Ernest D Sweeney

Funeral Services for Ernest D. "Ernie" Sweeney will be conducted from the Westmark Evangelical Free Church of rural Loomis, Nebraska on Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. with Reverend Rick Smith and Reverend Tom Thompson, officiating. Interment will be in the Moses Hill Cemetery in Phelps County, Nebraska with military honors provided by the Loomis American Legion Post in conjunction with the United States Army Military Honors Team.

Ernest Dean Sweeney, 90 years of age, of Holdrege, Nebraska, passed away on Saturday, January 1, 2011 at the Phelps Memorial Heath Center in Holdrege. Ernie was born August 30, 1920 at Verdon, Oklahoma, the third of eight children born to Bradley Wilson and Verna (Vineyard) Sweeney. The family moved to a farm in Dawson County, Nebraska, northwest of Lexington when Ernie was five years of age. He received his primary education from a Dawson County rural school and then graduated from Cozad High School with the class of 1938. Following his education, he attended an Engineering School in Chicago, Illinois, where he studied Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. He then served his country in the United States Army during WW II in the European Theatre from 1941 until his honorable discharge in 1945.

Ernie was united in marriage to Doris Marie Adams on June 15, 1946 at Cozad and to this union three children were born: Linda, Mark and Jim. After their marriage, the couple owned and operated a Dry Cleaning business in Gothenburg, Nebraska for five years. In 1955, they made their home north of Loomis on a farm, where they engaged in farming and raising livestock until his retirement. Ernie enjoyed the labor of the land, was an avid sports fan, and especially enjoyed baseball and golf.

Ernie was a member of the Westmark Evangelical Free Church, member of the Loomis American Legion Post, and served on the Loomis School Board and Loomis CO-OP Board. On November 22, 2007, Ernie was preceded in death by his wife of 61 ½ years, Doris.

He leaves to mourn his passing his daughter, Linda Baxter and her husband, Don of Glenvil, Nebraska; son, Mark Sweeney and his wife, Darlene of Holdrege; daughter-in-law, Pam (Sweeney) Broome and her husband, Herman of Johnson Lake, Nebraska; six grandchildren: Alan Baxter and his wife, Heather of Aurora, Colorado, Jayne Van Emmerik of Glenvil, Nebraska, Eric Sweeney and his wife, Tracy of Bristol, Rhode Island, Andrew Sweeney and his wife, Andi of Loomis, Nebraska, Katie Youngquist and her husband, Kody of Nemaha, Nebraska and Kim Cook of Ogallala, Nebraska; two step-grandchildren: Stefanie Carlstedt and her husband, Dan, and Scott Reiner all of Omaha; eight great-grandchildren: Atley, Austin, Dylan, Logan, Carson, Ryan, Jaxson and Noah; two step great-granddaughters: Aubrey and Kailynn; two sisters: Alene Foster of Lincoln, Nebraska and Helen Tanquary and her husband, Bob of Carmela, California; three brothers: Bill Sweeney and his wife, Betty of Cozad, Paul Sweeney and his wife, LaDonna of Phoenix, Arizona and Harold Sweeney and his wife, Beverly of Cozad; brother-in-law, Don Turner of New Plymouth, Idaho; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Besides his wife, Doris he was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Jim; two brothers: Ray Sweeney and his wife, Dorothy and Howard Sweeney and his wife, Joy; brothers-in-law: Jesse Foster and Milton Adams and his wife, Zola and sister-in-law, Wilma Turner.

Ernie will lie in state at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege on Wednesday, January 5, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. with the family greeting from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

A memorial has been established in his memory and kindly suggested to the Salvation Army.

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.