Jerome S. Main of Fremont passed away Feb. 27 at Dunklau Gardens in Fremont.
Jerry was born Oct. 30, 1932, to Ozie and Vida (Rowe) Main in Central City. He grew up in North Bend an d graduated from North Bend High School in 1950. He served in the United States Army from March 2, 1953, to Dec. 15, 1954, during the Korean War.
He married Patricia A. Moody on June 17, 1953, in Fort Smith, Ark. In 1961, Jerry and Pat moved to Fremont where he farmed and worked at Hormel, until his retirement in 1997.
He was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Cedar Bluffs, life member of the VFW Post 854 and a member of F.O.E.
He is survived by wife, Pat; sons Jay (Rita) Main, Kevin (Leslie) Main; daughters Cheryl (Richard) Paden, all of Fremont, and Rita (Michael) Dowd of Lincoln; sister Joy Etta Main Jones of Loveland, Colo.; mother-in-law Victoria Moody of Fremont, 12 grandchildren, one step-grandchild, nine great-grandchildren, and two step-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Wednesday, March 4, with family receiving friends from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Moser Memorial Chapel in Fremont. Memorial Service will be at 11 a.m., March 5, at First Presbyterian Church in Cedar Bluffs. The Rev. Greg Hall will officiate. There will be no burial.
Memorials may be directed to First Presbyterian Church of Cedar Bluffs.
Online condolences may be left at www.mosermemorialchapels.com.
Published March 4, 2015

Verne E. Thomsen of Ames passed away Feb. 18 at Bryan LGH East in Lincoln. Verne was born Feb. 27, 1942, in Fremont to J. Edwin and Josephine (Nelson) Thomsen. He grew up with his parents on a farm north of Ames and graduated from North Bend High School in 1959. He attended Midland Lutheran College and graduated with an accounting degree in 1964 and was employed as an accountant at Feltex in Fremont for several years. During the same period of time, he also served with the Army Reserves and was discharged in 1966.
Verne married Sandra J. Ladehoff on June 18, 1966, in Hooper. They resided in Fremont and Guymon, Okla. before moving to his maternal grandparents’ farm north and east of Ames. He continued to reside there and farmed for the remainder of his life.
He was a member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Hooper, was treasurer of the Maple Township Board in Dodge County and was active in Lower Platte Natural Resources District. He was their volunteer of the year in 2002.
He was preceded in death by his wife. He is survived by daughters Karen (Rob) LaCroix of Mead, Amy (Tom) Goeschel, Jr. of Lincoln, and Kristie Ondracek, of Houston, TX; sister LuAnn Thomsen of Lincoln, and five grandchildren; Chelsea (Luke) Kardell of Ames; Cassidy, Bayley, and Beau LaCroix of Mead; and Jordan Goeschel of Lincoln.
Funeral services were held Feb. 23 at Redeemer Lutheran Church. The Rev. Joel Schroeder officiated. Burial was held at Memorial Cemetery in Fremont.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be given to Redeemer Lutheran Church and Children’s Hospital in Omaha.
Online condolences may
be left at www.mosermemorialchapels.com.
Published Feb. 25, 2015

Rita (Emanuel) Woita, age 85, of North Bend, passed away Jan. 28 at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lincoln. Rita was born April 28, 1929, in the Webster community to Anna Mary (Platenberg) and Bernard Emanuel. Her family moved to the North Bend area when Rita was eight years old. Rita’s mother died when she was nine leaving her father to raise five children (Bernie, Pat, Ken and Celine). She attended North Bend Elementary and graduated from North Bend High School in 1946. After graduation Rita taught school for two years and then worked as a telephone operator until her marriage to Joe Woita in April 1951.
Rita and Joe made their home in the North Bend community and raised six children there: Ron (Meg) Woita of Hastings, Steve (Anne) Woita of Lincoln, Lea (Wayne) Sissel of Broomfield, Colo., Marge (Scott) Dirkschneider of Charlotte, N. C., Sherry (Ryan) Reynolds of Lincoln and Jeff (Marcy) Woita of Lincoln. Rita welcomed 16 grandchildren into the world. At the time of her death she was also blessed with five great-grandchildren. She is survived by brother Ken (Barbara) Emanuel of Carson City, Nev.; sisters Celine (Richard) Papa of Fremont and Patricia (Leonard) Kavan of Morse Bluff.
Rita was a faithful member of St. Charles Catholic Church in North Bend, including membership in the Altar Society, Circle 6 and Christian Mothers’ Organization. During and after raising her children, Rita ran an in-home day care, worked 15 years as a resource aid for the North Bend Elementary School and a supper cook for Birchwood Manor Retirement Home. Rita loved to bake and was always quick to share the delicious “goodies” that came from her oven with her neighbors, friends and family. On sunny days you would find Rita enjoying a round of golf with her friends or family or catching a baseball game in person or on TV. She was an excellent seamstress who also enjoyed reading and bridge.
Rita was preceded in death by her parents, husband Joe, sister Bernie Devore and granddaughter Lauren Cash. Rita lived her life to the fullest with great grace and optimism and never missed an opportunity to show her love and support to her family and friends.
Funeral Mass was Monday, Feb. 2, at St. Charles Catholic Church, North Bend. The Rev. Father Steven Emanuel officiated. Burial will be at Woodland Cemetery, North Bend at a later date. Memorials are suggested to St. Charles Catholic Church, North Bend Elementary School or the North Bend-Morse Bluff Veterans Memorial Park. Online condolences may be left at www.mosermemorialchapels.com.
Moser Memorial Chapel, North Bend, was in charge of the arrangements.
paid obit published Feb. 4, 2015

