Carroll Eugene Wilson, age 102, of North Platte passed away Friday, May 13, 2016 at Centennial Park Retirement Village. He was born November 11, 1913 in Trumbull, Nebraska. He was the second son of Chandler & Laura (Gillaspie) Wilson. The family moved to North Platte in 1917 when Chandler took a job on the Union Pacific Railroad.
Carroll’s mother called him “Hap” and taught him to do what he could to be happy and a help to the community. The name and lesson stuck for life.
Carroll graduated in1931 from NPHS (his was the first class in “new”, now demolished high school building). He enrolled in math/engineering program at UNL. After 20 hours of classes, he changed to business on advice of the Dean of Teachers College. He worked various jobs to afford tuition, including dinners for food, the YMCA for housing and Wadlow Mortuary. Carroll joined DeMolay fraternity (now part of Phi Gamma Delta) and attended St. Paul Methodist Church, where he became president of the campus Methodist Council. He graduated in 1937 with a Bachelor of Science and Business Administration.
Carroll served in the Navy from October 1942 to October 1945 including aboard PC1186 as Chief Pharmacist First Class on Atlantic and Pacific convoy duty. His 2 year enlistment came up while he was at sea. His commander told him that unless he could swim to shore his enlistment was extended for the duration. He received the Personal Navy Command Citation when the hospital he was assigned to in Panama was bombed. He was mustered out 1945 and returned to NP.
Carroll returned to job his old job with Cotterell and Rasmussen insurance where he ran office after the deaths of both principles. In 1954 he took a job offer with First National Bank eventually in their installment loan department. At the time he started the bank had a maximum loan limit of $500. A family friend needed a combine and Carroll convinced the bank to make the loan, the biggest at that time so raising the loan limit. Carroll worked there through 1979.
On Christmas day 1945 he married Inez Fenstermacher, originally of Sargent, Nebraska.
Carroll was past Master of the Masonic Lodge; Secretary/Treasurer of the Masonic Temple Craft; past Patron of Eastern Star; President of the American Heart Association in 1992; County Chairman of American Red Cross; life member of D.A.V., Optimist Club and Phi Gamma Delta. He was Post Adjutant of VFW, a charter member and Sheriff of Buffalo Bill Westerners, hospice volunteer, State Chairman for Easter Seals and was on the advisory board for RSVP.
He was involved in all levels of Boy Scouts starting at age 12. He met James West, the first Chief Scout Executive, who encouraged him to “get on the ball, kid”. He organized Troop 287 at the North Platte Police department by the water tower to give local youth something to do to stay out of trouble. He earned the Silver Eagle in 1937 and was awarded the Silver Beaver in 1964.
He received his commission as Admiral in the Nebraska Navy in 2013 and the Service to Mankind Awarded from Sertoma Club in 1983.
Survivors include two children, Robert and Kathleen both of Lincoln.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and his wife.
A Memorial has been established in his name and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com.
Funeral Services will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday, May 19, 2016 at the First United Methodist Church with the Reverend Dr. Douglas Delp officiating. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery near Callaway, NE. Visitation will be 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.

Henry A “Hank” Newland, age 85, of North Platte, NE, passed away Friday, May 13, 2016, at Linden Court in North Platte.

Hank was born July 10, 1930, to Henry Wincen and Isabel Fern Mann Newland at Springview, NE. He grew up near Sparks, NE and attended country schools.

On September 25, 1950, Hank was united in marriage to Frances Anne Richardson at Springview. They lived in Winner, SD for a short time while Hank worked for Wilson Transport. He then served in the U.S. Army as a combat infantry man with the 2nd Infantry Division during the Korean Conflict.

Following his discharge Hank and Frances moved to the Sparks and Springview area where they ranched for several years. In 1962 they moved to Valentine, NE where Hank was employed by Valentine Motor Lines and did upholstery work.

By 1979 they settled in North Platte and Hank went to work for the City of North Platte, working at the cemetery and later the Parks Department, from which he retired. After retiring he worked at El Rancho Lawn Ornaments with his daughter, June, and took up woodcarving as a hobby.

Hank was a member of the V.F.W.

He is survived by his children, Douglas (Beth) Newland and Joanne (David) Nelsen, of Valentine, Duane (Susie) Newland, of Lincoln, NE, and June (Richard) Shaw, of North Platte; nine grandchildren, Matthew (Olesia) Newland, Jeffrey (Sheila) Newland, Brian (Nina) Newland, Brandon (Rita) Newland, Brent (Jessica) Newland, Bethany (Rourke) Springer, Ben (Tiffany) Nelsen, Annie (Sam) Bailey and Megan (Dean) Richey; and 16 great-grandchildren.

