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Wilma F. Schmeeckle
Wilma Schmeeckle, 74, former longtime Elwood
resident, died Jan. 13, 1998, at her home in
North Platte.
She was born Aug. 7, 1923, at Farnam to
William and Verna Stigler Fritz. She attended
rural school at District 49 in Dawson County.
On Sept. 27, 1943, she married
Henry Schmeeckle
at Norton, Kan. The couple lived on farmsites
near Eustis before moving to rural Elwood in
1959. In 1975, they moved to Elwood.
Her husband preceded her in death in 1993.
Mrs. Schmeeckle had made her home in North
Platte since 1993.
She was a member of Beautiful Savior Lutheran
Church. She bowled on the Grandma League and
was active in volunteer work.
Survivors include three daughters, Cheryl
(Larry) Brell and Cherese (Kerry) Barnes,
both of Smithfield, and Christie (Joe) Jennings
of Curtis; two sons, Doug (Jan) of Elwood and
Larry (Gloria) of Smithfield; two sisters,
Eva Hyatt of Elwood and Kathryn Puls of
Cheyenne, Wyo.; a brother, Earl Fritz of
North Platte; 15 grandchildren; two
stepgrandsons; and six great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. today at Beautiful
Savior Lutheran Church in North Platte with
Pastor Robert C. Kuefner Jr. officiating.
Graveside services will be at 1:30 p.m. at
the Elwood cemetery.
Source: The North Platte Telegraph
Everett G. Rogers
Everett G. Rogers, formerly of Farnam,
died Feb. 17, 1998, at the Gothenburg Memorial
Hospital-Long Term. He was 84.
He was born Aug. 24, 1913, at Yuma County,
Colo., to Harvey Orlando and Nancy Ann Hall Rogers.
He graduated from Orafino High School in 1930.
On April 1, 1933, he married
Evelyn I.
Stubblefield at Norton, Kan.
Mr. Rogers began driving truck in 1936.
In 1942, they moved to a farm and he farmed
until 1968, when they moved into Farnam.
He worked at the hay mills and for area farmers
until his health failed. He moved to Gothenburg
Memorial Hospital-Long Term in July 1996.
Survivors include his wife; a sister, Leila
Hoy of Parker, Colo.; three sisters-in-law,
Myrtle Rogers of Farnam, Dorothy Haynes of
Gothenburg and Doris Stubblefield of Wenatche,
Wash.; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents and
a brother Paul.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the
United Methodist Church in Farnam with the Rev.
Eugene Beye officiating. Burial will be in the
West cemetery at Eustis.
Source: The North Platte Telegraph
Anne (Gewecke) Rodham
Anne Rodham, 91, of Gothenburg, died
November 10, 1996.
She was born near Moorefield on May 24, 1905,
to Adolph and Elizabeth Barchfeldt Gewecke. She
attended school in Lincoln County and she later
graduated from Hastings Business College.
She married
C.J. Rodham on December 24, 1941,
at North Platte.
They moved to Farnam and she worked in the post
office. They then moved to Lexington where she
worked for 10 years at the Clerk of the District
Court. She moved to Denver, where she worked at
various businesses until she returned to Farnam in
her later years to be near her sister, Clara Clement.
Mrs. Rodham moved to Gothenburg to live in the
nursing home her last few years.
She is survived by a sister-in-law, Hester Gewecke
of Farnam, and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband; five
sisters, Louise Teel, Elizabeth Reynolds, Ella
Kister, Clara Clement and Rose Dawson and two
brothers, Henry and Oscar.
Services were held at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday,
November 13, 1996 at Blase Memorial Chapel in
Gothenburg with Pastor Larry Viter officiating.
Burial was in the Farnam cemetery.
Memorials to the Farnam Senior Center.
The FREE PRESS November 21, 1996, page 12
Jane A. (Parker) Potter
Jane A. Parker Potter, 78, of Gothenburg,
died September 14, 1996.
She was born January 1, 1918, at Farnam to
Wayne E. and Leith I. Ainlay Parker. She
graduated from Farnam High School in 1934
and attended Kearney State College for a year.
She graduated with an R.N. degree from St.
Luke’s Hospital in Denver, Colorado.
She married
Paul E. Potter on December 31,
1939, at Farnam. She organized the first Blood-
mobile with Pat Perry.
She was a member of the R.N. Club, was a
charter member of Lifeline and was a past
Cub Scout and Girl Scout leader.
For many years she was a member of the
Episcopal Church and later became a member
of the First Presbyterian Church in Gothenburg.
