U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
LaVern F. Bennett, 67
LaVern F. Bennett, 67, of Blair died June 16, 1998, at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church in Blair. Burial will be in the Holy Cross cemetery in Blair.
LaVern F. Bennett was born March 9, 1931, in Cedar Rapids to William B. and Viola M. (Nichols) Bennett. On March 3, 1952, he joined the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War. He was discharged on March 24, 1954. On Aug. 16, 1960, he married
Marjorie A. Bennett in Webster, S.D. They have been residents of Blair for the past 38 years. He worked for the Appleby Furniture and Appliance Store in Blair prior to starting his own appliance repair business in 1976.
He was a member of St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, the Blair American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Eagles.
He is survived by his wife, Marjorie, of Blair; a son, William A. of Blair; a daughter and son-in-law, Stephanie L. and Wayne Moore of Blair; brother, James Bennett of Grand Island; sister, LaVonne Straub of Malcolm, Ill.; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, William. Campbell-Aman Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Ruby Forsberg, 75
Ruby Mae Forsberg, 75 of Apache Junction, Ariz., died April 2, 1998, at the Hospice of the Valley, Desert In-Patient Care Center in Mesa, Ariz.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. .Saturday at First Lutheran Church in Blair. Burial will be in the Blair Cemetery.
LaVern D. "Vern" Luddington, 65
LaVern D. "Vern" Luddington, 65, of Omaha, died June 15, 1998, in Omaha.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. today at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 36th and X streets in Omaha. Burial will be in Saint John's Cemetery. Military honors will be conducted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars 2704.
LaVern "Vern" Darold Luddington was born March 25, 1933, in Ord to Darold K. and Valeria (Golka) Luddington. He attended Valley and Howard County schools and graduated form South High School in Omaha. After high school he served in the National Guard and the 134th Army Band of Nebraska. In the mid-1950s he served in the U.S. Army and played in the 82nd Army Band. He had retired from the Union Pacific Railroad and had played eight years with the Union Pacific German band.
He was a member of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, Veterans of Foreign Wars and past president of the Sokol Auditorium. He was a founder of the 40's Ballroom Dance Club and the Luddington Polka Band and Vern Lawrence Modern Band.
He is survived by one sister and brother-in-law, Mary and Virgil Dembowski of Farwell; nieces and nephews, Larry and Mary Dembowski of Millard and Joe and Connie Dembowski of Grand Island, Joan and Larry Koperski of Farwell, Shiron and Pete Johansen of St. Paul, John and Theresa Dembowski of Kearney and Valerie and Tony Papst of Farwell and a fiancee, Vivian Kelley of Blair.
He was preceded in death by his baby son, LaVern; his parents and stepfather, Tony Papiernik; and great-nephew, Jamie Johansen.
Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association or St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church.
Staskiewicz Mortuary in Omaha is in charge of arrangements.
Carole VanKirk, 53
Carole VanKirk, 53, of Bancroft, died at her home on June 14, 1998. Services are today at 10 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Bancroft. Rev. Don Drury and Rev. Larry Orvis are officiating. Burial will be in the Bancroft Cemetery.
Carole Husk VanKirk was born on Aug. 19, 1944, in Blair, to Gene and Grace (Jackson) Husk.
On March 4, 1967, she married
Ronald VanKirk in Herman. She was a graduate of Wayne State College and worked as an elementary and special education teacher in the Winnebago Schools.
She was active in the First Presbyterian Church and was a member of the Eastern Star. She was also a long-standing member of the District 37 school board.
She is survived by her husband, Ron, of Bancroft; two daughters and sons-in-law, Amy and Pat Akins of Lincoln and Julie and Tony Syonvec of Utica; two sons and daughters-in-law, William and Christine VanKirk of Thetford, England, and Harley and Jennifer VanKirk of Wayne; seven grandchildren; her mother, Grace Husk of Herman; a brother and sister-in-law, John and Judy Husk of Kobe, Japan; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Sharon and Perry Gydesen of Odell and Jaque and Larry Orvis of Norfolk; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by a daughter, Anne Marie, and her father.
Brenda M. Halsey, 18
Brenda M. Halsey, 18, of Beaver City, Neb., and formerly of Blair, died Saturday, June 13, 1998, after an automobile accident in Longview, Texas.
Services will be Thursday at 1 p.m. at First Lutheran Church in Blair. Burial will be in the Blair Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Campbell - Aman Funeral Home in Blair.
Brenda Marie Halsey was born Feb. 19, 1980, at Columbus to Steven and Donna ( Darling ) Halsey. She moved to Blair in infancy and attended school in Blair and Jefferson, Texas. She graduated from Beaver City in 1998.
