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Month: February 2018

Marvin D. Sanford

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Marvin D. Sanford, 93, of North Platte, passed away Feb. 1, 2018, at Sidney Regional Medical Center-Extended Care.

Marvin Dale Sanford, the son of Franklin Clarence and Josephine Fern (Sadle) Sanford, was born on Sept. 17, 1924, in North Platte. He graduated from North Platte High School with the class of 1942. At the age of 18, he volunteered for the U.S. Navy. He served in World War II as a radarman in the South Pacific for three years until his honorable discharge in 1946.

On Aug. 24, 1947, Marvin was married to Mintra Jeanette Herstedt at Grace Lutheran Church in Washington, D.C., a union to which four children were born.

Marvin worked for Union Pacific Railroad for 34 years and was a proud Union man. He served as secretary/treasurer of his local union. In 1974, he traveled to Washington, D.C., with 5,000 other union members to lobby Congress for Social Security benefits for railroaders. This resulted in Congress enacting the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974, which provided for the Tier I benefit that railroaders still receive today.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Mintra; daughter, Kate Becker; three brothers, Lee, Don, and Robert Sanford; and cherished friend, Donna Conrey.

Marvin is survived by three children, Sherri (Mike) Hausmann of Sidney, Stephen (Tammie) Sanford of North Platte and Marianne Barrett of Phoenix; one sister, Lucille Fairchild of Hamel, Minnesota; one sister-in-law, Betty Sanford of Colorado Springs, Colorado; 11 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family members.

Online condolences may be shared at gehrigstittchapel.com.

Services will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10, at Floral Lawns Memorial Gardens south of North Platte with military honors. Gehrig-Stitt Chapel & Cremation Service, LLC, Sidney, is in charge of arrangements.

Larry Dale Schaffert

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Larry Dale Schaffert, 77, of Lincoln, formerly of North Platte, passed away Feb. 3, 2018.

Larry Dale Schaffert was born on Aug. 7, 1940, to Glen and Arlene (Larson) Schaffert in Maywood. Larry grew up on a small farm north of North Platte and attended Block School. In 1945, he welcomed a little sister, Carol Ann. He had fond memories of growing up on the farm, especially growing up with a horse, Cricket, and their dog, Sandy, playing cowboys and Indians and with the many toys that Larry carved out of wood.

In eighth grade, Larry went to school in North Platte. He played football and basketball and was a member of Future Farmers of America. After graduating high school, he attended junior college in McCook, studying construction management. Summers were spent on combining crews in the local area, working on construction projects and at Cook’s Paint. He also delivered for Coca-Cola.

In 1961, he married Shirley Paxton and lived and worked on a ranch near Tryon. Born to this union was one son, Steven Craig, on Jan. 22, 1970. Steven passed away from meningitis on July 7, 1974. This marriage dissolved in 1971.

Larry was employed by Union Pacific Railroad as a pipe fitter in 1968, moving to an engineer until his retirement in August 2010. He was a member of the Eagles club and American Legion. Larry was active in the military through the U.S. Army Reserves.

In 1973, he married Judy Rae McQuade. This marriage was blessed with two children, Brenda Renee’ and Jason Kyle. Larry took great pride in his children and thoroughly enjoyed his time with them on special camping trips, passing on his love for carpentry and building a doll house and store for Brenda to play in. Judy passed away after a long battle with ovarian cancer on March 18, 1995.

Larry married Beverly Joy Kimball on July 4, 1996. Joy had two daughters, Suzann Lynae and Kristin Nichole. Larry and Joy moved to Lincoln in 2016 to be closer to their children and grandchildren. One of the first things that Larry did was set up his workshop in their new home.

He was happiest working and playing at his cabin on Lake Maloney and in bowling and golfing leagues with his friends in North Platte, and he would rarely pass up a warm cup of coffee and a good conversation. Larry’s favorite teams included the Denver Broncos, Nebraska Cornhuskers and whoever was playing against Notre Dame. He was a skilled wood worker and especially enjoyed creating model airplanes.

Larry’s warm smile and kind heart will be missed. He was a wonderful man who loved life and his family.

Survivors include his wife, Joy; daughter, Brenda (Jacob); son, Jason (Kristin); stepdaughters, Suzann (Steve) and Kristin (Adam); sister, Carol (Mike); nine grandkids; and several nieces and nephews.

Memorials are suggested to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. today, Feb. 7, at the First United Methodist Church in North Platte with Dr. Doug Delp officiating. Burial will be at the Floral Lawn Cemetery. Arnold Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

John C. Scheuler

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John C. Scheuler, 66, of Diller, passed away unexpectedly Feb. 7, 2018, from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident.

He was born on Feb. 26, 1951, in Fairbury to Elmo and Marjorie (Grissom) Scheuler. John graduated from North Platte High School in 1969.

He worked a short period of time for Union Pacific Railroad before serving in the United States Air Force.

Upon return from the military, John worked for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and most recently retired as a cement finisher. He did missionary work in Africa for Catholic Relief Services and was planning on going back soon. John enjoyed stock car races, rock concerts and traveling.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

John is survived by a sister, Susan (John) Welch of Cheyenne, Wyoming; brothers, Steve (Shirley) of Valdosta, Georgia, Jerry (Kim) of Grand Island and Jeff (Loriann) of Lead, South Dakota; nieces, Becky (Todd) Oswald and Megan Scheuler; and nephews, Greg (Stephanie) Welch, Brett (Jessica) Scheuler and Travis Scheuler.

Online condolences may be shared at harmanwrightmortuary.com.

