Rural Dorchester's Vera Jean Havlat Passes May 25

Vera Jean Havlat, daughter of Lad and Selma (Reichel) Vosika, was born in Lincoln on Aug. 11, 1933. She passed away peacefully on May 25, 2024 in Crete.  

Vera attended Saratoga Elementary School, Irving Junior School, and Lincoln High School. She met Robert Havlat at a dance in Emerald. They were married on February 12, 1951. Vera spent her married life helping with the farming and all that it entailed.  She loved to garden and can. She enjoyed cooking and baking for her family.  

Vera was a faithful member of the Methodist Church and received recognition for 75 years of membership. She spent many years in extension clubs and helping with 4-H.  She enjoyed traveling and taking many bus trips around the U.S. In her later years, Vera loved water aerobics and making many new friends.  

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert, son, Steve, parents, brother, Howard and many brothers and sisters in law. Vera is survived by her sons and daughters in law: Robert Jr. and Sandy of Crete, Wayne and Cindy of Dorchester, daughters and son in law: Kathleen Bernadt of Lincoln, Lori and Mike Schmidt of Lincoln, family friend, Linda Lorenz, grandchildren: Travis Havlat and significant other Ariel Filkens, Cara and Sean McCoy, Melissa Bernadt, Jennifer and Chris Saathoff, Crystal and Adam Schaecher, Alicia and Bill Vrtiska, Suzie and Cody Williamson, Nick and Dawn Havlat, Joe and Samantha Havlat, Ashton Kotas, Spencer Kotas, Max and Rebecca Schmidt, John Schmidt, 17 great grandchildren, brother in law, Don Shandera, sister in law, Delores Havlat, and nieces and nephews.  

Services will be held on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. at Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete.  Visitation will be on Tuesday from 5 - 7 p.m. at the funeral home. 

Memorials are in care of the family for future designation in lieu of flowers.  Arrangements entrusted to Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete. See the online obituary.

Lila Pribyl Passes At 82

Dorchester's Lila Mae (Brunkow) Pribyl, daughter of George Frederick and Mabel Fern (McAdams) Brunkow, was born on April 4, 1942 in Fairbury. She departed this life to join her loving husband for a long-awaited polka dance on May 25, 2024 at Tabitha Long Term Care in Crete at the age of 82 years, 1 month and 21 days.

Lila Mae grew up in Fairbury as a young girl before moving with her family to Lincoln, where she graduated from Lincoln High in 1960.  Following graduation, she married Richard Fred Pribyl at East Lincoln Christian Church on June 19, 1960. To this union, three children were born, Mark Scott, Christine Pamela and Allison Luann. Their first home was on an acreage west of Wilber where they lived for a couple of years. They then moved to a farm west of Dorchester, where the children grew up, before moving to the family farm south of Dorchester.  In December 2004, Richard and Lila moved to their new home in the town of Dorchester on the east side of town.  

Even after Lila’s diagnosis of dementia in 2017, she was able to continue living in her home with the help of home health care nurse, Cassandra Andelt. She was a true blessing to Lila and held a special place in Lila’s heart. In January 2020, when her mind would no longer allow her to continue to live at home, Lila moved to Independent Living at Kinship Point in Seward, later transitioning to Assisted Living.  In September 2023, Lila moved to her final earthly home at Tabitha Long Term Care in Crete.

Lila’s family and friends were very near and dear to her heart and brought her so much happiness!  She always loved helping people. She never missed an opportunity to make a meal for family and friends, even if it was on the tailgate of a pickup during planting and harvest time. She enjoyed raising chickens and the grandkids have fond memories of butchering day as that always meant fresh fried chicken for dinner!  Lila loved to bake and garden, and nothing warmed her heart more than sharing her talents with family, neighbors and friends.  Lila also had a beautiful gift of quilting and crocheting.  She loved the smile it brought to people’s faces when she would give away one of her projects…not without a picture for her scrapbook of course!  Many people were able to bear witness to her many talents through her role as a volunteer with the Saline County 4-H program.  She spent many years not only entering projects of her own but also volunteering at the fairgrounds during county fair.  

Various places that Lila worked over the years included a typist clerk for a company in Lincoln, kitchen help at Dorchester Public School, Dietary and housekeeping at Crete Hospital, cleaning the Dorchester Post Office along with various other volunteer jobs.  At home she also enjoyed helping Richard with their farming and milk cow operation.

Lila had a love for collecting genealogy of both her and Richard’s families.  The amount of research and attention to detail in the many books of information she collected was beyond amazing.  She also had a soft spot in her heart for music.  She enjoyed country music and anything by Elvis Presley! Growing up her father would play many hours of polka music on his accordion.  At Sunday family meals, her kids and grandkids would be entertained with polka playing loud and proud for all to enjoy.  Even through her battle with dementia, Lila never lost her love for good polka music and dancing.   

Lila was preceded in death by her loving husband Richard; parents; father-in-law and mother-in-law Fred and Elizabeth Pribyl; sister and brother-in-laws Ethel Fern & Adolph Dudek, Ilene & Dale Sieck, and brother Donald Brunkow; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Chuck and Betty Pribyl.

