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Obituaries for Plains Edition 4-4-09

Kenneth (Kenny) Uphoff, 57, of North Platte died March 15, 2009, at his home in North Platte.

He was born July 31, 1951 at Arnold, Neb., to Arthur H. Uphoff and Esther M. Gallington-Uphoff. He graduated from Stapleton High School in 1969.

After High School he moved to the family ranch North of Stapleton.

In 1974, he married Diane Hubing. To this union, two daughters were born. In 1982 he married Beverly Gier Rice. To this union one daughter was born.

He was actively involved with the community. He served as a 4-H leader in Logan County. He also served as a Logan County Commissioner. He and family ranched for many years in the Sandhills region. In 1987, they moved to North Platte where he began his employment with North Platte Livestock where he spent many hours tending to the needs of the customers’ livestock and making sure they were kept in top condition.

He had a zest for life and was very fond of his children, grandchildren and God’s creatures, especially horses and cattle. He had a willing heart when it came to helping others. If you needed help with anything from working cattle to fixing any type of equipment, he was willing to help. He could accomplish much with baling wire and duct tape.

Survivors include his wife, Beverly; three daughters, Dani and daughter Ressa, Tatiana and daughter Dakotah of Spokane, Wash., and Kendra (Marcus), and their daughter Tierra of Scottsbluff; two sons, Dean and daughter Alexis, Tim (Paula) and children Riley, Morgan, Courtney and Ella of Mullen; sister, Deanna (Kendall) Allison and family of North Platte; brother, Ronald (Kay) Uphoff and family of Stapleton; mother, Esther Dobbins of Stapleton; step-brothers, Willis (Dottie) Dobbins and family of Omaha, Robert (Rita) Dobbins and family of Hershey; step-sister, Janet (Vern) Boeser and family of Stapleton; mother-in-law, Alice Gier of Mullen, and an uncle, nieces, nephews and other relatives, and numerous friends.

He was preceded in death by his father; step-father, Hershel Dobbins; father-in-law, Glen Gier and his grandparents.

Riley K. Haskell Jr., 89, of Willits, Calif., died Feb. 2, 2009, at his home.

He was born to Riley Kent Haskell and Alice Johnson Haskell on Jan. 23, 1920, in Gandy.

He grew up a cowboy in his beloved Nebraska Sandhills, graduating from Logan County High School where he was one of five members of the basketball team that went on to win the State Championship.

One of the happiest days of his life was when he married his wife, Peggy, on March 4, 1939.

He was a cattleman, working at such ranches as the Wyoming Hereford Ranch and John Wayne’s 26 Bar Ranch in Arizona before finding his way to California. He loved telling his stories about growing up in the Sandhills and exploits of his great Uncle, “Cap” Haskell.

Survivors include his brother, Bruce Haskell of North Platte; daughters, Judy (Hershel) Harvey of Los Banos, Calif., Mary Haskell of Willits, Calif.; his son, Riley “Punch” (Jeanne) Haskell of Colusa, Calif.; five grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Peggy on Jan. 10, 2002; his sister, Gayle McGooden, and brother, Don Haskell.

Bonnie May Walton, 82, of Kearney, formerly of Holdrege, died March 24, 2009, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney.

She was born Feb. 28, 1927, in Furnas County south of Holbrook to William and Ora (Brouhard) Ryan.

On Dec. 14, 1944, she married Glen Walton in Norton, Kan. He died in 1980.

She received her primary education through the seventh grade at District 62 in Furnas County and then graduated from Wilsonville High School with the class of 1944.

She and her family made their home in Holdrege, where she was employed as a nurses aide at Holdrege Memorial Homes for a couple of years before she went to work for Becton-Dickinson in 1968. She worked at B-D for 24 years until her retirement in 1992. In 2007, she moved to Kearney to live with her daughter.

Throughout the years, she had been active with First Baptist Church and the Assembly of God Church, both of Holdrege.

She was also a member of the Becton-Dickinson Alumni. She enjoyed gardening, embroidering and sewing and loved baby-sitting for her family.

Survivors include her daughter, Sharon (Kenneth) Anderson of Kearney; sons, Dennis Walton of Holdrege and Micheal Walton of Hastings; grandchildren, Ron Matson of Kearney, Wendy Johnson of Bertrand, Cheri Matson of Hastings and Glen Walton of Loomis; great-grandchildren, Cody, Alexander, Madison and Abby; sister, Maxine Stewart of Ozark, Mo.; brothers, William (Berdena) Ryan Jr. of Sun City, Ariz., and Danny (Diane) Ryan of Omaha; brother-in-law, Dennis Bergstrom of Funk; sister-in-law, Nettie Ryan of San Diego; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Edgar, Donald and Robert Ryan; sister, Murna Bergstrom; and brothers-in-law, Jay Vice and Fred Stewart.

Joseph Anthony ‘Joe’ Strotman Jr., 84, of Aurora died March 25, 2009, at Edgewood Vista in Grand Island.

He was born Sept. 7, 1924, at Aurora to Joseph A. Sr. and Frances (Orendorff) Strotman.

He attended Hopewell Country School and then Aurora High School, graduating with the Class of 1942. He was very active in the FFA, judging chickens and Holstein cattle on the county and state level.

On Jan. 9, 1947, he married the love of his life, Dorothy Elaine Kolar, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Giltner and they shared 62 years of marriage together. They were blessed with three daughters, Rebecca Ann, Karla Jo and Shirley Jane.

He spent his early years driving for Strotman Trucking and raising livestock. He then went on to farm the family farm for the rest of his life.

He was a devout member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Aurora.

Survivors include three daughters, Becky (Jim) Rathman, Karla Smith and Shirley Strotman, all of Aurora; brother, Don (Bonnie) Strotman of Aurora; sister, Elaine (Jake) Penner of Grand Island; three grandchildren, Laurie Rathman and fiance, Brian Barry, and daughter, Jade Barry of Aurora, Jim Rathman and special friend, Jessica Olson of Gardner, Kan., and Jeff Rathman of Lincoln; sister-in-law, Marjorie Neal of Lincoln, and numerous nieces, nephews and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy and his parents.


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