Obituaries

Memorial services will be held at a later date for Darrel W. Steele Sr., age 96, of Ainsworth. Darrel Steele Sr. passed away Friday, December 18, at the Sandhills Care Center in Ainsworth. Survivors include wife Ruth Ann Steele of Ainsworth; son Darrel Steele Jr. of Ainsworth; daughter Ann Pfeiffer and significant other, Daryl Sulzbach of Alliance; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren; brother Dale Steele of Pierce; along with other family members. Memorials m ay b e made t o t he B rown C ounty Historical S ociety, Ainsworth American Legion Post #79 or to Silver Cord Lodge #224 AF and AM in Darrel’s name. Hoch Funeral Home of Ainsworth is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hochfuneralhome.com.

Judith Lee (Farber) Boerger, 85, passed away on December 15, 2025, in Grand Island surrounded by her family. Services were held Monday, December 22, at St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Grand Island. Pastor Bill P avuk o fficiated. A b urial followed a t t he Duff Cemetery. Condolences can be left at www.giallfaiths.com. Memorials a re s uggested t o S t. P aul’s L utheran Church of Grand Island or the Duff Cemetery. Judy w as b orn, O ctober 2 4, 1 940, t o J ohn V irgil Farber, J R, a nd Verna Mary ( Bratthauer) F arber i n A insworth. J udy was the oldest daughter of John and Verna. Five years later, her sister Marie Jeanette (Farber) Dodd joined their family. Judy attended school in Ainsworth from elementary through high school. Judy graduated from Ainsworth High School in 1958 with very close classmates. To this date, the Class of 1958 girlfriends continue to send a “Round Robin” letter to stay in touch with one another. After high school, Judy resided in Omaha and was a secretary to a trucking company. Her life changed when she was back home in the Sandhills and attended a dance in Valentine, where she met the love of her life Ben Boerger. Ben & Judy were married on July 12, 1959, at the United Methodist C hurch in A insworth. T hey p roudly s hared 6 1 y ears o f marriage prior to Ben’s passing. They made their home in Rose on a family ranch that was homesteaded by Ben Boerger’s grandparents from Germany in 1885. They were blessed with two daughters, Lori and Carole. J udy was filled with love for her husband and two girls. Together t hey t aught t heir g irls c ompassion a nd t he v alue o f h ard work ethics on the ranch. The Boerger family was proud recepients of the Nebraska Pioneer Farm Award in 1995, honoring the ranch's 100-year heritage. Judy w as a lways t he f irst p erson t o b ring a h omemade m eal t o someone in need or want to share her cooking and baking talents. The vegetable gardens Judy raised and canned goods she preserved were truly a mazing. H er b aking a bilities began a t a y oung age w hen s he worked at the Ainsworth Bakery that her parents owned. They were famous for their made-from-scratch pastries, especially the “Chubbie Roll” which Judy’s father John mastered. In 1996, Ben and Judy retired from ranching and moved to Grand Island to make their home. Together Ben and Judy enjoyed their church f amily a t S t. Paul L utheran C hurch a nd after s ervices y ou would find their group going for brunch. They were blessed to spend 23 winters in South Padre Island, Texas, where they made life long friends. T he “ Chapel b y t he Sea” i n S outh P adre w as d ear t o t heir hearts. Ben and Judy enjoyed traveling to many countries throughout the years, creating many memories to enjoy. Their five grandchildren brought them pure joy. They delighted seeing them grow into the professional adults they are today. They were blessed with four greatgrandchildren to love on and treasure! Judy believed in giving and serving in her community until her health began to fail. J udy s erved a s 4 -H L eader f or R ose S couts, h eld a ll officer positions in the Jolly Neighbors Extension Club, a member of the KBR Extension Council Board, Rock County Extension Council Chairman, Rock County High School Advisory Board Member, Charter Member and President of Sandhills Quilt Guild, collaborative writer of the R ock C ounty C entennial B ook a nd member o f S t. P aul L utheran Church of Grand Island. When asked her greatest accomplishment of these, her reply was composing the Rock County Centennial Book with her friends Susan Buell and Geneva Davis because of all of the information they gathered and compiled. Judy was an articulate gardener, famous holiday sugar cookie maker, afghan knitter, accomplished seamstress, a quilt maker, china painter, South Padre Snow Bird, and amazing listener, and a genuine caring and kind hearted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She was known for her advice of “Put your faith in God and He will work it out”. Judy i s s urvived by h er d aughters, Lori ( Rod) Stolcpart o f Newport and Carole (Brian) Urbom of Grand Island; five grandchildren, Brad (Tara) S tolcpart o f K earney, J enna ( Ryan) Pickel o f J ohnson L ake, Michaela (Chayse) Gulzow of Doniphan, Allison (Ryan) Roach of Allen, Texas, and Andrew Urbom of Grand Island; four great-grandchildren, Brynlee and M arley S tolcpart, E mma P ickel and B arron G ulzow; a sister, Marie Dodd of Ainsworth; sister-in-law, Lois Nydle of Grand Island; nieces and nephews; a very special caregiver, Kathy Thompson; and a host of friends. She is preceded in death by her husband Ben L. Boerger; her parents John and Verna Farber; her father and mother-in-law Herman and Eunice Boerger; and brother- in-law Fred Nydle.

