Obituaries - L

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James B. Lesher

Submitter: Larry Coates Source: Grand Island Independent Friday, November 17, 1939, page 4

JAS. B. LESHER IS VICTIM OF HEART ATTACK
Fatally Stricken Yesterday Afternoon During Visit to his Farm
HOLD RITES SUNDAY
Successful in Farming and Livestock Operating Over 50 Years

James B. Lesher, 86 years of age and a resident of Hall county since 1887, was fatally stricken while visiting his farm, west of the city, about three o¹clock yesterday afternoon. A heart attack was the cause of death. The son of Daniel and Sarah Van Kirk Lesher and the fifth in a family of 13 children, James B. Lesher was born March 9, 1853, in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania. He spent his early life on the farm and received his education in the Pennsylvania public schools. After a brief residence in Michigan and Indiana, he located in Hall county March 1, 1887, and since had made his home here. Although active in other lines, his chief business interest in life centered in farming and livestock. Born of pioneer Baptist stock, he gave much of his time to the former Grand Island college, the local church and the Y.M.C.A. He resided at 2314 N. Lafayette street. Mr. Lesher married Hattie I. Reed in 1879, a union to which four children were born. Hattie Lesher died Aug. 11, 1921, and in October of 1923 he married Mrs. Mary Ada Reed. Surviving, besides his wife, are two daughters, Miss Gertrude Lesher and Mrs. E. F. Starr, both of this city; a son, Carl R. Lesher of Akron, Colo., ten grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, two brothers, Joe Lesher of Huntington, Pa., and Gordon of Sunbury, Pa., and two sisters , the Misses Amelia and Sarah Lesher, also residents of Pennsylvania. A daughter died in infancy. Funeral services will be held at 2:30 o¹clock Sunday afternoon at the Geddes funeral home. Rev. F. L. Gilson, pastor of the First Baptist church, will conduct the rites and burial will be in the family plot in Grand Island cemetery. Friends may view the body Saturday afternoon and evening at the funeral home.

Grand Island Daily Independent Friday, November 20, 1939, page 4

FUNERAL TRIBUTE TO J. B. LESHER

An unusually large number of friends attended rites for James B. Lesher yesterday afternoon at the Geddes Funeral Home. Rev. F. L. Gilson, pastor of the Baptist church, assisted by Charles Firth, conducted the services and a quartet composed of Mrs. Warren Geil, Mrs. Gilson and Willis and Harold Stull, accompanied by Mrs. Wallace Owens, sang two numbers. Burial was amid numerous floral expressions in the family plot in Grand Island cemetery. Dr. R. C. Woodruff, Ernest Frank, Justice Bayard H. Paine, Dr. J. C. Woodin, A. B. Newell and Theo P. Boehm served as pallbearers. Attending from out of the city were Dr. C. W. Kreamer of Hyannis, Floyd Reed of Denver, Wendell Reed of San Antonio, Tex., Mr. and Mrs. Jarl R. Lesher and son Jimmy B., of Akron, Colo., Mrs. Perry Grady, Floyd Grady, Mr. and Mrs. Ira McPheeters and Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Atkinson of Gothenburg; Dr. and Mrs. H. Hawley and Mr. and Mrs. Benz of Blue Hill; Mr. and Mrs. Garfield Ritchie of Glenvil, Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Starr and daughter, Lucille, Orin and Ethel Starr, Mortimer F. Starr and Mrs. and Mrs. Lawrence McCune and daughter Mary Joan of Hastings, Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Wilson and Scott Wilson of Trumbull and Mr. and Mrs. Earl Fleharty of Doniphan.

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Mary J. Loughran

Submitter: Volunteer Source: Grand Island Independent Monday, May 13, 1940

DEATH CLAIMS MRS. MARY J. LOUGHRAN

Mary J. LOUGHRAN, 69 years of age and a resident of Grand Island for the past 12 years, passed away about 8:30 o'clock Saturday evening at 418 Walnut street, where she had made her home in recent months. She was born July 4, 1870, in Wisconsin, the daughter of Thomas and Catherine McPHILLIPS. She was married July 30, 1895, to John C. LOUGHRAN at Humphrey in Platte county. Her husband passed away in 1930. Surviving are two sons and one daughter at Salt Lake City, a daughter in Califonia, a sister, Mrs. John JOSTES, Humphrey; a brother, John McPHILLIPS, Lindsey, and a nephew, Thomas McPHILLIPS, 308 West Ninth street, Grand Island. Funeral services will be conducted at St. Mary's cathedral at nine o'clock Tuesday morning. The rosary will be said at the Sowl & Grosshans mortuary at eight o'clock this evening.
Burial will be in the Grand Island cemetery.

