OBITUARIES
March
19
2025
Dolores A. Olson • Former Ord, NE Resident, 84
After a life richly lived in service and kindness, Dolores A. (Sobotka) Olson, 84, passed away in Fremont, NE March 1, 2025 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Known for her volunteerism, Dolores was a beacon of light and hope in every community she lived in, touching lives throughout Ord, Burwell, Ericson, O’Neill, Brewster, Dunning, Grand Island, Sargent, Stromsburg and Bassett.
Dori, as she was affectionately known, was a shining light in the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her.
She is a beloved and cherished mother to David (Kiffany) Conner of Kearney, Christine Dumont of Omaha, Ann (Michael) Herbig of Central City and Doug (Kris) Conner of Kearney.
Dolores was born the only child to Joesph and Sophie (Kasper) Sobotka on a farm east of Ord on Feb. 2, 1941. She attended a one-room country school. She was an accomplished 4-H’er selected to go on to the Nebraska State Fair in many areas. She graduated from Ord High School in 1959. She attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, joining the Alpha Omicron Pi Sorority until the death of her father at the tender age of 18. Later in life, this would spark a desire in Dori to promote cancer research as the Co-Chair of The Nebraska Cattlemen’s Ball in 1995 raising over $400,000 for the cause.
She was married to Darrell Conner on July 3, 1960. They were married for 25 years. Working the night shift, she would travel to Grand Island to work at the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant so she could be with her children during the day. As a dedicated mother to her four children, some of her greatest joys came from attending their activities.
She always had a passion to understand her Czech-Bohemian heritage, even taking a trip to visit her ancestor’s homeland.
Dori was a strong believer in opportunities that would empower the betterment and personal freedom for women and children. She was the Outreach Coordinator at Central Nebraska Community Services, volunteered at the Crisis Center, Ceders and Head Start programs.
In 1987 she married the love of her life, Robert “Bob” Olson and gained six more grown children. They moved to the Sandhills and they were ranchers. They shared a wonderful life together until his death in 2015 from Parkinson’s disease. She was a very loving, caring wife and grandmother.
Decorating was her talent. Her home was always exquisite at Christmas. She loved to make the things around her beautiful.
She had a beautiful smile and personality that could light up a room. She was a true beauty inside and out. She was the 1973 Valley County Centennial Queen. In 2017 she met her sweetheart Ed Hall (fiancé) and shared her remaining years with him in Bassett, NE.
Dori had been a member of the Valley County Health System Foundation Board, Ord Jaycees and a P.E.O. Sister of Chapter CW.
A Celebration of Life Event will be held Fri., March 21, 2025 at 11 a.m. at the Bassett United Methodist Church. Visitation will be the day prior on March 20 from 5-7:30 p.m. at the Ord First United Methodist Church.
Memorials have been suggested to the Eppley Cancer Research Center, 985950 Nebraska Medical Center Omaha, NE 68198.
Mildred C. Otto • Former Scotia, NE Resident, 95
Mildred Corrine (Barnes) Otto, 95, formerly of Kearney, NE, passed away peacefully March 13, 2025 at Arbor Care Center in Ord, NE. Services were held Tues., March 18, 2025 at 2:30 p.m. at Faith United Methodist Church in Kearney. Burial will be held in North Loup at a later date.
Memorials are suggested to Faith United Methodist Church or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Condolences may be shared online at osrfh.com. Services were entrusted to O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral and Cremation Services.
Mildred was born on Jan. 18, 1930 on her family farm near Scotia, NE to George and Zena (Sautter) Barnes. She was the fifth of nine children born to the family. She attended Fish Creek School until 10th grade and finished her education at Scotia High School.
After graduation, Mildred went to work at St. Francis Hospital in Grand Island but returned home to help on the farm after her brother was injured.
