Leonard Russell Phipps was born Feb. 26, 1927, the oldest of three sons born to Russell and Elva LeLaCheur Phipps. He passed away at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte, on April 18, 2013, following a short illness.
He attended grade school in rural Cherry County. He attended NCTA in Curtis, which required living there during the school year, graduating in 1944.
Leonard married Ferrissa Mae Malcolm of Montgomery, N.Y., on June 8, 1949. Three children were born to this union.
Being raised during the Depression, he learned to make do, always looking for a better way. The ranch raised registered Herefords and in an era when most ranchers were raising cows and calves, he made the switch to a steer operation, which enabled the family ranch to continue to grow and develop. He was also one of the first Nebraska ranchers to introduce registered quarter horses to the area.
Leonard lived on the family ranch all of his life, doing everything that it takes to run a ranch. He worked in the hayfield for 80 years and rode his horse at shipping time. He still was out caking steers, and keeping the ranch books. Leonard was a lifelong cowboy and did some roping in rodeos, but he really enjoyed team penning with friends and family members, seeing old friends and making new ones.
He raised quarter horses and was a lifelong member of the American Quarter Horse Association. He was a member of the Sandhills Cattle Association and also served on the Mullen Rural Fire Board. He enjoyed watching and bragging about the great-grandsons playing youth football.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his grandparents; and his youngest brother, Bob.
Leonard is survived by his wife of almost 64 years, Ferrissa; their children, Wayne (Fran) Phipps, of Berthoud, Colo., Gary (Glenda) of Whitman, and Lois Mary (Jim) Hardy of Mullen; his grandchildren Heather (Erick) Johnson, of North Platte, Brett (Jordyn) Phipps of Whitman, Wade Phipps of Ft. Laramie, Wyo., Elissa Hardy of Denver, Colo., Crystal (Wynn) Wiens of Mullen, and RJ Hardy, of North Platte; five great-grandchildren, Justin and Adam Wiens, Makenna and Madisyn Johnson and Kaisley Phipps; his brother, Doug (Alice) Phipps, of Mullen; nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends. Leonard never met a stranger.
Memorials are suggested to the Whitman Community Club, Whitman Cemetery, Grant County Ambulance Fund or donor’s choice.
Services will be on at 1 p.m. (MDT), Monday, April 22, at the United Methodist Church in Mullen. Burial will be at the Whitman Cemetery. Mullen Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Rudolph ‘Rudy’ Bernard Gerber, 96, of North Platte, NE, died Friday, April 19, 2013, at Linden Court in North Platte.

Rudy was born July 1, 1916, to John Henry and Barbara Meier Gerber at Ellis, KS where he grew up. He graduated from Ellis High School in 1930 then attended college in Kansas. Rudy later moved to North Platte where he hired on with the Union Pacific Railroad in 1936.

In February 1943, Rudy joined the U.S. Army and served in the Pacific Theater. He was discharged in December 1945 and went back to work on the railroad in North Platte. He retired as a carman in 1976.

On October 11, 1958, Rudy married Kathleen ‘Kay’ Ann Fain in Clayton, NM. They renewed their vows on January 19, 1977, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in North Platte.

Rudy was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and the V.F.W. Post #1504. He was also a charter member of the V.F.W. Post #9139 in Ellis, KS.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Kay, and daughter, Debra (Thomas) Berger, all of North Platte; a son, Gary (Cathy) Gerber, of Albuquerque, NM; three grandchildren, Amanda, John A. and Connie Gerber; four great-grandchildren, Dominique Donnar, Ryan Chessmore, TJ and Addie Gerber; and other family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Barbara Gerber; two brothers, Adolph and Jacob Gerber; three sisters, Lorraine Reinert, Lambertine Dreinling and Adolphine Herman; a grandson, Terry Gerber; and a step granddaughter, Melissa “Missy” Clear.

Cremation was chosen. A memorial graveside service with military honors will be 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, 2013, in Fort McPherson National Cemetery. The memorial book may be signed on Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Odean Colonial Chapel At C & Sycamore or online at odeanchapel.com. Memorials are suggested to the Nebraska Veteran’s Home in Grand Island. Odean Colonial Chapel At C & Sycamore is in charge of arrangements.