Leo Jacob Stalder

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Sept. 10, 1932-July 13, 2010

BEAVER CITY, Nebraska -- Leo Jacob Stalder, 77, of Stamford, Nebraska died Tuesday (July 13, 2010), at Beaver City Manor in Beaver City.

He was born Sept. 10, 1932 in Beaver City to John Ernest and Edith Jane (McCormack) Stalder.

He was raised on a farm in the Beaver City area and graduated from Beaver City High School with the Class of 1950. Following graduation he started farming and continued to farm all of his life.

He served with the U.S. Army from Jan. 14, 1954, until Dec. 7, 1955.

He married Jerry Lou Spratling on March 28, 1954, in Norton, Kansas. They farmed in the Almena, Kansas area for five years before moving to farm southeast of Beaver City in 1961.

He also operated Stalder Well Drilling with licenses in Nebraska and Kansas until 2005.

He attended the Congregational Church in Almena. He was also a member of American Legion Post No. 28 of Beaver City.

He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Gary in 1969; daughters, Donna in 1969, and Diane Gewecke in 2006; brother, Donald Stalder in 1987; sister Maxine Bishop in 2007; and granddaughter Kelly Jo Stalder in 2007.

Survivors include his wife, Jerry of Stamford; two sons, Randy Stalder of Beaver City, and Rodney Stalder of Stamford; daughter, Gloria and husband, Lynn Ridgway of Fairfield, Nebraska; son-in-law, Dennis Gewecke of Odessa, Nebraska; brother, Ernest Stalder and his wife, Joy of Beaver City; three sisters, Darlene Anderson of Great Bend, Kansas, Dorothy and husband, Arlyn Lambert of Beaver City, Doris Sydow of Trenton, Nebraska; nine grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and a step-great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be Friday, 10 a.m., at Congregational Church in Almena with the Rev. Kirk Kasson officiating. Burial with Military Honors will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery in Beaver City.

A memorial has been established in his memory.

Viewing and visitation will be Thursday at Wenburg Funeral Home in Beaver City from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. and prior to services at the church on Friday.

Condolences or personal reflections can be left at www.wenburgfuneralhome.com.

Wenburg Funeral Home of Beaver City, Nebraska in charge of arrangements.