Survivors also include his brothers, Glen (Marla) Newland and Wilbur Newland, of Ravenna, NE; sisters, Inez Richardson, of Corydon, IA, and Letha Bartlett, of Alda, NE; brothers-in-law, Dick Osburn, of Cairo, NE, and Tom (Mary) Richardson, of Hershey, NE; sisters-in-law, Emily (Dean) Bartlett, of David City, NE, Pauline Pilkington, of Springview and Barbara Richardson, of Lineville, IA; and many nieces, nephews and other family and his friends.

Hank was preceded in death by his wife, Frances; his parents, Henry and Isabel; a sister, Louise Osburn; sister-in-law, Betty and husband, Kenneth Harp; brothers-in-law, George ‘Butch’ Richardson, Leo Richardson, Gene Bartlett, Richard Pilkington and Hank Richardson; and father and mother-in-law, George and Emma Richardson; niece, Nancy Osburn Harbenberger; nephew, David Richardson;.

Funeral Service will be 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 18, 2016, at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore with Chaplain Gary Smith officiating. Burial with military honors will follow in the North Platte Cemetery. Visitation will be Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore which is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may also be shared at odeanchapel.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials are to North Platte Alzheimer’s Support Group.

Charlotte L. (Clark) Vaala, 80, of North Platte, former Goodland, Kansas resident died Wednesday, May 11, 2016, at North Platte, Nebraska.

Charlotte Louise Clark was born in Goodland, Kansas on August 20, 1935 to Fern Amack Clark and Merrill Emery Clark. She had a brother, Bernard LeRoy Clark. When Charlotte was about five years old her mother left the family. As she was growing up, she lived with her father and stepmother, Elizabeth, and at times with her grandmother Amanda Clark and her Aunt Millie Ballentine.

Charlotte married Fred Stasser in August 1953. They were blessed with two sons, Fred Jr and Alan. They farmed northwest of Goodland. Charlotte and Fred’s marriage ended in 1986. Charlotte continued to live in Goodland and was employed by Social Rehabilitation Services. She met Roy Vaala and later married him on July 22, 1995. She then moved to Montevideo, MN with her husband Roy. After living there several years, they moved to North Platte, NE to be near Roy’s daughter Linda and family. Charlotte was employed as a sales associate at Herberger’s Clothing Store in North Platte.

Charlotte was preceded in death by her baby sister, Patty Jean Clark; her brother, Bernard Clark; a half-brother, Gary Clark; her mother, Fern Amack Grey; her father, Merrill Clark; stepmothers, Elizabeth Clark and Jewel Clark.

She is survived by her husband, Roy Vaala; a half-sister, Yvonne Clark; her children, Fred (Rachel) Stasser, Alan (Susan) Stasser, Janet (Jim) Smith, Ruth (Jim) Strong, Nancy Vaala, Susan Vaala, Linda (Scott) Dishman, Daniel (Tami) Vaala; granddaughters, Talia, Autumn, Lisha, Lindsey (Norman), Shandra (Joe), Tiffany (Jacob) Kristina, Margaret Jo, Mali, Melissa (Adam), Jenny (Brock), Angel (Melvin), Alyssa, Ana, Andrea (Cedrick); great granddaughters, Claire Charlotte, Natalie, Adriannah, Madeline, Ocean; grandsons, Pon, Pan, Adrian (Bridget); great grandsons, Kolin, Tyce, Kaleb, Elijah, Liam, Tevan, Kale, Eli, Payton, Ashtyn, Melvin Jr; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family.

The funeral will be Monday, May 16, 2016 at 10:30 AM MT, at Calvary Gospel Church in Goodland, with Pastor Randy Payne officiating. Burial will follow in the Goodland Cemetery. Friends may share their respects on Sunday, May 15, from 6:00 until 8:00 PM MT, at Koons Chapel in Goodland. Online condolences may be shared at www.koonsfuneralhome.com. Koons Funeral Home in Goodland, KS and Carpenter Memorial Chapel in North Platte, NE are in charge of arrangements.

