Lucinda Kay ‘Cindy’ Bird, 63 years, of North Platte, NE, passed away at home surrounded by her family on Wednesday, April 22, 2015.

Cindy was born November 13, 1951, to Maxine Elaine Koons Anderson at Oakland, CA. She grew up in Denver, CO and California, graduating from Long Beach High School in 1969. Cindy served in the U.S. Air Force from 1977 to 1981. Following her discharge, she moved to Sutherland, NE to care for her mother.

Cindy married the love of her life, Doyle, and they were together for 27 happy, wonderful years and she was a loving mother to her daughters.

She is survived by her husband, Doyle Bird, of North Platte; daughters, Michelle (Jonathan) Craghead, of Cooperascove, TX, and Angala (Bill) Verley, of Mariposa, CA; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; her brother, William LaRue, of North Platte; two sisters, Nancy (David) Fleecs, of North Platte, and Mona Peterson, of Bismark, ND; and numerous nieces, nephews and other family.

Cindy was preceded in death by her brother, Harry Anderson; and mother and stepfather, Maxine and Jack LaRue.

Cremation was chosen. A memorial graveside service with military honors will be 1 p.m.Friday, May 1, 2015, in Fort McPherson National Cemetery with Chaplain Gary Smith officiating. The memorial book may be signed at odeanchapel.com or from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.Thursday at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore which is in charge of arrangements. Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society.

Doris J. Paul Kramer, age 85 of Stapleton, and formerly of North Platte, passed away April 23, 2015 at Great Plains Health. She was born August 9, 1929 near Arnold, NE to Howard and Edna Grace (Martin) Ditson. Doris graduated from Maxwell High School in 1948 and later taught school in Callaway for one year. She was united in marriage to Charles Paul on November 13, 1949 at Maxwell and they moved to North Platte and made their home. Doris worked for the North Platte Telegraph, North Platte Public Schools, and later K-Mart. She married Robert F. Kramer on August 11, 2000 at Bassett, NE and was immediately adopted by the Kramer Clan. Robert and Doris resided in Stapleton. Doris was a member of the First Christian Church, American Legion, VFW Auxiliaries, Eagles Auxiliaries and Rebekah Lodge. Her loving family includes, husband, Robert F. Kramer of Stapleton, daughters, Brenda Paul of Maryland and Peggy (Michael) Fox of North Platte, sons, Steven (Alice) Paul of North Platte and Darwin Paul of Denver, CO, Robert’s children, Dan (Kristy) Kramer of Stapleton, Alvin Kramer of West Point, NE, Arthur (Becky) Kramer of Stapleton, Rolland (Jan) Kramer and Marie (Layne) Pyzer both of North Platte, brothers, Dr. Floyd (Laurel) Ditson of Littleton, CO, Don (Joan) Ditson of Frankfort, IN, and Alan LaVerne (Jerry) Ditson of Overton, NE, 5 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, 11 step-grandchildren, 15 step-great-grandchildren, and many other caring relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Charles Paul on November 28, 1981, step-daughter, Aneta Engel, and a grandson, Charles Paul. Online condolences may be shared at www.carpentermemorial.com. A memorial has been established in her memory. Funeral services will be 1:00 p.m. Monday, April 27, 2015 at First Christian Church at 220 North Vine St in North Platte. Burial will be at Ft. McPherson National Cemetery near Maxwell. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday and 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Sunday with family receiving friends from 3 to 5 at Carpenter Memorial Chapel, which is in charge of arrangements.

Larry Alan Fear, 50, of Sutherland, NE, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, April 21, 2015, in Golden, CO.

Larry was born May 1, 1964, to Louis Robert, Jr. and Charlaine Deloris Fry Fear in North Platte, NE. Larry grew up in Sutherland and graduated from Sutherland High School in 1982. He then attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Following college, Larry returned to Sutherland to ranch with his father on the family ranch south of Sutherland. Having a thirst for knowledge, he took it upon himself to study, learn and educate himself all about the various varieties of rangeland grasses.

