NORTH LOUP - Cecil F. Severance, 93, of North Loup died Sunday, March 28, 2004, at Valley County Nursing Home in Ord. Services will be at 2 p.m. on Friday at the North Loup Seventh Day Baptist Church in North Loup. The Rev. Christian Mattison will officiate. Burial will be in the Hillside Cemetery at North Loup. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Ord Memorial Chapel.
Cecil was born Dec. 25, 1910, at Grand Island to Carl and Corabelle (Whitney) Severance. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Beth.
Survivors include his wife, Bonnie Severance; five sons and four daughters-in-law, Brice and Carol Severance of North Loup, Cletus and Shari Severance of Brighton, Colo., Keith and Lynne Severance of Longmont, Colo., Galen Severance of Glendale, Ariz., and Christopher and Stacy Severance of Longmont, Colo.; two daughters and sons-in-law, Katherine and Bernard Dutcher of North Loup, Shirley and Ron Cargill of Scotia; three stepsons and stepdaughters-in-law, Dr. Bernie and Deb Keown of Ord, Terry and Carol Keown of Prescott, Ariz., and Tom and Joan Keown of Whiting, Iowa; a stepdaughter and stepson-in-law, Colleen and Bob Reichert of Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Survivors also include 24 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. Cecil grew up in Grand Island, where he also received his education. In 1926 he moved with his father to Arkansas. In Arkansas he worked at a sawmill until moving to New Jersey, where he worked in produce for a summer. He returned to Nebraska, settling in the beautiful North Loup Valley.
Cecil married Beth Williams on November 14, 1936, at North Loup, Nebraska. The couple lived in a farm house between Ord and North Loup. Cecil and Beth had six children. Beth passed away in 1960 of Leukemia.
Cecil later married Bonnie (Babcock) Keown on June 16, 1968, at North Loup, Nebraska. This added four more children to the home and Cecil's family was completed when he and Bonnie had a son of their own.
Cecil worked for W.O. Zannger and other farmers in the North Loup area. He also ran a cream and milk route. He was the janitor for the North Loup Elementary School until retirement in 1983.
Cecil was very active in the Seventh Day Baptist Church of North Loup where he served as a deacon for 64 years. Cecil's most important thing in his life was his faith in God. His life revolved around his family, church, work and his involvement in the Lions Club and Head Start school. He also enjoyed flowers and gardening.
In addition to his first wife, Beth, Cecil was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, Leslie, Leighton, Clifton, Chester; and three sisters, Lillian Marshall, Lucille Keelan, and Mary Severance.
Memorials may be given to the Seventh Day Baptist Church Deacons Fund or the North Loup First Responders.
