Obituaries

Frances Pauline Real Bailey (07/02/09)
1917-2009 HILTON HEAD, S.C .- Frances Real Bailey, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, died on May 31, 2009. Fran was born to Frank and Mary Eloise Real in McCook, Neb., in 1917, the second youngest of six sisters, including Julia Colgan, Margaret Hoole, Eloise Skidmore, Willa Bailey and Florence Jeffries. A leading business man in McCook, Frank Real was a city councilman, three term mayor, Chamber of Commerce member and a Director of the Nebraska Society for Crippled Children...

Agnes M. (Orten) Burk (07/01/09)
BIRD CITY -- Anges M. (Orten) Burk, 88, died Monday (June 29, 2009), at Emory Midtown Hospital in Atlanta, Ga. A concelebrated Mass of Christian burial will be Friday, 10 a.m., at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church north and west of Atwood, with the Revs. Daniel Scheetz, Roger Meitl and Stephen Folorunso officiating...

Lewis G. 'Lew' Reese (07/01/09)
WRAY, Colo. -- Lewis G. "Lew" Reese, 79, died Monday (June 29, 2009), at the Wray Community Hospital in Wray, Colo. Funeral services will be Thursday, at 1:30 p.m. at Forch Funeral Chapel in Benkelman with the Rev. Lonnie Willis officiating. Interment with military honors will follow services at the Benkelman Cemetery...

Bill Rollin Reagan (07/01/09)
Dec. 2, 1923-May 9, 2009 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Bill Rollin Reagan passed away Saturday, May 9, 2009 in Jacksonville Fla. He was born Dec. 2, 1923, to Red (Arnold) and Annie Reagan in Wauneta, Neb. Later the family moved to Stratton where the Reagans ran a dairy farm until the 1940s...

Morgan Jane Sitzman (06/30/09)
Dec. 9, 2008-June 27, 2009 LINCOLN -- Morgan Jane Sitzman, age 6 months, died Saturday (June 27, 2009) at her home in Lincoln as a result of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type I. She was born Dec. 9, 2008, to Katie and Eric Sitzman of Lincoln. Surviving are her parents Katie and Eric Sitzman of Lincoln; grandparents, Larry and Sally Sitzman, formerly of Culbertson, now of Lincoln, and Tom and Suzi Fischer of Omaha; aunts and uncles, Eddie and Maggie Sitzman of Johnstown, Colo., and son Chase; Jason Sitzman and finance, Cassandra Cronin of Winter Park, Colo., and Dr. ...

Betty Lou Hyde (06/30/09)
April 6, 1927-June 25, 2009 CAMBRIDGE -- Betty Lou Hyde, 82, died Thursday (June 25, 2009), at Cambridge Memorial Hospital. She was born April 6, 1927, at Neoga, Ill., to Fred and Eva Jane Scoles. She was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother; a sister; one grandchild; and two great-grandchildren...

Erma Sophia (Fleischacker) McDougal (06/30/09)
May 12, 1918-June 27, 2009 ATWOOD -- Erma Sophia (Fleischacker) McDougal, 91, died Saturday (June 27, 2009), at the Rawlins County Health Center in Atwood. She was born May 12, 1918, to John and Sophia (Goltl) Fleischacker. On Aug. 10, 1938, she married G. Kenneth McDougal at Oberlin. They farmed northeast of Ludell until moving to Atwood in 1986. She was a member of the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Atwood...

Floren A. 'Shob' Hyke (06/29/09)
March 16, 1928 - June 27, 2009 BEAVER CITY -- Floren A. " Shob" Hyke, 81, of Wilsonville, died Saturday (June 27, 2009) at Cambridge Memorial Hospital. He was born March, 16,1928, on a farm northwest of Hendley to Floyd and Hazel (Boop) Hyke. He grew up in Furnas County, living near Hendley, north of Arapahoe and south of Beaver City and attended rural school through the eighth grade...

Gerald M. "Jerry" Spilinek (06/29/09)
Dec. 14, 1930 - June 26, 2009 Gerald Spilinek, 78, died Friday, June 26, 2009, at his home in McCook. He was born Dec. 14, 1930, in Elba to Anton and Esther Spilinek. He attended school at Elba and graduated from Elba High School in 1948. Gerald served our country in the Army during the Korean War from Aug. 6, 1952 to July 20, 1954. He returned home to help with the family farm...

H. Leo Hanes (06/29/09)
Sept. 19, 1915 - June 26, 2009 CURTIS -- H. Leo Hanes, 93, of Curtis, passed away on June 26, 2009, at Hilltop Estates in Gothenburg.   He was born Sept. 19, 1915. to Harvey Ellsworth and Fern (Blake) Hanes at Freedom. He grew up eight miles south of Stockville attending school at Champion Dist. No. 33. He graduated from Havana High School in 1932...

