U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Lauren Mason
MASON CITY -- Lauren V. Mason, 86, of Mason City died Wednesday, Nov. 18, 1998, at Jennie Melham Hospital in Broken Bow.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the First Baptist Church in Mason City. The Rev. Victor Crawford and the Rev. John Lewis will officiate. Burial will be in the Mason City Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Govier Brothers Mortuary.
Memorials are suggested to the First Baptist Church in Mason City and to the Mason City Rescue Unit.
Govier Brothers Mortuary of Broken Bow is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Mason was born on June 3, 1912, to Charles and Amy (Hillery) Mason at Cumro in Custer County. He attended Ross rural school. After his schooling, he farmed with his parents and also for the Popp family.
He married
Dorothy Ummel on Dec. 25, 1937, at her parents' home near Mason City. They farmed for 18 years in the Flat Bottom and Happy Hollow communities near Mason City. In 1955, they purchased the Mobil Service Station in Mason City, which they owned and operated for 18 years. Lauren then worked for Pete's Apco in Broken Bow for 10 years. He also worked at Sawyers Feed and the Ansley Elevator. The couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary last Christmas.
He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Mason City for 38 years where he held many offices. He served as mayor of Mason City of 20 years, was a member of the Mason City cemetery Board for 15 years where he served as secretary/treasurer, was a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge, Mason City Community Service Club, Senior Citizens Club and the Mason City School Board.
He enjoyed flowers and gardening. He was very active in the Mason City town beautification. He also enjoyed playing cards, bowling, music, and was known as a fix-it man.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Charles "Chuck" Mason of York; one grandson; one granddaughter; four step grandsons and three step great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one brother, Don, and one sister, Theda Newman.
Ralph Doud
Ralph F. Doud, 84, of Grand Island died Tuesday, Sept. 8, 1998, at his home.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church. The Rev. Don Larmore will officiate. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 7:30 p.m., with a rosary at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the church or St. Francis Hospice Program.
Mr. Doud was born on June 4, 1914, at Cascade, Iowa, to Jacob L. and Kathryn (Orban) Doud. At an early age, he moved with his family to Oyens, Iowa. He attended St. Catherine's Grade School in Oyens and graduated from St. Mary's High School in 1932 in Remsen, Iowa. He later attended Trinity College and Drake University.
He married
Margaret Hastert on May 25, 1938, in Alton, Iowa. He worked in the grain and newspaper circulation businesses. Due to legal blindness, he began early retirement in 1969.
He owned and operated an elevator in LeMars, Iowa, as well as managing elevators in Hornick, Sloan and Vincent, Iowa, and Ruby and Wayne, Neb.
He worked in the circulation departments of the Daily Freeman Journal, Des Moines Register, Sioux City Journal, Omaha World-Herald while at Webster City, Iowa, and the Wayne, Fremont and Grand Island newspapers, covering a six-state area.
After his retirement, he and his wife served as advertising managers for the West Nebraska Register for the Grand Island Diocese for seven years.
He loved all sports and traveled the United States extensively, both for business and with his family.
He had been an active member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church since 1960. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and Platt-Duetsche. He was past state president of the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska, past president of the Central Catholic Booster Club and served in the Silver-Haired Unicameral.
Survivors include his wife; three daughters, Eileen (Mrs. Dale) Tramp of Ames, Iowa, Linda Doud of Boston and Mary (Mrs. Jack) Stolle of Grand Island; two sons, Dr. Dennis J. Doud of Greenwood, S.C., and Roger F. Doud of Grand Island; nine grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one brother, V.J. Doud of LeMars, Iowa; and one sister, Luella Delperdang of Sioux City, Iowa.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Carlyn Graff.
Benny Armour
ARCADIA -- Benny J. Armour, 57, of rural Arcadia died Sunday, Sept. 6, 1998, at his home.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Christian Life Center in Broken Bow. The Rev. Richard Wilson will officiate. Burial will be in Lee Park cemetery at Arcadia.
