Obituaries

Robert Melvin Ellis May 7, 1937 - December 30, 2025 Robert Melvin Ellis was born in Roberts, ID, to Melvin Purser Ellis and Irene Louise Davies. He was the oldest of three children and grew up on the family farm in Hamer, ID, where hard work and family influence shaped the man he would become.

Gregory “Greg” Weldon Hobbs, 72 of Maxwell, NE formerly of Kilgore, NE passed away in his sleep on December 15, 2025, in Maxwell, NE. Greg was born November 22, 1953, at Princeton, MO to Russell and Nelda (Stanturf) Hobbs.

Christina Lynne Arent was born on September 30, 1975, to Keevin and Dottie (Pojar) Arent at the Brown County Hospital in Ainsworth, NE. Christy attended District #65 her kindergarten through sixth grade and Ainsworth Public Schools for seventh through 12th grade. She graduated from high school in May of 1993. She graduated from South Dakota State University at Brookings, SD in 1998 with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Lakota studies. Christy then graduated from UNK with a BSN in Nursing. She worked in the nursery at Sioux Falls, SD and in the Rosebud (SD) Hospital. She spent numerous years as a neonatal intensive care travel nurse and in 2011 settled into neonatal intensive care in Anchorage, AK, eventually becoming certified in dependency care.

Francis L. “Corky” Kemp passed away on December 14, 2025, at Great Plains Health at the age of 82.

Word has been received of the death of James L. Strong, age 87, of Ainsworth, NE.

Thomas Joseph Kennedy, Sr. 86, of Callaway, NE, passed away on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at his home, surrounded by his loving family.

Barbara Emma (Vrbka) Schmit passed away December 1, in North Platte, NE. She was born October 5, 1922, in Ulysses, NE to Lou and Emma Vrbka.

Robert (Bob) J. Lower was born August 11, 1935, at home north of Valentine, NE to Roy and Luella (Grooms) Lower. He passed away November 22, 2025 at Rock County Long Term Care. He attended Harmony grade school and graduated from Valentine Rural High School in 1955. During his senior year he met the love of his life, Evelyn Starr. Bob joined the United States Army and left right after graduation for boot camp in Fort Chaffee, AR. While on leave in November of 1955 he asked Evelyn to marry him the next time he was home. To everyone’s surprise, Bob came home for Christmas and they married on December 26, 1955. They had a short time together as husband and wife before Bob was stationed in Korea for the next 18 months, working as a mail clerk. They would have been married 70 years this year.

Donald George Chauncey, 67, was born September 19, 1958, in Winner, SD, to LeRoy and Clarice Chauncey. On November 12, 2025, in Manhattan, KS, his Lord and Savior unexpectedly called him home.

Alice Riege, age 101, a longtime resident of the Kilgore and Crookston areas, passed away on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, at the Garden County Health Services Hospital in Oshkosh, NE. Visitation was held at Holmes Funeral Home in Valentine on Thursday, November 20, 2025, from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.