Pulled Pork BBQ Set For This Sunday, Nov. 2

It's autumn. That means it's time for a tasty annual tradition in Dorchester.

Everyone is invited to the Dorchester United Methodist Church’s annual pulled pork BBQ set for this Sunday, Nov. 2.

All area residents are encouraged to attend the event at 612 Lincoln Ave.

Activities will begin with worship services at 9:30 a.m. Then lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Lunch will feature pulled pork sandwiches along with homemade coleslaw, scalloped potatoes, pork and beans, and desserts. 

This is a free-will offering.

You can eat inside the church and catch up with friends and family. Or drive up for to-go orders.

All Times' readers are encouraged to enjoy this community activity.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Block by Block, Dorchester Is Adding More Paved Streets

More Street Paving Underway: For anyone who hasn't driving through Main Street Dorchester in recent weeks, the signs of street paving are everywhere -- or at least on 6th, 8th, 10th, and 11th Streets east of Washington Ave. The paving is part of the village's long-term street improvement plan and follows last year's resurfacing of main street -- marking the first resurfacing in three decades -- and paving of the streets surrounding the city park and water park. Stay tuned for more paving in the near future.

DHS Volleyball Concludes Regular Season: The Dorchester Lady Longhorns have wrapped up the regular season, finishing 12-16 as post-season play begins. The Orange and Black Attack faced stiff competition in the home stretch of their season, taking on teams like Osceola (21-8), BDS (19-10), and Cross County (23-8). DHS lost nine of their last 12 contests, including three of four at the CRC Tournament in York. The Lady Longhorns now prepare for sub-districts at Shickley where they take on Nebraska Lutheran (10-18) on Monday, Oct. 27, at 4:30 p.m. Winner goes on, while the season ends for the loser.

DHS Football Ends Season At 2-6: The Dorchester High School football team has wrapped up another year on the gridiron. The Longhorns fell to Meridian 21-47 on a cool, raining Friday evening, Oct. 24, at Nerud Field. With a 2-6 record, DHS can look to the future with a talent crop of young players coming up through the ranks. This year's Dorchester Junior High football team went undefeated.

Dorchester's World Series Connection: Dorchester has strong family ties to this year's World Series. One of the star pitchers for the Toronto Bluejays, Kevin Gausman, traces his family roots back to Dorchester. His grandfather, Clarence, and father, Clair, were both athletes at Dorchester. Kevin Gausman has previously played in MLB for the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the first round (fourth overall) in 2012 after playing for Louisiana State University. He has pitched in the majors for more than a dozen years. See our 2014 story on Kevin's Dorchester connection.

Dorchester's John Potter Passes At Age 90

John Paul Potter was born on June 23, 1935, at the Warren Memorial Hospital in
Friend, Nebraska to J. Owen and Eleanor (Asmus) Potter. The oldest of three siblings, he and his brother David spent many days adventuring around Turkey Creek and the Potter farm, south of Dorchester.

John graduated from Dorchester High School and attended Doane College for a short time.  He married Betty Ann Bosak in the Dorchester Methodist Church on September 7, 1957. He was drafted to the Army and stationed in Germany, where Betty joined him during his service. He was drafted November 25, 1958, and was honorably discharged February 17, 1961.

John and Betty made their home in Dorchester, Nebraska. John worked at the Dorchester Co-Op Elevator.  In September 1965, they welcomed a daughter, Cara to their home. In August 1967, a son, John David was born. The family moved to David City, where they made their home for more than 20 years. 

John spent his professional life owning or working for agricultural chemical and equipment companies. This brought travel to many local coffee shops and elevators across Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri.  In 2000, he and Betty moved from Missouri to the family farm south of Dorchester.  There, he enjoyed gardening – garlic specifically, and he was the host of many popular “garlic festivals” held at the farm.  John was a gifted woodworker, making many items for the Church auction, and in the years after Betty passed, he became a vineyard manager, growing cold-hearty grapes on the farm.  He hired numerous local youth organizations and school groups to help harvest, and the grapes were made to wine and sold under the Pour House label in Friend.  