Larry Dean Svenson, 74, of Long Pine, passed away o n D ecember 5 , i n h is home a fter a two-year battle with cancer. Larry was born January 7, 1951, the fourth child to Edward and Juanita (Spencer) Svenson in N orfolk. He g raduated from N orfolk H igh School in 1969. He then attended basic training in Lackland, Texas, in 1970 and subsequently attended welding instruction through the military. On September 26, 1970, Larry married his wife of 55 years, L orretta Zobel, a lso from N orfolk, and they made their first home there. Larry c ontinued h is m ilitary c areer i n the A ir National G uard f or 1 2 years where he performed civil service on the Air Force base in Lincoln. Following his honorable discharge in February of 1982, he moved h is family t o L ong Pine w here he e stablished a c ustom h ay business for a couple of years. He was then offered the opportunity to lend his multitalented skill set to the McCain Foods Corporation where he was employed for 10years until the company closed the location in the L ong P ine area. L arry t hen s pent most o f h is l ater y ears a s the chief of maintenance for the City of Long Pine and was then able to apply his welding training at Daniels Manufacturing in Ainsworth. For those who knew Larry, they will remember his love of the outdoors through camping, fishing, and hunting that was the source of numerous wonderful memories with family and friends. He was a mechanic at heart and enjoyed classic cars, trucks and motorcycles. He was a self-proclaimed 'Old Stubborn Swede' who adored his faithful English Springer Spaniel companions, Millie and Chloe. Larry was exceptionally skilled with all things mechanical and a craftsman of carpentry and other home projects. Larry was preceded in death by his parents, his wife's parents; a brother; two brothers-in-law; two sisters-in-law; and many especially dear friends. Larry is lovingly remembered by his wife, Lorretta (Zobel) Svenson; his children, Jill (Svenson) Painter and husband, Justin of North Platte; Dana Svenson and wife, Lynette of Spearfish, S.D.; and April (Svenson) Good and husband, Jason of Ainsworth; his 11 grandchildren, Ashlee and Josh Beckman, Tab Painter, Tacey and Casey Sargent, Ty and Aspen Painter, Harley and Keaton Hope, Hunter Willis, Trey and Emmalee Painter, Ellana Willis, Madison Svenson, Jocelyn and Jaylee Good; his seven great-grandchildren, Brenden and Braylee Peterson, Faithlynn and Jaxton Hope, Jameson and Rowen Painter and Renley Sargent. Larry is also survived by two sisters, Lois Boschen of Tilden, and Linda Kuester of Stanton; sisters-in-law, Diane Berger, Connie Barritt, Ann and Brad Fisher, Jackie and Mike Place and their children; along with many nieces, nephews and other family members. A celebration of life event is planned for Saturday, April 11, 2026. Memorials m ay b e sent t o t he family f or f uture d esignation. H och Funeral Home of Ainsworth is in charge of arrangements and online condolences may by left at www.hochfuneralhome.com.

On December 22, 1944, Karolyn Louise Lynch was b orn i n C allaway, a s t he f irst-born c hild of Doris Shields and Lawerence Lynch, who at the time was fighting in the Battle of the Bulge with General Patton’s Third Army Corps. Living in the town of Arnold, at the age of seven, Karolyn went to live with her Grandmother, Alvina Shields, who ran the Kitchen at the Arnold Sale Barn, while her three sisters, Kitty, Kathy, and Linda, remained with her parents. Karolyn would aid h er G randma e ach d ay w ith t he production of pies and cookies, and perform many other duties related to running the kitchen. During the following years, Alvina taught her the v alue o f h ard w ork, d oing a j ob r ight, t reating o thers l ike y ou would want to be treated, as well as, honesty, integrity, and other aspects of character that she exhibited throughout her life. Having been t aught b y h er Aunt Lois t o r ead a t t he a ge of t wo a nd a h alf, Karolyn spent much of her spare time reading and was known by the librarian a t t he A rnold Public L ibrary a s h aving r ead v irtually e very book in the library. During these formative years, Karolyn became passionate about caring for others and for her community. Soon after graduating from Arnold High School, she became the youngest President of the National Young Republicans Organization. This organization brought her to Washington D.C., where she recalled fondly the time that she met President Nixon. Literally bumping into the p resident a s s he t urned around t o h ead o ut t he d oor a s t he president was coming in. Startled, the president stated, “Well, hello young lady”.

A memorial service for Christina Lynne Cook, age 50, of Anchorage, Alaska, will b e h eld o n S aturday, D ecember 2 0, a t 1 p .m. a t t he Congregational United Church of Christ in Ainsworth. Inurnment will follow in the East Woodlawn Cemetery at Johnstown. Christy Cook passed away November 10 in Anchorage.

Ardith Ann (Soles) Vobr, age 90, went home to be with the Lord on December 1, at Sandhills Care Center in Ainsworth. She was born on May 28, 1935, at the Ainsworth Hospital to Fred and Bertha (Ford) Soles.

