Obituaries

Hastings resident, John A. Stec, died Oct.10, 2015, as the result of a long term illness, at Mary Lanning Healthcare, Hastings, NE. Rosary was Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015, at 7 p.m., at Livingston Butler Volland Chapel . Celebration of Life will be Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015, 10 a.m., at Livingston Butler Volland Chapel, Hastings, NE, with Fr. Michael Houlihan officiating. Burial will be at a later date. Visitation was Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015, 1– 8 p.m., with family present 5– 7 p.m., and one hour prior to service at Livingston Butler Vollandchapel . Memorials may be given to the family for a memorial to be established at a later date. Private condolences may be sent to the family at www.lbvfh.com. Livingston Butler   Volland Funeral Home & Cremation Center is serving the family. John was born Jan. 4, 1963, in Offutt Air Force Base to Anthony and Clementina (Zelasney) Stec. He grew up in and graduated from Harvard High School in 1981.

Edward Earl Werner was born March 27, 1939, in Deweese, NE, and passed from this life Oct. 5, 2015, at 76 years of age, in Eugene, OR, surrounded by family. He is survived by his wife, Sharon, of 48 years; daughter, Shirley and husband, Michael Hull, wihgrand children Matthew , Madison, Brooklyn  and Bry leigh ; daughter, Chri s t ine and husband, Michael Odell, with grandchildren Logan and Hailey; son, Steven Werner and wife, Susie, with grandchildren Tyler and Robyn, Trevon and Ava; and daughter, Barbara and husband, Troy Valente, with grandchildren Jordan and Kayla. He was the oldest of three other surviving siblings, Gerald, David and Linda. He was preceded in death by father, Edward S. Werner; mother, Iona Mae Werner; brothers Billy Werner and Timothy Werner; and nephew, David Wayne Werner. Ed had a zest for life ,traveling the U.S., including Alaska and Hawaii, as well as other parts of the world.

Former Clay Center resident, Velda M. Philbrick, 96, passed away Sunday, October 4, 2015, at Mary Lanning Healthcare, Hastings, NE. Services will be Thursday, October 8, 2015, 10 a.m., at Clay Center United Church of Christ, Clay Center, with Pastor Harry Cross and Pastor Delbert “Del” Klover officiating. Burial will be in Clay Center Cemetery, Clay Center. Memorials may be given to Start Over Rover. Visitation was Wednesday, October 7, 2015, 9 a.m.–7 p.m., with family present 5-7 p.m., at the funeral home, and one hour prior to service at church. Private condolences may be sent to the family at www.lbvfh.com. Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home and Cremation Center is serving the family. Velda was born April 25, 1919, in Fairfield, NE, to Fred C. and Anna (Haase) Kempf. She married Harold Yunko in 1937. He preceded her in death in 1985. Velda married Leonard “Lenny” Philbrick in 1989. He preceded her in death in 2003.

Hastings resident, Robert “Bob” Reuben Pontine, 76, went to be with the Lord on Friday, October 2, 2015, at Mary Lanning Healthcare, Hastings, Nebraska. Celebration of Life Services were Wednesday, October 7, 2015, 1 p.m., at Evangelical Free Church, 2015 N. St. Joseph, Hastings with Pastor Dale Phillips officiating. Stories were shared, memories, tears, laughter and tall tails, all assured to make Bob proud. Burial with military rites by Hastings Veterans Organizations was in Parkview Cemetery, Hastings. Memorials may be made to Start Over Rover. Visitation was Tuesday, October 6, 2015, 1–8 p.m., with family present 6–8 p.m., at the funeral home and one hour prior to service at the church. Private condolences may be sent at www.lbvfh.com. Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home & Cremation Center is serving the family. The son of Reuben and Pearl E. (Johnson) Pontine, Bob was born on July 21, 1939, in Harvard, NE.

