- Maiden Name: Brown
Rebecca Ann "Becky" Ryan, 67, of Loup City, died on Dec. 18, 2023, at her home.
Rebecca Ann (Brown) Ryan was born in Lexington on Sept. 26, 1956, to Robert and Ruth (Beauchamp) Brown. She graduated from Lexington High School in 1975 and attended Mid-Plains Community College, graduating in 1982 with an Associates of Art degree.
Becky worked for the USDA Rural Development for 26 years. The travel required enabled her to see the western two-thirds of Nebraska, not to mention many states when traveling for training. Helping those in need of home repairs and home purchases brought her great satisfaction.
Becky married Mark Ryan on Sept. 3, 1999. They enjoyed camping with family and friends until she was no longer able to because of her health.
Becky had many hobbies including reading, bowling, antiquing and going to the casino.
The truest love of her life were her sons and grandsons.
Becky was preceded in death by her father, Robert Brown; brother, James; and grandparents, Frank and Hazel Koch and Fulton and Frieda Brown.
Becky is survived by her husband, Mark of Loup City; sons, Matthew (Lyndee) Brown of Omaha and Colby (Nicole Gruber) Pell of North Platte; grandsons, Haden and Ryland Brown of Omaha, Koda Pell of Curtis, Caleb Pell of Belleview and Jay Rodriguez of North Platte; mother, Ruth Brown of North Platte; sister, Nancy Zimmerman of Kearney; brothers, Phillip (Polly) Brown of Phoenix and Robert (Pam) of North Platte; many nieces and nephews; and extended family and friends.
Online condolences may be shared at higginsfuneralhomelc.com. A Celebration of Life will be scheduled after the New Year. Visitation is from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, at Higgins Funeral Home in Loup City. Cremation follows the visitation. Higgins Funeral Home in Loup City is in charge of arrangements.
Mark Alan White, 67, of Sulphur Rock, AR, formerly of Cozad, NE, died on Monday, September 4, 2023. Mark was born on February 6, 1956, in Honolulu, HI, to Don White and the late Asenth (Craven) Mills. He was of Christian faith. Mark lived in Cozad, NE, for most of his life. He loved to watch college football, especially to cheer on the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Mark worked as a machinist at Orthman Manufacturing before earning his retirement after 20-plus years of service. After he retired, Mark moved to Arkansas to live on the farm. He enjoyed being around and caring for animals. He loved tending to his chickens and dogs and liked to go fishing. Mark was a gentle soul and a good man and will be missed dearly by all of his friends and family.
Mark is preceded in death by his mother, Asenth Mills, and his brother, Steven White. He is survived by his father, Don White; his daughter, Kayla White; his brothers, Jerry White (June) and Mike White (Karen); his sisters, Julie Poggendorf (Wes), Lori Kerbel (Walt), and Deb White; and several nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.
Arrangements are entrusted to Willis Funeral Service of Batesville, AR. The family will host a memorial service in Nebraska at a date to be determined in the near future
Richard W. “Dick” Allbright of Cozad passed away Monday, July 31, 2023 at Kearney Regional Medical Center at the age of 66. Richard was born August 20, 1956 at Broken Bow, Nebraska to Claude and Audrey (Holcomb) Allbright. He graduated from Lexington High School with the class of 1975. Richard married Tammy Jo Darnall. Their union was blessed with 7 children, Matthew, Nathan, Christopher, Callie, Emily, Andrea and David. He worked construction most of his life, and was a night monitor at South Central Development in Cozad until his retirement. Richard was a Webelos Leader and Boy Scout Leader. He enjoyed camping and fishing in South Dakota. He was a Star Trek fan, loved John Wayne movies, and playing card games. Richard never missed his morning and afternoon coffee and tea groups. He was preceded in death by his parents, Claude and Audrey Allbright; and wife, Tammy Allbright. Survivors include his children, Matt Allbright, Nathan Allbright, Christopher (Courtonie) Allbright, David (Sheri Crosier) Allbright, Callie Allbright, Emily Allbright and Andrea (Andrew) McClellen; grandchildren, Aiden, Maison, Aryiah, Mackenziee, and Zackary; and many other family members and friends.
Memorials are suggested to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Shriners. Funeral Service will be held Monday, August 7, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the Berryman Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Kathy Gundell officiating. Cremation will follow. Visitation with family present will be Sunday, August 6, 2023 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Berryman Funeral Home.
Michael L. "Mike" Gierhan, 53, of Kearney died Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010, at his home. Mike was born Sept. 15, 1957, in Ord to Bud and Bev (Schmidt) Gierhan.
On July 4, 1981, he married Susan Brown in Lexington.
