U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Gordon Hope
AURORA -- Robert Gordon Hope, 43, of Aurora, co-owner of Bob Hope Furniture in Aurora and Central City, died suddenly Tuesday, Aug. 18, 1998, at the store in Aurora.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Aurora United Methodist Church. The Revs. Joe Scahill and Dale Sallans will officiate. Burial will be in the Aurora Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Higby Mortuary in Aurora.
Mr. Hope was born on Jan. 11, 1955, at Aurora to Robert "Bob" and Evelyn (Damme) Hope. He grew up in Aurora and graduated from Aurora High School in 1973. He graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1977. He then returned to Aurora and joined Bob Hope Furniture. In September 1990, they opened Bob Hope Furniture of Central City, which he managed.
He was a member and held offices in the Aurora Jaycees, Central City Jaycees, Nebraska Jaycees and U.S. Jaycees and also was a member of the International Jaycees. He was instrumental in starting several Jaycee chapters in Nebraska.
He was a board member of the Central City Chamber of Commerce, belonged to the Aurora Country Club and had been a member of the Aurora Optimists. He was serving on the state Selective Service Board. He was a member of the Aurora United Methodist Church and was an avid golfer.
Survivors include his parents, of Aurora; two brothers, Jon of Aurora and Alan of Grand Island; and one sister, Nancy (Mrs. Dale) Sallans of Central City.
He was preceded in death by an infant brother.
Zelpha Fenner
Broken Bow -- Zelpha Fenner, 82, of Broken Bow, formerly of Merna, died Monday, Aug. 17, 1998, in Broken Bow.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Govier Brothers Chapel in Broken Bow. The Rev. Richard Wilson will officiate. Burial will be in the Merna Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the mortuary.
Mrs. Fenner was born on Feb. 17, 1916, on the Cliff Table in Custer County to James Riley and Gertrude Clara (Schmitz) Rice. She attended country schools.
She married
Raymond Fenner in February 1937 in Broken Bow. They lived on his grandfather's homestead near Merna through most of their marriage. He died on March 21, 1998. At the time of her death, she lived at Independence Hall in Broken Bow.
Survivors include one sister, Merl Baldwin of Long Beach, Calif.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by one brother, Eldon Rice.
'Hedy' Jasnowski
AURORA -- Jadwiga "Hedy" Jasnowski, 86, of Aurora died Monday, Aug. 17, 1998, at her home.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Aurora. The Rev. James Divis will officiate. Burial will be in the Aurora Catholic Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the church with the rosary recited at 8 p.m.
Higby Mortuary in Aurora is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Jasnowski was born on June 20, 1912, in Chriboshovo, Russia (now Belarus), to Josef and Ludwika Kardziejonek. As a child, she attended school near her home. She graduated from the Women's Teacher Seminary in Warsaw, Poland, in 1934.
She taught elementary school in the region near her childhood home until after the German invasion in 1941. She was taken to Germany as a slave laborer by the Nazi occupation forces in 1944. She became a war refugee following the Allied liberation of Germany in 1945. She was transported to a U.S.-organized Displaced Person Camp in Wildflecken, West Germany, where she taught the children of fellow Polish refugees.
She married
Antoni Jasnowski in 1946 at the camp.
Mrs. Jasnowski immigrated to Aurora with her husband and two small children in 1949. Primarily a homemaker, she also worked for a number of years at the Hamilton Manor and Larson's Pioneer Home.
She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and the Altar Society. Mrs. Jasnowski was known for singing "God Bless America" at Hamilton County Fourth of July celebrations.
Survivors include her husband; two daughters, Teresa (Mrs. Stan) Butkus of Columbia, S.C., and Mary of Omaha; three sons, Kazie of Englewood, Ohio, John of Aurora and Tony of Omaha; and 13 grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two infant sons, Peter and Paul; two sisters and two brothers.
Robert Ruzicka
PHILLIPS -- Robert Ruzicka, 47, of Phillips died Sunday, Aug. 16, 1998, at Phillips.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Phillips United Methodist Church. The Rev. Dwight DeLaet will officiate. Burial will be in the Phillips Cemetery.
There will be no visitation. However, the casket will be open prior to services.
