Evelyn Joan Breeden, 89, of Cozad, died Dec. 20, 2017, at Hilltop Estates in Gothenburg.

She was born on Oct. 25, 1928, in Lexington, the daughter of Clarence and Ethel (Evans) Reiter. She attended school in Lexington, graduating from Lexington High School in 1946.

Evelyn married James Breeden on Nov. 27, 1949, in Lexington. To this union two children were born, Kathryn and Bill.

She worked for Evans Dress Shop in Lexington and Five & Dime in Cozad. Evelyn enjoyed reading in her spare time.

Evelyn was preceded in death by her husband, James Cecil Breeden; parents, Clarence P. Reiter and Ethel Reiter; son, Bill Breeden; brother, Lee Reiter; and sisters, Mary Lou Taylor and Charlotte Selk, and their spouses.

Surviving her are her daughter, Kathryn (Ernest) Nelsen of North Platte; sister-in-law, Bonnie (Steve) Pfister of Lexington; and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family.

Memorials are suggested to the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be shared at blasestrauser.com.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 26, at Cozad Cemetery with Pastor Larry Viter officiating. Blase-Strauser Memorial Chapel & Monuments, Gothenburg, is in charge of arrangements.

William D. “Bill” Mattocks, age 73, of North Platte, died December 23, 2017 at Linden Court in North Platte, NE. He was born on April 16, 1944 in West Union, IA to Wilder and Dorothy (Dohrer) Mattocks.

Bill was raised in Wadena, IA and attended school at Valley High School in Elgin, IA, before enlisting in the U.S. Navy. His 22 years of service with the Navy and Naval Reserve included service during the Vietnam War and Desert Storm. After his active duty discharge, Bill worked for the Chicago-Northwestern Railroad in Marshalltown, IA for 24 years. After Union Pacific acquired Chicago –Northwestern, Bill moved to North Platte where he worked as a machinist for 9 years until his retirement. Bill married Kathleen Myers on April 3, 1999 at Bethel Church in North Platte.

Bill was a member of Bethel E-Free Church where he was an active member as an usher and helping with AWANA. He was a member of the Gideons, Men in the Gap, volunteered with the Lincoln Connection Homeless Shelter and Habitat for Humanity. Bill was a true man of God, always wanting to get the word of God out to others. He was a very faithful and selfless person who loved to share his faith with others. Bill loved boating and being on the water, and walking his beloved dog, Jaycee, for many miles a day. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend.

Survivors include his wife Kathleen of North Platte; 4 children, Missy (Shawn) Stewart of Springville, IA,  Mary (Chris) Grant of Urbana, IA, Matthew (Katie) Mattocks of Akeny, IA, and Benjamin Mattocks of Wadena, IA; 8 grandchildren, Evan Stewart, Cheyenne Mills, Abby (Denziro) Tochi, Kelly Grant, Mason Grant, Rylee Grant, Kathryn Mattocks, and Madelyn Mattocks; a sister, Diane (Pat) Olson of Cedar Falls, IA; a brother Brad (Jerod) Mattocks of Waterloo, IA; mother-in-law, Jackie Myers; sister-in-laws, Syrena (Keith) Davis and Stephanie Dilley, all of North Platte; a brother-in-law, Kevin (Patty) Myers of Elkhorn, NE; special friends, Roger and Diane Evans of North Platte and numerous other family members and many friends. Bill was preceded in death by his parents, and his father-in-law, Richard “Ram” Myers.  Memorials can be directed to the Gideons, and online condolences can be made at www.adamsswanson,com.

Memorial Services will be 10:30 Friday December 29, 2017 at the Bethel Evangelical Free Church with the Rev. Dennis Leitner officiating.  Inurnment with military honors will be at Fort McPherson National Cemetery near Maxwell. Memorial book signing will be Thursday December 28, 2017 from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. with the family receiving friends from 6-8. Adams & Swanson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Lula ‘Lu’ Meyers, age 101, of Fremont, died Saturday morning, December 23, 2017, in Nye Legacy, Fremont, Nebraska.

