Obituaries

Phillip L. Simmons June 15, 1935 - May 23, 2018 KEARNEY, Neb. — Phillip L. Simmons, 82 of Kearney, died Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at Good Samaritan Society – St. John’s in Kearney. Funeral services will be on Saturday, May 26, 2018, at 11 a.m. at the First Church of God in Kearney. Pastor Charlie Gable will officiate and cremation will follow services at the church...

Johnny J. Haag Dec. 27, 1943 - Feb. 11, 2018 INDIANOLA, Neb. — Johnny J. Haag, 74, passed away Feb. 11, 2018, after a short battle with cancer. He was born Dec. 27, 1943, in McCook, Neb. He was the third of seven children and only son of Johnny C. and Evelyn (Smith) Haag...

Marvin Pete Lorentz March 24, 1927 - Dec. 29, 2017 McCOOK, Neb. — Marvin Pete Lorentz, age 90, of McCook, passed away on Dec. 29, 2017, in McCook. He was born in Herndon, Kan., on March 24, 1927, to Pete and Anna (Wudtke) Lorentz. Marvin was drafted in his junior year of high school (1945) to serve in the U.S. ...

James Gerhard Mohrman Aug. 22, 1937 - May 13, 2018 PAYSEN, Utah — James Gerhard Mohrman, 80, of Granada, Nicaragua, departed this life on May 13, 2018, at the home of his son Troy in Paysen, Utah, surrounded by family. Jim was born Aug. 22, 1937, on a farm northwest of Arapahoe, Neb., to Gerhard and Evelyn Johnson Mohrman. ...

Marion Catherine Mohr Aug. 25, 1924 - April 3, 2018 CALLAWAY, Neb. — Marion Catherine Mohr died April 3, 2018, at the Callaway District Hospital. Celebration of Life Service is Thursday, May 31, 2018, 11 a.m., at Stratton United Methodist Church in Stratton, Neb., with Pastor Dales Coates and Pastor Rodney Heildurn officiating. Govier Brothers Mortuary...

Robert A. Vise July 22, 1927 - Dec. 25, 2017 WILSONVILLE, Neb. — Robert A. Vise, age 90, passed away at the Beaver City Manor on Dec. 25, 2017. He was born in Wilsonville on July 22, 1927, to Everett and Florence (McConnel) Vise. Robert grew up on the family farm and attended school in Wilsonville, graduating from Wilsonville High School in 1941...

Robert Rodney Hohl Feb. 11, 1934 - May 17, 2018 WAUNETA, Neb. — Robert Rodney Hohl was born Feb. 11, 1934, on the family farm south of Wauneta to Fred and Bernice (Kitt) Hohl. As a young man, he attended country grade school and graduated from Wauneta High School in 1952...

Dennis Lee Mizell July 24, 1948 - Sept. 25, 2017 ANGLETON, Texas — Dennis Lee Mizell died Sept. 25, 2017. He was born July 24, 1948, to Kenneth and Elaine Mizell in McCook, Neb. He grew up in McCook and graduated from McCook Senior High School in 1966...

Lee Don Scott March 26, 1955 - May 19, 2018 OBERLIN, Kan. — Lee Don Scott, 63, of Oberlin, died Saturday (May 19, 2018), at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Neb. He was born March 26, 1955, in Oberlin to Donald and Alene (Krizek) Scott. He graduated from Decatur Community High School in 1973. He worked as a soil conservation technician for the NRCS and was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church...

Whitford H. “Whit” Gill June 8, 1959 - Oct. 16, 2017 WAUNETA, Neb. — Whitford H. “Whit” Gill of Wauneta passed away Monday, Oct. 16, 2017, at Community Hospital in McCook. He was 58 years old. Whit was born on Monday, June 8, 1959, at the Brush, Colo., Hospital to Harold Barton and Evelyn Jean (Simmons) Gill. ...

Thelma "Myrt" Burtch Dunn-Howard Aug. 29, 1925 - May 4, 2018 LINCOLN, Neb. — Thelma “Myrt” Geraldine Burtch Dunn-Howard passed away peacefully on May 4, 2018, in her home with her family by her side.  Thelma was born Aug. 29, 1925, to Orvill and Anna Burtch in Frontier County, Neb.  She attended the Nebraska School of Agriculture in Curtis, Neb., where she received her high school diploma in 1942.  She attended one year of college where she received her teacher’s certificate and taught in a country school.  In 1944, she married Clayton I. ...

