Services For Edward and Opal Grabbe To Be Wednesday

Double funeral services will be held for Mr. and Mrs. Edward Grabbe, Wednesday, November 23rd at the Legion Hall in Herman at 11:00 a.m. The Rev. Jackson Sherwood of Salem Lutheran Church at Fontanelle and Rev. Robert Albers, of the First Lutheran Church in Blair will conduct the service.

Burial will be in the Blair Cemetery under the direction of the Campbell Mortuary.

Edward Frank Grabbe was born November 10, 1917, at Herman, and died November 19, 1977, at his farm home west of Blair. He had been a farmer throughout his life and had lived on the farm, where he died.

He was a veteran of World War II. His wife was the former Opal Hapke.

The deceased was the son of Fred Grabbe, who lives in Blair; his mother was the former Mary Hovendick.

Opal Lucile Grabbe also died on November 19th at the couple’s farm hoe west of Blair and in the Spiker vicinity. Mrs. Grabbe was 52 years of age, having been born July 3, 1925, at Mead, Nebraska. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gustav Hapke.

The couple is survived by four children and three grandchildren. The daughters are Mrs. Deanna Nielsen, of Blair, Mrs. Ramona Stout, of Tekamah, Mrs. Connie Nelson of Blair and Rick Grabbe, of Herman.

Mr. Grabbe is survived by two brothers and two sisters. The brothers are: Leland Grabbe of Herman, and ? Grabbe, of Blair. The sisters are Mrs. Dorothy Heinssen, of Blair and Mrs. Hildred Wiese of Uehling.

Mrs. Grabbe is survived by four sisters and three brothers. The brothers are Cloyd Hapke, of Cedar Bluffs, Veryl Hapke also of Cedar Bluffs and Warren Hapke who lives in Delaware. The sisters are Mrs. Shirley Hultgren, of Fremont; Mrs. Beverly Ahrens, of Cedar Bluffs; Mrs. Sylvia Debus and Mrs. Dorothy Westphalen, both of California.

Pallbearers for Mr. Grabbe will be Eldon Babbit, Ellis Babbitt, Jerry Lee Brand, Frederick Heinssen, Jim Grabbe and Paul Grabbe.

Pallbearers for Mrs. Grabbe will be Greg Hultgren, Ken Hultgren, Mark Ahrens, Ron Hapke, Dan Bode and Vern Gruenke.

News Article

Pilot Tribune 21 Nov 1977

Suspect Held In Killing Of Herman Farm Couple

Several Washington County and state law enforcement organizations were call in on a double homicide Saturday afternoon, November 19th. A farm couple, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Grabbe, were reportedly killed at their farm home west of Spiker, Nebraska. The area involved is approximately 15 miles northwest of Blair.

Taken into custody was Wilfred (Beaver) Nielsen of Blair, Nebraska. Nielsen was a son-in-law of the couple killed, Edward and Opal Grabbe. Nielsen is the prime suspect in the shooting.

It is believed that there were witnesses to the shooting. Unconfirmed report is that the witnesses were children of the Grabbes.

The incident took place at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday. The Blair Rescue Squad was called to the Grabbe farm at approximately 4:45 p.m. Washington County Sheriff Jim Kelley responded to the call and handled security on the case immediately. The Sheriff contacted Tekamah and Burt County authorities to post guards at the homes of relatives in that area. Safety was feared for the entire family. Nielsen, who has hunting blinds on the Missouri River was believed to have several guns in his four wheel drive pickup.

The Nebraska State Patrol was called into the case with bridges to Iowa being watched along with an area directly across the Missouri River from his Iowa duck blinds. It was felt Nielsen might try to take a boat and cross the river to Iowa.

Blair police were called in and positioned at various locations in Blair where Nielsen might show up. Descriptions of Nielsen’s pickup were given out and every available police officer was called into service.

Burt County officials were notified that a citizen had seen Nielsen east of Tekamah on the bottom lands heading south at about 5:15. At about six p.m. another report was received that Nielsen had been spotted near the Ross Love farm five miles west of Blair on Highway 91.

At approximately 6:30 p.m. a Blair Police Officer reported that Nielsen had driven up to his home in Blair and the officer called for assistance. Nielsen parked his pickup and went into his home. Police approached the home at 21st and Nebraska, with red lights out and no sirens. Tear gas was brought in and the house was surrounded. Police could see Nielsen moving around in the house as all the lights were on in the house.

Police received a call from a friend of Nielsen who said that Nielsen had just called him.

Police then made arrangements for the friend to call back to the Nielsen home and try to persuade Nielsen to come out peacefully. The call was made and shortly afterwards Nielsen came out and surrendered without resistance at about 7 p.m.

Mrs. Wilfred Nielsen, the former Deanna Grabbe, had reportedly left home earlier in the afternoon and was out of town visiting friends when the shooting incident took place. Mrs. Nielsen was located later Saturday evening and returned to Blair.

On Sunday the Nebraska State Patrol took over investigation of the incident. Officers were looking for the weapon Sunday morning. They also secured the hunting blinds on the Iowa side of the Missouri River. Officers spent much of Sunday working with Washington County Attorney, David Quist, and Greg Drew, preparing charges in the case.

Arraignment and bond hearing will be Tuesday, November 22, at 9 a.m. in Washington County Court.

The County Attorney stated that charges will be made for two counts of First Degree Murder against Wilfred W. Nielsen.<-p> Funeral services for Edward Grabbe, 60 and Mrs. Edward (Opal Lucille) Grabbe, 52, have been set for Wednesday, November 23rd at the Herman Legion Hall. Full obituary appears elsewhere in this issue.

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

FindaGrave # 114807416