Robert Mabon

Robert Mabon, age 81, of Grand Island, formerly of Phillips, died Tuesday, September 9, 2008, at St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island.

Funeral Services will be held 10:00 A.M., Saturday, September 13th at the Phillips United Methodist Church. Rev. Marta Wheeler will officiate. Interment will be in the Phillips Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 P.M. Friday at Higby-McQuiston Mortuary in Aurora. Family will greet friends from 5 – 7, followed at 7:00 by the Masonic Lodge Keystone #62 and Order of Eastern Star Phillips #204 ceremony. Memorials may be made to the Phillips United Methodist Church or the Masonic Lodge and Eastern Star. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: ROBERT MABON

Robert Charles Mabon, the son of W. C. and Josephine (Littlefield) Mabon, was born near Phillips, Nebraska on January 27, 1927 and died in Grand Island, Nebraska on September 9, 2008 at the age of 81.

He grew up in Phillips and graduated from Phillips High School. Bob served in the U.S. Coast Guard during WWII, he was honorably discharged on May 9, 1946.

On June 30, 1945, he was united in marriage to Betty Cornelius. Bob worked for a rancher near Paxton for two years before returning to the Phillips area. In 1950, they moved to their farm, where Bob farmed until he retired in 1989.

Bob was very active in the Phillips community. He was a member of the Phillips United Methodist Church for 60+ years, where he served in many different roles over the years. Bob was a 50+ year member of both the Masonic Lodge Keystone #62 and Order of Eastern Star Phillips #204. Bob had been a member of the Phillips Rural Fire Department for many years. He was currently serving on the Phillips Cemetery Board, where he had served for many years. Bob had served as the initial president of the Phillips Lions Club, when it was formed. Bob was proud to have served on their Hunter Safety Program for many years.

He was preceded in death by his parents, son, Doug Mabon and brother, Irl Mabon.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Betty Mabon of Grand Island; two sons, James (Sallie) Mabon of Greenville, Georgia and David (Terri) Mabon of Phillips; daughter, Susan (Dick) Summers of Gibbon; 6 grandchildren, Jerad C. (Megan) Mabon of Texas, Aaron C. Mabon of Illinois, Dawn M (Mark) Waage of Elkhorn, Derek L. (Debbie) Mabon of Lincoln, Kirk L. (Jen) Summers of Gibbon and Matthew P. (Steph) Summers of David City and 6 great-grandchildren, Bailey & Brett Waage, Jaclyn Mabon, Noah & Skyler Summers and Natalie Summers. He is also survived by two brothers W. C. Mabon, Jr. of Grand and Merlin (Royce) Mabon of Omaha; sister, Marise Hopkins of Grand Island; sister-in-law, Carol Mabon of Monument, Colorado; special sister-in-law, Esther Cornelius of Aurora, other family members and a host of friends.