She met Arthur Otto at a dance and the couple was married April 20, 1949 at the Methodist Church in Grand Island. To this union, four children were born: Robert, Roger, Marilyn and Barbara. The couple made their home around North Loup and the Mira Valley. In 1972, they sold their farm and moved to Fremont to work at the Masonic Home for Boys. The couple later moved to Kearney where Millie worked various jobs, always caring for people.
Arthur passed away October 2015 and Mildred continued to make her home in Kearney until she moved to Grandview Assisted & Independent Living in Ord in May 2023. Mildred was a member of the Faith United Methodist Church and received her 45 year member pin in March 2024. After fracturing her arm in a fall, she was moved to Arbor Care Center in July 2024, where she lived until her passing.
Mildred was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur; son, Robert; parents; and many relatives. Left to cherish her memories are her children, Roger (Vickie) Otto of Lexington, Marilyn (Mark) Kuhns of Geneva, and Barbara (Paul) Markowski of Ord; and daughter-in-law, Sharon Otto of Scotia. Millie had 14 grandchildren, 36 (soon to be 37) great-grandchildren and two (soon to be three) great-great grandchildren.
Sandra K. Ellis • Kearney, NE Resident, 76
Sandra “Sandi” K. Ellis, age 76, passed away peacefully on March 11, 2025, in Kearney, NE.
Please visit hlmkfuneral.com to leave a tribute or message of condolence. Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl Funeral and Cremation Services in Kearney are in charge of arrangements.
Sandi dedicated many years of her career to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and later spent three years working at Kearney State College. Known for her creativity and love of crafting, she always found joy in organizing raffles and holiday games for her nieces and nephews, who adored her dearly. Her warmth, generosity and sense of fun brought happiness to those around her.
She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Dorian and Isabelle Puckett of Savannah, GA; her sister, Cheryl Larkowski of Ord, NE; nieces, Karla (Jason) Ritterbush of Ord and Jaci (Cory) Kruse of Kearney; great-nephew, Jesse (Brooke) Ritterbush of Petersburg, NE; great-nieces, Jade (Mason) Dexter of Stuart, NE, Jordyn Kruse of Omaha, NE and Jenna Kruse of Kearney; and her great-great niece, London Dexter.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Dale Ellis; son, Develon Puckett; her parents, Raymond and Minnie Grabowski; and brother-in-law, Larry Larkowski.
Sandi’s fun spunk, creativity and love for her family will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
March
12
2025
Kenneth D. Cullers • Ord, NE Resident, 83
Kenneth D. Cullers of Ord passed away Sat., March 8, 2025 at Valley County Health System in Ord.
Mr. Cullers’ wishes were to be cremated. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. on Fri., March 14, 2025 at the First United Methodist Church in Ord. Pastor Spenser Johnson will officiate. Inurnment will be held at a later date at the Whitney Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Ord Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. Ord Memorial Chapel is assisting with the arrangements. Online condolences may be left at ordmemorialchapel.com.
Kenneth Dean was born June 29, 1941 in Alliance, NE to Cecil and Leta (Gobel) Cullers. He grew up in Whitney, NE where he received his early education and graduated from Chadron Prep High School in 1959.
On Feb. 19, 1961, Ken was united in marriage to Helen L. Avey in Crawford, NE. To this union three children were born, Shala, Randy and Lora.
While living in the Chadron area, Ken ranched and worked at various jobs, including Pioneer Skelgas, Kansas Nebraska Gas, Meat Animal Research Center and Nebraska Brand Committee. In 1984, the Cullers family moved to Ord. Ken was a brand inspector from 1972 until retirement in 2005.
Ken was a self-taught taxidermist; working out of his shop that he constructed on his own; all made with salvaged materials. He also did wood working and hand made many wood pieces for his family.
Ken was a member of the Ord First United Methodist Church and the National and Nebraska Taxidermy Associations; and was the recipient on the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Taxidermy Association.
Ken’s hobbies were woodworking, hunting and fishing. His favorite daily activities were going to coffee, visiting and driving around town.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Helen of Ord; a son and daughter-in-law, Randy and Kris Cullers of Chadron; two daughters and a son-in-law, Shala Chevalier (Lynn Shughart) of Hancock, IA and Lora and Scott Johnson of Grand Island; 11 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and two brothers, Richard and Vernon Cullers.