John renewed his friendship with Chere Williams and together they spent eighteen years as companions, taking various trips, visiting family, making trips to Costco and embarking on joint projects at their home in Friend. He maintained his love of making wine and baking bread until the last years of his life.  Sharing wine and bread with those he loved brought him great joy.

Family helped celebrate John’s 90th birthday with a wine toast. He was able to make his final “toddy time” toast with his daughter to celebrate her 60th. John passed away a month later October 17, 2025, in hospice care at Tabitha Elizabeth House in Lincoln, Nebraska. He had been fighting metastatic lung cancer like the determined man he’d always been.  

John was a man of strong opinions and faith. He had some who loved him, many friends and a few that tolerated him on occasion. That mix was just fine for him, and he lived 90 years happily and with a zest for life. In his later years, that opinion softened and spirited discussion and political debate melted to stories of happy times, things he was grateful for and expression of love to those close to him. He found joy in watching the neighbor’s kids, love in all pets, even a squirrel he named Peanut, and deep appreciation for his family and friends.

John was cremated and will be laid to rest next to his wife Betty, in Dorchester. He is survived by his “Lady” Chere Williams, daughter Carey and partner Dan VonMoos, son Jack, grandchildren, Joe, Kait and Jake, his “Seester” Ann Phipps, in-laws Larry and Jean Bosak and his favorite cousin Pat Rhoads; many nieces, a nephew, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, brother and father and mother in-law Frank and Clara Bosak. There will be no public services.

Dorchester's Spookiest Places

 

Halloween is fast approaching -- which brings us to this annual tradition.

Back in 2007, the Times started publishing reports on the Dorchester area's haunted places. Here's an update on the latest reports regarding our area's spooky spots.

Gilbert's Graveyard: The most famous of Dorchester's "haunted places," Gilbert's Cemetery -- the final resting place of the family of John W. Gilbert -- continues to draw attention from inside and outside Saline County. (There's even this video of some brave souls who went into the graveyard at night for electronic readings.) Click here to see some of the stories left about Gilbert's Cemetery on a site called "Haunted Places."  Another report on the pioneer cemetery came from a website called  "Hauntings" (no longer active), which featured a "pre-haunt interview with the locals" in Dorchester. The site recounts some of the history behind Gilbert's Graveyard and its namesake, using historical accounts published by this blog and the 1981 Dorchester Centennial book. As Hauntings reported, "a number of strange events have been reported here. Among them, strange noises and the movement of tombstones. ... Sadly, this location has been host to vandalism and disrespect for some of the area's earliest pioneers. If you plan to visit this location, think on how you would want your remains and the stone markers of your final resting place treated."

The website also featured firsthand accounts from those who have visited the cemetery. One visitor named Chris wrote the following: 

"The first trip we had made (to Gilbert's Graveyard) I ended up in tears; just the feeling of being there was enough to make you sick. We started to drive through the graveyard, and someone pointed at a tree that was knocked down over a grave, and when I looked over there I saw a black fog coming up from the grave, we decided to leave. As we left the graveyard, we looked over to the graveyard and about nine-plus flashing lights came up from the graveyard and seemed to follow us. I was the driver and I looked in my rear view mirror to be horrified to see a older lady staring at me in the mirror, then scream and then I began to cry uncontrollably. I stepped on that gas and swore I would never return. But consequently we did, and the second time it was more calmer then the first, not much happened except for hearing footsteps in the distant, and the feeling of you being followed closely."

Former 'Squeaky Bridge': According to GhostsOfAmerica.com, the site of the former ''squeaky bridge'' over Turkey Creek, south of Dorchester, is "extremely haunted" (County Rd. 1500 between county roads G and H). "According to legend several men were hanged on the bridge, which was closed and removed in or around 1994. However the ghosts still appear on a routine basis at night. They are transparent figures hanging by a noose right where the bridge once stood. Some have said the hanged men will occasionally look up and stare at observers."

Specter of Highway 33: For years, we've heard reports of a "man" who supposedly walks on Highway 33 as you near the west edge of Crete. People have reported seeing him on the road, or just off to the side, and swerve to miss him.  When they look back, he is gone. The Times has investigated the story further. Some say the apparition is that of a Dorchester lad who died decades ago in a very bad accident a mile west of Crete. Others say it is the ghost of an Oregon Trail pioneer who lost his way and died on the journey.  