Mary Lou Johnson of Fremont died Jan. 20 at Homestead Rehabilitation Center in Lincoln. Mary Lou was born Feb. 7, 1927, in North Bend to Herman and Ann (Bintz) Stott. She grew up in North Bend and was a 1945 graduate of North Bend High School.
Mary Lou married Howard G. Johnson on June 2, 1946, in North Bend. The couple farmed near Webster until they moved to San Diego, Calif., in 1957. They later moved to Nickerson where they farmed for 15 years. They moved to Fremont in 1973. Howard died Jan. 20, 2000. Mary Lou moved to Shalimar Gardens in 2004.
Mary Lou was a former member of First United Methodist Church in Fremont. She decorated cakes out of her home for many years.
She is survived by her son, Greg (Cheryl) Johnson of Lincoln; daughter Genelle Hargens of Morse Bluff; three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were Jan. 23 at Moser Memorial Chapel in Fremont with the Rev. Michael McGregor of First United Methodist Church in Fremont officiating. Burial was at Memorial Cemetery in Fremont.
Memorials may be given to First United Methodist Church in Fremont.
Online condolences may be left at www.mosermemorialchapels.com.

Eileen K. Widhelm Soll of Fremont, formerly of North Bend, died Jan. 14 at Nye Legacy. Eileen was born Oct. 19, 1927, in Omaha to Thomas and Agnes (Burns) Wagner. She grew up in Gretna and was a 1945 graduate of Gretna High School. Eileen attended Midland Lutheran College in Fremont.
Eileen was married to Ted Widhelm July 8, 1947, in Gretna. He passed away Jan. 1, 1973. She married Ed Soll Sept. 4, 1976. He died Oct. 16, 1998.
Eileen taught school for several years and worked in food service at various places. She worked at the Fremont Middle School for 25 years as a cook and retired in 2002. She was a member of St. Charles Catholic Church and St. Anne’s Altar Society in North Bend. She was a member of the District 57 School Board.
Eileen is survived by daughters Julie (Ken) Kelberlau of North Bend, Sue Waters (Larry) Urwin, Marge (Kevin) Lodl of Morse Bluff; eight grandchildren; and 10 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by brothers Bob Wagner and Charlie Burns and special friend Henry Nelson.
Funeral Mass was Jan. 17, at St. Charles Catholic Church. The Rev. Donald Cleary officiated. Burial took place at Woodland Cemetery.
Memorials may be directed to the family for a charity yet to be determined. Online condolences may be left at www.mosermemorialchapels.com.
Published Jan. 21, 2015

Janet Keller died at Hospice House in Omaha due to complications following pancreatic cancer. Janet was born on Feb. 15, 1932, on the family farm in North Bend to Ellwood Charles Haun and Myrtle Alice (Catherwood) Haun. She attended Wayne State College to get her teaching certificate, and she taught school (K-12) in Districts 12 and 47 in Scribner for four years. Janet was married on June 6, 1953, to Lloyd Edgar Keller of Morse Bluff. She worked as a secretary in Lincoln until her first child, Nancy, was born in 1954. She worked in the library and as a media specialist for Westside Community Schools for 27 years. She was a homemaker, devoted mother and wife for all of that time. Janet was a devout Catholic. She performed adoration at Mary Our Queen for many years, and was a parishioner at St. Vincent De Paul for the past ten years.
Janet is survived by her husband Lloyd; daughter Nancy Marie (Keller) Lee and Richard Dean Lee of Elkhorn; son and daughter-in-law Gregory Lloyd Keller and Lorena Pulgarin-Keller; four grandchildren: Joshua Daniel Lee, Jacob Richard Lee, Johan Alejandro Keller, and Elise Nicole Keller; sisters Jeannine Ries, Beverly Nissen (and Walt), and Barbara Broderick (and Greg); and her sister-in-law Irene Keller. She was preceded in death by her son, Rev. Daniel Ellwood Keller, and her parents, Ellwood C. Haun and Myrtle Alice (Catherwood) Haun.
Mass of Christian burial was Tuesday, Jan. 13, at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church. Interment was at Resurrection Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to Hospice House, St. Vincent De Paul Church or Mary Our Queen Church, all in Omaha.
Arrangements were by Heafey Hoffmann Dworak Cutler.
Published Jan. 14, 2015