Dennis C. Cetak • Columbus, NE Resident, 74
Dennis Charles Cetak, 74, of Columbus, NE passed away March 3, 2025 in Lincoln, NE.
Celebration of Dennis’ faith and life was Sat., March 8, 2025 in Columbus.
Memorials are encouraged to the Columbus Community Hospital Foundation-Diabetes Program, Helping Hands Cancer Foundation, Columbus United Methodist Church or to the Columbus United Methodist Church-Youth Program.
Dennis was born Sept. 6, 1950 in Ord, NE to Joe and Alma (Dworak) Cetak. He was the youngest of the two children. He graduated from Ord High School and went on to a small school in Oklahoma, then in Fairbury, NE. He eventually transferred to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Dennis married his high school sweetheart, Judy Jamison on Dec. 12, 1970. He first worked as a Vocational Ag teacher/coach in Ewing, NE and eventually moved onto Columbus.
Dennis and Judy raised two children, Kimberly Claire and Kory Charles while in Columbus. Dennis worked at Husker Co-Op/Central Plains Milling where he retired after approximately 40 years. After retirement, Dennis did continue working part-time for Cooperative Co-Op, Lindsay Co-Op and McKown Funeral Home. He was a proud board member at the Agricultural Park (Ag Park) for years where he was eventually honored for his years of service. Dennis was also an instrumental part of the Race Committee (horse racing) and a huge supporter of the 4-H Livestock Sale.
Dennis will be deeply missed by his family and friends. He had a remarkable gift for connecting with people, never meeting a stranger wherever he went. Dennis was a passionate sports enthusiast throughout his life. In his younger years, he played football, basketball and track. Dennis was an avid Husker sports fan (especially football and baseball) and would always be listening to the games on his headset (even during weddings and dance recitals). He loved the Yankees, Dallas Cowboys, Chiefs, Royals and enjoyed horse racing which evolved into a love for NASCAR. Over time, his favorite sport was a toss-up between cheering on Nebraska baseball and attending his granddaughters' activities. No matter the event, Dennis was always engaging with those around him, offering encouragement and cheering for everyone.
He was a beloved son, husband, father and grandfather. He will be deeply missed.
Dennis is survived by, his wife, Judy Cetak; daughter, Kim Cetak of Lincoln; son, Kory (Kellie) Cetak of Lexington; granddaughters, Kayleigh, Kennedy and Keelyn Cetak; brother, Allen Joe (Linda) Cetak of Ord; sisters-in-law, Jean (Phil) Hood of Lincoln and Pris Jamison of Louisville, KS; and nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by parents, Joe an Alma Cetak; brother-in-law, Gary Jamison; niece, Jennifer Jamison; and numerous aunts and uncles.
McKown Funeral Home was assisting the family (mckownfuneralhome.com).
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Allan J. Schmidt Arcadia, NE Resident, 82
Allan Jay Schmidt, 82, of Arcadia, died Wed. March 5, 2025 at Brookefield Park in St. Paul.
Services were held Mon., March 10, 2025 at the Arcadia Methodist Church in Arcadia. Al’s lifelong friend, Rolen Sell officiated. Burial was in the Lee Park Cemetery, west of Arcadia. Memorials are suggested to the Arcadia Fire Department or to Lee Park Cemetery.
Peters Funeral Home of St. Paul was assisting the family.
Allan was born on Dec. 5, 1942, the youngest of five, to Hans and Cora (Greenland) Schmidt. He attended grade school at Riverview country school. He would go on to attend Arcadia Public School, graduating in 1961.
Upon graduation, Al worked for Bushman Construction Company working on the construction of the Arcadia Diversion Dam, Sherman Dam and the irrigation system of those dams. Little did he know at that time that those projects would become a huge part of his life.
On July 22, 1962, he married Demaris Bolli and they would journey through life together for nearly 60 years. In August 1963, Al and Demaris welcomed their first child, Shelley. They would welcome their second child, Todd, in October 1966.
In a twist of fate, in May 1965, Al started working for Farwell Irrigation District and the family moved to a home overlooking Sherman Dam. He would remain as watermaster until March of 1975 when he would be hired as manager of Middle Loup Irrigation District, which is connected to the Arcadia Diversion Dam. For the next 38, years, Al devoted his life to the irrigation system serving the area farmers; sometimes praying for rain and sometimes praying for it to stop; something his family would never out. During his career, Al was on the Board of Directors of the Nebraska Water Resources Association, Nebraska State Irrigation Association and the Loup Basin Surface Water Development Association. He also served on the Governor’s Water Policy Task Force from 2002 through 2009, which earned him the honor of the 2004 Headgate Award given by the Four States Irrigation Council. Al retired in December 2013 after almost 48 years of dedication to water resources and irrigation.
Al and Demaris purchased her father’s farm and built a larger cow/calf operation with some farming. As much as water was his career, his cows and land were his passion. He never sold his cattle on a rainy day because he didn’t want his cattle ‘all muddied up.’ He instilled in his family the importance of the land and never missed an opportunity to tell us, “The land will always be here and provide. No matter what, never sell the land.”
Al didn’t have many hobbies, as work and his cattle were what he enjoyed the most. He did however enjoy a candy bar and a good cookie washed down with a cold Coke. If given the choice, he would have the dessert rather than the meal. And he could always tell a really good joke.
Al is survived by his daughter, Shelley and husband, Dennis Heikel of Farwell; Lance, Marti and Emma Heikel of Pleasanton, Cinch Heikel of Arcadia, and Riggin Heikel of Harrison, NE; along with Dennis’ other children, Rich and Julie Gappa of Kearney, Tanya and Curt Munson of Elkhorn, Sloan and Bill Anderson of Omaha and Lindsay and Chad Murdock of Waterloo, and their children. He is also survived by his nieces and nephews, along with many lifelong friends.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Demaris on May 20, 2022; son, Todd; and his brother and three sisters.
Condolences and memories may be shared with Al’s family by visiting petersfuneralhome.net.
As we move forward in this new life without him, may we remember his favorite saying, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
Lannie L. Geiser, of Ord, NE, passed away peacefully Tues., Feb. 25, 2025 at the age of 73.
Lannie was born Nov. 3, 1951, in Arnold, NE to Lyle and Viola (Scott) Geiser. He was raised in Arnold where he received his education and graduated from Arnold High School in 1970.
Lannie continued his education at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, graduating in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in Agronomy and Business Administration.
On Sept. 30, 1972, Lannie and Terri L. Sanders were united in marriage in Arnold. The couple was blessed with two sons, Matthew and Grant.
In 1980, the family made their home in Ord. Lannie worked for BASF as an Agronomy Chemical Sales Representative until retirement in 2020. Upon retirement Lannie and Terri moved to Laguna Vista, TX where they resided until 2024, when they returned to Ord.
Lannie was an avid golfer. He also enjoyed leather work, traveling and Husker football. Spending time with family and friends was most important to him, especially his six grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Terri of Ord; two sons and a daughter-in-law, Matthew of Grand Island and Grant and Jodi of Ord; six grandchildren, Cade, Jace, Trajon, Grey, Isaac and Dakin; a brother and two sisters-in-law, Gary and Connie Geiser and Lisa Geiser.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Mitch Geiser.
Mr. Geiser’s wishes were to be cremated. To honor his wishes, private family services will be held. Memorials are suggested to the Nebraska Cancer Society or Dane Creek Golf Course. Condolences can be mailed to the Geiser Family, 81200 476th Ave., Ord, NE 68862.
Ord Memorial Chapel is assisting the family. Online condolences may be left at ordmemorialchapel.com.
March
05
2025
Lannie L. Geiser • Ord, NE Resident, 73
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