Harvard resident, Wanda Ileene (Davidson) Farrand, 84, passed away Thursday, October 1, 2015, at Mary Lanning Memorial Health Care, Hastings, NE. Services were Monday, October 5, 2015, at 2 p.m., at the Harvard First United Methodist Church, with Rev. Travis King officiating. Burial was in the Harvard Cemetery. Visitation was one hour prior to service time. Condolences may be sent to the family from www.apfelfuneralhome.com. Apfel Funeral Home, Harvard is in charge of the arrangements. Memorials may be given to the Harvard First United Methodist Church or AseraCare Hospice. Wanda Ileene Davidson Farrand was born in Webber, KS, on December 21, 1930, to Doshia (Nichols) and Ernest Davidson. She grew up in a family of seven children. A baby sister, Darlene, died after the family experienced a bout with scarlet fever in 1934. On July 2, 1949, Wanda married her high school sweetheart, Clarence Farrand.

Cara Anne Nickolaus, 25, of Cambridge, Mass. died September 20, 2015. She was born in Lincoln on August 10, 1990, to Lowell and Jane (Empkey) Nickolaus. Cara was a 2009 graduate of Lincoln Northeast and a 2013, graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, MO. She was working on her PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge at the time of her death. Cara’s interest in academics started at an early age. She was involved in Destination Imagination at Riley Elementary School. At Culler Middle School, she was active in Destination Imagination, Quiz Bowl and played oboe in the band. During her time at Northeast High School, Cara was Valedictorian, Math Club President, Speech Team Captain, National Honor Society Treasurer, Co-founder of Study Buddies Mentoring Program and a Clifton Fellow. She was also involved in the Economics Challenge Team, Academic Decathlon, Quiz Bowl, earned letters in Academics, Band, Math and Speech.

Ramona Pauline (Rauscher) Nuss passed away on September 25, 2015, in Lincoln, NE. She was born to Henry and Pauline Rauscher June 25, 1921, near Sutton, NE. She was preceded in death by her husband, Elmer Nuss Jr., her parents, brothers, Jerry and Tom, and sisters, Ruth Haberman and Verneta Hohnstein. Ramona and Elmer (Bud) farmed near Hastings for a few years and then near Trumbull. They lived in Grand Island, Lincoln, Wymore and Casa Grande, AZ, for many years. Ramona is survived by one brother, Robert (Bob) and Barbara Rauscher of Oregon; one son, Stephen Nuss of San Antoine, TX; daughters, Ann and Bob Wathor of Wymore; Linda and Dale Thomas of Lincoln; and Catlin Brown of Beatrice; eight grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandson. She will be missed by all. A memorial service will be held on Oct. 10, at 10 a.m., at the Tabitha Chapel in Lincoln, NE.

Robert Edgar “Bunny” Mikkelsen of Edgar, NE, was born June 10, 1920, to Charles and Roselia (Althouse) Mikkelsen in Edgar, NE. He died Sept. 22, 2015, at Fairview Manor, Fairmont, NE at the age of 95 years. Bunny graduated from Edgar High School in 1937 and attended NYA Trade School at Bellevue College. He served from January 1942 to Sept. 1945, in the U.S. Army with the 95th Infantry Division in Europe. He received the Bronze Star for meritorious service. He married Eileen Shaw on Nov. 29, 1943, in Yuma, AZ. They had three sons: Robert, Clark and Charles. He was a member of the Methodist Church, later the Church of the Plains in Edgar. He was self-employed for several years in Edgar as an auto mechanic and was a professional photographer for 15 years in Superior, NE. Following retirement, he was a woodworker. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, John Mikkelsen, his sister, Christine (Mikkelsen) Woods, and his wife, Eileen.

Donna Mae Rolo, age 80, passed away at her home in Ransom, KS on Sept. 21, 2015. She was born on Oct. 12, 1934, in Fairmont, NE, and is the daughter of Ruben and Rose (Ackerman) Sell. She was a homemaker and cook at the Derrick Inn Restaurant. She was a member o f the United Methodist Church, Ness City, and was the #1 Fan of the Kansas City Royals and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. She was baptized at the Hope Reformed Church in Sutton, NE, where she was later to be married. On Nov. 17, 1955, she married Wilbur “Willie” Rolo in Sutton, NE. He preceded her in death on Feb. 22, 1975. Donna and Willie moved from Hanston to Ness City in 1972, where they raised their nine children. Donna moved to Ransom in 2014.