Berdene A. Heckman

Berdene Heckman, 100 Kearney resident Berdene A. Heckman, 100, of Kearney died Wednesday, August 10, 2016 at Mother Hull Home in Kearney. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, August 15, 2016 at the Kearney First United Methodist Church. The Rev. Melody Adams will officiate. Burial will be3:00 p.m. at the Beaver Crossing Cemetery in Beaver Crossing, NE. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. The family prefers memorials to the Kearney First United Methodist Church. Condolences may be shared online at www.osrfh.com. O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. She was born March 3, 1916 to Norman and Alvina (Suellwold) Ricenbaw on the family farm near Milford, NE. Shortly afterward the family moved to their permanent residence, a farm just south of Beaver Crossing, NE. Berdene grew up there graduating from Beaver Crossing High School. After graduation she taught elementary school in a one room country school while attending the University of Nebraska during the summer months. She married Elmer Heckman on August 10, 1941. They were married for 63 years. Elmer and Berdene eventually started their family and moved to Kearney in 1956. There they owned and operated a motel and later they both went to work at Baldwin's Manufacturing. Berdene has been an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Kearney for 60 years. She regularly worked out at the local YMCA well into her 90s. Berdene's family remembers her as an extraordinary cook. Her family and friends remember her as an exceptional extrovert who loved people and went out of her way to connect with anyone she happened to meet. She was a favorite of all her nieces and nephews and will be remembered long by all who were privileged to know her. She is survived by her daughter Carole Brown and husband James of Hudson, WI; son Stephen Heckman and wife Jyostna of Fairbanks, AK; grandchildren, Christopher Brown and wife Shawna, Stefanie McAfee and husband Andy, Daniel Heckman and Andrew Heckman; and many nieces, nephews and dear friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, two infant sisters, husbnad Elmer Heckman, her siblings and their spouses Viola and Ervin Grossman, Arthur and Norma Ricenbaw, Florence and Grover Amos, Jim and Dorothy Ricenbaw; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law Merlin and Gladys Heckman, Dorothea Heckman, Esther and Les Miller, Melvin and Nora Heckman and Louise and Paul Engel.

Berdene A. Heckman

March 19, 1916 - August 10, 2016