Pauline Neale Passes Away At Her Home Sunday

Funeral services are scheduled for Tuesday, August 18th for Pauline Neale, 97, a lifelong Ft. Calhoun resident, who passed away at her home on Sunday morning, August 16th. The funeral will be held at Fort Calhoun Presbyterian Church at 2:00 p.m., with burial in Fort Calhoun Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Sievers-Sprick Funeral Home.

Mrs. Neale was born on a farm five miles southwest of Fort Calhoun 97 years ago, one of eight children of Mr. and Mrs. Will Kruse. In December, 1980, she married George Neale, and together they farmed on land east of Fort Calhoun, until the summer of 1953, when they moved into a new home they had built in town. George died in 1970 and since that time, Mrs. Neale had lived alone.

The Neales had two daughters, both of whom now live in California. They are Mabel McArthur of Ventura and Eleanor Shaner of Burlingame. Neal Shaner, a grandson, still farms the last east of Fort Calhoun and seven other grandchildren live out of state. Three great-grandchildren belonging to the Neales live in Fort Calhoun and six others live in California and Alaska. A brother, Waldo Kruse, also survives.

Mrs. Neale led a very active life to the end. She was a member of the Fort Calhoun Woman’s Club for 65 years and served as its president for twelve years. She belonged to the Presbyterian Church Women’s Society and to the Riverview Grange. She was well known for her good cooking and her skills at sewing and needlework. Through many years on the farm she made butter, raised chickens, sold eggs, and always had a large productive garden. According to the family members, she lived through floods and droughts with optimism and determination. She kept close watch over all members of her family, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, in-laws and cousins, and was always concerned about their welfare and happiness and was ready with encouragement and help whenever needed.

In later years she wrote a book, “Treasured Memories”, telling of her experiences during her lifetime.

The family requests memorials go to the Fort Calhoun Presbyterian Church or to Fontenelle Forest.

Note: (Wedding date of 1980 cannot be correct as they moved from the farm to town in 1953)

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