Obituary printed in Feb. 23, 1981 Pilot-Tribune, Blair, Nebraska

Services for George J Sheets, Jr., 50, will be held on Thursday, February 26th, at 10:30 a.m. in the First Lutheran Church in Blair. Mr. Sheets died at his farm Saturday evening, February 21, 1981.

Reportedly Mr. Sheets had gone to his farm, northwest of Blair, to do some farm work Saturday afternoon. When he didn’t come back to his home in Blair, at the expected time, his wife drove to the farm to see if there was a problem. She reportedly found him sitting on the tractor seat. Mrs. Sheets drove to a neighbor’s home where the Blair Rescue Squad was summoned.

It appeared that Mr. Sheets may have been pulling some trees with his tractor and become stuck when it started to rain. There was some straw on Mr. Sheet’s clothing also. The body was taken to Omaha Monday for an autopsy.

George J. Sheets Jr. was born at Herman, Nebraska on June 30, 1930. He was married to Berniece Tillwick and they lived at 163 N. 25th street in Blair. Mr. Sheets started the Sheets Construction firm in 1951. He constructed buildings and grain handling equipment.

He was owner and manager of the Kimberly Manor Apartments in Blair which he built in 1970.

He became a Hunter Midwest dealer in 1975. He then incorporated the Sheet Construction/Hunter Midwest firm in 1978. At that time he built a new warehouse and office which is located in east Blair. Mr. Sheets traveled to England and Mexico in connection with his business of selling grain handling equipment.

In 1980, he invented and patented a tower to support grain elevator legs which was called “The Silver Knight, Inc.”

George’s hobbies included raising cattle, horses, goats, chickens, quail and pheasants on his farm north of Blair. In community activities he was active, a charter member and past President of the Blair Kiwanis Club.

Survivors include his wife, Berniece, of Blair, and four daughters. They are: Mrs. Greg (Carol) Allison of Australia, Mrs. Russell (Luann) Madsen of Blair, Mrs. Ken (Linda) Tiffey of Blair and Sally Sheets of Blair. He is also survived by his mother, Loraine Sheets of Blair and five grandchildren.

Others surviving are brothers and sisters; Clarence of Blair, Bob of Blair; Mrs. Russell (Susie) Christensen of Blair; Mrs. Bill (Lena Mae) Williby of Blair, Mrs. Jack (Nila) Haggard of Cincinnati, Ohio.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

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