She was born to William and Pauline (Boldebuck) Beckmann on December 11, 1916 at Malcolm, Nebraska where she grew up on the family farm. She graduated from Grand Island Business College in 1936 and went to work for Central Power District which later became Consumers Public Power.

On September 5, 1942, she was married in Grand Island to Edgar Meyers. As her husband Edgar was serving in the United States Navy, they lived in various places until he was released from active duty. Then they returned to Grand Island and she worked in the office of the Waldbaum Egg Co.  In 1957, the couple relocated to Fremont from Omaha.

She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church and involved in the ladies circles. She had also been active in an extension club and playing bridge.

Survivors include a daughter, Shary (Ronald) Asher of North Platte; two  grandchildren: Jill (John) Miles and Nathan (Lori) Asher; six great grandchildren: Logan and Landen Miles and Eric, Nolan, Quinn, and Kellan Asher; a brother, Oral Beckmann of Longmont, Colorado; and sister-in-law Leona Beckmann of Valparaiso, Indiana.

She is preceded by four sisters: Gertrude Gade, Helen Brase, Esther Imig, and infant Orinda Beckmann, and two brothers, Alvin and Harvey Beckmann.

The funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, December 28, 2017 at Trinity Lutheran Church with the committal to follow in Memorial Cemetery. Visitation at the Ludvigsen Mortuary will be on Wednesday from 3 to 8 p.m., with the family receiving friends from 4 to 6 p.m.  Memorials are suggested to Trinity Lutheran Church and School, and to Mission Central in Mapleton, IA. Online guestbook @ www.ludvigsenmortuary.com

Magdalene Marie “Midge” Weber, 72, formerly of Grand Island, NE, passed away on Friday, December 22, 2017, at the North Platte Care Center.

Magdalene was born March 24, 1945, to August and Etha (Waters) Schulz on the family farm in Redwood County, MN. Midge began school in Minnesota then the family moved to Nebraska in 1960 where she graduated from Harvard High School in ’63 then went to Hastings Beauty Academy.

In 1962 Midge met Ronald D. Ochsner and they were married three years later. The couple lived in Vista, CA for a year and Midge worked as a beautician. They moved to Midway, WA in 1967 then Grand Island before divorcing in 1970.

Midge was united in marriage to Donald J. Weber in 1986 while living in Grand Island. They made Grand Island their home while they both worked as truck drivers from ’87 to 2003. Working together as a team, they were able to travel to all 48 continental states as well as Canada. After driving for 15 years, Midge worked at Skagway, the Five Points location, where she decorated cakes for the next 10 years. She loved decorating cakes and won many awards for her work.

Midge enjoyed gardening, fishing and doing crafts. She crocheted and did needlepoint but especially loved making baby blankets for her grandchildren. Midge was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013 then moved to North Platte in June of this year to be closer to her son and his family.

She is survived by her husband, Don, of Grand Island; son, Ron (Chris) Ochsner, of North Platte; stepchildren, Dwayne Weber, of Doniphan, NE, Donald Weber, of Hastings, NE, David Weber, of Lincoln, NE, and Cassie Weber, of Wood River, NE; sister, Audrey Higgins, of Corcoran, MN; brother, Larry (Carol) Schulz, of Juniata, NE; four grandchildren, Jakob, Zachary, Madeline and Izaak Ochsner; as well as many step-grandchildren and great-grandchildren, several nieces, nephews and other family.

Midge was preceded in death by her parents, August and Etha Schulz; sister, Marge Graybest; brother August “Gus” Schulz; brothers-in-law, Michael Higgins and Lyle Graybest; nephew, Matt Higgins; and stepdaughter, Candy Weber.

Cremation was chosen. Graveside service will be at a later date in the Inland Cemetery, east of Hastings, NE. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the family for designation to help cure breast cancer. Condolences may be shared online at odeanchapel.com Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore is in charge of arrangements.