Visitation will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mr. Armour was born on Dec. 16, 1940, at Ansley to Thad and Emma (Bristol) Armour. He attended grade school in Broken Bow and graduated from Cairo High School in 1959.
He married
Ronda Slingsby on Jan. 21, 1962, at Broken Bow. They lived for a short time on a farm south of Westerville and later moved to their farm home in the Lee Park Valley, where they lived for 29 years.
He was a seed corn distributor from 1979 to 1985 and was awarded three top sales honors.
Mr. Armour was a member of the Christian Life Center in Broken Bow, was a Sunday school teacher and a member of the National Guard from 1958 to 1966. He enjoyed painting and sketching and liked flying airplanes. He and his wife made porcelain figurines, which they displayed and sold.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Charlotte (Mrs. Sherman) Ready of Loomis and Valerie (Mrs. Marc) Alfano of Redmond, Wash.; two sons, John Armour of Jacksonville, Fla., and Luke Armour of Arcadia; six grandchildren; his father, of Broken Bow; and two sisters, Beverly (Mrs. Albert) Sherbeck of Ansley and Bethene (Mrs. Rich) Wellman of Panama.
He was preceded in death by two sons, Mark and Matthew; and his mother.
Ruth Fish
CLARKS -- Ruth A. Fish, 89, of Clarks died Tuesday, Sept. 8, 1998, at Litzenberg Memorial County Hospital in Central City.
Services are pending with Solt Funeral Home in Central City.
Alden Jensen
ELBA -- Alden V. Jensen, 70, of Elba died Monday, Sept. 7, 1998, at his home.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Dannevirke Chapel with the Rev. Larry Lepper officiating. Burial will be in the Dannevirke cemetery with military honors.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Jacobsen Funeral Home in St. Paul.
Memorials are suggested to the Dannevirke Chapel, Dannevirke cemetery or family's choice.
Mr. Jensen was born on Oct. 4, 1927, in Grand Island to Edwin and Gudron (Mortensen) Jensen. He attended school in the Dannevirke-Cotesfield area and graduated from Scotia High School.
He entered the Army in 1950 and served in Alaska until 1953. He then returned to Cotesfield, where he farmed with his uncle.
He married
Georgelen Bense on May 5, 1956, in Cheyenne, Wyo. He moved in 1958 to Wyoming, where he worked at a dairy farm and became a heavy equipment operator. He later moved to Colorado, where he mined and worked in road construction.
He moved back to the family farm in Dannevirke in 1967 and worked at the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant.
He married
Norene Christensen on Oct. 17, 1970, in Dannevirke.
The couple farmed until 1979, when they moved to St. Paul. He owned a used car dealership and body shop in St. Paul. The couple moved to Scotia in 1985. Mrs. Jensen died on June 1, 1987.
Mr. Jensen worked as a heavy equipment operator and helped to build the Calamus and Davis canals. He retired in the fall of 1997. He had lived in Elba since 1990.
He was an avid woodcarver and enjoyed fishing, dancing, hunting and operating heavy construction equipment.
He was a member of St. Mark's Lutheran Church of St. Paul, Carl Mogensen American Legion Post No. 119 of St. Paul and the Eagles Club of Grand Island. He also had served on the town board in Elba.
Survivors include two sons, Nick of Garland and Donald of Elba; three daughters, Cindy Montgomery of Doniphan, Tara (Mrs. Frank) Gregoski of Upland and Linda (Mrs. Joe) Ambrose of Elba; 24 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; three sisters, Myrtle Schultz of Grand Island, Anna Marie Julesgarde of Elba and Oline Ackles of Cotesfield; and four brothers, Kenneth of Staples, Minn., Curtis of Lincoln and Herbert and Richard, both of Grand Island.
He is preceded in death by his wife; one stepson, Gary Christensen; one infant grandchild; and one infant brother.
