Seward Co. Independent
Nov 2006

Goodwin Theodor BERGERUD, 78, Forest City, Iowa, died 
Oct. 14, 2006, in Mason City, Iowa. Born Jan. 10, 1928, to Hans 
and Hilda (Ongstad) Bergerud in Aastead Township, Minn. He left 
school after eighth grade to work on his father's farm. 
Enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1946 and served at the Panama Canal.
In 1951 he married Grade Smidt. Following his divorce with Grace, 
he married Vera Swanson Nieman. Preceded in death by his wife, 
Vera Bergerud; son-in-law, William Boyd; two brothers; and two sisters.

Martha E. DOWDING, 83, Seward, died Oct. 28, 2006.
Born Feb. 17, 1923, to Thomas and Jennie (Hain) Vogeltanz. 
She graduated from Dwight Assumption High School in 1940.
Preceded in death by her brother, Lad Vogeltanz; and sisters, 
Agnes Vogeltanz, Marie Codr, Frances Peek and Caroline Semin.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Nov. 2, at St. Vincent dePaul 
Catholic Church. Interment is at Seward Cemetery.

Russell Nelson ENDICOTT, Jr., 82, Seward, died Oct. 26, 2006.
Born to Russell Nelson and Estella F. (Rice) Endicott near Dorchester. 
He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. On Sept. 14, 1946, 
he married Betty Lee Courtney in St. Francis, Kan. Preceded in death 
by his brother, Robert Endicott; grandson, Charles Endicott; and 
granddaughter, Courtney Endicott. Funeral services were Oct. 30 at 
United Methodist Church, Seward. Interment with full military 
honors was at Seward Cemetery. 

Erna Caroline GOLDSMITH, 88, Seward, died Oct. 15, 2006.
Born Dec. 4, 1917, to Henry and Rosa (Herman) Niemann in Staplehurst. 
She attended Zion Lutheran School, Marysville. On May 19, 1938, she 
married Lloyd Goldsmith in Papillion. Preceded in death by her husband, 
Lloyd Goldsmith; son, Larry Goldsmith; brothers, Edwin, Emil and 
Raymond Niemann; and sister, Florence Hintz. Funeral services were 
Oct. 20 at St. John Lutheran Church, Seward. Interment was at 
Greenwood Cemetery, Seward.

Sandra Jeanne BADEN, 59, Seward, died Nov. 2, 2006.
Born March 10, 1947, to Ray and Louise (Vester) Ward in Reno, Nev. 
On May 27, 1966, she married John Baden, III, in Temple City, Calif.
Preceded in death by her parents, Ray and Louise Ward.
Funeral services were Nov. 7 at St. John Lutheran Church, Seward.
Inurnment was at Seward Cemetery. 

Norman Friedrich BURGER, 85, Seward, died Oct. 27, 2006.
Born Jan. 14, 1921, to Walter and Mamie (Hunke) Burger 
near Clatonia. He served in the U.S. Army Air Force in World 
War II from 1942 to 1945. On Sept. 20, 1953, he married 
Lois Kraft in Clatonia. Preceded in death by his brothers, 
Melvin, Marvin and Harlan Burger. Funeral services were Oct. 30 
at Volzke Funeral Home Chapel, Seward. Interment was at 
Seward Cemetery. 

Wilfred Walter BUTZKE, 77, Gresham, died Nov. 4, 2006.
Born Feb. 20, 1929, to Walter J. and Elsa M. (Gierhan) Butzke. 
Preceded in death by his son, Dewain Butzke; and sister, Leora Dittmar.
Funeral services were Nov. 7 at St. Peter Lutheran Church, Gresham.
Inurnment was at Immanuel Cemetery, Utica. 

Ray Robert EBERSPACHER, 95, Mesa, Ariz., formerly of Seward 
County, died Oct. 29, 2006, in Mesa. Born Oct. 12, 1911, to Gottlob 
and Anna (Aufrecht) Eberspacher in Seward County. He attended Star 
Country School and graduated from Milford High School. He enlisted in 
the U.S. Army in 1942. On Nov. 22, 1958, he married Rosalyn 
(Morefield) Klessig. Preceded in death by his brother, Arthur 
Eberspacher; and sisters, Della Ernst, Esther Beave, Louise 
Eberspacher and Ruth Miller. Funeral services were Nov. 6 at Salem 
United Methodist Church, rural Seward. Interment was at Salem 
United Methodist Cemetery.
   
Walter Armand RICHERT, 94, Gresham, died Oct. 31, 2006, in York.
Born Feb. 19, 1912, to George and Anna (Matzner) Richert near 
Gresham. On Feb. 24, 1935, he married Gertrude S. Luebbe near Seward.
Preceded in death by his wife, Gertrude Richert; brother and sister-in-law, 
Carl and Emma Richert; sisters and brothers-in-law, Alma and Herbert Otte 
and Frieda and Werner Rathje; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Martin 
and Ila Luebbe, Herbert and Laurance Luebbe, Frieda Luebbe and Henry Giesman.
Funeral services were Nov. 4 at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Seward.
Interment was at St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery, east of Gresham. 

