Obituaries

Benjamin “Benj” Chester Fink, 72, of Elsmere, NE was born to Chester “Eugene” Fink and Dana Ruth Milleson Fink on March 5, 1952 in Broken Bow, NE. Benj passed away April 5, 2024 at Kearney Regional Hospital, Kearney, NE.

Thomas Oli Strand was born on February 1, 1961, to Shep and Elizabeth (Slattery) Strand in Ainsworth, NE and passed away on March 24, 2024, at the Winner Regional Hospital in Winner, SD. Tom grew up in Ainsworth and in 1983, he married Patsy Denny of Newport, NE.

Funeral Service for Maynard E. Harr, age 93, of Ainsworth, NE will he held on Friday, April 12, 2024 at 10:30 a.m.

Robert “Bob” Franklin Brady, age 80, of Springfield, NE passed away on March 28, 2024 at his residence. He was born on July 31, 1943 in Ainsworth, NE to Dr. Rolland Brady and Helen Shrimpton Brady. Bob married Jacqueline L. Walter on June 12, 1966 in Benkleman, NE and she survives.

Word has been received of the death of Carole M. Witt, age 79, of Valentine, NE. Carole Witt died Friday, March 29, 2024 in her daughter’s home at Valentine. Memorial Services will be held at a later date with inurnment in the Ainsworth Cemetery.

Mary Elizabeth (Harris) Daniels was born in 1932 in Rogers, AR to Samuel Roger and Cora (Williams) Harris. She passed away on Monday, March 25, 2024 at the Rock County Hospital Long Term Care in Bassett, NE at the age of 91 years, six months and 19 days.

A Memorial Mass for Dionne Gillespie, age 89, of Norfolk, NE will be 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 5, 2024, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Norfolk. Reverend Brett Jamrog will be celebrant, with burial in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Norfolk.

Nellie (Jackson) Johnson was born to R.A. (Dick) and Josephine Maye (Wheeler) Jackson on a farm southeast of Ainsworth, NE on May 3rd, 1929 and passed away March 15th, 2024 at the Sandhills Care Center.

Dale Caskey was born July 23, 1930, to Johnson and Frances (Finch) Caskey in Venus, NE, 13 miles west of Creighton, NE. He was delivered at home by his grandmother, Lillian Caskey. In 1932, he moved with his folks and older brother, Clarence, north of Valentine, NE. A sister, Betty, joined the family in 1940. Dale was in the 5th grade when his parents bought a small place in southern Rock County. Dale attended rural school District #2 through grade school and attended Rock County High School until December 1945, when he was a sophomore. His dad was ill, and he was needed at home to get things done. He never returned to school for himself, but often rode his 1945 Harley to visit a teacher named Audrey Davis.

Richard Edward “Dick” Burdick was born March 4, 1940 to Clyde Edward Burdick and Gertrude Mae Becker in Grand Island, NE. He attended kindergarten in Chadron, NE. That summer the family moved to Ainsworth, NE, where he attended the first grade at Ainsworth Elementary School. He graduated from Ainsworth High School with the Class of 1958. Shortly after graduation, Dick went to Oregon to work for relatives there. Returning in the fall, he attended McCook Junior College. While his parents were working and living in Ethiopia, he lived with them for a time and attended college there for a semester. Later, he also attended Hastings Community College in Hastings, NE where he took Basic Drafting and Mechanical Drafting.