Obituaries

Merle Stephens Alberts was a Christmas Day baby, b orn o n D ecember 2 5th, 1 937, a t t he hospital in Ainsworth to John J. Alberts and M. Leone Peacock Alberts. He was joined two and a h alf years l ater b y h is y ounger s ister, Marilyn. The c hildren g rew u p o n t he f arm just west of Ainsworth. They both attended Ainsworth Grade School and later, Ainsworth High School. Merle graduated with the class of 1956. D uring h is h igh s chool years, he w as active i n F FA a ll f our years, and t rack t hree years. As Merle was growing up, he learned the skills of hunting, trapping and fishing. This he did all through his high school years. During the rest of his life, Merle enjoyed hunting and fishing. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and was inducted in August of 1956. Boot camp was at Oceanside, California, followed by advanced combat training at Camp Pendleton near San Diego, Calif. Upon his honorable discharge from the Corps, two years later, he returned to Ainsworth and then went on to Murphysboro, Ill., where he and his high school sweetheart, Mildred Young, were married. The couple returned to Ainsworth and lived with Merle’s parents for a few weeks. In mid November, they gathered up their possessions and headed for California a few days before Thanksgiving, 1958. His first job was with the postal service and a year or so later he got on with the La Habra Fire Department. Merle loved this job and was employed there for 25 years. After his retirement, Merle had his own upholstery business. I n a ddition t o h is f ire d epartment w ork h e h ad o ther j obs including the work he and Millie did together for several years with a house painting service. Their marriage was blessed with two children, Tom in August 1959, and Teri in July 1962. Survivors include his beloved wife Millie; son Tom (Penne) Alberts; daughters Dr. Jessica Alberts Alvarez (Adam Alvarez) and Brittney, daughter T eri M orales, h er s on M arc ( Cindy) M orales, C laire, M ila, Isaac, her son John Morales, daughter Cecilia Morales and her daughter Elaina; sister Marilyn Stewart; brother-in-law Tom (Laural) Young; sister-in-law Marci Martin; and cousins, nieces, nephews and many friends. Preceding Merle in death were his parents John and Leone (Peacock) Alberts; parents-in-law Tom and Mildred Young; brothers-in-law Jerry Stewart and Cliff Martin; and son-in-law Frank Morales. Following a diagnosis of cancer two and a half years ago, Merle passed away June 10. As per his wishes, no service will be held at this time.

Rodney Fred Shelton was born in Gregory, S.D., on J uly 1 2, 1 939, t he o nly child o f F red a nd Ileen (Ludemann) Shelton. His early childhood was spent attending country schools in Keya Paha County and he graduated from Springview High School in 1957. He worked in Wyoming for several years before joining the Army in 1962. He was stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., a nd w as d ischarged in 1 965. H e w as married t o E lla M ae P edersen f rom 1 969 t o 1987 and to this union a daughter, Angela, was born in 1971, and settled in Ainsworth in 1975.

Rev. Stanley “Stan” Dale Crawford died June 22, in South Hutchinson, Kansas of complications from dementia. He was born September 11, 1942, in Indiana, Pennsylvania, to William Dale and Mary Lois (Binkey) Crawford. From the moment o f his b irth, S tan h ad a n unquenchable curiosity and a disregard for authority. S tan lived a full and vibrant life a s m uch on h is o wn t erms a s i s humanly possible.

