Earl Kissel

Earl Kissel, age 73, of Aurora, died Tuesday morning, February 18, 2003, at Memorial Hospital in Aurora.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 A.M., Friday, February 21st at the First Christian Church in Aurora. Rev. Mary McQueen will officiate. Interment will be in the Aurora Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 to 8 P.M. Thursday at Higby-McQuiston Mortuary, with the family greeting friends from 3 to 6 P.M. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: EARL KISSEL

Earl Arthur Kissel, the son of Milo Lester and Ada Mae (Jones) Kissel, was born at Aurora, Nebraska on April 9, 1929 and died in Aurora, Nebraska on February 18, 2003, at the age of 73.

He was born and raised in Aurora. At the age of 16, Earl started working at the Safeway Store. Earl graduated from Aurora High School in 1947. After graduation Earl was drafted into the U. S. Army and served in the Korean War. He received 3 battle stars and was involved in the fighting near the 38th parallel. Earl resumed working for Safeway as a manager upon returning from the service.

Earl was united in marriage to Joan C. Arnett on April 26, 1953 at the First Christian Church in Aurora. In 1961, he purchased his father's (Milo Kissel) plumbing and well drilling business. He was a longtime business owner in Aurora for 35 years. While in business Milo and Earl were responsible for drilling many of the residential/farm wells in Hamilton County. Earl was looking forward to celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on April 26, 2003.

Earl was a member of the First Christian Church. He served on the Aurora City Council for 6 years and was a member of the Aurora Volunteer Fire Department for 35 years. Earl was also a member of the Aurora Masonic Lodge #68 A.F.& M, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #04993, and American Legion Post #42, where he had been a 50 year member. He was a longtime member of the Nebraska Well Drillers Association. Earl enjoyed fishing, hunting, and attending his grandchildren's sports activities.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Dean Kissel.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife Joan Kissel of Aurora; two daughters, Debra and her husband James Willis and Patricia and her husband Douglas Anderson all of Aurora; 3 grandchildren, Shawn M. Anderson of Aurora, Stephen T. Anderson of Lincoln and Sara A. Willis of Omaha and a sister, Shirley Fletcher of Roseville, California.