LeRoy H. ABEL, 64, David City, died Nov. 17, 2006, in Lincoln.
Born Sept. 16, 1942, in New London, Minn. On Nov. 20, 1963, he 
married Clarine Wenzl in Tecumseh. Served in the U.S. Air Force.
Funeral services were Nov. 21 at Chermok Funeral Home, David City. 
Interment was at a private family ceremony.
     
Richard ARENDS, 52, Lincoln, died Nov. 11, 2006.
Born Jan. 15, 1954, to Raymond and Merlyn (Wittler) Arends in Omaha. 
In 1974 he married Deb Urbanek in Ulysses. Preceded in death by his 
father, Raymond Arends; brother, Daniel Arends; and a stillborn brother.
Funeral services were Nov. 18 at Cathedral of the Risen Christ, Lincoln. 
Mr. Arends's body was donated to the University of Nebraska Medical 
Center for cancer research according to his request.
 
Richard HOLDSWORTH, 54, Syracuse, formerly Lincoln, died Nov. 17, 2006
in Syracuse. Born Feb. 7, 1952, George Holdsworth and Della Combs Halm 
in Syracuse. He graduated from Syracuse High School. Served in the U.S. 
Navy aboard the USS Excel and was a Vietnam veteran. On March 19, 2006
he married Donna Marie Hickman. Preceded in death by his brother-in-law, 
Kenneth Gress. Funeral services were Nov. 20 at Fusselman-Wymore 
Funeral Home, Syracuse. Interment with full military honors was at 
Seward Cemetery. 

Dr. Laurelyn Sue (Buller) HOY, 65, Omaha, died Nov. 14, 2006, in Omaha.
Born Jan. 19, 1941, to Lawrence and Eleanor (Pape) Buller in Seward. 
Graduated from Seward High School in 1959. Preceded in death by her 
parents, Lawrence and Eleanor Buller. Survivors include her daughters, 
Kathy and Lori Hoy, both of Omaha; brothers and sisters-in-law, Bruce 
and Cheryl Buller, Bartlesville, Okla., and Larry and Karen Buller, Lincoln; 
sister, Virginia Morgan, Arlington, Va.; and former husband Doug Hoy.
Funeral services were Nov. 18 at St. Vincent dePaul Catholic Church, 
Seward. Interment was at St. Patrick Cemetery, Utica.
     
Marie L. HUNSCHE, 92, David City, formerly Ulysses, died Nov. 17, 2006.
Born May 12, 1914, to George and Mary (Willms) Gocken in Garrison. 
On July 30, 1932, she married Herman Hunsche. Preceded in death by 
her husband, Herman Hunsche, on Sept. 24, 1984; brother, George 
"Bud" Gocken; and sisters, Anna and Ella. Funeral services were 
Nov. 20 at Chermok Funeral Home, David City. Interment was 
at Ulysses Township Cemetery.
 
Viola E. W. MUELLER, 94, Seward, died Nov. 20, 2006, in Seward.
Born Aug. 21, 1912. Survivors include her sister, Ruth Schroeder, 
Pasadena, Calif.; nieces and nephews. Funeral services are Nov. 25 
at St. John Lutheran Church, Seward. Interment will be at Seward 
Cemetery.
      
Gerald Louis NIEBLING, 77, Utica, died Nov. 13, 2006.
Born Feb. 12, 1929, to Ferdinand and Florence (Ruhl) Niebling in 
St. Louis, Mo. He graduated from Maryland Heights High School, 
Maryland Heights, Mo., in 1946. On May 12, 1950, he married 
Caroline Williams in Maryland Heights, Mo. He served in the U.S. 
Army and was a veteran of the Korean conflict. Funeral services 
were Nov. 17 at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Utica. Interment was 
at Utica Cemetery.
      
Margaret R. NOVAK, 71, Rising City, died Nov. 19, 2006, in David City.
Born Dec. 14, 1943, to Theodore and Lillian (Sypal) Svoboda. 
On April 17, 1956, she married Gene Novak in Brainard.
Preceded in death by her infant son, David Novak; brother, Lad 
Svoboda; and sister, Dorothy Hahn. Funeral services were 
Nov. 22 at Holy Trinity Church, Brainard. Interment was at 
New Holy Trinity Cemetery.
      
Mary Ann (Hrdlicka) POSPICHAL, 80, Seward, formerly Ulysses
died Nov. 13, 2006. Born Oct. 21, 1926, to Henry and Maria (Zimola) 
Hrdlicka near Wahoo. On May 6, 1947, she married William J. Pospichal 
in Wahoo. Preceded in death by her husband, William J. Pospichal; and 
brothers, Henry and Joseph Hrdlicka. Funeral services were Nov. 17 at 
St. Vincent dePaul Catholic Church, Seward. Interment was at 
St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Ulysses. 

Nelda M. STUCHLIK, 91, Alton, Ill., formerly Seward, died Nov. 17, 2006.
Born Oct. 10, 1915, to Werner and Frieda (Heumann) Meyer in Seward. S
On June 10, 1940, she married Cyril M. Stuchlik. Preceded in death by her 
husband, Cyril Stuchlik; sister, Alta Zillig; and brother, Kermit Meyer.
Funeral services were Nov. 21 at Friedens United Church of Christ, Seward. 
Interment was at Seward Cemetery.

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