On October 27, 1984, Larry married Georgia McDole, they later divorced in 2014.

Larry loved his children, Landan and Larren, and enjoyed spending time with them whether it was camping and fishing or traveling with Landan to all of his rodeos. Larry was extremely proud of his children’s endeavors and would tell anyone that would listen about all their achievements. He also adored all his great-nieces and nephews, jumping at every opportunity to visit them.

He will be greatly missed by his family which includes his children, Larren and Landan Fear, and parents, Robert, Jr. and Charlaine Fear, all of Sutherland; sisters, Barbara (Lon) Petersen, of Elkhorn, NE, and Sandra Bay, of Sutherland; nieces and nephews, Jennifer Stephens, Justin Petersen, Rebecca (Jon) Reiter, Elizabeth Bay and Jessica (Justin) Grentz; aunts, Nancy Fulk, of Denver, CO, and Arleta Bell, of Estes Park, CO; and numerous great-nieces and nephews and other family.

Funeral service will be 11 a.m. Monday, April 27, 2015, at the Sutherland United Methodist Church with Pastor Kola officiating. Burial will follow in the North Platte Cemetery. Visitation will be from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore and before services at the church. Condolences may also be shared at odeanchapel.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Sutherland Fire Department. Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore is in charge of arrangements.

Mary A. Elwood, 67, of North Platte passed away April 22, 2015 at Centennial Park Retirement Village. She was born September 23, 1947 in McCook, Nebraska to Wesley and Mona (Troutman) Fairchild.
Mary grew up in Palisade, NE graduating from Palisade High School in 1966 then attended school in Alliance to receive her LPN Degree. She worked in McCook at Mac’s Drive Inn Restaurant and at St. Catherine Hospital where she met her husband to be, Ralph “Butch” Elwood. The two were married on February 21, 1970. Mary and Butch made their home in Beatrice, NE where she worked for the Beatrice State Development Center for approximately 25 years.
Mary loved her dogs and enjoyed fishing, camping, going to the movies, and spending time with her friends at the high-rise.
Survivors include her sister, Geraldine (Gerry) Fairchild of Fairbury, NE, sister-in-law, Joyce Cooper of Wellington, Kansas; brother-in-law, Ernie (Marilyn) Elwood of Colgate, OK, cousin, Phyllis (Rick) Willerton of North Platte; and numerous other family members.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and husband of almost 40 years, Ralph “Butch” Elwood.
Memorials may be made in her name and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com.
Graveside services will be 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25, 2015 at the Palisade Cemetery with Pastor Dennis Leitner officiating. Cremation was chosen; those wishing to sign the register book may do so 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Friday at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.

Zada E. Price, age 96, of North Platte, died April 20, 2015 at Hilltop Estates in Gothenburg, NE. She was born on August 28, 1918 in North Platte, to George and Susan (Collicott) Clark.
Zada spent most of her life in Lincoln County, she received her Bachelor’s of Art Degree in Elementary Education and taught in rural schools in Lincoln and Dawson counties, finishing her teaching career in Brady Public Schools . She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, belonged to the Lioness International, the Monday Night Moonshiners Extension Club, SVEA Dal Ladies Aid, and the Gothenburg Retired Teachers Association. She enjoyed volunteering for Adult Basic Education and the Blood Mobile, was a missionary for church in North Carolina (Harkers Island) for a year as well as volunteering at the hospital there. She was an avid reader, liked dancing, walking, exercising class, and extensive traveling.
Survivors include her sons, Gary (Verna) Price and Olen (special friend, Gerri Grigsly) all of North Platte; grandchildren, Shauna and Shane from Lincoln, Steven from North Platte, Niki, John and Keisha all from Grand Island, and Josh (special friend Maggie Habermann) from North Platte; 14 great-grandchildren; 4 great-great-grandchildren; special nephew, Charles (Arlene) Clark and their children; special grandchildren, Dustina and Troy; and a host of friends and nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Olen Price; infant son, Larry Eugene; two brothers, Charles and James Clark; and a granddaughter, Sherry Rae.
Memorials may be made in her name and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanson.com.
Services will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday April 25, 2015 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with Bishop Aaron Stalker officiating. Burial will be at the North Platte City Cemetery with a luncheon following the burial. Visitation will be 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.

