HAROLD D. STATZ, 70

Harold D. Statz, 70, died Wednesday, March 5, 2008, at his home at Camp Crossed Arrows in Nickerson. Funeral services were Saturday, March 8, at Moser Memorial Chapel in Fremont. Interment was in Fremont’s Memorial Cemetery.

Harold D. Statz was born April 14, 1937 in Imperial to Fred and Dorothy (Knight) Statz. He attended District 8 School for eight years before graduating from Chase County High School in Imperial in 1955.

He was a member of Boy Scout Troop 206 of Champion, where he earned his Eagle Scout Award, and was a member of the Girl Scouts, Prairie Hills Council.

After high school, he held many jobs including harvesting peaches in Colorado; canning tomatoes at a factory; working on a sheep ranch in South Dakota; and building elevators in Imperial. He worked for Layne Western in Omaha for 43 years, where he was senior well operator. During that time, he lived in Omaha, Blair and Fremont. He most recently worked for Camp Crossed Arrows Girl Scout Camp, where he was caretaker until his death. There, he enjoyed seeing the deer and turkeys that would come around when he was eating his breakfast or working.

On Sept. 2, 1961, he married Ann Jones in Omaha. The couple adopted a daughter in 1979. Mr. and Mrs. Statz had lived in Fremont from 1996 until moving to the camp in 2005.

Mr. Statz enjoyed beating anyone who dared take him on in a game of cribbage. He also enjoyed going to his brother’s farm, where he spent time with him, driving the combine or deer hunting. He loved to garden and often had various vegetable plants growing in his basement that he would start from seed in March. He loved being able to share his plants and vegetables with his friends and neighbors.

He is survived by his wife, Ann; daughter, Lisa Statz of Blair; two grandchildren; four brothers and sisters-in-law, Robert and Barbara Statz and Ralph and Linda Statz, all of Holyoke, Colo.; Leon and Jean Statz of Lebanon, Ky.; and Bud and Sharon Statz of Champion; three sisters, Kathy Hern, Pauline Patterson and Carla Croner, all ofTucson, Ariz.; mother-in-law, Dorothy Jones of Fort Calhoun; two sisters-in-law, Sue and Dick Dale of Omaha and Louise Thelen of Dakota Dunes, S. D.; great-uncle, Don Knight of Rockville, Md.; many nieces, nephews and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Ruth Statz; brother, Bill Statz; father-in-law, Anthony Jones; brother-in-law, Roger Thelen; and sister-in-law, Linda Brady.