John Lash,

John L. Lash, Sr., 76 of Kearny died Saturday, August 11, 2012 at his home. Funeral services will be held 10:00 A.M., Thursday, August 16, 2012 at the O'Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home with Chaplin Thayne Moore officiating. Interment will be in the Kearney Cemetery with military honors conducted by the Navy Honors Team in conjunction with the VFW Post 759 and American Legion Post 52. Visitation will be held from 5-7 on Wednesday at the O'Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the family or Ascera Care Hospice. Online condolences may be submitted to www.osrfh.com. Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the O'Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home of Kearney. John was born April 21, 1936 in Liberty, MO to Robert W. and Annetta (Davenport) Lash. John was raised in Plattsburg, MO with his two brothers on the family farm. He attended school there and attended high school at Central High in Kansas City, MO through the 11th grade. At that time he helped on the family farm and did some blacksmithing. He served in the US Navy on the USS Union AKA106 ship from 1953-1955. In 1956 he worked as a welder for Bratton Steel Company in Kansas City. In 1956 he was united into marriage to Peggy Anne Husband in Kansas City, MO and to this union 4 children were born. In 1957-1959, he traveled to Alabama and worked in the shipyards. He moved back to Kansas City in 1959 and worked for the Kansas City PD and St. Lukes Hospital for several years. Peggy passed away on November 19, 1967. On September 21, 1969, he united in marriage to Cynthia A. (Danneberg) Rowlen in Kansas City, MO; and together made their home in Overland Park Kansas, where they joined their two families. In 1971, he and his family moved to Elm Creek, Nebraska where he worked for his brother, Robert at Jack Lederman & Co. He ran the car crusher crew of which he traveled to Nebraska, Kansas and South Dakota crushing cars. In 1991 John became disabled and retired to Kearney. His hobbies included guns, of which for a short time he ran a gun repair out of his garage in Elm Creek, he loved playing cards, camping, fishing, gardening, old cars, building BBQ smokers out of old water tanks, and cooking. He loved spending time down at Old West Guns visiting with all the customers and talking guns. He had many stories to tell. Some of his friends knew him as "Catfish" or as "Big John." He was a member of the Lions Club, VFW and the Robb Morse Lodge 46. He is survived by his wife Cynthia Lash of Kearney; daughters Cheri Lynn Saldivar of Omaha, Kathryn Jean Long and husband Glen of Elm Creek, Constance Gail Sorensen and husband Tim of Kearney, Deanna Sue Fraizer and husband Dan of Litchfield, MN; son John Lee Lash, Jr. and wife Sharon of Odessa, MO; grandchildren Michelle (Wesley) Bieker, Jason Saldivar, Amos (Wyndi) Burkey, Stella (John) Johnston, Seth (Tami) Burkey, Nicole Longoria, Noah (Chelsie) Sorensen, Elizabeth (Terry) Fesseden, Robert Lash, Caitlin Fraizer, Ethan Fraizer; great grandchildren Allison Bieker, Johnny Bieker, Brody Saldivar, Jadan Saldivar, Levi Johnston, Charlotte Johnston, Willow Burkey, Naomi Sorensen, Neligh Sorensen, Skyler Sorensen, Alexis Sorensen, MaKayla Fesseden, Braden Fesseden, Colton Fesseden; brother Daniel and wife Rita Lash; sister in laws Judy Lash, Johna and husband William Brand; and many cousins, nieces, nephews and other family members.

John Lash,

April 21, 1936 - August 11, 2012