U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Elizabeth Meyers
16, Student
Elizabeth Meyers, 16, of Grand Island, died Sunday, May 20, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Wood River with the Rev. Ray Kosmicki officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary's cemetery west of Wood River.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7 :30 p.m. Tuesday with a prayer vigil at 7:30 p.m. at Apfel Funeral Home in Wood River.
Memorials are suggested to the Bethphage Group Home in Grand Island or to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Miss Meyers was born Jan. 9, 1985, in Grand Island to Daniel and Rita (Heinrich) Meyers. She grew up in Gibbon and attended Gibbon Elementary School until she was 10, when she moved to the Bethphage Group Home. She attended Gates Elementary School, Walnut Junior High School and Grand Island Senior High School.
She attended Sunday School at Zion Lutheran Church north of Shelton and Third City Christian Church in Grand Island. She enjoyed reading, watching Disney videos and outings with her family and dog.
Survivors include her parents; maternal grandparents Calvin and Virginia Heinrich of Wood River; and paternal grandparents Ambrose and Ethel Meyers of Arapahoe.
She was preceded in death by her great-grandparents.
Steven Cromer
48, Dentist
CAIRO -- Steven L. Cromer, 48, of Cairo died Saturday, May 19, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Cairo United Methodist Church with the Rev. Alan Davis officiating. Burial will be at Mt. Pleasant cemetery in Cairo.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the Centura Foundation or to the Cairo United Methodist Church.
Apfel Funeral Home of Cairo is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Cromer was born Aug. 12, 1952, in Kearney to Chalmers and Ruth (Bachman) Cromer. His family moved to Lincoln in 1959. He attended Lincoln Public Schools and graduated from Lincoln Northeast High School in 1970.
During high school and college, he played numerous instruments and sang for a jazz and rock band that performed around Lincoln.
He married
Cheryl Oltman on Aug. 8, 1972, in Lincoln. The couple lived in Lincoln after their marriage where he did his undergraduate work at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry in 1983. In 1983, he and his family moved to Cairo, where he started his dental practice.
He did a great deal of volunteering for Centura Public Schools, acting as a statistician, announcer at athletic events and setting up scholarships for students. He lived in Cairo until the time of his death.
He was a member of the Cairo United Methodist Church, the church choir, the UNMC College of Dentistry Alumni Association as a board member and Cairo Masonic Lodge 324.
He enjoyed hunting and spending time with his children.
Survivors include his wife; three sons, Silas of Kearney, Lucas and Quincy, both of Cairo; one daughter, Elise of Cairo; his parents, Chalmers and Ruth Cromer of Lincoln and one brother, Mark of Papillion.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, George and Freda Cromer and Simon and Mamie Bachman.
Walter A. Hansen
90, Farmer
DAVID CITY -- Walter A. Hansen, 90, of David City, formerly of Cedar Rapids, died Sunday, May 20, 2001, at David Place in David City.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Palmer Funeral Home in Fullerton with Rev. Timothy Wagner officiating. Burial will be in the Belgrade Main Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.
Mr. Hansen was born July 20, 1910, in Leigh to Ernest and Anna (Grotelueschen) Hansen. At an early age he moved with his family to a farm near Cedar Rapids. He attended District 65 School, then farmed with his father.
On Sept. 23, 1935, he married
Goldie Brown in Fullerton. They continued to live and farm in northwest Nance County near Cedar Rapids.
He enjoyed cards and traveling.
Survivors include one son and daughter-in-law, Robert L. and Irene of Cedar Rapids; three daughters and sons-in-law, Carolyn and Donald Anderson of Columbus, Florence and Donald Buresh of David City and Sharron and Donald Moore of Columbus; 13 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, four sisters and two brothers.
Patricia Smolenski
70, Bank Teller
OSCEOLA -- Patricia A. Smolenski, 70, of Osceola died Monday, May 21, 2001, at her home.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church-Pilsno in rural Osceola. The Rev. Thomas McGuire will officiate. Burial will be in the St. Mary's Cemetery-Pilsno in rural Osceola.
Visitation will start after 4 p.m. Tuesday with a vigil service beginning at 7 p.m. and from 8 to 9 a.m. Wednesday at McKown Funeral Home in Columbus.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mrs. Smolenski was born Jan. 22, 1931, in Clarks to Albert J. and Mary Josephine (Douglas) Morris. She attended grade school at Pleasant Hill District 15 in Merrick County and graduated from Clarks High School. She celebrated her 50-year class reunion at the Clarks Alumni Banquet in May 1999 with former classmates.
She married
Henry Smolenski on Sept. 17, 1976. They lived in Polk County. She worked for 33 years as an employee at Farmers State Bank in Silver Creek until retiring in 1998.
She was an active member of the American Legion Auxiliary in Silver Creek for over 29 years. She was past president of the Auxiliary and received her 100-hour volunteer pin from the Grand Island Veterans Home this past April.
Survivors include her husband; two daughters and sons-in-law, Diana L. and Bob Cutsor of Silver Creek and Denise L. and Dennis Butts of Murray; one foster daughter, Raquel Ivette Hurtadorulz of Nicaragua; and three grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by one sister, Mary Jane Jackson, and one brother, Bill Morris.
Frances Howell
McCOOK -- Frances L. Howell, 67, of McCook died Friday, May 18, 2001 at McCook Community Hospital.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Assembly of God Church in McCook. The Rev. Charles Hooton will officiate. Burial will be in Memorial Park cemetery in McCook.
Memorials are suggested to the family.
Mrs. Howell was born on Aug. 17, 1933, in Gonzales, Texas, to Clifton O. May and Mamie L. Baker. She grew up in the San Antonio, Texas, area and moved to McCook in 1953.
She married
Garrell "Red" Howell on Dec. 24, 1953. The couple spent their married
lives in McCook. In 1990, she returned to school where she earned her GED, and was awarded a scholarship to McCook Community College.
She enjoyed being at home and caring for her roses and vegetable garden.
Survivors include her husband of McCook; one daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Doug Blunt of North Platte; four sons and daughters-in-law, Kenneth and Tammy Howell of Grand Island, Thomas Howell of Hastings, William and Cathleen Howell of McCook and Patrick and Janice Howell of Lincoln; 10 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; two brothers, Donald May and George "Buddy" Hart of Houston, Texas; and one sister, Bobbie "Sue" Bool of Lincoln.
She was preceded in death by one daughter, Brenda L. Howell.
