Robert 'Butch' Kolar

Robert (Butch) Ray Kolar, age 78, of Aurora died Tuesday, October 12, 2004, at Hamilton Manor in Aurora.

Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 A.M., Saturday, October 16th at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Aurora. Fr. Craig Doty will officiate. Interment will be in the Aurora Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 to 7 P.M. Friday at Higby-McQuiston Mortuary. The family will greet friends from 6 to 7 P.M. with the Rosary following at 7:00 P.M. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: ROBERT (BUTCH) KOLAR

Robert (Butch) Ray Kolar, the son of Fred and Alma (Wanek) Kolar, was born in Exeter, Nebraska on August 8, 1926 and died in Aurora, Nebraska on October 12, 2004, at the age of 78.

He moved from the Exeter area to Giltner when he was five years old and graduated from Giltner High School. Butch was the quarterback for the football team and also played baseball while he was in high school. He attended Hastings College for one year before serving in the Army during the Korean War. After his honorable discharge, he returned to the family farm until he retired in 1980.

Butch was united in marriage to Bethel Mary Strotman Oberg on November 15, 1975 at Aurora, Nebraska.

Butch was a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the VFW, the Practical Inventor and was also a poet.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two uncles, Jack Wanek and Raymond Wanek, and a brother-in-law, Charles Neal.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife Bethel of Aurora; two step-sons, Danny Oberg of Doniphan, Jon Oberg of Grand Island; a step-daughter, Jacqueline Harvey of Aurora; 7 grandchildren; 1 great-granddaughter; two sisters, Dorothy (Joseph) Strotman of Aurora and Marjorie Neal of Lincoln and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.