1936, in Alliance. They farmed near Merna for 10 years, then near Callaway until 1953. He moved to Sargent in 1953 and worked as an operator for the city power plant. He retired in 1988. Mrs. Kelly died in August 1983. Mr. Kelly moved to Holdrege in December 1998 to live with his daughter.
He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Sargent.
He enjoyed playing cards and fishing.
Survivors include five sons, Bernard of Lander, Wyo., William of Clinton, Ind., Larry of Sargent, Duane of Elm Creek and Gerald of Ponca City, Okla.; two daughters, Carol (Mrs. Stanley) Urbanovski of Sargent and JoAnne (Mrs. Greg) Sadler of Holdrege; 24 grandchildren; and 34 great-grandchildren.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Walter and Robert; and three sisters, Margaret Farritor, Olive Relph and Bernice Kelly.
