U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Leonard Schmitt
Leonard Schmitt was born on June 9, 1937 at Julesburg, Colo. He was the oldest of two children born to Matt and Violet Wilson Schmitt.
Leonard grew up on the family farm south of Brandon, Neb., where he attended country school.
He began his high school career at Sidney, Neb., at St. Patrick's High School and later graduated from Perkins County High School in Grant, Neb., in 1955. After high school he attended college at Long Beach State in California for two years.
He returned to Perkins County in 1957. Leonard joined the National Guard and served with the reserve program for several years where he was eventually commissioned as a lieutenant.
Leonard was married
to Ann Sejkora on May 13, 1961 at the Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church in Grant. They lived west of Grant until 1965 when they moved into Brandon, Neb., where they managed the general store and the post office.
In 1970 they moved to their farm home south of Brandon until 1996 when they built their present home on Highway 23 west of Grant.
Leonard had developed a liver malignancy over a year ago. He was moved to the Perkins County Community Hospital in Grant on Monday morning, Oct. 9, 2006 where he died later that night. He had reached the age of 69.
In addition to his farming, Leonard was associated with Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance since 1961 where he was a salesman and an adjuster. He was involved in the television business with repair and installation of antennas–later selling and servicing satellite dishes.
Leonard was an active member of Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus. He was also a member of the Venango Lions Club.
In addition to his parents, Leonard was preceded in death by his half sister, Jeannie Welsh, and his half brother, Pete Pierpiont.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Ann; two daughters, Milissa Schmitt and Laurie Schmitt, both of Venango, Neb.; two sons, Randy and his wife, Lisa, and David and his wife, Shelly, all of Grant; five granddaughters, Brandy Armstrong, Jenni Hansen, Sarah Schmitt, Naomi Schmitt and Savannah Schmitt; one sister, Karren, and her husband, Roger Elmshauser, of Ogallala, Neb.; other relatives and friends.
Vigil services were held Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006 at Grant Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church.
Mass of Christian Burial was held Friday, Oct. 13, at Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church with Father Bill Grant officiating.
Music was provided by Connie Cohen and the congregation.
Casketbearers were Brian Hermann, Bill Reetz, Bruce Hardacre, Greg Pelster, Gene Smith and Mick Nichols.
Burial was in the Grant Cemetery.
A memorial to the church or hospice has been established.
Bullock-Long Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Lyle Ohrmund
Lyle William Ohrmund of Imperial died Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006, at the Imperial Manor Nursing Home. He was 79 years old.
Lyle was born on Nov. 4, 1926 in White River, S.D. between the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Sioux Indian Reservations. He was born to William Ohrmund and Anna Marie (Wiegel) Ohrmund and his first home was a sod house.
He began school in Chambers, Neb. but the family moved back to South Dakota half way into his first grade year. There, he attended the county school five miles away and he and his sister, Maxine, rode to the school on horseback. The school was later moved to a location west of Cedarbutte, S.D.
He later enlisted in the Air Force at age 17, toward the end of WWII. He was a sheet metal repair technician for the B29 and B24 Bombers. When the war ended he served in Italy in the occupational forces at Foggi, Italy as an Air Force radio news announcer. Once his tour of duty was complete, he moved back to O'Neil, Neb. where he was employed as the 'Voice of the Radio Frontier' with WAGH Norfolk.
He met and later married
Norma (Sobotka) at St. Pat's Catholic Church in O'Neil, Neb. on July 7, 1951. To the union two daughters were born.
Their first home was in Atkinson, Neb. where he worked as an electrician wiring homes for REA.
In 1953 they relocated to rural Cherry County where he was employed in ranching out of Brownlee and later out of Seneca, Neb.
In 1962 he was hired on by the Nebraska Brand Committee as a brand inspector and was relocated to southwest Nebraska and from which he retired 30 years later in 1992.
Lyle was not only a 'dyed in the wool' cowboy from a young age but also an avid outdoorsman. Fishing, hunting, camping, sailing, gardening and nature photography were just some of the hobbies that he enjoyed. Lyle's love of photography grew and he eventually studied and graduated from the New York Institute of Photography.
Lyle was preceded in death by his parents, two infant brothers, one infant sister, his sister Maxine (Ohrmund) Gatton and nephew David Gatton, who was killed during a Christmastime ceasefire in Vietnam.
Lyle is survived by his wife, Norma, of Imperial; daughter, Brenda Cahow; grandson, Samuel Cahow, both of Imperial; Mark Cahow of Imperial; daughter, Lisa Kerchal, and husband, Rory, and grandsons, Tyler, Tanner and Tyrel of rural Wauneta; four nieces and two nephews.
Funeral mass was held at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Imperial, Neb. at 10 a.m. (MT), Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006 with Fr. Mark Seiker officiating.
Organist was Mrs. Barb Smith and soloist Kenneth Smith.
Casketbearers were Tyler Kerchal, Mark Cahow, Seth Fitzpatrick, Tanner Kerchal, Dewayne Fanning and Kenneth Discoe.
Honorary casketbearers were Dwayne Anderson, Bill Schenck, Jess Goddard, Harry Kinner and Art Thomsen.
A Christian burial with full military honors by American Legion Post #4688 of Imperial, Neb., followed at the Mt. Hope cemetery in Imperial.
April Redfield
April Rose Redfield of McCook died Wednesday, July 5, 2006 at Bryan LGH West in Lincoln as a result of a car accident. She was 22 years old.
She was born May 15, 1984 in Grant to Mark Eugene and Heather Rose (Gobble) Hamilton. She grew up and attended school in McCook.
April married
Chancelor "Chance" Redfield in McCook on June 11, 2005. To this union two daughters were born.
