Billie Louise (Smith) Cripe, 95 passed away peacefully on Oct 17,2025. Born on April 9, 1930 to Howard Roy Smith and Anna Mae Bennett in Wymore, NE. The baby of seven child.

She was a trained singer and sang for military funerals and weddings. In high school she was a Drum Majorette and loved when any of her family did anything to do with music. She was a member of the LPS Mother singers.

She married the love of her life, Francis “Did” Cripe on June 4, 1949. She became a mother to Susan Ann in January 1950. Then again to Debra Kay in June 1954. In 1968 “Did” & Billie moved to Waverly, Ne and bought a little grocery store. Then later bought the Jack & Jill in Waverly. In 1975 they sold the store and moved to Lincoln, NE and she went to work for DeBrown’s Auto Sales Co. Studabaker Cars.

In 1983 she started work for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Credit Union as a receptionist where she was the first person to ever retire from there after 12 years. During those years she enjoyed lots of Husker football games, camping, boating, playing cards, golfing with “Did” and spending time with family.

After “Did” finally retired they bought a trailer in Florida to spend half the year with their daughter Debbie and grandson Mike, and his family. In the 15 years since “Did’s” passing she has enjoyed watching her Huskers no matter football or volleyball or whatever sport it was as long as it was the Huskers. She also enjoyed watching her Great Grands grow in everything they did.

Billie was proceeded in death by her parents and her brothers Harold and Benjamen and her sisters Loree, Audrey, Arlene and June. She is survived by her daughter’s Susan (Russell) Taylor, and Debra (Jim) Wynn and her 4 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. She also had many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Sunday, October 26, 2025 at Wyuka Funeral Home, Lincoln. Funeral service will take place at 11:00 a.m. Monday, October 27, 2025 at Wyuka, 3600 “O” Street, Lincoln. Memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Association, American Lung Association or the American Heart Association.

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NOTICE AND AGENDA OF MONTHLY MEETING WYUKA BOARD OF TRUSTEES October 16 2025 DRAFT3

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Mary’s visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday, October 10, 2025, at Wyuka Funeral Home, 3600 “O” Street, Lincoln. Mary’s life will be celebrated at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, October 11th at New Bethel Bibleway Apostolic Church, 1900 West A Street, Lincoln.

Memorials to the family for further designation.

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Ozzie was a fun-spirited father to his three children and liked to fancy himself a cowboy, always listening to country music and playing his instruments. He was always ready for a new adventure or party and loved to regale anyone who would listen with the amusing stories of his life and memories until the end.

He is survived by his sons, Marvin and Mick Ostwald of Lincoln, and his daughter, Melanie Ostwald-Hruby (Mitch) of Lincoln. He was blessed with five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Ozzie was preceded in death by his wife, parents, one brother, two sisters, and one nephew.

Ozzie’s family extends a sincere and gracious thank-you to the staff of Gateway Vista for their compassion and care during his final chapter.

A funeral service to honor Ozzie, will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 4, 2025, at Wyuka Funeral Home in Lincoln. A viewing will be held one hour prior to the service. Memorials may be directed to the Lincoln Firefighters Association.

You may donate online by clicking the following link:

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/operation-warm-inc/team-up-with-lincoln-firefighters-association-4d817cda-cce9-46d1-8e7e-7b0cbb2e1fbd

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Jack attended Lincoln High School and built a life defined by hard work, independence, and the joy he found in simple pleasures. Over the years, he worked at HuHot Mongolian Grill and Perkins Restaurant, but he especially loved his time at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, where he was admired by coworkers and customers alike and will be dearly missed.

A man of many interests, Jack enjoyed bowling, watching professional wrestling, and cheering on Husker football. He was also a devoted NASCAR fan and traveled to attend live sporting events across the country, creating lasting memories along the way.

Jack is survived by his loving girlfriend, Bonnie, who stood by his side and shared in his life and passions.

He will be remembered for his dedication, his independence, and the warmth he brought to those around him.

A graveside service to honor Jack’s life will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, September 27, 2025 at Fairview Cemetery, 8400 Adams Street, Lincoln. A celebration of Jack’s life will follow at 11:00 a.m. at VITAL Services, Inc, 6400 Cornhusker Highway.

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Gary lived a full and active life. He had a passion for motorcycles, practiced jiu-jitsu and martial arts, and gave generously of his time by volunteering with food networks through his church. A devoted fan of the Dallas Cowboys, Gary enjoyed cheering on his favorite NFL team. He especially cherished spending time with his children and looked forward with great excitement to becoming a grandfather.

Gary was known for his love of projects and working with his hands. He enjoyed building model cars, fixing vehicles, and taking photographs. For more than 20 years, he was a dedicated employee of Tan-Aire Pumping, where he was admired for his hard work and strong commitment.

He is survived by his life partner, Angela Orcutt of Lincoln; daughters Heather of Ohio, Stephanie (fiancé Zak) of Lincoln; son Cody (fiancée Madison) of Fremont; granddaughter Rosalee of Fremont; brothers Jay Orcutt (wife Patty) of Ceresco, Chris Orcutt (wife Amy) of Grand Island, and Joey Orcutt (wife Amanda) of Louisiana; sisters Sherry Holmes (husband Brian) of Grand Island, and Bobbi Moreno (husband Mario) of Lincoln. He also leaves behind many beloved nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends.

