Lyle Otis Roepke

Monday, April 10, 2006

Sept. 16, 1921 - April 7, 2006

KEARNEY --Lyle Otis Roepke, 84, of Kearney died Friday (April 7, 2006) at the Mount Carmel Home in Kearney.

He was born Sept. 16, 1921 in Oxford to Louis H. and Josephine P. (Dawson) Roepke.

He was raised on the family farm east of Arapahoe and attended Arapahoe High School. After school, he moved to Detroit, Mich., and worked as a salesman for a book publishing company.

In Sept. 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was discharged in January 1946. and returned to Detroit to continue his career as a book salesman.

On Aug. 5, 1941, he married B. June McCoy at Detroit. In 1948 they moved to Holbrook, where they owned and operated a restaurant. In July 1957, they moved to Mesa, Ariz. He worked as a fireman for the city of Mesa. He retired from the Mesa Fire Department in 1980. The couple then moved to Arapahoe, where they owned and operated the Arapahoe Motel until 1987, when they moved to Johnson Lake. In 1992, they moved to Kearney and in 2002, because of health reasons, moved to Mount Carmel Home in Kearney.

He was a member of the Faith United Methodist Church of Kearney and American Legion Post No. 96 of Arapahoe.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Orville and Neal Roepke; and sisters, Leota Penn and Lois Petska.

He is survived by his wife, June Roepke of Kearney; a son Todd Roepke of Kearney; a daughter, Tami Sculley of Kearney; sisters Lorena and husband, Morris Ems of Arapahoe, Juanita Laverack of Cambridge, and Wanda and husband, Jack Meyerhoffer of Hastings; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m., Wednesday at the First United Methodist Church in Arapahoe with the Rev. Michael Flury officiating. Burial with military honors will be at the Arapahoe Cemetery.

Viewing and visitation will be today until 8 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday at Wenburg Funeral Home and prior to the service at the church.

Condolences and personal reflections may be left at www.wenburgfuneralhome.com

Wenburg Funeral Home of Arapahoe is in charge of arrangements.