Ross Krabiel

Ross Krabiel, age 88, of Aurora, passed away Thursday, April 19, 2012, at the Hamilton Manor.

Funeral Services will be held 2:00 P.M., Monday, April 23rd at the Aurora United Methodist Church. Dr. F. Cole Fowler will officiate. Interment will be in the Aurora Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 P.M. Sunday at Higby-McQuiston Mortuary. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Plainsman Museum. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: ROSS KRABIEL

Ross Eldon Krabiel, the son of Glenn Peter and Elma (Ross) Krabiel, was born in Stockham, Nebraska on December 10, 1923 and passed away in Aurora, Nebraska on April 19, 2012, at the age of 88.

He grew up on the family farm north of Stockham. His mother passed away while in his teens. Several years later his father married Mabelle Brown. Ross graduated from Stockham High School.

On February 19, 1947, he was united in marriage to Shirley Cramer at Salina, Kansas. They lived for a short time in Aurora before moving to his grandparent’s home north of Stockham. This is where they raised their family and Ross had a welding business and farmed for 27 years. In 1973 they built a new home in Aurora that they moved into upon retirement.

Ross was a member of the Aurora United Methodist Church and served on various church boards over the years. He served on the Aurora Co-op Board for 20 years and the State Board Co-op Council for many years. He helped make the coop what it is today. His biggest vocation after retirement was the gun smith business he worked on out of his basement shop. Ross loaded shells, made beautiful gun stocks and pistol grips. He also researched the history of old guns people inherited, which tied in very well with his work at the Plainsman Museum.

He was preceded in death by his parents; stepmother and daughter, Janis Lynn Hanson, who passed away in 1992.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Shirley of Aurora; two children, Sheryl Krabiel of Aurora and Monte (Lyn) Krabiel of Kearney; 3 grandchildren (Janis’ children), Alissa (Chris) Kidd and sons, Caleb & Conner of Hastings, Jenilee Van Wormer and children, Ryan, Kyleigh, Morgan & Camron and Sgt. John Ross Hanson of the U.S. Army stationed in Afghanistan; son-in-law, John Hanson.