Alfred O Holscher

A Celebration of Life for Alfred O. Holscher will be held on Friday, May 31, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Bertrand, Nebraska, with Pastor Dan Wiese officiating.  A private interment will be held prior to the service, at the Highland Cemetery at Bertrand, with military honors provided by the Bertrand Veterans Organization in conjunction with the United States Army Funeral Honors Team.

Alfred Otto Holscher, 88, of Smithfield, Nebraska passed away on Sunday, May 26, 2019, at the Bertrand Nursing Home.  He was born in Gosper County on August 2, 1930, on the farm where he lived most of his life. He was the youngest child born to Otto Frederick Carl and Emma Louise (Schwarz) Holscher. Alf was a member of the last graduating class at Smithfield High School.  He was drafted into the Army in 1952, and served in the 101st Airborne Infantry. He served in Germany, during the Cold War and attended mechanic school and worked on construction equipment. After his discharge, he returned to farming with red tractors, raising crops, cattle and hogs.

On December 26, 1967, he married Detta M. Sheffield at the Chapel of the Lake at Johnson Lake, Nebraska.  They were blessed with one daughter, Marsha.

In 2000, Alfred retired from farming and started driving trucks for several local businesses. He built and serviced equipment used at dairies. He also did land leveling work.  In his free time, he enjoyed metalwork, woodworking, telling stories, inventing things and repairing tractors and trucks.

He was a lifetime member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church and helped with the construction of the current building. He was active in Thrivent, the American Legion #67 and the VFW # 5304.

He was proceeded in death by: his parents; in-laws, Wilbur and Helen Sheffield; a sister, Ruby Esslinger Nelson;  brothers-in-law: Hugo Esslinger, Verlen Nelson, and Kenneth Weber; and sister-in-law, Marilyn Jackson and her husband, Fred.

Alfred leaves to celebrate his life: his wife, Detta of Smithfield; daughter, Marsha Banzhaf, and her husband, Galen of Overton, Nebraska; two grandsons:  Samuel and Alexander Banzhaf of Overton; sister, Elaine Weber of Kearney, Nebraska; brother-in-law, Roland (Jan) Sheffield of Farnam, Nebraska; sister-in-law, Sharon (Ron) Peterson of Ord, Nebraska;  and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. with the family greeting from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege, Nebraska.

A memorial has been established in Alf's honor, and kindly suggested to the Bertrand Fire & Rescue or The Lutheran Hour.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements .