Millard "Curly" Martin

Graveside service for Millard "Curly" Martin, 88, of Orangevale, Calif., Sept. 26, in the Bassett Memorial Park Cemetery. Millard Martin passed away Sept. 18 in the Sutter Roseville Medical Center at Roseville, Calif. Survivors include wife Norma Jean Martin of Orangevale; son Tom Martin and wife Lu of Frisco, Texas; daughters Nancy Johnson and husband Dean of Lincoln, Calif., and Becky Smith and husband Steve of Fort Worth, Texas; seven grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and other relatives.

Evelyn L. McKenney

Evelyn Lorraine Anderson was born on March 19, 1923. She passed away on October 4, 2011 at the age of 88 years, 6 months and 15 days at Parkside Manor in Stuart, NE. She was the daughter of Esther Sofia Swanson and Leonard Blaine Anderson of Shickley, NE.

She lived most of her life on two farms around Newport, NE. She once owned and operated the Newport Variety Store and Creamery. Evelyn spent many years working as a cook in the Bassett area. She and her daughter Lillian operated the Ainsworth Sale Barn Café, O’Neill Sale Barn Café and the Brown County Fair Concession Stand for many years. She was a member of the United Methodist Church in Newport, NE and in Bassett, NE. She married Marshall Lewis (Lew) McKenney on December 23, 1944. They enjoyed working on their farm in Newport, raising their children, pigs, chickens, rabbits, birds of all kinds, milk cows, horses and sheep. They loved to play cards, entertain their grandchildren with horse rides, buggy rides and they also taught them how to gather eggs and milk the goats. She was never without at least two dogs in her home. Several years after Lew’s death, Evelyn found comfort in a wonderful friend, Jim Dover, who was always there to help her with chores, and anything else that needed fixing. Jim also helped Evelyn operate a septic tank pumping business. Evelyn survived an aneurysm in 1997. She broke her hip in 2004, was then confined to a wheel chair, and from that point on, she lived with her daughter Lillian and her husband Ray Denny. It was Lillian and her family’s loving care that enabled Evelyn to continue playing with her card club, attending her grandchildren’s activities (even those out of state), and bingo on Friday nights at Burke, SD. She even experienced her first and only airplane trip when she was 85 years old to surprise her daughter Lorraine for her birthday. She attended every family reunion at her son Jiggs’ house and loved to be with her family. Evelyn was known as Grandma Evy to more than just her grandchildren - most of the town of Newport also considered her their own.

She is survived by one sister Harriet McKenney of Broken Bow, NE; one sister-in-law Beulah McKenney of Aurora, NE; three children Lorraine (Susie) Sidak of Mesa, AZ, Lewis “Jiggs” (Judie) McKenney of Hay Springs, NE and Lillian (Ray) Denny of Newport, NE; nine grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; too many nieces and nephews to count and her puppy, Toka.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, four brothers, many brothers- and sisters-in-law, one child, one son-in-law, one grandchild, one great-grandchild, one great-great-grandchild and one niece. Grandma Evy is fine now - it is the rest of us that are having a difficult time.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, October 8, 2011 at the United Methodist Church in Bassett, NE with Pastor Bonnie Forney officiating the service. Special music selections of “The Old Rugged Cross” and “Beyond the Sunset” were offered by Kristie Sybrant-Keller. Poems were read by Glen Haugen and Lindsay Sidak-Lofis. Pallbearers were Justin Coupen, Vince Caldwell, Dave Siems, Scott Pohlman, Tom Strand, Shawn Reynolds, Terry Knapp and Kurt Micheel. Burial was held at the Newport Cemetery. Hoch Funeral Home of Bassett was in charge of the arrangements. Memorials were directed to the family in her name.

Jan Meyer

Graveside service for Jan Meyer of Blue Hill, formerly of Rose, Aug. 28, at the Rose Cemetery. Survivors include her children Casey and Keeley; sister Daveta Brader of Glenvil; and brother Richard Meyer of Aurora.