Gerald "Jerry" Dean Bowker Dec. 9, 1930 - May 8, 2018 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Gerald (Jerry) Bowker passed away at home in Knoxville on May 8, 2018 at the age of 87. Jerry was born in Hendley, Neb., to Robert and Marie Bowker. Jerry was an Army veteran, lifelong educator and loving husband and father...

Maxine Orrell Sept. 12, 1936 - May 14, 2018 LINCOLN, Neb. — Maxine Orrell, 81, of Imperial, Neb., passed away Monday May 14, 2018, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lincoln. Maxine was born on Sept. 12, 1936, to Sheldon and Pauline(Boss) Kramer, about three miles northeast of Culbertson, Neb., on a farm. She attended various grade schools around Kansas and Nebraska while her father worked on construction projects in the area. Maxine attended Chase County High School...

Robert (Bobby) E. Hawkins July 22, 1924 - Nov. 16, 2017 GREELEY, Colo. — Robert (Bobby) E. Hawkins, 93, residing in the Centennial Health Care Center in Greeley, passed away in his sleep on Nov. 16, 2017. Bobby was born July 22, 1924, on the family farm south of McCook, Neb., to Benjamin and Ida Hawkins. ...

Auretta Marilyn Parker (nee Welborn) Oct. 16, 1924 - May 3, 2018 LITTLETON, Colo. —Auretta Marilyn Parker (nee Welborn), known to family and friends as Retta, passed away peacefully on May 3, 2018, at the age of 93. Retta was born in Lebanon, Neb., on Oct. ...

Gerold Kolsky CLAY CENTER, Kan. — Gerold Kolsky, 94, formerly of Oberlin, Kan., died Thursday (May 10, 2018), at the Presbyterian Manor in Clay Center. Services are pending with Pauls Funeral Home in Oberlin.

Violet Virginia (Trembly) Smith/Relph May 1, 1930 – May 8, 2018 HAIGLER, Neb. — Violet Virginia Trembly was born on a Kansas farm southwest of Haigler in Cheyenne County, Kan., on May 1, 1930 to Floyd Benjamin and Mattie Estella (Douglass) Trembly. She passed away on May 8, 2018, in Haigler...

Caroline Lucille (O’Brien) Kircher May 30, 1935 - May 5, 2018 INDIANOLA, Neb. — Caroline Lucille (O’Brien) Kircher of Indianola passed away Saturday, May 5, 2018, at Cambridge Memorial Hospital surrounded by her family. She was 82 years old. Caroline was born on May 30, 1935, in Cambridge to parents, John and Etta (Brinkman) O’Brien. As a child she attended country school near Cambridge. She graduated from Cambridge High School with the class of 1952...

Violet Long June 12th, 1929 - May 1, 2018 BENKELMAN, Neb — Violet ValJean Long (Fortkamp) was born June 12, 1929, to Henry C. and Sophie (Haarberg) Fortkamp on their farm southwest of Wauneta, Neb. Violet was baptized into the Christian Faith at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, in rural Wauneta, on July 7, 1929. Her sponsors were Doris Bartels and Maria Keiser. She was also confirmed on April 18, 1943, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, W.H. Wendling, Pastor...

Evelyn  M. Duckworth July 25, 1929 - April 27, 2018 OMAHA, Neb. — Evelyn M. Duckworth was born July 25, 1929, in McCook, Neb., to Frances (Tines) and Orval Crawmer. She attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln on a Regent's scholarship, graduating Magna Cum Laude. Evelyn taught in McCook, Lincoln and Omaha before marrying her high school sweetheart, Bradley Duckworth, on Dec. 26, 1952. He preceded her in death...

Velma Esther Kruse March 21, 1922 - April 30, 2018 MANHATTAN, Kan. — Velma Esther Kruse, 96, died Monday (April 30, 2018), at Manhattan, Kan. She was born March 21, 1922, in Blue Earth, Minn. She was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her husband, George Kruse, in 1994; sons, Kenneth and Don; and two granddaughters...

Kenneth L. Marvin Aug. 30, 1954 - April 27, 2018 HOLDREGE, Neb. — Kenneth L. Marvin, 63, of Holdrege, died Friday (April 27, 2018), at Phelps Memorial Hospital in Holdrege, Nebraska. He was born on Aug. 30, 1954, in Ainsworth, Neb., to Leslie “Shorty” and Leola (Bahlman) Marvin. He joined the United States Army in 1978. He was medically discharged in 1986. He then lived in Beaver City, Neb...