Among survivors include: her husband Chance and two daughters, Aliyah Rose and Kelsey Lea of McCook; her parents, Mark Hamilton of Wauneta, step-mother, Marci Hamilton of Stratton and Heather and Paul Younger of McCook.
Memorials may be given in her name. Friends and family may sign her book at the funeral home or may go on-line at www. carpenterbreland.com and leave condolences.
Her body was cremated.
A Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, Oct. 14, 2006 at 10:30 a.m. at the Republican Valley Event Center, Kelly Creek Pub ~ Back Patio with Rev. Richard Bryant officiating.
Inurnment will be at a later date.
Carpenter Breland Funeral Home of McCook is in charge of the arrangements.
Florence May Johnson Mills
Florence May Johnson Mills passed away after a brief illness on Sept. 19, 2006, in Smithfield, N.C.
Florence was born on May 30, 1927 in rural Chase County, Champion, Neb., the daughter of Charles and Daisy Johnson.
She graduated from Chase County High School.
She married
Billy Dean Mills in 1946 and to this union four children were born: Janet Lee Cole of Shreveport, La., Cynthia Ann Jones of Goldsboro, N.C., Billy Joe Mills of Smithfield, N.C. and Craig Shawn Mills of Shreveport, La.
Florence was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Daisy; her husband, Billy, and one brother, Lloyd Earl.
She leaves to mourn her passing her children; her brother, Melvin of Sterling, Colo. and her sister, Bonnie of Stockton, Calif.
Inurnment will be at Mount Hope cemetery in Imperial, Neb. in the early summer of 2007.
Gloria K. Space
Gloria K. Space, 61 years of age from Kearney, Neb. died on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2006 at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney after a long battle with cancer.
Gloria was born on April 21, 1945 in Holdrege, Neb. to Theron and Nina (Miller) King.
She graduated from Edison High School in 1963.
On March 31, 1967 she married
Gayle Space and this union was blessed with one son, Troy Milton Space.
Gloria lived in the Edison, Minden, Hildreth, Kearney and Lincoln areas in Nebraska. She then lived in Branson, Mo. for several years before returning to Kearney in 2001.
Gloria enjoyed gardening, flowers, crafts, sewing, the outdoors and spending time with her family.
Survivors include her son, Troy Space and his wife, Tracy, of Imperial, Neb.; three grandchildren, Michaela, Zachary and Braden Space, all of Imperial; one brother, Marmer D. King, and his wife, Mary, of Falls City; three sisters, Bonnie Egan, and her husband, Gerald, of Greeley, Colo., Karen Lammers, and her husband, Dennis, of Minden and Cheryl Stransky, and her husband, John, of Lincoln; and former husband, Gayle Space, of Hildreth.
She is preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Milton, Darrell and Duane King; three sisters, Laretta King, Norma Martin and Arzetta McCumbers; and three brothers-in-law, Bruce Freeland, Warren McCumbers and Jim Martin.
Funeral services will be on Monday, Sept. 25, 2006 at 2 p.m. at the Layton-Craig Funeral Home in Minden with Rev. Ken Olenik officiating.
Burial will be in the Minden Cemetery.
Visitation will be at the Layton-Craig Funeral Home in Minden on Sunday from 3-5 and 7-8 p.m.
Dale Covert
Dale Ellis Covert was born Nov. 12, 1924, at Gibbon, Neb., one of 10 children, to Harold F. and Marjorie L. (Long) Covert.
As a young man he grew up and attended school in Gibbon. Dale was not able to finish high school, but did go on to receive his GED at a later date.
He was inducted into the U.S. Navy on May 20, 1943, during WWII, and served in the Pacific Theatre. He returned to the Kearney, Neb., area after being discharged from the service in 1946.
Dale was employed at the Hastings and Grand Island Ammunitions Depots before marrying Nellie Blair on Feb. 11, 1955. The couple settled in Kearney before moving to Hamlet, Neb., where they purchased a small grocery/gas station. Dale and Nellie operated the store until retirement. Dale also worked for the Hayes County Road Department as a maintainer operator.
Nellie passed away in 1999 and Dale continued to live in Hamlet where he became a regular at the senior center in Wauneta and the Pioneer Cafe in Palisade. He entered the Imperial Manor Nursing Home several months ago and passed away early Wednesday morning, Sept. 13, 2006. He was 81 years of age.
Dale was a life member of V.F.W. Post #7028 of Palisade, Neb.
He loved to garden. He also served as mayor of Hamlet for a number of years. He built the couple's own home in Hamlet and was a collector of coins.
Survivors include daughter, Jeannie, and husband, Stan Hoff, of Alliance, Neb.; son, Ron Covert, and wife, Yvonne, of Hot Springs, S.D.; six grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren; one great, great grandchild; brothers, Darrell Covert of Kearney, Bob Covert and wife, Darla, of Kearney, Gary Covert and wife, Linda, of Waverly, Neb., Dick Covert of Kearney; sisters, Carol and husband, Don Archer, of Kearney, Bernadine Scott of Kearney, and Jean Criss of Gibbon.
Dale was preceded in death by his parents; wife Nellie; sister, Lucille Scott and infant sister, Norma Covert.
Funeral services were held Monday, Sept. 18, 2006, at 1 p.m. MT at the Liewer Funeral Home in Wauneta, Neb., with Pastor Judy Dye officiating.
Organist was Mrs. Lucille McBride. The musical selection chosen was "When I Get Where I'm Going."
Casketbearers were Dan Hebb, Brad Archer, Tim Cepel, Steve Cool, Don Archer, Bob Covert.
Military rites were conducted by V.F.W. Post #7028 of Palisade.
A memorial has been established in Dale's memory.
Interment was at the Hamlet cemetery at Hamlet with Liewer Funeral Home of Wauneta in charge of arrangements.