During their married
life, she and her husband
resided in Gothenburg, for a short time at Jeffrey
Lake and in Apach Junction, Arizona.
Survivors include her husband, Paul of
Gothenburg; a son, P. Stephen (Elizabeth
Barrett) Potter of Gothenburg; a daughter,
Christian (Ray) Angle of Forth Worth, Texas;
a brother, Wilson Parker of Cozad; a sister,
Jean Davlin of Modesto Canyon, California;
two granddaughters, Holly L. Wieland of Denver
and Elizabeth "Betsy" Potter of Gothenburg;
two great-granddaughters, Nicole and Kate
Ranucci of Denver.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Services were held at 11 a.m. Wednesday,
September 18, 1996, at the First Presbyterian
Church in Gothenburg with the Rev. Joe
Tropansky officiating. Burial was prior to
services at the Gothenburg cemetery.
Memorials to the First Presbyterian Church
and the Gothenburg Memorial Hospital.
The FREE PRESS, September 19, 1996, p.9
Wesley Gene Hoppe
A Farnam teen-ager, Wes Hoppe, was killed
early Saturday when his small car collided
headon with a tractor trailer near Maryville,
Missouri.
Also killed were Janet Hawk of Des Moines,
Iowa, Stephen Purnell of Glenwood, and Thomas
McAlexander, Council Bluffs. All were 19 and
passengers in the Hoppe auto.
Troopers said the collision occured four
miles north of Maryville about 1:20 a.m. The
car was eastbound when it apparently crossed
the center line and collided with the truck.
It was not determined who was driving at the
time.
The driver of the truck received minor
injuries. Two passengers in his cab were
taken to the hospital with injuries that were
described as not serious.
The four youth were students at Northwest
Missouri State University at Maryville.
Wesley Gene Hoppe, first born living son
of Gene and Betty Hoppe, began his life
April 6, 1956 at Gothenburg, Nebraska. At the
age of 19 years, 9 months and 11 days he
departed this life from Maryville, Missouri
as the result of an automobile accident.
Wesley grew to young manhood in Farnam,
attending the Farnam Public Schools and
United Methodist Church where he was baptized
as an infant, confirmed, and became a faithful
member. His life was filled with many tributes
and being very modest he took each in his
stride as another job well done. Among these
were Great-Plains Most Valuable Player,
All-State Selection several times, Boys State
Representative, United Methodist Youth
Fellowship president, Outstanding Teenager
of America Award, academic awards in
Industrial Arts, dramatics, Student Council
President and humble recipient of the Gene
Widick Memorial award. To his many school
and church activities he added time for
hunting with his dad and friends. He added
to his pleasure of living, work, which he
did diligently and with pride and self
satisfaction.
He leaves to cherish his memory, his
mom and dad; brother, Wendel and his wife,
Kathy of Maryville, Missouri; brother, Weldon
and sister, Sharla of his home. Grandparents,
Nina Thompson, Ed and Lois Hoppe of Farnam
and Maude McLaughlin of Omaha. Six aunts
and uncles and their families, his cousins,
many other relatives and a score of friends,
both young and old.
Wesley was preceded in death by an
infant brother, John Edward in 1954; his
grandfather, Elgie Thompson and great-
grandfather, James McLaughlin.
Wesley had no enemy, lived his life with
zeal and joy, filled each day to the brim
and slept only when he had to.
He will be missed by many but leaves
only good memories for them to guide their
lives by. May he continue to live in each,
to the glory of God.
Services were held on Monday, January
19, 1976 at 10 a.m. at the Farnam United
Methodist Church, with the Pastor, the
Rev. Leonard S. Clark, and the Rev. Harold
Ellis of the Farnam Church of the Nazarene
officiating. Music was furnished by Miss
Susan Bick at the piano and Mr. Carroll
VanCleave of Gothenburg as soloist,
accompanying himself on the guitar. He
sang "Country Roads," "Silent Sunlight"
and "Do Lord." The congregation joined
in singing the hymn "How Great Thou Art."
Casket bearers were Garold Messersmith,
Chuck Brauer, Deloit Cross, Rick Williams,
Richard Edson, William Roux and Steve
Scroggins. Honorary bearers were Hank
Voss, Mark Smallfoot, Teammates of the
classes of 1971-77, Coaches Sauer,
Fuller, Gumb and Alsup.
Interment was in the Farnam cemetery
under the direction of McVay Memorial
Chapel of Gothenburg.
The Free Press, January 22, 1976