Survivors are: his wife; son, Jonathan Gierhan and his wife, Sarah, of Kearney; daughter, Jenny Gierhan of Kearney; his parents, of Kearney; grandmother, Doris Thompson of Franklin; brother, Jim Gierhan and his wife, Rhonda, of Clay Center, Kan., and sons Adam and Ryan; brothers- and sisters-in-law, Jerry Brown and his wife, Nancy, of McPherson, Kan., and children Tiffani and Steve Floyd and children Garrett and Bailee, and Rob Brown and his wife, Tiffany, of Chadron and children Austin, Trey and Jaelyn; uncles, David Schmidt and his wife, Barb, of Columbia, Mo., and Sam Gierhan and his wife, Dixie, of Lakewood, Calif.; aunts, Sue Bradenkamp and her husband, Roger, of Long Beach, Calif., and Darlene Bourn and her husband, Roger, of Bismarck, N.D.; and numerous cousins.
Mike graduated from Lexington High School in 1975 and then attended Kearney State College. He and Susan lived in Kearney, and he worked in management at Eaton Corp. for 23 years. In 1990 he started Gierhan Construction, which he owned and operated until his death.
He was a member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church and the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.).
Mike loved riding his Harley, Nebraska football, NASCAR races, and building and designing homes. He also enjoyed flying, golf, hunting, snow skiing and playing basketball and especially enjoyed spending time with his family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Charlie Schmidt, and an uncle, Gary Schmidt.
Burial was in the Kearney Cemetery, Kearney, NE.
Published in the Kearney Hub on 10/6/2010
- Date Posted: 2021-09-15
- Maiden Name: Strever
Lanay Strever, 63, of Lexington, Nebraska passed away on Monday, September 13, 2021 at the Lexington Regional Health Center.
She was born September 25, 1957 in Lexington, Nebraska, to Clifford W. and Mary L. (Osborn) Strever, her childhood was spent first on the family farm north of Lexington, then Beatrice for a couple of years and the remainder in Lexington. Lanay loved to travel and lived her adult life in Colorado, Texas, North Carolina, Germany and Lexington.
Always a dreamer with a huge heart, she loved helping others. Be it family or friends, she was always there with a listening ear and encouragement to never give up. She found the good in everyone. If you knew her well, you know her love of roses was endless. She loved to grow them and collect anything and everything with a rose on it. If it had a rose, it had her name all over it.
Lanay’s greatest love and her timeless legacy was her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She absolutely loved each one in their own way, praising and supporting them in whatever they chose in life. They were truly her pride and joy.
Lanay leaves to celebrate her life; her mother, Mary Strever of Lexington; sisters, Sharmane (Al) Arnold of Springfield, Missouri, Teri Underwood of Lincoln and Jamie (Norm) Rohda of Waverly; daughter, Lisa (Keith) Mansell of Midland, Texas; son, Brandon Peterson of Denver, Colorado; grandchildren, Clifford Bailey, Jade and Gaby Brown, Alex and Lesley Reyes, Alicia Pesek, Aalyah Peterson, Natalia and Isabelle Gonzalez and Devin Prudhomme; great-grandchildren, Gaige and Granger Acker, Audrey and Carter Prudhomme.
A reception and a time of sharing with family and friends to celebrate the life of Lanay will be held on Saturday, September 18, 2021 from 3-6 p.m. at the Kirkpatrick Memorial Park in Lexington.
A memorial has been established in Lanay’s honor.
Reynolds-Love Funeral Home in Lexington is honored to be assisting the family with arrangements. Please share online condolences with the family by visiting: reynoldslovefunerahome.com
Patrick Lee Wescoat, 63, of Cairo, Nebraska went to his heavenly home September 28, 2020 at his home. Funeral services will be Saturday, October 3, 2020 at the First Baptist Church in Cairo with the Rev. Michael Boling and Rev. Jack Boling officiating. Interment will be in Sand Valley Cemetery in Callaway. Visitation will be Friday, October 2nd at the First Baptist Church in Cairo with the family receiving family and friends 4-6pm. Memorials are suggested to the family for later designation.
He was born on September 22, 1957 at Henderson, Nebraska to Willis and Eileen (Schumm) Wescoat. He grew up in Lexington and graduated with the class of 1975. After graduation he attended Tennessee Temple College. He worked at Valley Sales and Orthman Manufacturing in Lexington.
He was united in marriage to Debra Gascho Bordenkircher on November 17th, 2007 at First Baptist Church in Cairo. The couple lived in Cairo where he was employed by MH Equipment and had a lawn mowing business until his death. They took in a great nephew and niece, Travys and Ashlyn, in 2010 to raise as their own children.
He was a member of First Baptist Church of Cairo. He served as an elder in his church. He was also active in the First Baptist Church in Lexington when he lived there and preached there many times over the years. He loved his family and will be missed dearly. His smile was infectious.
Survivors include his wife, Debi of Cairo; son, Travys and daughter, Ashlyn of Cairo; son Chad (Ming Yip) Bordenkircher and granddaughter, Brielle of Covington, LA and Ryan Bordenkircher of Boelus; daughter, Megan (Nate) Wilhemi and grandson, Atlas of Alda; sisters Maxine (David) Vieth of Grand Island, twin sister, Pam (Mark) Rodriguez of Bellevue, Ruth Bohlen of Broken Bow and Amy Tallon of Lincoln; brothers, Mike Wescoat of Lexington and Pat (Rhonda) Tallon of Shelbyville, Kentucky and many nieces, nephews and friends whom he loved very much. He was more than just an uncle to his nieces and nephews. He had two grandchildren with a grandson due in 2021.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, William, grandparents, Adeline and William Schumm and Charley and Gladys Wescoat, one grandchild one great niece and several aunts and uncles.