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Rudy Larson

Submitter: Volunteer Source: The Cairo Record February 25 , 1982

Mr. Larson was born November 28, 1916, at Schickley, Nebraska, the son of Olaf and Augusta (Samuelson) Larson. He received his education at Schickley. On November 28, 1941, he married Helen Hinkson at Papillion, Nebr. The couple lived at Hardy, Nebr., where he operated a grocery store. They then moved to Cairo in 1947, where he owned and managed the Stop and Shop grocery store. Mr. Larson was baptized and confirmed at Stockholm Lutheran Church in Schickley. He later joined the Cairo Methodist Church, where he was a trustee and lay leader. He served on the Cairo Village board for a number of years, and was mayor for eight years. At the time of his death, he served as chairman of the Hall County Board of Supervisors, and had served on the board for six years. He was a member of the Cairo Masonite Lodge No. 324, and was a past Master. Survivors include his wife, Helen; two sons, Dr. James Larson of Pensacola, Florida and Stephen Larson of Incom, Idaho; one daugther, Susan Larson of Illesheim, Germany; one grandson, Michael of Incom, Idaho; one brother, Robert Larson of Cairo; two sisters, Mrs. Lillian Aspegren of Harvard, Nebr., Mrs. Fran Ehly of Kearney. He was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters.

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Katherine LaForge

Submitter: Volunteer Source: The Oregonian (Portland, Oregon) Sunday, April 22, 2007

Katherine LaForge died April 4, 2007, of lung cancer at age 68. Katherine Schweiger was born June 1, 1938, in Grand Island, Neb. She was a homemaker. She lived in California, Oklahoma and Portland for 65 years. She married Robert G. in 1967. Survivors include her husband; son, Clark Waid; daughters, Lorena L. Waid and Sharon Reel; sisters, Darlene Lewis, Cora Lou DiPietro and Alice Bennett; brother, Ervin Schweiger; and three grandchildren. Service held. Remembrances to the American Cancer Society. Arrangements by Neptune.

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Kaylynn Loveland

Submitter: Volunteer Source: Grand Island Independent April 2010

KayLynn Loveland, 57, of Grand Island died Wednesday, April 28, 2010, at St. Francis Medical Center. Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Kleine Funeral Home, with the Rev. Lonnie Logan officiating. A private family burial will be at a later date. Visitation with the family present will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Mrs. Loveland was born Sept. 15, 1952, in Grand Island to Don and Rose (Stoddard) Ellis. Survivors of the immediate family include her husband, Don Loveland of Grand Island; a daughter, Michelle Camacho and fiance, Mark Tibke, of Grand Island; a stepdaughter, Jody Hesselgesser of Grand Island; a stepson and stepdaughter-in-law, Jason and Melodie Loveland of Omaha; a sister, Joyce Medinger of Central City; four brothers and sisters-in-law, Harvey and Denise Ellis, Leo and June Schritt, Fred and Ellen Schritt and Don and Bonnie Schritt, all of Grand Island, and a sister-in-law, Ellen Schritt. Additional survivors include five grandchildren, Audrianna, Alex, Dylan, Chance and Cory; and many nieces and nephews. KayLynn was preceded in death by her parents, sister, Bette Stolzenberg and brother, Martin "Buzz" Schritt. She attended Grand Island schools, graduating in the Class of 1971. She attended UNL and worked for Pepsi Bottling and Chief Industries. On Aug. 20, 1983, KayLynn and Don Loveland were united in marriage at her brother's home. KayLynn loved her grandchildren, going to their activities, and watching them grow. She valued her family and friends over everything else. KayLynn was very interested in genealogy and had researched her family extensively. She also loved crocheting, reading, and taking care of her family. She was a life member of the VFW Auxiliary and was a Sunday school teacher at Eastside Methodist Church.