Those left to cherish her wonderful memories are her son Mark & Diane Pribyl of Dorchester, Nebraska; daughters Chris & Mike Haake of Daykin, Nebraska and Allison Richtarik of Lincoln, Nebraska; grandchildren & great grandchildren Deb & Matt Schwisow and children Erika, Kymber & Grady of Western, Nebraska; Derrick & Megan Haake and children Maddox, Bryant & Harper of Daykin, Nebraska; Codie & Kayla Pribyl of Fairbury, Nebraska; Alyssa Richtarik and Special Friend Trevor Kerns of Lincoln, Nebraska; Haley Tomka & Special Friend Joshua DeJarnett and son Kyan of Lincoln, Nebraska; honorary grandson Cale & Jen Olson and son Waylon of Dorchester, Nebraska; sister-in-laws & brother-in-laws Hilde & Ken Lowery of Longmont,  Colorado; Bob & Mailyn Maas of Kenosha, Wisconsin; Dave & Judy Rollins of Omaha, Nebraska; Pat Owen of Lincoln, Nebraska; along with numerous nieces, nephews, family and friends.  

Services will be held on Saturday, June 1 at 10:30 a.m. at Dorchester United Methodist Church.  Visitation will be on Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete. Memorials are in care of the family for future designation. Arrangements entrusted to Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete. Visit the online obituary.

Memorial Day Services Set For Monday

Memorial Day kicks off the summer season. But let's not forget the reason behind the holiday.

We should all take a significant amount of time this Memorial Day -- Monday, May 27 -- to pay homage to the true meaning of this special day of remembrance.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, between 1775 and 1991, the U.S. military recorded 651,031 battle deaths and 539,054 non-combat deaths, totaling 1.19 million fatalities. From 1980 to 2022, there were more than 10,000 recorded deaths related to military activities.

Dorchester's Memorial Day program is a tradition in our area that we are proud to honor.  It is a heartfelt tribute to our fallen military heroes -- past and present -- who sacrificed their lives to protect our country and its freedoms.  

The Dorchester American Legion will host two Memorial Day services on Monday, May 27. The first at 10 a.m. at the Dorchester Cemetery; and the second at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery at approximately 11 a.m. Boys State representative Owen Vyhnalek will be the speaker.

Lunch follows services at Dorchester Legion Hall on Dorchester's Washington Ave.

In case of rain, please meet at the Dorchester Legion on main street.

Dorchester Alumni Banquet, May 25

On Saturday, May 25, Dorchester alumni -- young and old and in-between -- will gather to recall the good times and celebrate the school that gave them their start.

The 2024 Dorchester Alumni Banquet will be held at the DHS gym.  

Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the banquet will start at 6 p.m.

To register or for more information, call the school at 402-946-2781.

Classes ending in "4" will be honored. May 17 was the RSVP deadline, but spaces may still be available.

Guest speaker will be longtime DPS educator Mrs. Karma Ridpath.

For those who'd like to carry on their conversations beyond the banquet, the Dorchester American Legion has traditionally been open after the banquet. City Slickers and East Side are also options.

For those who cannot attend but would like to contribute to the Dorchester Alumni Association, send donations to: 

Dorchester Alumni Association

P.O. Box 7

Dorchester, NE  68343

NEWS ROUND-UP: Village Water Restrictions Now in Effect

Three 'Horns Headed to State Track Meet: DHS is sending three qualifiers to Omaha for the 2024 State Track and Field Championship. This comes after Bailey Theis placed first in shot put at last week's District D-1 meet in Pawnee City. Amber Kotas placed second in shot put, while Baylor Behrens placed second in the 300 meter hurdles. Impressive performance from these fine athletes.

Elementary Field Day Rescheduled: Due to rainy weather, the DPS Elementary Field Day scheduled for tomorrow, May 13, has been moved to the rain date, which is Tuesday, May 14. Tomorrow will be a regular school day, school officials say.

Village Water Restrictions Now in Effect: While the rain in our area has been plentiful this spring -- so far -- the water aquifers under our feet have a long way to go to refill after punishing drought over the last year and substantial water use for irrigated crops. Dorchester now has water restrictions in effect. Watering of lawns will be restricted. Odd numbered houses will be permitted to water on odd-numbered days; even-numbered homes will be allowed to water on even-numbered days. This will be enforced, we are told.

Dorchester Water Park Open for the Season: Dorchester's area-famous splash pad will be open May 13, weather permitting. Due to the water restriction we have for the town at this time, the daily splash pad hours will be 1-7 p.m. Memorial Weekend, the hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

School Out for the Summer on May 17: Dorchester Public School will conclude another school year this Friday, May 17. Students in kindergarten through 11th grade will be dismissed at 11:30 a.m. Friday. 

Exeter-Milligan and Friend to Consolidate: Exeter-Milligan and Friend Public Schools will consolidate for all activities and academic beginning in August 2025. Read the story.

