(Veteran)

Edward F. Konecky, 85

Former Tekamah resident Edward F. Konecky, 85, of Blair, died Friday, Nov. 30, 2007, at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair.

A memorial mass is slated for 10 a.m. Friday, Dec. 7, at St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church in Blair. Graveside services with military honors by the VFW Bataan Post No. 3304 and American Legion LaFrenz Post No. 15 will be at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Tekamah Cemetery.

A memorial gathering, with the family receiving friends, and a 6 p.m. rosary, will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at Pelan Funeral Home in Tekamah.

Edward Frank Konecky was born Sept. 23, 1922, near Ithaca to Frank and Anna (Vybiral) Konecky.

A railway went through the family property and Mr. Konecky spoke of the challenge of keeping the milk cows off the tracks. The family moved to a farm near Mead in 1932. The milking herd increased and the family was now selling milk instead of cream.

He attended Mead School, the first consolidated school in Nebraska. He graduated in 1940 after 3 ½ years of high school, as his family was moving to a farm between Tekamah and Decatur. He had enough credits so he helped his father move and returned to Mead for his graduation.

His life was interrupted by WWII when he left home to serve in the U.S. Army Air Corps, where he became a commander of a B-17 bomber. He was honorably discharged in 1945.

On Jan. 24, 1945, he married Elaine Drummond at Rapid City, S.D.

After military service the family returned to farming and farmed for 37 years.

Mr. Konecky was a member of St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church in Blair. He was a 60-year member of VFW Bataan Post No. 3304 and American Legion LaFrenz Post No. 15, and served on the township and cemetery boards.

He is survived by his wife, Elaine, of Blair; son and daughter-in-law; Paul and Patsy Konecky of Columbus; two grandchildren; and two great-granddaughters.

He was preceded in death by a son, David; sister, Marie Cuda; brothers, Lloyd, George and Bernard Konecky.

Memorials are suggested to the Tekamah Rescue Squad.

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