Wilbur Brown

Wilbur B. Brown, 88, of Elm Creek, died Saturday, December 18, 2010 at the Good Samaritan Hospital. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM, Wednesday, December 22 at the First Lutheran Church in Kearney with Pastors Eric Lesher and Rebecca Craig officiating. Burial will be in Ft. McPherson National Cemetery near Maxwell at 2:30 PM. Military honors will be conducted by the Nebraska National Guard Honors Team in conjunction with the North Platte Honor Guard. Visitation will be 5-7 PM, Tuesday at the O'Brien Straatmann Funeral Home in Kearney. Memorials are suggested to the First Lutheran Church in Kearney or the Elm Creek Fire and Rescue Department. O'Brien - Straatmann Funeral Home of Kearney is in charge of arrangements. He was born March 12, 1922 in Palisade, NE to Bert and Gladys (Horn) Brown and was raised on a ranch north of Wauneta. He graduated from Wauneta High School in 1941. He entered the Army Air Force in 1942. He served 2 years in Europe and earned 7 battle stars. He was discharged in 1945. He married Mary Kanost in February of 1947 in Wauneta. Two sons, Ed and Terry, were born to this union. He moved to a ranch on the Loup River north of Miller in 1948. Later, he farmed south of Miller. He started working for the Post Office in 1954 as Postmaster for 7 years and then as a rural mail carrier for 25 years. In 1972, he married Doris Kleint in Lexington. They moved to Elm Creek, where he retired from carrying mail in 1985. He was a member of the First Lutheran Church, American Legion Post 52, VFW Post 759, National Association of Retired Federal Employees and Rural Mail Carriers Association. Wilbur and Doris enjoyed traveling, dancing and time with family. In 2008, Wilbur and Terry went on the Hero Flight trip to Washington, DC. He was the oldest man in Elm Creek. Survivors include his wife, Doris of Elm Creek; children, Ed Brown and wife Val of Masonville, CO, Terry Brown and wife Kay of North Platte, Audrey Strauss and husband John of Lexington, Marilyn Hueftle and husband Lynn of Lexington, Bruce Kleint and wife Sharon of Grand Island and Mary Balcom and husband Mark of Kearney; 17 grandchildren; 41 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great-grandchild; brother, Wayne Brown of Lexington; and sister, Verna Sandman of Wauneta. He was preceded in death by his parents, 3 sisters and daughter, Dianna Bluel.

Wilbur Brown

March 12, 1922 - December 18, 2010