Lorraine Kay Kats, age 62, of Beaver City passed away on Monday, August 3, 2020, at her home surrounded by her family. She was a warrior until the end, fighting both breast and pancreatic cancer. She was born November 24, 1957, in Norton, Kan., to Lawrence and Creta (Rorabaugh) Sawyer.
Memorial services with be held Friday, August 7, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at Faith Community Church in Beaver City, with Pastor Daryl Kats, officiating. There will be no viewing or visitation as cremation was chosen. Inurnment will be at Cozad Cemetery, Cozad. For those unable to attend, you can watch the memorial service live on the “Faith Community Beaver City” Facebook page.
Lorraine was raised in Almena, Kan., until her parents moved to Lexington in 1972. She graduated from Lexington High School with the class of 1975. On June 25, 1977, she married Dennis Wallace in Lexington. To this union two daughters were born, Amber and Ashley. On July 10, 1993, Lorraine married Robert Parker of Cozad. They resided in Cozad until moving to Columbus in 2003. She later moved to Lincoln, residing there until her marriage to Daryl Kats of Long Island, Kan., on August 31, 2012. They have made their home in Beaver City since 2013. She worked as a dental assistant for several entities in Lexington, Cozad, Columbus, and Lincoln.
Lorraine enjoyed cooking, crafting, tending her flowers, and the Huskers, especially football, basketball, and volleyball. The movie, “Wizard of Oz” was a lifetime favorite. She starred as Glinda, the “Good Witch”, in the Lexington High School production, fueling a lifelong passion for collection Wizard of Oz memorabilia. She also enjoyed raising several Golden Retrievers, two of whom, Chance and Biscuit, were waiting for her at the rainbow bridge. Her lifelong dream was to own a horse. She especially enjoyed being a member of the Faith Community Church family.
She is survived by her husband Daryl, of Beaver City; daughters Amber (Kirby) Novacek of Lincoln, and Ashley (AJ) Bowen of Papillion; grandchildren Addison and David Novacek of Lincoln and Carter and Sawyer Bowen of Papillion; sister Betty (Larry) Ohs of Lincoln and one aunt, Georgie Rorabaugh of Norton, Kan. Plus many nephews and cousins.
Lorraine was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials in her name to Rural Med Hospice Care and GRRIN – Golden Retriever Rescue in Boys Town, Nebraska. Wenburg Funeral Home in Beaver City is in charge of arrangements. Condolences can be left at wenburgfuneralhome.com.
- Date Posted: 2011-03-07
Daryl E. Ballheim, 54, of Lexington, Nebraska, died Monday, March 7, 2011, following a courageous bout with cancer at the Tri-County Hospital in Lexington.
Daryl was born June 3, 1956, at Lexington, Nebraska to Donald and Minnie (Weatherford) Ballheim. He attended school at Lexington.
He was united in marriage to Linda Larimore on June 22, 1994, at Lexington. Daryl worked for 25 years at Orthman Manufacturing as a Shipping/Receiving Supervisor.
Daryl was a member of the Lexington Christian Church and the Lexington Bowling Association. He bowled for years with the 6th Street Grocery Store team.
He was a “computer guru” who loved messing with the computer and helping friends with their computer questions. He was always there to help family and friends with their vehicle problems and repairs and always enjoyed a good joke and spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. Daryl was just a really nice guy.
He is survived by his wife: Linda Ballheim of Lexington, Nebraska
Two sons: Trevor Ballheim of Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Alexander Ballheim of Lexington, Nebraska
Two daughters: Trini and husband Donald Swank, Jr. of Scottsbluff, Nebraska
Haley Ballheim of Lexington, Nebraska
Two stepsons: Curtis and wife Robyn Gutherless of Knoxville, Tennessee
Russell and wife Julie Gutherless of Cozad, Nebraska
One stepdaughter: Sara and husband Josh Martens of Lincoln, Nebraska
One brother: Gary Ballheim of Lexington, Nebraska
One sister: Dorothy and husband Butch Hagan of Lexington, Nebraska
One sister-in-law: Debra Ballheim of Elkins, West Virginia
Nine grandchildren, five great-grandchildren as well as many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Daryl was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Mark; one brother, Donald, three infant grandchildren and one nephew, Michael.
Funeral Services will be Saturday, March 12, 2011, at 10:30 a.m. at the Lexington Christian Church with Pastor Kyron BeDunnah officiating.
Burial will be in the Greenwood Cemetery at Lexington.
Visitation will be held Friday, March 11, 2011, from 5-7 p.m. at the Reynolds-Love Chapel in Lexington.
Memorials are suggested to the Family for later designation.
Reynolds-Love Funeral Home in Lexington is in charge of arrangements.
Please forward condolences to the family through: reynoldslovefuneralhome.com.