Marjorie Maye ‘Marge’ Arnold, 86 years, of Sutherland, NE, passed away Monday, April 20, 2015, at Linden Court in North Platte, NE.

Marge was born June 6, 1928, to Dick D. and Nellie Viola Bierma in Madrid, NE where she grew up. The family later moved to Sutherland where Marge graduated from Sutherland High School in 1945. She then worked for Arnold Drug Store.

On June 13, 1948, Marge married Vance Miller Arnold at the Sutherland Presbyterian Church. They later attended the University of Nebraska where Marge graduated with a teaching degree and Vance with a degree in business. They returned to Sutherland in 1951 where they raised four sons and continued to operate the Arnold Drug Company. Marge also taught sixth grade at Sutherland Public Schools.

Marge was a member and very active with the Sutherland Presbyterian Church. She and Vance loved to dance and were members of the Winter Dance Club for many years. She loved her home and was an immaculate house keeper. Marge was a good wife and mother. She and Vance had celebrated over 66 years of marriage together.

She will be missed by her husband, Vance, of North Platte; three sons, Kent (Katy) Arnold, of North Platte, Greg Arnold, of Parker, CO, and Jeff (Kandyce) Arnold, of Fremont, NE; seven grandchildren, Bradford, Vanessa, Daniel, David, Steven and Kip Arnold and Sunny (Matt) Karges; six great-grandchildren, Broderick and Bristol Arnold, Harvey Fanning, and Graham, Garrett and Leo Arnold; her brothers, Charles (Mary) Bierma and Gayle Bierma, all of Omaha; a sister, Erma Jean Young, of Elkhorn, WI; a brother-in-law, Sanford ‘Sandy’ Arnold, of Phoenix, AZ; and many nieces, nephews and other family.

Marge was preceded in death by her son, Don; her parents, Dick and Nellie Bierma; four brothers; and four sisters.

Cremation was chosen. A memorial service will be 2:30 p.m. Friday, April 24, 2015, at the Sutherland Presbyterian Church with Vicar JA Welsh officiating. A private family inurnment will be in Fort McPherson National Cemetery. The memorial book may be signed at odeanchapel.com or from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore which is in charge of arrangements. Memorials are suggested to the Sutherland Presbyterian Church.

Lyle L. Andersen, age 83, local businessman, passed away April 19, 2015, after battling multiple health problems for several years.

He was born September 26, 1931 to Lars Julius and Clara (Hansen) Andersen at Elba, Nebraska.  He attended Grand Island High School and graduated in 1949.  In 1952, he married the love of his life, Lois J. Reimers at Grand Island, NE.  To this union of 63 years four sons were born; Robert, Ricky, Ronald and Russell.  Lyle and Lois moved to North Platte in 1960 to work for Bryan and Prowett Truck Company, which they purchased and renamed Western International and owned and operated for 25 years.  He purchased the Carl Anderson parts shop in 1986.  This was enlarged with the purchase of Bystrom’s Napa in 1992.  The store operated with the assistance of his wife, Lois and their four sons as Andersen and Sons NAPA.  He was proud of the accomplishments of the family business.  He never tired of working and enjoyed visiting with friends who stopped in to see him at the store.  He has been an annual supporter of the 4-H livestock sale since 1986.  He loved fishing and was an avid gardener.