Arlyn Kay (Elsasser) Rogers, 73, of Brady, passed away on May 4, 2016 at her winter home in Chandler, AZ with her family around her. Arlyn was known all her life as Kay. She was born November 14, 1942 to Arno and Evelyn (Murphy) Elsasser in Downey, California. Her parents moved to rural Brady, NE in 1945. Kay was a graduate of Brady Public Schools in 1961 and she graduated from Parks School of Business in Denver, CO in 1962. Kay was united in marriage to Bill Rogers at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church on June 8, 1962 in North Platte, NE. To this union were born two children, Todd William in 1964 and Kristian Kay in 1967. Kay was a loving and devoted mother, wife and grandma. She worked as a school receptionist for many years and retired with Bill in 2003. She adored her five granddaughters, being with her family and doing crossword puzzles. Kay’s passions were cooking and hosting family gatherings. Her fried chicken, lasagna and, of course, homemade ice cream were her specialties. Survivors include her husband, George “Bill” Rogers of Brady, NE; Children, Todd (Patty) Rogers of Chandler, AZ and Kristi (Scott) Most of Tobias, NE; five granddaughters, Anna, Sara, and Kala Most of Tobias, NE, Samantha and Kylie Rogers of Chandler, AZ; sister, Geraldine Bond of Brady, NE: brother, Michael (Ann) Elsasser of Cheyenne, WY; sister-in-law, Paula Rogers of Phoenix, AZ and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, other relatives and many dear friends. Kay was preceded in death by her parents; mother-in-law, Norma Sutton; father-in-law James F. Rogers; and brother-in-law, James K. Rogers. Services will be at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at Carpenter Memorial Chapel with Pastor James Sells officiating. Burial will be at Brady Cemetery, Brady, NE with reception following at the Brady Community Center. Visitation will be Tuesday, May 17, 2016 from 3 pm to 8 pm at Carpenter Memorial Chapel in North Platte with family receiving friends from 5 pm to 8 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Brady School Foundation, Brady, NE. Online condolences may be shared at www.carpentermemorialchapel.com. Carpenter Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Byron Lee Boslau, age 72, of Lincoln, NE, passed away on Tuesday, May 10, 2016, in Lincoln.

Byron was born December 10, 1943, to Henry ‘Hank’ and Aladine Elaine (Aden) Boslau in Ontario, OR. He grew up in North Platte, NE and participated in football and tennis and played Legion Baseball. After graduating from North Platte High School in 1962, he attended Parks Business School in Denver, CO then worked in Imperial, NE.

In 1965 Byron was drafted into the U.S. Army and served two years. Following his discharge he returned to Nebraska. On August 6, 1967, he was united in marriage to Olinda Sherryl Odean in North Platte then they moved to Lincoln where Byron attended college. Later their son, Bradlee, was born.

Byron graduated from UNL in 1970 with a BS in Business Administration. Upon graduation, he joined the public accounting firm of Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co. (now KPMG). In 1974, Byron began his career with Farmers Mutual Insurance Company of Nebraska as the Accounting Manager. He was elected Treasurer in 1979, Vice President in 1984, Executive Vice President in 1986, CEO in 1991, President and CEO in 1998, and Chairman of the Board in 1999. After 42 years with Farmers Mutual, Byron retired in March 2014.

Byron was very active in the Lincoln community. He served on several boards which included Nebraska Special Olympics, Bryan Hospital, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, Downtown Lincoln Association, US Bank’s Advisory Board, and was a past president of the YMCA, co-chairing numerous capital campaigns. Byron was also a member of Cosmopolitan Club, Downtown Athletic Club, Hillcrest Country Club and East Lincoln Christian Church, and served as a UNL track official for 20 years.

Byron received UNL’s Relay Club Spirit Award (1997), Nebraska Society of CPA’s Public Service Award (2006), Nebraska Special Olympics Champion of Greatness Award (2007, 2015), UNL’s College of Business Administration’s Business Leadership Award (2010), Lincoln Chamber of Commerce’s Roger T. Larson Community Builder’s Award (2013), North Platte Public School Foundation’s Distinguished Alumni Award (2013) and UNL and the Nebraska Chapter of National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame’s Lyell Bremser Special Merit Award (2015).

He is survived by his wife, Olinda, and son, Bradlee, both of Lincoln; brother, Don Boslau, of LaGrande, OR; uncle, William Aden, of Lincoln; aunts, Donna (Don) Happel, of North Platte and Eina Fern Aden, of Adams, NE; brother-in-law, Rick (Dodie) Odean, of North Platte; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and other family.