Gary was preceded in death by his father Gerald and mother Sharon; grandmother Lillian Thompson, and uncle Roger Leak. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him, but his memory will live on in the hearts of his loved ones.

Visitation for Gary will be from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Thursday, September 25, 2025, at Wyuka Funeral Home, 3600 “O” Street, Lincoln. Funeral services for Gary will be at 10:00 a.m. Friday, September 26, 2025, at First Mennonite Church, 7300 Holdrege Street, Lincoln. Memorials to the family for further designation.

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NOTICE AND AGENDA OF 3rd QUARTERLY MEETING WYUKA BOARD OF TRUSTEES SEP 25 2025

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April 19, 1943 – September 6, 2025

Douglas “Doug” Lee was ushered into heaven on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at 1:45 AM, at the age of 82.

He was born on April 19, 1943, in Shreveport, Louisiana. As a young boy, someone nicknamed him “Buster,” a name that stayed with him throughout his life. Doug was the younger brother of twin sisters who were stillborn and are now reunited with him in heaven. His brother, Paul James, was born eight years later, on December 26, 1956.

Doug graduated from Fair Park High School in 1961, where he loved playing trumpet in the marching band and second chair in the orchestra. He also enjoyed performing with the Shreveport Salvation Army Band. Dedicated to his church community, Doug often drove the Salvation Army’s oversized bus, transporting families to weekly and Sunday activities. The Salvation Army’s Captain admired how skillfully this high school student could maneuver and park the large vehicle in a narrow space between two buildings.

After graduation, Doug moved to Phoenix, Arizona, to live with his beloved grandmother, Bettie Upchurch, and his uncle, Fred. He went on to graduate from Arizona State University with a degree in Construction Engineering. Despite struggling with severe migraine headaches, he was proud to complete his studies.

In 1971, Doug was introduced to Sharen through a mutual friend. They married on October 5, 1974, on a beautiful Arizona day that reached 105 degrees. Doug and Sharen built their life together in Mesa, Arizona, where they lived for 40 years.

Doug commuted 50 miles each day to Superior, Arizona, to work as an Engineer Surveyor at the Magma Copper Mine. He loved going deep underground to locate and plot new mining sites. When the mine closed in 1982 due to falling copper prices, Doug turned his attention to biomedical engineering. He began working at Mesa Lutheran Hospital and later at Banner University Hospital in Phoenix. He enjoyed the constant learning opportunities, including traveling to the East and West coasts for advanced training. Maintaining life-saving equipment and being called into surgeries was challenging but deeply rewarding.

In 2003, after four decades in Arizona, Doug and Sharen moved to Nebraska to help care for Sharen’s mother. Doug joined Bryan West Hospital in Lincoln, where he continued his biomedical career. He semi-retired in 2019 but kept working part time. Despite his physical limitations in later years, Doug often expressed how much he missed the activity, camaraderie, and challenges of hospital work.

Doug is survived by his wife, Sharen. The couple would have celebrated 51 years of marriage on October 5th; daughter, Denise and her husband Paul. He is also survived by his brother, Paul; nephew, Christopher; and grandson, Rob.

A celebration of Douglas’s life will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, September 13, 2025, at Indian Hills Community Church, 1000 S 84th Street, Lincoln. Memorials to a charity of your choice.

The service may be viewed life by clicking the following link: Facebook.com/indianhillscommunitychurch

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Christa Carol Engel, 73, died surrounded by her children on August 27, 2025. Christa was born March 6, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois, to Arthur Donald Goeres and Lois May Fuhlbrigge. She was Baptized by her grandfather, Reverend William G. Fuhlbrigge, at First St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in 1952, in Chicago and confirmed in 1966 at Trinity Lutheran School in Bloomington, Illinois. She Graduated from University High School in Normal, Illinois and was granted a Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Technology from the University of Missouri, Kansas City at Missouri.

Christa spent her career working in the clinical laboratory serving in a multitude of supervisor, manager and director roles in hospitals across the country. She retired on March 6, 2019, from Bryan Medical Center, after 26 years of service as the first Clinical Laboratory Director for both Bryan Medical Center East and West campuses.

Of all the titles Christa held, “Nana” was her most cherished.

She is survived by her children; daughter, Meghan Ray Engel (David) Paprocki, son, Andrew Goeres (Jessica) Engel; stepsons, Scott Ashton Engel and Christopher Michael Engel, all of Lincoln; grandchildren, Noah, Graeme, and Silas Hepburn; Chloe Meyer and Owen Engel; step-grandchildren, Jack, Isabelle, and August Engel; Sam, Sarah, and Keely Engel. Also left to mourn her passing, sister, Gwen (Rick) Norman of Arkansas; sister-in-law Susan (Thane) Papke of Missouri; many adoring nieces and nephews; very special friends Nathan and Pam Shelbourn, Joel and Cathy Heitbrink, and her beloved cat Luciano. She is proceeded in death by her parents, former husband Michael Ray Engel, and brother, John Fuhlbrigge Goeres.

Special thanks to Hospice of Nebraska for their loving care and support.

A celebration of Christa’s life will be held at 12:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at Southview Christian Church, 2040 South 22nd Street, Lincoln. Memorials to the family for further designation.

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