Timothy “Tim” Jon Iverson, 63, of Long Pine, passed away on J une 1 7. Tim w as b orn o n March 11, 1963, in Ord. He was welcomed into the family of Stan and Betty (Daniels) Iverson through adoption, beginning his life on the Iverson Ranch that he would proudly call his home for the remainder of his life. At the age of seven, Tim lost his father, Stan, and t ook o n r esponsibilities f ar b eyond h is years. Helping support his family at such a young age profoundly shaped his character and laid the foundation for a lifetime of hard work on the ranch. From an early age, he found meaningful ways to contribute to the ranch and support his family, developing the strong work ethic and sense of responsibility for which he was known throughout his life. Before he was old enough to drive, he would ride his motorcycle to the hayfield to help Clayton Chase. D uring his h igh school y ears, h e w ould w ork the n ight s hift welding at Daniels’ Manufacturing. And perhaps, his favorite work experience outside the ranch included his stint with Todd Kicken on a wheat harvest crew. Tim graduated from Ainsworth High School in 1981. It is well known among those close to him that school was not his favorite place. Still, he made the most of his time there by participating in activities that aligned with his passions outside the classroom, including FFA, wrestling a nd t he r odeo c lub. In h is f inal y ears o f h igh school, increasing responsibilities on the ranch ultimately took precedence over extracurricular activities. The winter following his graduation Tim's m other, B etty, p assed a way a fter a long b attle w ith c ancer. I n her final days, he made it a priority to spend each evening by her side after the day's chores and responsibilities were complete. His steadfast presence spoke to the depth of his love, sense of responsibility, and unwavering devotion to family. On July 7, 1984, Tim was united in marriage to his love, Joleen Schipporeit, in Grand Island. Together they were blessed with a daughter, Jessica Jo. Life carried on at the ranch, marked by the steady change o f s easons t hat d efine t he r anching w ays. S pring w as his favorite, bringing new calves and the hope of green pastures and lush meadows to follow. He took great pride in ensuring they were well cared for and made it to the sale barn in good condition. In the most recent years, sharing ranch experiences with “the blondes” (Jes, Kalli and Klaire) was truly “icing on the cake!” In addition to ranching, Tim co-owned Long Pine Feed & Grain and was a realtor with Mid-America Land & Realty. He was very involved with Daniels’ Manufacturing and Bassett Livestock Auction. His contribution to the community spanned more than four decades, including membership to Elks Lodge B.P.O.E. 1790, serving on the South Pine Volunteer Fire Department, and the Brown C ounty A g Society. O ver t he y ears, a way f rom t he ranch a nd routine duties, Tim enjoyed roping, golfing and other various hobbies. Throughout the summer, he enjoyed spending his downtime at Hidden Paradise. Alumni weekend was a highlight that he regularly attended, his classmates considered Tim the alumni director for their honored years. Vacations to Mexico, Iverson Family Reunions and work trips with Daniels’ Manufacturing venturing as far as Australia were some of his many travels. Tim w ill be r emembered f or h is l oyalty t o f amily a nd f riends, h is respect f or a ll a spects o f livestock handling, always w illing t o lend a hand AND also the first to say, “let’s go have a drink.” Preceding him in death are his parents Stan and Betty Iverson; father-in-law Don Schipporeit; cousin/best friend Danny Daniels; and numerous other family members. He leaves behind his wife of 41 years, Joleen; daughter Jessica (Nate) Kempcke; granddaughters Kalli and Klaire; mother-in-law Kem Richstein and special family friend Keith Allison; sister-in-law Tsipi (Mike) Gibson; brother-in-law Tate (Sarah) Schipporeit; brother Tom Iverson; and the “Iverson” cousins whom he dearly loved, along with many extended family and friends. Funeral service was held on Friday, June 26, at the Rock County Fairgrounds Arena in Bassett. Mike Baxter officiated at the services. Music was provided by Joe McBride singing “The Cowboy Rides Away” and “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys.” The CD Selections of “Call A Cowboy” by L ainey W ilson a nd “ Cowboys and S unsets” b y Oliver Anthony Music were played. Casket bearers were Nate Kempcke, Kade Blake, Mark Shaul, Jim Dougherty, Todd Kicken, Bret Younkin, Jake E. Maurer, Shawn Nelson, Robert Seidel, Bob Alberts, Ryan Welke, Jason Good, Paul Josoff Jr. and Jim Hoch. Memorials were suggested to the family in Tim’s name for a future designation. Interment was in the Grandview Cemetery at Long Pine under the direction of the Hoch Funeral Home in Ainsworth. Online condolences, photos and memories may be left for the family on Tim’s webpage at www.hochfuneralhome.com.

