Funeral service for Gary A. Kettler, 78, of Hadar will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, August 29, 2017, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Hadar with the Rev. Austin Ziche officiating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery, rural Hadar. Visitation will be held 4:00-7:00 p.m., Monday, at Stonacek Funeral Chapel in Norfolk. Military rites will be by Tomek-Otto Post 72 American Legion of Pierce and the United States Army Honors Guard.

Gary passed away Friday, August 25, 2017 at his residence in Hadar.

Stonacek Funeral Chapel in Norfolk is in charge of the arrangements.

Born Dec. 19, 1938, at Clarks, he was the son of Arthur and Sophie (Warneke) Kettler. He was baptized in Columbus and confirmed at Zion Lutheran Church in Pierce. He graduated from Pierce High School in 1956. He served in the U.S. Army from April 22, 1959, to March 27, 1961.

While Gary served in the military, he married LaVon (Spreeman) on Aug. 20, 1959, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Hadar. After marriage, they moved to Maryland, where they lived before moving to Pierce and then finally Hadar. Gary worked at Norco Feeds for 35 years until he retired in 1999.

Throughout his life, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, building and especially spending time his grandchildren. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Hadar, the Hadar Volunteer Fire Department for 40 years and also was a former Mayor of Hadar.

Survivors include his spouse, LaVon Kettler of Hadar; a daughter, Sandra (Les) Mullen of Blair; a daughter, Shelly (Don) Norland of Bennington; five grandchildren, Garrett, JDon, Cody, Charlee and Amarillo; a sister, Dorthalie Walmsley of Pierce; two sisters-in-law, Norma Kettler of Norfolk and Bev Spreeman of Odessa, Mo.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Art and Sophie; a brother, Ron Kettler; two brothers-in-law, Larry “Buck” Walmsley and Will Spreeman; a nephew; and two nieces.

Organist will be Amy Bretschneider. Casketbearers will be Garrett Koepke, JDon Norland, Cody Norland, Tim Koepke, Mike White and Gary Schuett. Honorary casket bearers will be the Hadar Volunteer Fire Department, their Card Club and Jan Wright.

Condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.stonacekfuneralchapel.com.

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