Obituaries

Marie Rutar

Marie Rutar

September 13, 2025

Marie "Mary" B. (Zavorka) Rutar, 96, of Pender, NE passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at Heritage of Emerson in Emerson, NE.  

Mass of Christian Burial services are currently pending with Munderloh-Smith Funeral Home.  

Douglas Phipps, Sr.

Douglas Phipps, Sr.

September 11, 2025

Douglas Phipps, Sr., 63, of Wakefield, NE, passed away on Thursday, September 11, 2025, at Providence Hospital in Wayne, NE.  Memorial services are currently pending with Munderloh-Smith Funeral Home in Wakefield.

Clarence "Pete" Bolln

Clarence "Pete" Bolln

September 9, 2025

Pete Bolln, 78, of Pender, NE, passed away on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.  A memorial service will be held on Friday, October 3, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Pender.  Burial will be in the Rosehill Cemetery in Pender.  Arrangements are under the direction of Munderloh - Smith Funeral Home in Pender.

Dennis L. Johnson

Dennis L. Johnson

September 3, 2025

Dennis L. Johnson, 82, of Pender, Nebraska, passed away on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at the Pender Community Hospital. A memorial visitation will be held on Sunday, September 21, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Veterans Room at the Pender Community Center in Pender, Nebraska. A memorial service will be held on Monday, September 22, 2025, at...

Bette L. Brehmer

Bette L. Brehmer

August 31, 2025

Elizabeth “Bette” Lou Mae (Gatzemeyer) Brehmer, 90, of Lyons, NE passed away on Sunday, August 31, 2025, at her home in Lyons. The visitation will be held on Thursday, September 4, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Lyons, with a prayer service starting at 7:00 p.m. The Mass of Christian Burial will be...

Harriet A. Hansen

Harriet A. Hansen

August 24, 2025

Harriet A. (Johnsen) Hansen, 96, of Wayne, NE, passed away at Kinship Pointe Assisted Living in Wayne, NE on Sunday, August 24, 2025. A funeral service will be held on Friday, August 29, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Emerson, NE. Burial will be in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Emerson. Arrangements are under the direction...

Marilyn Fuchser

Marilyn Fuchser

August 21, 2025

Marilyn Pearl (Lindgren) Fuchser, 96, of Pender, NE, passed away on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at Fallbrook Assisted Living in Lincoln, NE. The visitation will be held on Friday, September 5, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Munderloh-Smith Funeral Home in Pender, NE. The funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. Trinity...

Lorenz Rolland Ronnenkamp

Lorenz Rolland Ronnenkamp

August 15, 2025

Lorenz Rolland Ronnenkamp, 99, of Bancroft, Nebraska, died on August 15, 2025, at Colonial Haven in Beemer. His visitation will be on Monday, August 18, 2025, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Munderloh-Smith Funeral Home in Bancroft. The funeral will be on August 19, 2025, at 2:00 pm at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Bancroft. Burial will be in...

Norma L. Thorpe

Norma L. Thorpe

August 10, 2025

Norma L. (Beacom) Thorpe, 99, of Emerson, NE, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 10, 2025, at Wakefield Health Care Center in Wakefield, NE.  A graveside service will be held on Thursday, August 14, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at Eastview Cemetery in Allen, NE.  Arrangements are under the direction of Munderloh-Smith Funeral Home.  

Jerry Ellis

Jerry Ellis

August 8, 2025

Jerry Wayne Ellis, 80, of Wakefield, NE passed away on Friday, August 8, 2025, at North Suburban Hospital in Colorado. A visitation will be held on Monday, August 18, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Olinger Highland Mortuary & Cemetery in Thornton, CO. A funeral will begin at 3:00 p.m. at Olinger Funeral, Cremation & Cemetery.  A local graveside...

Reymundo Alaniz

Reymundo Alaniz

August 3, 2025

Reymundo "Rey" Alaniz, 90, of Winnebago, NE, passed away peacefully on August 3, 2025, at Wakefield Health Care Center in Wakefield, NE. A memorial celebration will be held during the 160th Annual Winnebago Homecoming Celebration in Winnebago, NE, in July 2026. Burial will be in the James Rave Cemetery in Winnebago, NE. Arrangements are under the direction of Munderloh-Smith Funeral...

Lois J Roeber

Lois J Roeber

August 2, 2025

Lois Jean (Larson) Roeber, 93, of Emerson, NE, passed away peacefully on her birthday, with her husband by her side on August 2, 2025, at Heritage of Emerson in Emerson, NE. The visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Emerson. The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m....

Marcella M. Muller

Marcella M. Muller

July 31, 2025

Marcella “Marcee” Maree Muller, 85 of Wakefield, NE, passed away on July 31, 2025, at Wakefield Health Care Center in Wakefield. Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at Munderloh-Smith Funeral Home in Wakefield, NE. Funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at Salem Lutheran Church...

Sarah Ardyth Mills

Sarah Ardyth Mills

July 29, 2025

Sarah Ardyth (Rice) Mills, 94, of Wakefield, NE, passed away surrounded by her family on July 29, 2025, at Providence Medical Center in Wayne, NE. The visitation will be held on Friday, August 1, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m. at Munderloh-Smith Funeral Home in Wakefield. The funeral service will be on...

Neal J. McQuistan

Neal J. McQuistan

July 24, 2025

To watch the Memorial Service, please click this link.

Neal James McQuistan, 78, of Pender, NE, passed away on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at the Wakefield Health Care Center in Wakefield, NE. A memorial visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Christ United Church of Pender in Pender, NE, with a...

Kevin L. Tonjes

Kevin L. Tonjes

July 23, 2025

Kevin Tonjes age 67 of Bancroft passed away unexpectedly on July 23, 2025. In 2010, Kevin survived death 3x in one day, helped by many and a helicopter transport after a heart attack at work. But this time, the heart attack was bigger and an incoming storm prevented the helicopter request. A heartfelt thank you to the Pender hospital team...

Judy R. Frazey

Judy R. Frazey

July 22, 2025

Judy R. Frazey, 79, of Walthill, NE, passed away on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at her home. The memorial visitation will be held on Monday, July 28, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at the Pender Community Center in Pender, NE. The memorial service will be held on Monday, July 28, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Pender Community...

Dorothy Hankins

Dorothy Hankins

July 18, 2025

Dorothy R. (Cooper) Hankins, 87, of NE passed away on Thursday, July 18, 2025, at Tiffany Square in Grand Island, NE. Private family graveside services will be held in Evergreen Cemetery in Walthill, NE.  Memorials may be directed to the family for future designatgion.  Arrangements are under the direction of Munderloh-Smith Funeral Home in Pender, NE.  

Dorothy was born on...

William J. Paulsen

William J. Paulsen

July 16, 2025

William Joseph Paulsen, 59, of Elk Point, South Dakota, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. A Celebration of Life will be held from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at The Pointe Golf & Event Center (100 Truman Lane) in Elk Point, SD. The...

John J. B. Twyford

John J. B. Twyford

July 14, 2025

John James Brandon Twyford of Westfield, Indiana, formerly of Walthill, Nebraska, passed away on July 14, 2025, at Riverwalk Village in Noblesville, IN, with his wife by his side. A memorial visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Faith United Center and Chapel (Corner of Hayden and Farrington) in Walthill,...