Roy W Pearson

Roy W. Pearson of Holdrege, Nebraska, age 91, died Saturday, September 11, 2010 at Phelps Memorial Health Center in Holdrege. Roy was born May 30, 1919 in Fresno, California to Nelse and Eva Pearson. He attended school in Funk, Nebraska and was a 1937 graduate of Holdrege High School. Roy then graduated from Chillicothe Missouri Business College.

In 1942, Roy was united in marriage to Mary Ekberg in Holdrege and to this union two sons were born: James Alan and Roy Michael. Following the death of his wife of 62 years, Roy married Mary L. Stephenson in 2005.

Roy was employed by the Brown-McDonald Company until the National Guard was mobilized for World War II. He served in the United States Army Air Corp from 1940 to 1946 and served in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia in North Africa, France, Belgium and the Island of Sardinia. He attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After returning from the service, Roy purchased an appliance store from the K-K Company. He then formed his own propane gas business, K-K Appliance Company, which he operated for 45 years with seven Nebraska locations. Roy also had a vital interest in agriculture and had operated farms in Phelps County and a ranch in Cherry County.

Roy was active in the community of Holdrege and served on various boards and committees at the state level. Roy was especially dedicated to providing medical services for Holdrege and was a part of the group led by Dick Brown to establish the Phelps Memorial Health Center. He was a member of the Board of Counselors at the University of Nebraska Medical Center with a special interest in the macular degeneration research. He also served as a director of the Nebraska Resources Foundation, Nebraska Corn Marketing Board, Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, executive committee of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources of the University of Nebraska and the Nebraska Liquefied Petrolem Gas Association. His civic participation included serving as a director of the Phelps County Community Foundation, Phelps Memorial Health Center, and the Holdrege Industrial and Development Corporation. Roy was a member of the First Presbyterian Church for over 60 years where he served as a trustee. He was also a member of the Masonic Lodge, Shrine, Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, YMCA, American Legion, Holdrege Country Club and the Elks Lodge.

Survivors include his wife, Mary L. Pearson; son, Roy Michael Pearson, Shreveport, LA; granddaughter, Captain Michelle M. Suberly (Michael), Shreveport, LA; great-granddaughters, Renae, Jessica and Elizabeth Suberly, Shreveport, LA; sister-in-law, Pauline Ekberg Stansfield, Cape Cod, MA; cousin, Delbert Pearson, Holdrege, NE; brother-in-law, Edgar William McElvain (Carolyn), Kearney, NE; sister-in-law, Margaret McElvain Dyer (Daryl), Grinnell, IA; and numerous relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his father, mother, still-born son, his first wife, (Mary Ekberg Pearson) and her parents, Harry and Edna Ekberg, brother-in-law, Kenneth Ekberg, brother-in-law, Robert T. McElvain and sister-in-law, Inez McElvain.

Memorial services will be Wednesday, September 15, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Holdrege, NE. Private family interment with military honors will be at Prairie Home Cemetery at Holdrege, NE.

Visitation will be Tuesday, September 14, 2010 from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home, 401 Burlington Street, Holdrege, NE.

Suggested memorials are Phelps County Community Foundation, Inc., 504 4th Avenue, Holdrege, NE 68949 or University of Nebraska Foundation Eye Research, 2285 So. 67th Street, Ste 200, Omaha, NE 68106.

Memories and condolences may be shared at www.nelsonbauerfh.com or nelsonbauerfh@qwestoffice.net