She is survived by her father, Steven, and wife, Lori Halsey, of Blair; her mother, Donna Serfass of Longview, Texas; grandmother, Jeanne Halsey of Tekamah; two brothers, Keith and Kelley Halsey of Blair; two sisters, Sheila Danials of Jarome, Mich., and Lynn Halsey of Avenger, Texas; and by a special friend, Jackie Lewis, of Beaver City.
Memorials may be directed to the family.
Campbell - Aman Funeral home is in charge of arrangements.
Henry "Hank; " Koepke, 66
Henry "Hank; " Koepke, 66, of Gold Canyon, Ariz., formerly of Pilger, died Monday, June 8, 1998, in Mesa, Ariz.
Services were Saturday at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Pilger. Rev. Scot McCluskey officiated. Burial was in the Pilger Cemetery. The Pilger American Legion Post 69 conducted military rites.
Henry Fredrick Koepke was born July 28, 1931, in rural Wayne County, Winside, to William F. and Christina ( Muhs ) Koepke. He was baptized and confirmed in his family moved to Hoskins and in 1932 to Pilger. After graduating from Pilger High School in 1948, he attended Wayne State College and later attended Long Beach State College, studying diesel technology. He served in the U.S. Army for two years. On Aug. 26, 1954, he married
Evelyn Gerst in Norfolk. They lived in Wichita, Kans., in California, Altoona, Eagle Grove and Granger, Iowa. On May 31, 1992, he married
Mary Cunningham. He retired from Cummins Great Plains Diesel at Des Moines in 1994 and moved to Gold Canyon, Ariz.
He is survived by his wife, Mary, of Gold Canyon, Ariz.; two sons, Michael Koepke of Des Moines and Henry, Jr., and his wife, Cindy, of Phoenix; one daughter, Cheryl Brake and her husband, Michael, of Des Moines; daughter - in - law, LuAnn Koepke of Urbandale, Iowa; son - in - law, Floyd Schrodt of Urbandale; four grandchildren; four sisters, Wilma Lawson of Pilger; Alma Carsten and husband, Warren, of Wisner, Berneta Schaffer of Redford TWP, Mich., Betty Baumert and husband, Gene, of Blair; sister - in - law, Doris Koepke of Pilger; two stepdaughters, Vicki Colby and husband, Charles, of Des Moines and Carla Driver and husband, Wade, of Mesa, Ariz.; one stepson, Jon Weston of Des Moines; seven step grandchildren; one step great - grandson; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Susan Marie; brother, Junior W. Koepke and stepfather, William Ferris.
Pallbearers were Sean Scrodt, Steve Camine, Donald Bassett, Larry Miller, Lee Koepke, Joseph Umthun, Cecil Reuter and Stanley Schellpeper.
Kuzelka Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Leona B. Scheer, 92
Leona B. Scheer, 92, of Lincoln, died Wednesday, June 10, 1998, at Lincoln.
Services were Monday at Faith Lutheran Church in Lincoln. Dr. Mark Hannemann officiated. Burial was in Wyuka Cemetery. Sleona B. Scheer was born Feb. 15, 1906, to Fred and Anna ( Bender ) Mehl in Lorraine, Kan. On Sept. 7, 1927, she married
Emil Scheer in Holyrood, Kan. She was a homemaker.
She was a member of Faith Lutheran Church.
She was survived by two sons and daughters - in - law, Dale and Jean Scheer of Lincoln and Dean and Patricia Scheer of North Almstead, Ohio; a daughter and son - in - law, Lee Adell and James Starkey of Colorado Springs, Colo.; nine grandchildren; 17 great - grandchildren; two brothers and a sister - in - law, Adolph and Odah Mehl of Lyons, Kan., and Gilbert Mehl of Lorraine, Kan.; a sister, Clara Russsell of Holyrood, Kan.; nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Emil, in 1975 and four brothers.
Memorials may be given to Faith Lutheran Church or Tabitha Hospice in Lincoln.
Roper & Sons Mortuary was in charge of arrangements.
Larry J. Williams, 53
Larry J. Williams, 53, of Bennett, Colo., formerly of Blair, died Sunday, June 7, 1998, at the Hospice of Metro Denver in Aurora, Colo.
Larry John Williams was born June 11, 1944, to Mervin and Veida ( Hinners ) Williams in Sibley, Iowa. He graduated from high school in Hartley, Iowa He married
Gwendolyn Wright on Nov. 24, 1962. The couple moved to Blair and Larry was employed by United Airlines in Omaha. They moved to Colorado in 1983 where he continued with United Airlines.
He was a member of the Blair United Methodist Church.
He is survived by his wife, Gwendolyn, of Bennett; his parents of Worthington, Minn., and three brothers, all of Worthington.