Richard Charles Strand was born on June 30, 1949, to Parker and Barbara J. (Rice) Strand and passed away on November 13, in Bassett. Richard grew up on Goose Creek on his family's ranch near Koshopah. He attended Cottonwood through 1st grade, Progressive Valley District 16

Lane K irby Briggs w as born o n A ugust 18, 1 943, i n P ierre, S .D., t o K irby a nd Lillian Briggs. He grew up in Haakon County o n t he T rails E nd R anch w ith h is parents and four brothers, where he learned the value of hard work and, occasionally, a little bit of mischief—spending plenty of days “raising hell” with his siblings. His mother told of the time he, K and Lee brought back pocketfuls of “biting worms,” also known as baby rattlesnakes. He attended Robbs Flat Elementary School and graduated from Cheyenne-Eagle Butte High School. It was at a carnival in Eagle Butte where he asked LuAnn to ride the ferris w heel. F rom that n ight o n s he w as t he l ove o f h is l ife. T hey married in July 1965, and together they were a force—raising three children, running a restaurant, managing the Luke Gilbert Manor, and operating the local movie theater. Their marriage lasted until her passing from lupus in 1985. A few years later, Sonja caught his eye. After a few dinner requests, she agreed to go out dancing, and the two were married in September 1991. He gained two bonus children and grandchildren. They shared a great love and remained inseparable partners until his last day. Known by those who loved him as “strong as an ox” and “absolutely fearless,” he approached every challenge head-on. Vernon Sivage used to say, “I’d hire three guys to do a job, then I hired Lane.” He loved to be working—ranch work, making hay, fencing, building roads, bending iron, hauling cattle or equipment, welding, mechanicing. He worked as a carpenter, served the City of Eagle Butte as Chief of Police for f our y ears, a nd f or more t han 2 0 y ears h e s erved a s a r espected and invaluable farm foreman at Haskins Farms. He p ut o n a m illion m iles i n h is 8 2 y ears: plowing s tate highways, trucking for Hannum, delivering for New Holland, patrolling the streets of Eagle Butte, and hauling nitrogen all over the state. He probably p ut t he l ast h undred t housand m iles o n w ithin a 3 0-mile radius of his place outside Fort Pierre, running family errands as the driver for Sonja and her crew. If you knew him, you knew his protection and steady way of showing up m ade l ife b etter f or a w hole l ot o f f olks. H e s tood u p f or p eople, took people in, and showed them the ropes and gave them plenty of room to figure things out their own way. The man just knew so much. He’s one of the good ones—dependable, steady, the kind of man who knew the right way to get things done but also knew when a piece of wire or rope had to work for now. But as hard as Lane worked, nothing meant more to him than his family. His children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were his pride. He loved seeing their photos, hearing their stories, and watching them grow. Family was his greatest joy, his deepest source of meaning, and the legacy he leaves behind. Lane is survived by his loving wife, Sonja; his children Wade (Jennifer) of Madison, S.D. and Eileen of Eagle Butte, S.D.; step children Darin Huehl and Dana Huehl of Pierre, S.D.; his grandchildren Ashley (Cole) Torgerson, Morgan (Riley) Stegmeier, Colby (Allie) Briggs, Anthony Briggs, Ian (Paige) Briggs, and Emmeline Briggs; step-grandchildren Stephanie Frost, Brittany (Josh) SeekingLand, and Tiffany Castiglione; and his great-grandchildren Estella and Theodore Lane, Domanic, Tavien, Zadiah, Jonathan, Analia, Paetin, Elza, and Samuel. H e is a lso survived b y h is b rothers L ee ( Mary) B riggs, C ody (Lila) Briggs, and Cole (Vicky) Briggs, sisters-in-law Eva Briggs, Sherry Mitchell and Marcy Lesmeister and brothers-in-law Crit Mitchell and Greg Jewett, his Aunt Mary Hedman, numerous cousins and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Kirby and Lil Briggs; his first wife, LuAnn; his brother Walter “K” Briggs; his son Warren Briggs; and great-grandson Gabriel Frost. Condolences may be conveyed to the family at www.feigumfh.com.

A graveside memorial service for Richard C. “Rick” Strand, age 76, of Ainsworth, w ill be h eld a t 1 1 a .m. on M onday, D ecember 8 , i n t he Ainsworth Cemetery. R ick S trand passed a way N ovember 1 3 a t t he Rock County Hospital Long Term Care in Bassett.

Orville Patrick “Andy” Anderson was born on November 14, 1947, to Orville Arthur and Fern V. Fitzgerald Anderson in Ainsworth. He died and went to heaven on his 78th birthday, November 14. He was the youngest of n ine c hildren a nd t he o nly o ne t o h ave been b orn i n a h ospital. H e g rew u p i n Brown County, attended grade school at Rural District #7, and graduated from high school in Ainsworth in 1965. Following graduation, he married his high school sweetheart, Linda Marie Johnson. That marriage ended in divorce in 1967.