Leland E Thorell

Funeral services for Leland E. Thorell will be conducted from the Trinity Evangelical Free Church in Holdrege, Nebraska on Saturday, February 12, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. with Mr. Wayne Carlson and Pastor Murray Jones, officiating. Interment will be held at the Moses Hill Cemetery in Phelps County, Nebraska.

Leland Edison Thorell, 79 years of age, of Holdrege, passed away on February 8, 2011 at the Christian Homes Care Community in Holdrege. Leland was born on September 24, 1931 on a farm 2 ½ miles east of Loomis, Nebraska, the youngest of two sons born to Carl W. and Olga (Sunblade) Thorell. When Leland was four years old the family moved into Loomis. Leland was confirmed at the Loomis Evangelical Free Church. He attended Loomis Public School and graduated from the Loomis High School with the class of 1949. During his high school career, Leland enjoyed a variety of sports including Football, Basketball and Baseball. He then pursued higher education at Kearney State College, where he played on the basketball team.

While in college, Leland met Shirley Cyriacks from Gothenburg, Nebraska and on August 4, 1950 they were united in marriage. To this union four daughters were born: Linda, Karen, Diane and Leann. The couple resided in Loomis for a short time before engaging in farming and ranching in Custer County north of Gothenburg for six years. In 1952, Leland contracted polio and was treated for several months at the St. Francis Hospital in Grand Island, Nebraska before returning to the farm north of Gothenburg. In 1958, the family moved to a farm southeast of Loomis, where they continued to farm and ranch and Leland also began to sell insurance with his father in the Carl W. Thorell Insurance Agency. In 1962, Leland and Shirley moved to Holdrege, where Leland developed his own insurance and real estate business, Thorell Insurance and Real Estate. During this time, Leland also clerked sales for area auctioneers. Even though Leland stopped farming due to health reasons in 1967, he continued to raise cattle until his retirement.

Leland was a member of Trinity Evangelical Free Church, where he served on the church board. Leland was also active with 4-H and served many years on the Phelps County Fair Board, and was a past member of the Board of Directors at the First Security Bank in Holdrege.

Leland's interests were gun collecting, his cattle and the pasture. Most of all, Leland enjoyed visiting with people. He will be remembered for being genuine, trustworthy, and very generous. He went out of his way to help others. A man of integrity, he had a hard work ethic, a lively (ornery) sense of humor, was friendly to all and always greeted people with a firm handshake.

Besides his parents, Leland was preceded in death by his son-in-law, Don Scripter; brother, Darrell Thorell; and sister-in-law, Ruby Quitmeyer and her husband, Marvin.

He leaves to mourn his passing his wife of 60 years, Shirley of Holdrege; four daughters: Linda Miller and her husband, Phil of Bellevue, Nebraska, Karen Swartz and her husband, Jim of Columbus, Nebraska, Diane Scripter of rural Holdrege, and Leann Hock and her husband, Tim of Bertrand, Nebraska; nine grandchildren: Valerie Luster and her husband, Troy of Germantown, Maryland, Eric Miller and his wife, Heather of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Kevin Swartz of Lincoln, Nebraska, Brooke Scripter of Kearney, Nebraska, Brenda Scripter of rural Holdrege, Letty Graff and her husband, James of Fort Morgan, Colorado, Tracy Hock of Kearney, Tertia Cain and her husband, Michael of Fort Morgan, and Laura Hock of Lincoln; seven great-grandchildren: Evelyn and Julia Luster, Hannah, Simon, Jacob, and Rachel Graff and Lynden Cain; sister-in-law, Marie Thorell of Loomis; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

A memorial has been established and will be designated at a later date.

Visitation will be held on Friday, February 11, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with the family greeting from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege.

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.