Services for Mary S. Purcell, 95 of Arlington who died June 6, 1992 at Memorial Hospital of Dodge County were Monday, June 8 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church north of Arlington. Rev. Rodney Meske of Immanuel Lutheran Church east of Winslow officiated. Burial was in Mount Hope Cemetery in Omaha.

Mary S. Purcell was born February 14, 1897 in rural Bennington to Henry and Catherine Luschen Witzke. She was raised at Bennington.

She graduated from Wise Memorial Hospital in Omaha in 1918 as a registered nurse. She worked for Dr. Pollard, an obstetrician in Omaha.

She married Howard Purcell September 8, 1920 at Woodbine, Iowa and lived there for a year before moving to Douglas County. She moved to a farm northwest of Arlington in 1950, then to Bennington in 1973 and moved back to Arlington in 1981.

She was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church at Arlington and was a former member of St. John Lutheran Church at Bennington.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Howard on January 11, 1973; a daughter, Shirley Bowman; a sister, Christine Hall and brothers, George Witzke and Les Witzke. A grandson, Michael H. McDonald also preceded her in death.

She is survived by two daughters, Catherine (Mrs. Wm.) Cook of Seattle, Washington and Rosemary (Mrs. Gus) Holling of Arlington; four sisters, Ann Knight of Blair, Margaret (Mrs. Lloyd) Clevenger of Phoenix, Arizona; Frieda Passino of California and Frances (Mrs. Lee) Hennigar of Denver, Colorado; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Milton Hilgenkamp, Merle Holling, Curtis Schafer, Kenneth Toebben, Jack Armbrust and Lee Henningar.

Reckmeyer-Moser Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Funeral Folder

MARY S. PURCELL

Mary Sophia Purcell, the daughter of Henry and Catherine (Luschen) Witzke, was born Feb. 14, 1897 on a farm south of Bennington, Nebr. She was baptized on July 11, 1897 at Zion Lutheran Church at Bennington and confirmed into the Lutheran faith in 1951 by Pastor Carl Hellman at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, north of Arlington. She was raised at Bennington and graduated from Benson High School in Omaha.

In 1918 she graduated from Wise Memorial Hospital Nursing School in Omaha and became a registered nurse. She worked for Dr. Pollard, an obstetrician in Omaha. After her marriage, she lived at Woodbine, Iowa for one year, then moved to Douglas County in Nebraska. In 1950 she moved to a farm north west of Arlington, an lived there until moving to Bennington in 1973. She returned to Arlington in 1981. She had been residing at Arbor Manor in Fremont the last six months.

Mary was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and a former member of St. John’s Lutheran Church at Bennington. She married Howard Purcell on September 8, 1920 at Woodbine, Iowa. He preceded her in death on January 11, 1973.

Mary passed from this life on Saturday, June 6, 1992 at Memorial Hospital of Dodge County, in Fremont, Nebraska, at the age of 95 years, 3 months and 23 days. Survivors include 2 daughters, Mrs. William (Catherine) Cook of Seattle, Washington and Mrs. Gus (Rosemary) Holling of Arlington; 4 sisters, Ann Knight of Blair, Mrs. Lloyd (Margaret) Clevenger of Phoenix, Arizona, Frieda Passino of California and Mrs. Lee (Frances) Henningar of Denver, Colorado; 5 grand-children and 7 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; daughter, Shirley Bowman; sister, Christine Hall; brothers, George and Les Witzke; and a grandson, Michael H. MacDonald.

In Memory of MARY S. PURCELL

February 14, 1897 Bennington, Nebraska - June 6, 1992 Fremont, Nebraska

FUNERAL SERVICES 1:30 P.M. Monday, June 8, 1992 St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Arlington, Nebraska

OFFICIATING The Rev. Rodney Meske of Immanuel Lutheran Church near Hooper, Nebraska

ORGANIST Helen Hilgenkamp

SELECTIONS The Funeral Congretation will sing: “I Know That My Redeemer Lives” “My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less”

PALLBEARERS Milton Hilgenkamp Merle Holling Curtis Schafer Kenneth Toebeen Jack Armbrust Lee Henningar

INTERMENT Mount Hope Cemetery Omaha, Nebraska

Arrangements By Reckmeyer-Moser Funeral Home Arlington, Nebraska

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