U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current
Kenneth Steinke
HOLDREGE -- Kenneth L. Steinke, 77, of Holdrege died Thursday, Sept. 27, 2001, at Holdrege Memorial Homes.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the First Baptist Church in Holdrege. The Rev. Gary Winget and Rev. Jean Clayton will officiate. Burial will be in the Prairie Home cemetery in Holdrege with military honors.
Visitation will be from 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Nelson-Harris Funeral Home in Holdrege with the family greeting from 2 to 4 p.m.
A memorial has been established in his name.
Mr. Steinke was born June 1, 1924, at Farnam to John C. and Nettle (Adams) Steinke. He attended Holdrege High School and graduated in 1943. He served in the U.S. Army from January 1943 until his honorable discharge in 1945. He was in the 101st Airborne division, serving in the Battle of Normandy, Germany and European African Middle Eastern Theater. He received the Purple Heart with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters.
He married
Helen L. Polzel on Feb. 22, 1964, at the Bethel Lutheran Church in Holdrege. The couple lived in Atlanta, Neb., for a short time and then moved to Holdrege in 1965. He was employed with the city of Holdrege for 26 years, retiring in 1991 as the park superintendent.
His wife died in 1982.
He was a member of the Holdrege Volunteer Fire Department, American Legion, Eagles, DAV, Elks, and a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Holdrege.
He enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping.
Survivors include a daughter and son-in-law, Lynn and Lyle Kinnaman of Holdrege; a son, Kim Steinke of Holdrege; five grandchildren; a brother and sister-in-law, Chuck and Phyllis Steinke of Holdrege; a sister and brother-in-law, Cleo and Roy Olsen of Hampton; and a sister-in-law, Ruby Steinke.
Other than his wife, he was preceded in death by a brother, John Steinke.
'Pete' Bartlett
Robert "Pete" Bartlett, 86, of Grand Island died Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2001, at Tiffany Square Care Center in Grand Island.
Burial will be in the Aurora City cemetery at 2 p.m. Saturday. Following the burial, a time of fellowship and sharing of memories will be held at the Bartlett home at No. 69 Kuesters Lake.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Kleine Funeral Home Chapel.
Memorials are suggested to the donor's choice.
Mr. Bartlett was born June 13, 1915, in Riverview to Jay and Alice (McComas) Bartlett.
He married
Emigene Christensen on Sept. 26, 1934, in a ranch wedding north of Newport.
The couple ranched in the Sandhills until 1946, then moved to the Harvard and the Aurora area, where he was a heavy equipment operator and was involved in a cattle-feeding operation.
In 1960, they moved to a farm northwest of Aurora in the Phillips area and remained there until he retired from farming on March 1, 1980. The couple moved to No. 42 Kuesters Lake, which they had purchased and used as a summer home since 1974. Three months after retiring, the June 3, 1980, tornadoes damaged their home so they moved to No. 69 Kuesters Lake.
He was a member of the Platte-Duetsche Society, a charter member of the Grand Island Saddle Club and was a Golden Eagle in the Fraternal Order of Eagles No. 378. He also enjoyed hunting.
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Ramona Miles of Omaha and Judy Jacobsen of Aurora; five grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; two step-great-grandchildren; and two sisters-in-law.
He was preceded in death by four brothers, Roy, Fritz, Ora and infant Freddie; and two sisters, Inza Searle and Alice Cherington.
John Cuff
78, World War II veteran
John E. Cuff, 78, of Grand Island, formerly of Hastings, died Monday, Nov. 12, 2001, at the Grand Island Veterans Home.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Grace United Methodist Church in Hastings. The Rev. Jim Miller will officiate. Burial will be at 1 p.m. in Clay Center cemetery with military rites conducted by Clay Center American Legion Post No. 87.
McLaughlin Funeral Home of Clay Center is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials are suggested to DAV Bus Transportation Fund.
Mr. Cuff was born July 27, 1923, in Collinsville, Ill., to John and Birdie (Kirsey) Cuff. He attended school in Collinsville, graduating from Collinsville High School in 1940.
On Feb. 8, 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served during World War II in the Pacific Theatre as a gunner on a B-29. After his discharge from the service in February 1946, he moved to Nebraska.
He married
to Dorothy Dedrickson on March 27, 1946, at her parents' home east of Clay Center. The couple lived in Harvard. He worked at the Naval Ammunition Depot near Hastings from 1946 to 1959. In 1959, they moved to Hastings. He soon began working at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Grand Island, where he worked for 28 years. He became a resident of the Veterans Home in November 2000.
He was a member of the Grace United Methodist Church in Hastings and American Legion Post No. 11 of Hastings.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Janice Hoffman of Hastings; two sons, Allen of Hastings and Eugene of Juniata; and three grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a sister, Robbie; and a brother, James.
Harold Gibson
Harold Gibson, 66, of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center died Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2001.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Fort McPherson National cemetery at Maxwell.
Kleine Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Rose Phelps
72, Homemaker
Rose B. Phelps, 72, of the Grand Island Veterans Home in Grand Island, died Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2001, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. James Catholic Church. The Rev. Raphel Walsh will officiate. Burial will be in Hillcrest Memorial Park cemetery in Omaha.
Visitation will be at 1 p.m. for family and 2 p.m. for friends Friday.
Heafey-Heafey-Hoffman-Dworak-Cutler Funeral Home of Omaha is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Phelps was born Aug. 15, 1929, in Omaha to James and Rose (Kish) Toth.
She married
Charles E. Phelps.
Survivors include her husband; three daughters and sons-in-law, Sharlene and James McHenry of Irvine, Calif., Bonnie and Michael Riss and Mary and Kenneth Backhus, all of Omaha; one sister and brother-in-law, Mary Ann and Michael Riss of Omaha; one brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Nancy Toth of Omaha; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by three brothers, George, James and Thomas Toth.
Greg Blomstrand Jr.
83, Pharmacist
AURORA -- Gregory "Greg" R. Blomstrand Jr., 83, of Aurora died Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2001, at Hamilton Manor in Aurora.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the United Methodist Church in Aurora. Dr. Joe Scahill will officiate. Burial will be in the Aurora Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Higby Mortuary.
Mr. Blomstrand was born July 12, 1918, in Aurora to Gregory R. and Laura (Weedin) Blomstrand Sr. He grew up in Aurora and graduated from Aurora High School in 1937. He attended the University of Nebraska until he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He spent 3 1/2 years overseas in the India-Burma China Theatre, where he served with the 10th Air Force in India and the 14th Air Force in China. When he returned from the war he went to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, where he earned his degree in pharmacy in 1954. Later, he received his doctorate of pharmacy.
He married
Beth Huenefeld in 1945. He re-enlisted to serve in the Korean War for two years in the Air Force Reserves. They returned to Aurora in 1955, when he began working for his father at Greg's Drugs on the square. He purchased the business from him in 1960. He and his wife were divorced in 1969. He sold the store in 1979.
He married
Diane Bourland in 1971. They were later divorced.
He was a member of the American Legion, VFW and the York Elks Club.
Survivors include three sons and daughters-in-law, Tom Blomstrand of Aurora, Jon and Lynn Blomstrand of Amery, Wis., and Lance Blomstrand of Lincoln; two daughters, Kim Blomstrand of Denver, Colo., and Heather Williams of Lafayette, Tenn.; four grandchildren; and a brother, Bob Blomstrand of Arizona.