Higby Mortuary in Aurora is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Ruzicka was born on April 13, 1951, at Central City to Louis and Mary (Kocian) Ruzicka. He grew up and attended school in Grand Island.
He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on Jan. 20, 1969, and spent two terms in Vietnam. Following his discharge on Dec. 5, 1974, he returned to Grand Island and worked at Swift. He later worked in construction at Phillips and was working at 3D Ammo in Doniphan at the time of his death.
He married
June Kiser on Dec. 14, 1985, at Phillips.
Survivors include his wife; one son, Justin Lee Ruzicka of Kansas; three stepsons, David Lee Starkey and Gilbert John Starkey, both of Columbus, and Kenneth James Starkey of Phillips; a stepdaughter, Victoria Burnes of Phillips; two grandchildren; three brothers, Richard, James and John, all of Grand Island; and a sister, Pat Barr of Brenham, Texas.
He was preceded in death by a step granddaughter and his parents.
Bruce Wright
FULLERTON -- Bruce B. Wright, 82, of Fullerton died Saturday, Aug. 15, 1998, at the Boone County Health Center in Albion. He had been a resident of the Fullerton Manor for several weeks.
Mr. Wright will be cremated. No services are planned.
Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at his home in Chappell.
Palmer Funeral Home in Fullerton is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Wright was born on April 20, 1916, in Chappell to George and Ada (Hockenbary) Wright. He was educated in the Deuel County school system and graduated in 1934. He also attended the Chicago Art Institute.
He moved to Long Beach, Calif., in 1943. He worked first for Pacific Pump and Valve and then for many years as a plant engineer for McDonald-Douglas, now Boeing. He retired from there in the 1970s and, after the death of his parents, moved to Tucson, Ariz., to be near his brother. He later moved back to Chappell, where he lived the rest of his life, apart from the several weeks he was at the Fullerton Manor.
He was an amateur photographer and enjoyed world travel in pursuit of his hobby. After his return to Chappell, he renewed his interest in painting and writing poetry. He had also been a keen marksman but gave up shooting several years ago and disposed of his collection.
He was a member of the Elks Club in Oshkosh but had not been active for several years because of ill health.
Survivors include a niece, Phyllis "Bunny" (Mrs. Jonathan) Gardner of Forth Worth, Texas; and a sister-in-law, Phyllis (Mrs. Jerome J.) Wright of Tucson, Ariz.
He was preceded in death by one brother, Jerome J. Wright.
Lloyd Lundin
Lloyd H. Lundin, 89, of Riverside Lodge died Monday, Aug. 17, 1998, at Tiffany Square Care Center.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday the First Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home.
Hank Bubak
ANSLEY -- Henry "Hank" O. Bubak, 81, of Ansley died Sunday, Aug. 16, 1998, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.
Memorial graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday in the Ansley cemetery with the Rev. Mel Shepherd officiating. American Legion Post 153 of Ansley will provide military honors.
Govier Brothers Mortuary of Broken Bow is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Bubak was born on June 2, 1917, on the family farm southwest of Ansley to Frank and Clara (Tobil) Bubak. He attended rural schools, then moved to Scottsbluff, where he worked for a sugar beet plant.
He entered the Army on Nov. 27, 1940, at Gering. He was honorably discharged on Aug. 26, 1943. After the service, he worked on road construction.
He married
Ina Brink on Jan. 17, 1949, at Broken Bow. The couple lived on a farm east of Ansley. They moved into Ansley in 1955. Mr. Bubak returned to working in road construction for more than 20 years. In his later years, he also worked for the city of Ansley as the cemetery caretaker. Mrs. Bubak died on Jan. 14, 1996.
Survivors include two daughters, Julie (Mrs. Clifford) Moore of Ansley and Carol (Mrs. Jim) Wells of Orleans; two sons, Frank Bubak of Manhattan, Kan., and Doug Bubak of Ansley; nine grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two sisters, Helen Curtis of Ansley and Anna Hieser of Big Springs; and one brother, Joe Bubak of Sandhills Manor in Broken Bow.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by three brothers, Paul, Tom and Tony; and two sisters, Fannie Story and Grace Berniklau.