Byron was preceded in death by his parents, Hank and Aladine; a brother, Roy; sister, Marilyn Anderson O’Nan; and in-laws, Ollie and Alice Odean.

Funeral Service will be 1 p.m. Monday, May 16, 2016, at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Lincoln. Burial with military honors will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday in Fort McPherson National Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. with family greeting friends from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Roper’s and Sons in Lincoln, which is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be shared at roperandsons.com or odeanchapel.com. The memorial book may also be signed at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore on Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Special Olympics of Nebraska, Lincoln YMCA, Bryan Hospital Foundation, Tabitha Foundation, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital or East Lincoln Christian Church.

Phillip D. Vega, age 71, of North Platte, NE passed away peacefully at the University of Colorado Hospital surrounded by his family. Phillip was born on August 7, 1944 to Socorro and Emma (Martinez) Vega in Sutherland, NE. He grew up in Sutherland and married the love of his life, Virginia Guerrero on October 9, 1965. The couple raised one son, Daniel, and three daughters, Ramona, Antoinette and Monica.
Phillip worked for the Union Pacific Railroad for over 25 years. He loved life and had such a big, generous and caring heart. He enjoyed watching his grandchildren play sports and supported all North Platte sports programs. He loved cooking and spending as much time as he could with his family.
He will forever be missed by his wife, Virginia of North Platte; son, Daniel (Melia) Vega; daughters Ramona (Ken) Williams, Antoinette (Cory) Halverson, and Monica (Chandler) Broman; sister, Victoria Torres; brothers, Joe (Barbara), Daniel (Gayla), Tony (Sharron), Benny (Mary), Mike, Val (Cathy), and Ruben (Tony); grandchildren Gregory (Pricilla), Nicole, Joaquin, and Noelle Vega; Tyrell and Jared Williams; Addison, Jaxon, and Emmerson Halverson; Noah, Caiden, Eli, and Bella Broman; and 3 great grandchildren; Taysen, Emma and Avery Vega.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and a sister, Angel Torres.
Memorials may be made in his name and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com. Christian Wake Services will be at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, May 15, 2016 at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00 a.m. Monday, May 16, 2016 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church with the Reverend C.P. Varghese as Celebrant. Burial will follow at Floral Lawns Memorial Gardens. Closed casket visitation will be from noon until 9:00 p.m. Sunday, May 15, 2016 at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.

Gertrude Evelyn “Jeff” Olson, age 87, of North Platte, NE, passed away Tuesday, May 10, 2016, at Linden Court in North Platte.

Jeff was born July 27, 1928, to William Edwin, Sr. and Ethel Irene Rector Jeffers at North Platte where she grew up. Jeff attended Catholic school, graduating in 1946 from St. Patrick’s High School.

On July 1, 1947, Jeff was united in marriage to Maynard Rueben Olson in North Platte where they made their home and raised their children, Terry and Sherry. Jeff and Maynard enjoyed 38 years of marriage together before he passed away in 1986.

Jeff worked at the S&H Green Stamp Store until it closed then at Odegard’s for a year. She was later employed by Great Plains Regional Medical Center as a Diet Clerk for the next 19 years.

Following her retirement, Jeff helped at the Senior Center and was a R.S.V.P. volunteer. She enjoyed crocheting, reading books, playing cards and solving any kind of word puzzles. Jeff loved her family, especially her great-granddaughter, Nattellia, who was the light of her life.

Jeff was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and the American Legion Auxiliary as well as a life member and past president of the Eagles Auxiliary.

She is survived by her daughter, Sherry (Eddie) Merritt, of Wellfleet, NE; two granddaughters, Kimberly (Ryan) Shockley and Sara (Booker) Boyer, both of North Platte; her great-granddaughter, Nattellia Boyer; sister-in-law, Pris Jeffers, of Englewood, CO; and many nieces, nephews and other family.

Along with her husband, Maynard, Jeff was preceded in death by their son, Terry; her parents, William Jeffers and Ethel Jeffers Welch; stepfather, Cliff Welch; and brother, William ‘Bill’ Jeffers, Jr.

Funeral Service will be 10 a.m. Monday, May 16, 2016, at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore with Father Mark Seiker officiating. Burial will follow in Fort McPherson National Cemetery. Visitation will be 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday with family greeting friends from 5 to 6 p.m. at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore which is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may also be shared at odeanchapel.com. Memorials are suggested to the American Legion Scholarship Fund.