Maxine Harty of Rapid City, S.D., entered into eternal r est o n April 2 4th. S he w as t he beloved w ife o f t he l ate J ohn ( “Jack”) H arty, and remained the devoted mother of John P. Harty and Maureen (“Sis”) Jackman (née Harty), and cherished grandmother of Aiden Jackman and the late Conner Jackman until her passing. She is also survived by her older brother Jerry (“Duke”); younger sister Sally; and nieces, nephews, and extended family. Maxine graduated from Bemidji State in Minnesota. After college, she lived and worked in Amsterdam and Copenhagen for a season. She later taught English before transitioning to become a stay-at-home mom w ho w as d early l oved by h er c hildren a s w ell a s a ll t he neighborhood kids. Two celebration of life events will be held this summer to honor her legacy—the first in the Black Hills with neighborhood “family” and a second in northern Minnesota in her hometown of Deer River with relatives.

Manford Peters, 90, of Ainsworth, died June 10 at the Sandhills Care Center in Ainsworth surrounded by his family. Manford was born on October 19, 1935, on the family farm near Hubbard to Herman and Grace (Hansen) Peters. He was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at Emerson. Growing up, his family moved between Iowa and Nebraska before settling near Emerson where he graduated from Emerson High School in 1954.

Funeral Service for Timothy J. Iverson, age 63, of Long Pine, will be held on Friday, June 26, at 10 a.m. in the Rock County Fairgrounds Arena at Bassett.

Randall “Randy” Schwindt, 76, of Ainsworth, passed away at his home with his family by his side on Sunday, June 14. Randy was born on August 23, 1949, in Scottsbluff, to Robert and Betty (Schwartzkopf) Schwindt. He graduated from Fort Morgan (Colo.) High School in 1967.

Lynnelle Kathleen (Rap) Cairns died in hospital in Macksville, New South Wales, Australia on 19 May 2026. Lynnelle was born i n A insworth t o L arry a nd L ola (Lotspeich) Rap where she lived until the family moved to Colorado Springs, Colo., where Larry and Lola attended Nazarene Bible College. She later graduated from Longmont High School in Longmont, Colo. She attended Northwest Nazarene College (now University) for two years, then transferred to Hannibal-Lagrange College (now University) when Larry and Lola accepted a pastoral assignment at Hannibal Church of the Nazarene. Upon graduating from HLC, Lynnelle attended Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University) in Kirksville, Mo., where she earned a master's degree in English. During her college career, Lynnelle served summer mission trips to the Philippines and Russia. After marrying, Lynnelle moved to Australia with her husband. While in Australia, Lynnelle lived in Morwell, and Werribee in the state of Victoria, later moving to C offs Harbour, N SW. W hile a t C offs Harbour she completed her English teaching certificate and then taught s econdary s chool at C hristian s chools i n C offs H arbour, a nd Nambucca Heads, NSW where she lived until her death. Lynnelle was preceded in death by her parents Larry and Lola Rap; sister Londa; and Lola's second husband Ron Nelson. She is survived by her children Catherine and Chai; brother-in-law Hal Paul; n ephew J oshua P aul; a unt E laine ( Lotspeich) F ling; m any cousins; and Ron's children. A celebration of life was held for Lynnelle on June 13, at the Nambucca Christian Life Centre in Nambucca. Internment will be in a private ceremony where her ashes will be scattered at sea.

Funeral service for Manford P. Peters, age 90, of Ainsworth, was held on Tuesday, June 16, at the Zion Lutheran Church in Ainsworth. Burial followed in the East Park Cemetery near Ainsworth. Manford Peters died Wednesday, June 10, at the Sandhills Care Center in Ainsworth. Survivors include wife Annette of Ainsworth; children Loren Peters and wife StarrLinn of Jackson, Kevin Peters and wife Diane of Wayne, Janelle Guericke and husband Doug of Alexandria, S.D., Troy Peters and wife Paula of Ainsworth, Aaron Peters and wife Marti of Emerson, and Shawn Peters and Missi of Allen; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, step-grandchildren, and step-great-grandchildren; sisters Maureen Osbahr and husband Myron of Wakefield, Yleen Johnson and husband Bruce of Wayne; sister-in-law J udy P eters of S outh S ioux C ity; a long w ith n ieces, nephews and other family members. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been suggested to the family in his name for a future designation. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.hochfuneralhome.com.