Obituaries

Joan Maureen (Brenneman) Irwin was born January 24, 1935 in Burwell, NE to Clarence and Mildred (Hibnes) Brenneman. The family lived in Garfield County until 1946, at which time they moved to Holt County, Nebraska. Jo attended school in Atkinson, graduating high school in 1952. She obtained a teaching certificate after attending Chadron State College. Returning home, she taught school both in Holt County and in Brown County for several years.

Karen Kay Fowler was born on July 17, 1954 in Ainsworth, NE to Carloss “Gene” and Jacqueline Joan (Witt) Fowler. She passed away on May 22, 2023 in Valentine, NE at the age of 68 years old at the Cherry County Hospital in Valentine, after a brave and courageous battle with Kidney Failure and Pancreatic Cancer.

Garrett LeRoy ‘Bing’ Lucht was born on May 8, 1952 in Valentine, NE to Edward and Genieve (Turner) Lucht. His early school years were spent in Wood Lake, NE, then his freshman year, he went to Ainsworth High School where he graduated in 1971.

Funeral Service for Shirley J. Hoefel, age 97, of Ainsworth will be held on Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at the Hoch Funeral Home in Ainsworth. Burial will follow in the Ainsworth Cemetery. Shirley Hoefel died Saturday, May 20, 2023 at the Rock County Hospital Long Term Care in Bassett.

Karen was born on May 29, 1942 in Fairbury, NE and died on February 12, 2023, in Kearney, NE. Her parents were Robert and Marie Helbusch.

Doris was born on August 28, 1925. Her parents were Charlie and Effie Norman of rural Ainsworth, NE.

Glen Dale Boschen was born on March 15, 1938 to Julius and Emelene (Duhachek) Boschen during a snow storm at their home near Newman Grove, NE. He attended a country school through eighth grade. Many hours were spent on horseback herding cattle in the ditches with his dog by his side. He also enjoyed working as a mechanic, which he started at very young age. When the dam in Pierre, SD was going to be built, Glen made his way there and lied about his age so he could work helping to create the dam. He worked nights digging the required tunnels.

Meredith Duane “Punk” Worth was born on April 3, 1931, in Winner, SD to Elwood and Frances (McBride) Worth. Punk passed away in his ranch home surrounded by loved ones May 2, 2023, at the age of 92 years and 29 days. After Meredith was born, his mother took him home in a shoebox. He was so small (weighing just four pounds at birth), his mom called him her little “Pumpkin Seed”. It didn’t take long for “Pumpkin Seed” to become “Punk”, and to this day, many people do not know Punk’s given name on his birth certificate. Punk attended numerous grade schools in Keya Paha County and graduated from Keya Paha County High School in 1948. On May 18, 1952, Punk married Enid Lorraine Graham in Ainsworth, NE. To this union, two children were born, son, Ronald Scott, and daughter, Lorraine Alice. May 18th of this year would have marked Punk and Enid’s 71st wedding anniversary.

Funeral Service for Glen D. Boschen, age 85, of rural Long Pine, NE will be held on Thursday, May 18, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at the Zion Lutheran Church in Ainsworth, NE. Burial will follow in the Lutheran Cemetery northwest of Ainsworth. Glen Boschen died Friday, May 12, 2023 at his residence near Long Pine.

Arleata Joyce (Bolich) Bass, 81, of Kearney, formerly of Brewster, NE, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 6, 2023, at Brookstone Gardens in Kearney, NE. Funeral services were held on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, at the United Church of Christ in Brewster with Pastor Chad Anderson officiated.