Charles E. Kelliher

Charles Edward Kelliher faithfully departed to be with the Lord on June 2, 2022 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. A Funeral Mass will be held 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 6, 2022 at St. James Catholic Church with Father Joe Hannappel officiating. Interment will follow at Kearney Cemetery. Visitation will be 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Sunday at the church followed by a 6:00 p.m. Vigil/Prayer Service. He was born in Red Cloud Nebraska on September 22, 1933 to John D and Mary Ellen (Kellett) Kelliher. He attended public grade school in Red Cloud and high school in both Sacred Heart in Fall City, NE and St. Cecilia in Hastings graduating in 1951. He attended St. Benedict college in Atchison, KS and St. Paul seminary in St. Paul, MN and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood. He served as a parish priest and high school teacher at St Mary's David City, St Joseph’s Beatrice as school superintendent, St. Mary's Cathedral in Lincoln, and St. Francis in David City teaching religion at Aquinas High School. In 1970 he took a leave of absence from the diocesan ministry and established the Youth Ranch for underprivileged children on ranchland south of Red Cloud. This later evolved with the help of others from Kearney into the Campus House ministry for wayward youths. In 1971, he answered a call to marriage and was united with Jeanine L Steichen at St. James Church of Kearney. After purchasing a farm north of Kearney on the Wood River, he served in the trust department of Platte Valley bank while farming and ranching. He earned a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology and a PHD in Sociology and Family Relations. He opened the Marriage and Family Counseling Center and taught part time in the Department of Psychology at UNK. As a board member of the Crossroads Homeless shelter, he helped expand the shelter to its Kearney location. He was a member of St. James Catholic Church where he was active in marriage encounter, enrichment, and adult education programs. He and Jeanine celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in August. He is survived by his wife, best friend, and loving companion Jeanine; sons, Michael and wife Tracy, and Timothy and wife Tiffany; six grandchildren Katherine, Joseph, Savannah, Seamus, Liam and Holly all of Kearney. He was preceded in death by his sister Brigid (Mary Catherine) Kelliher OSB. Memorials are suggested to the Crossroads Shelter in Kearney. Condolences may be shared online at www.osrfh.com. Services are entrusted to O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral and Cremation Services.

Charles E. Kelliher

September 22, 1933 - June 2, 2022