John R. Purkey, 72

Funeral services are 10:30 a.m. today, Wednesday, August 15 at First Baptist Church in Fremont for John R. Purkey, 72, of Fremont, who died August 11, 1990 at Memorial Hospital of Dodge County. Burial is in Ridge Cemetery.

John R. Purkey was born April 26, 1918 at Chanute, Kansas where he grew up. He moved to Fremont in 1942 and was a building contractor until his retirement.

He served in the United States Army in World War II and was a city councilman from 1964-71. He had also run for mayor and for the Dodge County Board of Supervisors in the 1970s and 1980s.

He was a member of First Baptist Church, the Fremont Eagles Aerie No. 200 and the Fremont Masonic Lodge No. 15 AF & AM. He was a past member of the Fremont Contractors Employers Association, the Elks Club and the Fremont Bowling Association.

He married Ada Coleman June 21, 1940. She preceded him in death December 29, 1977.

He married Elsie Holwuttle Elliott May 10, 1980. She survives. Other survivors include two daughters, Carol Rae of Las Vegas, Nevada; and Barbara (Mrs. Richard) Meier of Fremont; three sons, Donald and Jimmie, both of Las Vegas and Dennis of Arlington; four stepdaughters; two sisters, Zoe Burrows of Oswego, Kansas and Zena Love of Tupelo, Mississippi; ten grand-children and five great-grandchildren.

A memorial has been established to the American Diabetes Association.

Ludvigsen Mortuary is in charge of arrangements for the services.

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