Four-Way Race for County Commissioner: There are four candidates vying to fill the seat currently held by current County Commissioner Marvin Kohout. Keep in mind the yearly salary for this position is about $40,000 (50% of the county treasurer's pay, according to county minutes). The Crete News has published answers from all four candidates regarding an array of topics. We couldn't help but notice an odd answer from Ray Rohrig of Friend, who said he just recently changed his voter registration to Republican. He told the paper he forgot to switch back to the GOP after temporarily registering to be a Democrat in the late 1970s -- the 1970s! -- even though he "votes and thinks" like a Republican. Later, he lamented that if property taxes are reduced, "other means of revenue would need to be implemented so services today are here tomorrow." Another tax? What does Rohrig have in mind -- a county sales tax? Doesn't sound like a Republican.

24 Longhorns Receive Their Diplomas

The caps, tassles, gowns, and Kleenex were on full display Saturday, May 11.

That's when Dorchester High School will held graduation ceremonies for 24 Longhorn seniors. 

 

Believe it or not, DHS graduated more seniors than Friend, Exeter, and Milligan combined.

Saturday's graduation ceremonies began at 3:35 p.m. in the DHS gym. The class motto was "GPS said it's my turn." The class song was "Don't Blink" by Kenny Chesney. The class colors were gold and white, while the class flower was the white rose.

Here are the members of DHS' Class of 2024:

- Nancy Alcaide

- Victor Alegria Lopez

- Suyapa Armas

- Dusty Banks

- Kayli Carey

- Israel Cornejo

- Andy Drake

- Marcos Gonzalez

- Jacob Hatfield

- Ashton Jirsa

- Quinn Kasl

- Stephanie Korinek

- Amber Kotas

- Victoria Leavitt

- Addison Lehr

- Elsy Loarca

- William Paiz

- Mitzu Real

- Owen Real

- Makayla Schlueter

- Hailey Schweitzer

- Bryer Shaw

- Veronica Tercero

- Madison Theis

Our heartiest of congratulations to DHS' Class of 2024. Make Dorchester proud -- and do all you can to improve our society, economy, and quality of life.

Old Howlett Produce Building Is Torn Down

Dorchester's Howlett Produce Station, under owner Bill Howlett, operated from 1948 to 1968 just south of the city park. Whether you needed feed or eggs, you could find it at Howlett's store.

Even today, you can still find some of the promotional goodies that Bill and his family gave to customers.

The structure that housed Howlett's historic business no longer stands as of this week. It was razed after decades of neglect and disrepair. 

Owner L.J. Barley, owner of Barley Specialties, is making business-related plans for the land where the Howlett building stood.

Readers are welcome to leave their memories in the comment section below. 

Looking Back: The School Buildings Of Dorchester

On May 25, Dorchester High School will welcome back alumni for its annual alumni banquet. And thoughts will quickly turn to the old days.

Did you know that Dorchester is currently on its fifth school building in the past 150-plus years. It's true.

More than 15 years since the construction of the current Dorchester Public School building, we're taking a look at the history of the structures that have housed our community's educational system.

 

1872 School Building

The first term of school taught in Dorchester took place in 1872 at a select school held in the McIntyre family home, which happened to be Dorchester's first house and was located near the present Methodist Church. 

Also in 1872, District No. 44 -- the present school district -- was organized, even though there were only 21 children of school age residing in the district.  

Later that year -- nine years prior to Dorchester's official founding -- nearly $3,000 in bonding authority was approved to build Dorchester's first schoolhouse, which was a two-story building. The first floor of the 1872 school was used for school instruction, while the upper level was used for public meetings and worship services. In fact, it was here that the Dorchester Methodist Church first organized around 1874.

By 1879, more than 100 pupils were enrolled in Dorchester Public School.

 

1890 School Building

By 1883, the town's longest running newspaper, The Dorchester Star, was advocating for the construction of a larger school. 

Six years later, in 1889, district patrons approved $12,000 in bonding authority to build a new school that was built in 1890 (pictured above). What a grand structure it was, sitting where today's gym is located.

During the 1911 school year, Dorchester was formally organized as a K-12 district. The class of 1914 was the first DHS class to graduate from an accredited twelve-grade high school. 

 

1927 School Building

As more area families placed greater importance on education, the 1926 Dorchester school board voted to build a new school -- just 35 years after the completion of the 1890 school building. 

 

The bond election was successful by a two-to-one margin and a new three-story school building was completed in December 1927. It sat where the current DPS Library is. 

 

The DHS Class of 2020 was the first class not to have attended school in the 1927 building.

A large addition to the 1927 school was approved in May 1963 for approximately $300,000. It included the present-day basketball/volleyball gymnasium, cafeteria, hallway classrooms, and music room. 

The 1964 gym and cafeteria are still standing and in use. Both have been renovated in recent years and look as fresh as the rest of the school building, which was built during the summer of 2008 following overwhelming voter approval for a $4.5 million bond issue to construct the new building.