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Charles Lange

Submitter: Volunteer Source: Grand Island Independent March 23, 1998

Charles F. Lange, 54, of 2525 W. John died Saturday, March 21, 1998, at Lakeview Nursing Center. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Leo's Catholic Church. The Rev. Jack Rademacher will officiate. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday, with a rosary at 7 p.m. at St. Leo's Catholic Church. Arrangements are being handled by Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home. Memorials are suggested to the family's choice. Mr. Lange was born May 2, 1943, in Wood River to William and Frieda Ann (Baeder) Lange. He graduated from Wood River High School in 1961. He attended the University of Nebraska for one year, then served in the National Guard from 1963 to 1969. He married LyAnne Bonsack in 1969 in Wood River. She died in 1974. He worked as a salesman for Kinman Chevrolet in Grand Island and for Moorhead Dodge in Lincoln and Omaha. He married Colleen Willey on May 31, 1975, in Grand Island. He then worked for Mid-Nebraska Mental Retardation Services. He was a member of St. Leo's Catholic Church and the Knights of Columbus. Survivors include his wife; three sons, Charles and Joseph, both of Grand Island, and Timothy of Aviano, Italy; a daughter, Jamie Lange of Grand Island; a brother, William of Albuquerque, N.M.; a half-brother, Jim of Wadunea, Minn.; two sisters, Frieda Johnson of Boseman, Mont., and Grace Pollack of Woodbridge, Va. He was preceded in death by his parents.

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Evelyn Leonard

Submitter: Volunteer Source: Grand Island Independent February 9, 1998

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Evelyn M. Leonard, 89, of Springfield, Mo., formerly of Wood River, died Saturday, Feb. 7, 1988. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Wood River, with the Rev. Ray Kosmicki officiating. Burial will be in the Westlawn Cemetery in Grand Island. The rosary will be 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Apfel Funeral Home in Wood River. Visitation will be from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the donor's choice. Mrs. Leonard was born to Thomas and Margaret (Driscoll) Boyle on July 30, 1908, in Omaha. After graduating from St. Paul High School, she attended college in Lafayette, Ind., and graduated from Sisters College in St. Libory. Her love of music and singing were a major focus of her life. As a young woman, she sang on the radio all over Nebraska and in several other states. She became known as Nebraska's Radio Sweetheart because of her beautiful soprano voice. She married Eugene M. Leonard in Kearney on April 10, 1929. They lived on a farm northwest of Wood River for 48 years. She continued singing solos for community functions and directed the choir for many years at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Wood River. After her husband's death in December 1977, Mrs. Leonard moved to Branson, Mo., where she sang in the choir at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. She moved to Springfield, Mo., in 1985. She lived at Spring Ridge Residential Care Center since August 1995. She is a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Springfield. Survivors include a daughter, Mary Jean (Mrs. Don) Christ of Brighton, Mo.; a daughter-in-law, Mavis Leonard of Wood River; six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband; a son, Lawrence; three sisters and one brother.

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Roger W. Luft

Submitter: Volunteer Source: Grand Island Independent Tuesday, December 2, 1997

Roger W. Luft, 55, of Grand Island died Sunday, Nov. 30, 1997, at St. Francis Medical Center. Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home. The Rev. Jocelyn Tupper will officiate. Burial will be at 2:30 p.m. in Wyuka Cemetery at Lincoln. Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m., with the family receiving friends from 7 to 9 p.m., Tuesday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the St. Francis oncology department. Mr. Luft was born on Feb. 6, 1942, at Grand Island to Lawrence W. and Susan (Vaughn) Luft. He grew up and was educated at rural Cairo. He married Donna Dunn on Jan. 27, 1962, at Grand Island. He married Jerilyn Zuhlke on June 9, 1990, at Lincoln. The couple lived in Grand Island. Mr. Luft was a plumber and builder. He owned ABC Seamless Siding until 1996, when he retired due to ill health. Survivors include his wife; one son, Terry Luft of Lincoln; one daughter, Kerrie Luft of Omaha; a stepdaughter, Victoria Hessheimer of Lincoln; one grandson; four stepgrandchildren; and his mother, of Grand Island. He was preceded in death by his father.

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