Seward County Independent
May 2008
    
Herold Duane COPPER, 74, died May 4, 2008, in Lincoln, NE.
Born April 14, 1934, in Taylor to Alfred and Faye (Wellington) Copper. 
Served as deputy sheriff in Seward Co, NE. On Nov. 18, 1967, married 
June Gardner in Milford, NE. Preceded in death by brother Elden; son 
Steven; and step-daughters-in-law Beverly and Pamela Pierce.
Services were May 12, 2008 at United Methodist Church in Seward.
Inurnment was at Seward Cemetery.
 
Timothy Brian HEINICKE, 57, died May 7, 2008, in Las Vegas, Nev.
Born Nov. 29, 1950, in Tokyo, Japan, to Gerhard and Eleanor 
(Kolterman) Heinicke. He was an elementary teacher in special 
education. Preceded in death by father Gerhard Heinicke.
 
Katherine Marie PRIESS, 82, Lincoln, died May 9, 2008.
Born March 25, 1926, in Newark, N.J., to Alfred and Marie Santoro.
Preceded in death by husband Albert. Services were May 12, 2008
at Christ Lutheran Church in Lincoln. Burial was at Lincoln Memorial Park.
 
Margaret Faye (Koop) ALEXANDER, 95, died May 9, 2008, in Lincoln.
Born June 22, 1912, on a farm near Dorchester to Charles John and 
Margaret C. (Janssen) Koop. Married Donald E. Asmus on Feb. 21, 1934. 
Her husband died in 1966. Married Lloyd W. Cox on Sept. 12, 1972. Lloyd 
died in 1981 and she married Harold E. Alexander on Oct. 8, 1983.
Preceded in death by husbands Donald Asmus, Lloyd Cox and Harold 
Alexander; brothers Clarence and Orin Koop; and sisters Ida Dittman 
and Gladys Aksamit. Services were May 13 at Zabka Funeral Home in 
Seward. Interment was at Seward Cemetery.

Vivian Grace KLEPPER, 91, died May 6, 2008 in Omaha.
Born Jan. 21, 1917, in Emerald to Paul and Grace (Gaskill) Jones.
Married Fred Klepper on April 14, 1936, in York. Preceded in death 
by husband Fred; brothers Roy, Orville and Vernon Jones; and sisters 
Irene Campbell and Helen Zeleny. Services were May 10 at the Volzke 
Funeral Home Chapel in Seward. Interment was at Seward Cemetery.
 
Leonard DUFFEK, 65, died May 5, 2008, in Lincoln.
Born Oct. 5, 1942, in Seward to Leonard and Jaunita (Franks) Duffek. 
Preceded in death by father Leonard and brother Ronald Duffek.
Services were May 8 at the United Methodist Church in Seward.
Interment was at Seward Cemetery.
 
Esther Judith (Thompson) GIERHAN, 93, died May 9, 2008, in Lincoln.
Born July 27, 1914, in Ortonville, Minn., to Magnus and Anna Thompson.
Married Fred Gierhan in Millbank, S.D., on Dec. 17, 1939. Preceded in 
death by husband Fred; and sisters Hilda Storm, Mabel Leeland, Ella 
Zahrbock/Minners and Dena Boldenow; and brothers Thormod and 
Magnus Thompson. Services May 14, 2008 at St. Paul Lutheran 
Church in Utica. Interment will be at Immanuel Lutheran 
Cemetery in Utica. 
 
Clarence Eugene PANKOKE, 73, Beaver Crossing, died May 6, 2008.
Born Aug. 4, 1934, on a farm near Beaver Crossing to Henry and 
Elsie (Hippie) Pankoke. Preceded in death by an infant sister.
Services were May 9 at the Zabka Funeral Home Chapel in Seward.
Graveside service and burial will be at a later date.
 
Thomas W. ENGLER, 64, died April 28, 2008, in Seward.
Born Feb. 29, 1944, in Seward to Willard and Helena Jane (Zillig) Engler.
Married Marilyn Mower on May 20, 1967. Preceded in death by parents 
Willard J. and Jane (Zillig) Engler and parents-in-law John R. and Dee Mower.
Celebration of life services were May 6 at United Methodist Church in Seward.

William James FERGUSON, 85, died May 14, 2008, in Chicago, Ill.
Born Dec. 29, 1922, in Dorchester, to William and Mary (Ramsay) Ferguson.
Graduated from Lincoln High School in 1940. He was drafted into the U.S. Army 
and served during WWII. Preceded in death by sisters Margaret Neff and Marylea 
Molello. Graveside services were May 23 at the Dorchester Cemetery. A memorial 
service will be held June 14, 2008 at the Edgewater Presbyterian Church in Chicago, Ill.
 
Darlene Viola KRIESER, 68, died May 18, 2008, in Garland, NE.
Born May 13, 1940, in Seward County to Edward Richard and Hilda A. (Gehle) Krieser.
Preceded in death by brother Donald Krieser and parents Edwin and Hilda.
Survivors include aunts Clara Krieser, Seward, and Vera Gehle, Lincoln, and cousins.
Services were May 23 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lincoln. Interment was at Immanuel 
Lutheran Church Cemetery in rural Seward. 

Rose A. (Kozisek) SCHMIT, 98, David City, died May 24, 2008, in David City, NE.
Born Jan. 5, 1910, in Bruno to Frank and Ann (Hlavac) Husak. Married William Kozisek 
in 1929 in David City and following William's death in 1945, she married Peter Schmit in 1961.
Preceded in death by husbands William and Peter; grandsons Billy, Mark and Mike Kozisek; 
granddaughter Karen Bredahl; two infant brothers; sisters Blanche Beckius Rohs and Tillie 
Stevens; step-son Eugene Schmit; step-daughter Dorothy Moyer and step-grandson 
Cory Kallenbach. Services May 28, 2008, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in David City.
Burial will be at St. Anthony's Cemetery in Bruno.

Reuben V. GOCKE, 80, Waco, died May 24, 2008.
Born Sept. 7, 1927, in rural Waco to Erie and Marie (Naber) Gocke. 
He served in the U. S. Army during the Korean War. Married Wilma E. Klepper 
on Feb. 15, 1953, at St. John's Lutheran Church. They farmed in the Waco 
area for many years. Preceded in death by wife Wilma; brother Donald Gocke; 
brothers-in-law and sister-in-law Harold Wiemer and Arlan and Darlene Klepper.
Services May 28, 2008 at St. John's Lutheran Church in rural Waco.
Burial will be at the church cemetery.

Alma Elizabeth NELSON, 98, York, died May 24, 2008, in York.
Born March 5, 1910, on the family farm near Utica to Fred and Augusta 
(Zielke) Nelson. Preceded in death by brothers Wilbur and Rallph Nelson; 
sisters Ada Nordhausen, Elsie Harrison, and Mabel and Nora Nelson; and 
nephew Clarence Nelson. Services May 28, 2008 at the Metz Chapel in York.
Burial will be at Utica Cemetery.

======
Copyright © 2008
Nebraska Obituary Abstracts 
NEGenWeb Project