Lyle is survived by his wife, Lois of North Platte; four sons, Robert (Julie) Andersen, Ricky (Debra) Andersen, Ronald (Susan) Andersen and Russell (Elizabeth) Andersen; six grandchildren, Sasha and Kevin Andersen, Rachel (Macklin) Warrington, Brandon (Brooke), Rylan and Cyrus Anderson; two great-grandchildren, Ryan and Kristin Andersen; a sister, Shirley Reimers; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Arlene; and a brother, Lars J. Andersen, Jr.

Memorials are suggested to Boy Scouts of American or American Cancer Society.  Online condolences may be shared at www.carpentermemorial.com.

Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday, April 23, 2015 at Carpenter Memorial Chapel.  Burial will be at the North Platte Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday at Carpenter Memorial Chapel, which is in charge of arrangements.

Roland Alfred Johnson, 88 years, of Hershey, NE, passed away at home with his family by his side on Saturday, April 18, 2015.

Roland was the first child born to Lloyd Elmer and Melba Elvira Young Johnson on October 19, 1926, on the family dairy farm northwest of Hershey. He attended O’Fallons School, graduating from O’Fallons High School in 1944. Roland later attended Luther College in Wahoo, NE where he earned an Associates of Arts Degree and was valedictorian of his class in 1949.

On November 10, 1946, Roland married Margaret Carlson of Pennsylvania at McKeesport, PA. They made their home on a dairy farm northwest of Hershey, where they raised four children, Christine, Amy, Renae and Tim, and have resided ever since. Roland and Margaret celebrated over 68 years of marriage and enjoyed their life on the farm, which included the annual spring migration of thousands of sandhill cranes onto their alfalfa and corn fields.

Roland was an active member of Maria Lutheran Church in Hershey and the First Presbyterian Church in North Platte, serving on various boards. He was also a lay pastor and preached in many communities. Roland was active in the Hershey community by serving on the boards of various groups which included Riverside Cemetery, Mid-America Dairymen, Paxton-Hershey Water Company and Nebraska Water Users, and many others.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret, of Hershey; children, Christine (John) Buller, of Hesston, KS, Amy (Pastor Mike) Williams, of Kerrville, TX, Pastor Renae Johnson, of Lincoln, NE, and Tim (Terri) Johnson, of Hershey; seven grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; sister, Frances (Don) Force, of Claremont, CA; brother-in-law, Richard Anderson, of Fort Collins, CO; sisters-in-law, Cathryn (Ernie) Bodo, of Troy, OH, Ruth Schweitzer, of Belle Vernon, PA, and Doris Carlson, of Pittsburgh, PA; and many nieces, nephews and other family.

Roland was preceded in death by his parents, Lloyd and Melba; and a sister, Eleanor Anderson.

Funeral service will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 24, 2015, at the First Presbyterian Church with Pastor Polly Deppen-Williams officiating. Burial will be at 1 p.m. in the Riverside Cemetery northwest of Hershey. The casket will be open for family viewing only. The memorial book can be signed from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore or online at odeanchapel.com. Memorials are suggested to Maria Lutheran Church or the First Presbyterian Church. Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore is in charge of arrangements.

Robert W. Hunsdorf, 76, of North Platte, passed away April 17, 2015 at his home. He was born May 27, 1938 to William F. and Melda (Behm) Hunsdorf at Cleveland, Ohio.
He was employed at Wisconsin Power and Light Company and Ohio Illuminating Company, then moving to North Platte in 1997 from Beloit, Wisconsin.
Robert enjoyed woodworking.
He is survived by, Alice Stoltz of North Platte and her family that loved and cherished time with him, Marcia Stoltz, Shirley Kjelland, Mary (Keith) Ortin, Lee Stoltz, Rita Key, and their families; and his brother, Jon (Kathy) Hunsdorf of Ohio.
Online condolences may be shared at www.carpentermemorial.com. Cremation was chosen. Graveside inurnment will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at Ft. McPherson National Cemetery with military honors graveside. Carpenter Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.