Inurnment will be at a later date at Fort McPherson National Cemetery near Maxwell. There will be no visitation. Harman-Wright Mortuary, Beatrice, is in charge of arrangements.

Madonna Marie Janecek Marman

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Madonna Marie Janecek Marman, 78, a former local resident and 1957 graduate of North Platte High School, died of cancer Jan. 14, 2018, in Palm Desert, California.

Madonna was the daughter of Arnold Janecek, a rancher and auctioneer who died in 1943, and Beulah Sellers Janecek Winkler. Her stepfather was Raymond A. Winkler, who owned Blue Flame Propane in North Platte.

After leaving North Platte, Madonna attended Midland College in Fremont and the Lincoln General Hospital School of Nursing. She later completed nursing studies at College of the Desert in Palm Desert. She was well known in her community as a pediatrics nurse and a supporter of local charity events with her husband, who was on faculty at the College of the Desert.

Madonna was preceded in death by her grandparents, Edward and Bertha Janecek of North Platte and Byron and Bertha Sellers of Wellfleet; uncles, Victor, Chester, Milo, Joseph and Edward Janecek and Byron D. Sellers; and aunts, Bertha, Ellen and Stella Janecek.

Survivors include her husband, John Marman of Palm Desert; daughters, Suzi (John) Hanks of Houston, Texas, and Danielle (John) Scardino of Palm Desert; son, John Theodore (Donna) Marman of Capistrano Beach, California; grandson, John Knox Marman, also of Capistrano Beach; sisters, Jacqueline (Edward) Knight of Alexandria, Virginia, and Angela (Ben) Johnson of Arvada, Colorado; and three nephews and two nieces. Local survivors include her aunts, Marie Janecek Reichert and Winnie Janecek of North Platte and Bonnie Sellers of Wellfleet.

Memorials are suggested to the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens of Palm Desert.

Services were in Palm Desert, and a family commemoration will be at a later date.

Marjorie A. Halverson Taylor Death Notice

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Marjorie A. Halverson Taylor, 93, of North Platte, died Feb. 14, 2018, at her home. Services will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17, at First Evangelical Lutheran Church with ​Pastor Steve Berke officiating. Burial will be at the North Platte Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16, at Carpenter Memorial Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be shared at carpentermemorial.com. Carpenter Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Kearney police investigate armed robbery at local bar, suspect in custody

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Kearney police are investigating an armed robbery at a local bar.

At approximately 2:00 a.m., on February 15, 2018, Kearney Police officers were dispatched to Cunningham’s Journal, 15 W. 23rd Street, in downtown Kearney, in response to an armed robbery which had just occurred.

A man wearing a ski mask entered the business after closing and confronted a female employee at gunpoint and demanded money. The suspect departed on foot with cash and possibly a bottle of alcohol.

A description of the suspect was broadcast to officers, and at approximately 2:14 a.m., a sergeant with the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office observed the suspect matching the description, walking in the area of 31st Street and 2nd Avenue. Police say 21-year-old Benjamin Luethke, of Kearney, was arrested without incident for Robbery, Burglary, Use of a firearm to commit a felony, possession of burglar tools, and carrying a concealed weapon.

There were no injuries reported during this incident.

Authorities say $500K of pot found in sleeping woman’s car

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CHADRON, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a woman was arrested after an estimated $500,000 worth of marijuana was found in her car at a northwest Nebraska convenience store.

Chadron Police Chief Tim Lordino says two officers were sent to the Chadron store Wednesday to check a driver asleep in a car next to one of the gas pumps. Lordino says one of the officers spotted what he believed was a methamphetamine pipe and soon gained the woman’s permission to search. He discovered what he suspected was meth.

The chief says the officers stopped looking for drugs until a warrant could be obtained. He says their search turned up nearly 70 pounds (32 kilograms) of pot and nearly $6,800 after the warrant was granted.

Online records don’t yet show that the woman’s been formally charged.

Authorities: Fatal crash near Kearney likely weather-related

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KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a winter storm and slick road conditions likely contributed to a two-vehicle crash in central Nebraska last week that killed one man and injured a teenager.

The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office says 30-year-old Ignacio Machado Rosario died at the scene when his westbound car went out of control on U.S. Highway 30 near Gibbon on Friday, crossed the center line and hit an eastbound pickup.

The crashed happened Friday afternoon as snow and high winds swept the area.

The pickup driver, a 17-year-old from Hastings, was taken to a Kearney hospital, treated and released.

Nebraska man gets new prison sentence for sex assault

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KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A Gibbon man originally placed on probation for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl has now been sentenced to prison for the offense.

Taylor Welty-Hackett was sentenced Monday to one to five years in prison.

The sentence comes after the Nebraska Court of Appeals in December overturned a decision by Buffalo County District Judge Bill Wright to sentence Welty-Hackett to four years of intensive supervised probation. Welty-Hackett had been convicted of sexually assaulting the girl in 2015.

At the sentencing hearing, Wright had called the victim the “aggressor” and said “she made the advances.” Buffalo County Attorney Shawn Eatherton appealed the sentence.

With credit for time already served, Welty-Hackett will be eligible for parole in three months.

Ricketts signs bill to eliminate school bus permit fee

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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska school bus drivers will no longer have to pay a $5 annual permit fee to the state under a bill signed by Gov. Pete Ricketts.

Ricketts announced Wednesday he has signed the measure into law as part of a larger occupational licensing package. The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles says it issued approximately 4,900 school bus permits in 2016.

The bill By Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln doesn’t change any requirements imposed by the Nebraska Department of Education. Drivers will still have to undergo drug and alcohol testing, behind the wheel training and criminal background checks.

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