Obituaries

Longtime Ainsworth, NE resident George Kamas died at the Sandhills Care Center in Ainsworth on April 15, 2022 at the age of 95 years. Those familiar with his 64 years in Ainsworth knew him as a businessman devoted to his family, a golfer who enjoyed the camaraderie as much as the game and a quick wit with a clever quip and a louder laugh. But many people did not know that he had a young life in agriculture, military service, and the experience as the first generation of immigrants that defined so many of his “Greatest Generation.”

Delores K. Stec passed away Sunday, April 24, 2022 in Grand Island, NE.

John Elvin Lucht was born on August 26, 1939 to Elmer John and Minnie Oca Mae (Moore) Lucht. He, along with a younger brother, Marvin and cousins, Steven and Carol grew up on a family farm on Bone Creek near Ainsworth. John graduated from Ainsworth High School in 1960 and enlisted in the United States Army and was deployed to Germany. He returned to the United States and was stationed in California where his good friend introduced him to his sister, Sue Wright. John and Sue were married at Mare Island, CA on May 26, 1962. After being honorably discharged from the Army, they moved back to Ainsworth and had three children, Connie, Teresa and John Jr. John got a job at the Safeway Milk Plant and moved his family to Elkhorn, NE and then they later moved to Omaha, NE. In 1972, they bought the family farm from his parents and started a dairy farm that they sold decades later and moved outside of Ainsworth where John was working at the lumberyard until he had major heart attacks and couldn’t work again. John got interested in scroll saw work to fill the time. He and Sue started making craft items, clocks and plaques to sell at fairs. John lost Sue after 52 years of marriage on December 20, 2014 and Sue wanted her ashes to be buried with her husband’s ashes. John went to join her in eternal rest on September 12, 2021.

Delores Grace Poole was born August 8, 1943 to Loren and Erma (Schultz) Poole. She passed away November 27, 2021 in Lincoln, NE. Delores was raised on the family farm at Osage, MN. In 1957, the family moved to Minneapolis, MN. Dee attended West High School there and graduated in 1961. After graduation, she attended Brown Business Institute and then went to work for North American Life Insurance Company in Minneapolis. Dee and her sister, Sharon flew out to Fort Lewis, Washington to visit their brother, Al who was in the service. While out there, she met George A. Kicken and they started dating. On December 22, 1962, they were married in Tacoma, WA. Their son Todd was born there. After George was discharged from the United States Army in 1963, they moved to the family ranch at Ellsworth, NE where their daughter, Dawn was born in 1965. In 1966, they moved to a ranch south of Ainsworth, NE. Because of a bad winter, they moved into Ainsworth in 1969. Dee first worked for an insurance company in Ainsworth, and then went to work at the courthouse and became a Clerk Magistrate and worked at that for 33 years, retiring on August 31, 2005. After their retirements, George and Dee bought a ranch south of Ainsworth where they spent the rest of their lives. Dee enjoyed ranch life and visiting with the neighbors on branding day. She did enjoy her time in the court system and also enjoyed her time with the grandkids along with gardening.

Raymond Edward Norton was born on the family homestead north of Stuart, NE on January 19, 1933 to Asa E. and Lucy A. (Wilcox) Norton. He was the oldest of 13 children. Ray graduated from Stuart High School in 1950. He served in the United States Army from April 3, 1951 through April 2, 1954 during the Korean War. When he returned from the service, he worked at various ranches. Ray married Nedra M. Weber on May 28, 1956 at Atkinson, NE. To this union, four children were born - Robert, Marcia, Todd and Michael. Ray and Nedra and family lived north of Newport, NE for awhile and later moved south of Long Pine, NE where he started his own ranching and dairy farm. In 1976, they moved to Ainsworth, NE where he worked for the City of Ainsworth as a garbage man. He retired at age 65 in 1998. After retirement, he enjoyed fishing, repairing bicycles and mostly just being with his family.

Services are pending at the Hoch Funeral Home in Ainsworth for Raymond E. Norton, age 89 of Ainsworth.

Funeral Service for George Kamas age 95 of Ainsworth will be held on Thursday, April 28, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Pius X Catholic Church in Ainsworth. Burial with Military Honors by Ainsworth American Legion Post #79 will follow in the Ainsworth Cemetery. George Kamas died Friday, April 15, 2022 in the Sandhills Care Center in Ainsworth.

Dale E. Billings was born on June 26, 1936 near Norden, NE to Jay Loy Billings and Myrtle Mary (Reynolds) Billings. He attended grade school in Keya Paha county and graduated from Keya Paha County High School in Springview, NE. Dale lived on his parents’ place. He did live in Ainsworth, NE for a few years and then moved to Bassett, NE. Dale worked at the sale barn in Bassett for a number of years. He was a member of the Bassett Assembly of God Church and was very active in the Rock County Senior Center. He lived in Bassett until he moved into the Sandhills Care Center in Ainsworth, where he passed away on Monday, April 11, 2022 at the age of 85 years.

Miss Agnes Mae Snyder was born on October 28, 1932 to Jesse James and Margaret H. (Zillig) Snyder at the Snyder Homestead near Chain Lake. Agnes and Jesse were born in the same sod house. Grandma Effie assisted with Agnes’ delivery. The Snyder grandparents, Richard and Effie as well as Jess, Margaret and little Agnes moved into a frame house built by Richard.

Marjorie May Schumacher passed away on April 13, 2022 at Ponderosa Villa in Crawford, NE at the age of 93. Marjorie was born November 15, 1928 in Burwell, NE.