Mary Lucille Bodfield (06/29/09)
July 15, 1956 - June 26, 2009 BEAVER CITY -- Mary Lucille Bodfield, 52, of Beaver City, died Friday (June 26, 2009) at her home after a long battle with cancer.  She was born July 15, 1956, to Edwin Imler and Anita (Welch) Stickelman at Gothenburg. She attended school at Brady. She grew up in Brady and Gothenburg...

Letha R. Hoffman (06/26/09)
April 16, 1920- June 19, 2009 CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Letha R. Hoffman, 89, of Cheyenne, Wyo., died June 19, 2009, at Mountain Towers Healthcare.  She was born April 16, 1920, in McCook, Neb., and had lived in Cheyenne since 1943.  She was a clerk for the Cheyenne Credit Bureau retiring in 1984.  She was a member of Zion Congregational Church, the Eagle's Auxiliary and the Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.  She is survived by her son, Fredrick Hoffman of Cheyenne; three sisters, Betty Brauer of Westminster, Colo., Joann Troyer of Northglenn, Colo., and Lila Liebrandt of McCook; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Fredric Hoffman; parents, Arthur and Gladys Burton; a brother, Cecil Burton and three sisters, Ethel Crocker, Pauline Esch and Leona Mathena.  Memorial services will be 11 a.m. ...

Susie Alberta Galusha (06/26/09)
Sept. 7, 1907-June 26, 2009 Susie Alberta Galusha died Friday, June 26, 2009, at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. She was 101 years old. Susie was born on Sept. 7, 1907, at the family farm near Marion in Red Willow County to Albert Hiland and Flora Dena (Martin) Wagy. She lived in a sod house as a child and attended rural school near Marion...

Evelyn Grace Thompson (06/24/09)
Jan. 12, 1921 - June 5, 2009 Evelyn Grace Thompson of McCook died Friday, June 5, 2009, at Cambridge Memorial Hospital. She was 88 years old. Evelyn was born on Jan. 12, 1921, in Guide Rock to James Edward "Doc" and Lily Florence (Willett) Mann. She graduated from Guide Rock High School in 1938...

Dr. E. Maxine Bennett (06/24/09)
July 14, 1915 - Dec. 23, 2008 CAMBRIDGE -- Dr. Eleanor Maxine Bennett, 93, died Dec. 23, 2008, in Madison, Wis. She was born July 14, 1915, in Beaver City to Irvin and Mary Ann (Polly) Bennett. When she was 3, the family moved to Cambridge where she grew up and graduated from high school in 1932. She went on to Hastings College, graduating in 1936...

Bessie Jean Hendrix (06/24/09)
June 17, 1921 - June 22, 2009 BENKELMAN -- Bessie Jean Hendrix, 88, died Monday (June 22, 2009) at Dundy County Hospital in Benkelman. She was born June 17, 1921, in Cheyenne County in the Big Timber Community to George and Grace (Amsberry) Seitz, and...

Florence Zodrow (06/24/09)
July 1, 1922 - June 22, 2009 LEOVILLE, Kan. -- Florence Zodrow, 86, died Monday (June 22, 2009) at Hays Medical Center in Hays, Kan. She was born July 1, 1922, to Bernard "Ben" and Barbara (Geisinger) Kruse in rural Sheridan County, Kan. She grew up on a farm in Sheridan County and attended Leoville High School. She then attended Marymount College...

Mary L. (Orin) Holst-Avery (06/23/09)
June 29, 1936 -- Jan. 27, 2009 ATLANTA, Ga. -- Mary Lorraine (Orin) Avery, age 72, passed away Jan. 27, 2009, in Atlanta, Ga., surrounded by her family. Mary was born in Culbertson on June 29, 1936, to Charles "Jack" and Eloise (Moore) Orin and grew up on the family ranch south of Culbertson where her grandfather, Ed Orin, raised horses and trained Kentucky Derby winner and member of the Jockey Hall of Fame, Steve Brooks. ...

Stanley M. Parker (06/23/09)
April 4, 1921 - June 20, 2009 CAMBRIDGE -- Stanley M. Parker, 88, died Saturday (June 20, 2009) at Cambridge Memorial Hospital. He was born in South Windham, Maine on April 4, 1921, to Dana and Gladys (Lawlar) Parker. He graduated from Fredrick Rhobe High School in South Windham...

Elinor Blobaum (06/23/09)
Jan. 24, 1921 - June 19, 2009 WAUNETA -- Elinor Jean Blobaum, 88, died Friday (June 19, 2009) at Linden Court Nursing Home in North Platte. She was born Jan. 24, 1921, in Hayes County to George William and Elsie (Israel) Branum. She attended country grade school and graduated from Wauneta High School in 1938. ...