Alvin W. Volquardsen

Alvin Volquardsen, 88 Grand Island resident Alvin W. Volquardsen, 88, of Grand Island died Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at his home with his family by his side. Funeral services will be 1:00 p.m. Friday, October 28, 2016 at the O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Gibbon. The Rev. Brian L. Wright will officiate. Interment will follow at the Riverside Cemetery in Gibbon. Visitation will be held 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday and one hour prior to the service all at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to the Cairo Senior Center or the Gibbon American Legion. Condolences may be shared online at www.osrfh.com. O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Alvin Wayne Volquardsen was born April 8, 1928 in Mission, SD to William and Alvina (Lamprecht) Volquardsen. Before the age of 1 the family moved to a farm in Knox County where he grew up. He attended 131 East Country School to the eighth grade. He attended one year of high school Niobrara. He then worked on area farms as a hired hand. In 1951, he enlisted in the U.S. Army for nearly 3 years and was stationed in England during the Korean War. Upon his honorable discharge in December of 1953, he moved to Gibbon. He was united in marriage to Charlene Marks on November 27, 1954 and they made their home in Gibbon where he worked on the farm for 20 years. In 1975, he went to work for Eaton’s in Kearney and retired from there after 16 and a half years. After retirement he did various odd jobs; driving fertilizer tanks for Big Flag and Aurora Coop, he also mowed grass and did repair projects at Bader Park. On September 24, 1988 he married Shirley (Doremus) Leth living in the Gibbon/Shelton area until 1999, when they moved to Cairo for 17 years. On March 4, 2016 they moved to Grand Island. He was a member of the American Legion in Gibbon, the Eagle’s Club in Kearney and the Eagle’s Camping Club. He was a Cub Scout Master for two years. He enjoyed doing things with his children, grandchildren and friends. He like to camp and wintered in McAllen, TX for 14 years. His hobbies included building bird houses, wishing wells, wooden Husker swings, bean bag boards, ladder ball games, washers, sequence games and repairing small engines. He was always ready to lend a helping hand. He was an avid card player and liked to play 65 and pitch at the Senior Center in Cairo. He enjoyed taking the bus for day trips to the Casino’s. He was State Bean Bag Champion with the Eagle Camping Club and always made it look easy. Those left to cherish his memories are his wife Shirley of Grand Island; his children Randy and Diane of Omaha, Jerry of Grand Island, Darryl and Denise of Gibbon; grandchildren and great grandchildren Jason of Kearney, Zachary, Bridget and Oliver of Kearney, Matt, Emily and Jeron of Elba, Johnny Ellis of Bellevue; step children Rick and Jan Leth of Cairo, Jim and Pat Leth of Aurora, Tim and Rhonda Goodman of Grand Island, Mary Ostermeyer of Omaha, Matt and Jan Johnson of York; 13 step grandchildren and 27 step great grandchildren; two sisters Betty Steward of West Point and Ida Jones of Verdigre; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Alvin was preceded in death by his first wife, Charlene on October 13, 1982; his parents and four brothers, Harold, William, Robert and Richard.

Alvin W. Volquardsen

April 8, 1928 - October 25, 2016