Second Floor Above the Village Office:  According to GhostsOfAmerica.com, "there have been many reports of figures or shapes moving around in the second floor of the village office building" on main street Dorchester. The website claims to have a picture of the ghostly figure taken with a cell phone in 2009.

Dorchester School Boiler Room: We can confirm that the boiler room of the 1927 Dorchester School building is no longer haunted, if it ever was. The old school building was torn down in 2008 to make room for the current DPS campus. But when it existed, there were reports that in the late 1920s a child "locked himself in the boiler room and died." According to the old stories, school janitors in the modern era sometimes heard yells coming from the boiler room during the night -- and "when they went down into the boiler room, they didn't find anyone." So convincing were the reports that the Lincoln Journal Star in 2006 wrote a story on the the old boiler room. The story quotes former school secretary Joyce Karl and former custodians Ron Sehnert and Sharri Kasl, who said: "I never go down there in the mornings if I’m ever here by myself." Another publication ranked the Dorchester boiler room the second-most haunted site in Nebraska.

Doane College Library: Doane College's old library seems to be haunted by a woman in a white dress, according to some reports. On a full moon, she will appear in front of one of the windows. She has been reported to roam about the basement as well.

Emil Veprosky Passes At 96; Services Thursday

Emil Anton Veprovsky was born Sept. 1, 1930, to John and Rose (Kasal), on a farm east of Dorchester, known as the Luzum farm.

He attended school in District 43 (kindergarten through 8th grade), where he learned to speak English, and then went to Dorchester Public School. At the age of 16, he stayed home and helped on the family farm.

The family moved to a different location near Dorchester until they finally settled on the place that would become their home place. A farm that was located five miles south of Dorchester was purchased by his dad in 1948. They moved onto the property, a large, tall farmhouse from about 8 miles away, in 1956. Emil helped with building the basement walls and setting the house on the sturdy foundation.

In 1950, Emil joined the National Guard. Drafted for active duty from Feb. 26, 1953, to Feb. 11, 1955, he completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, then trained as an Engineering Foreman at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. He later served in Korea and Japan before returning to the U.S., where he was stationed in Seattle, Washington, and Fort Carson, Colorado. Though released from active duty, Emil continued in the Army Reserve for several years.

Emil met the love of his life, Shirley Eret, at the Sunset Dance Hall in Emerald. They were married June 5, 1960, and lived a half-mile south of Pleasant Hill for five years. They then moved to their permanent home, which was the home place. Here, he made the home place a prosperous farm. He raised cattle, hogs, chickens, crops, and continued to upgrade his equipment.

His family was very important to him. He and Shirley raised three children, and Emil instilled a good work ethic. He worked very hard to provide for his family. When Shirley wanted a milk cow, he went out and found one. When she wanted to raise chickens, he set up a chicken house for baby chicks and a chicken house for hens to lay eggs. He helped her start a garden and plant potatoes on Good Friday, and he remodeled the house. He drove the school bus for the Dorchester school for a few years to help out with expenses. 

There were times for enjoyment as well; he took his family on summer vacations. He was a member of the Dorchester American Legion. He received a quilt of Valor in May 2022 and was Veteran of the Month in May 2025. He also was a long-time member of the WFLA Lodge Tabor Hall, where he spent many nights with other members remodeling and repairing the hall so Tabor could be re-opened to the public. Emil held the office of president at Tabor for many years and spent many weekends working the events at the hall.

The love for farming continued, and he put many long hours on the tractor even into his elderly age. At 94 years old, he was still driving tractors, cutting hay, feeding cattle, and driving grain trucks. He was always willing to try new things, even if he was skeptical. He used to say that he started by planting with a team of horses. He ended by using GPS. (Although he wasn’t really fond of it. He was certain he planted straighter rows without it.) However, over time, his body started wearing out, and he became ill. Despite battling illness for over a year, one of his last goals was to go out to cut hay one more time. His last farm duty was cutting 78 acres of alfalfa in the 2025 season.  When he felt well enough, he continued to enjoy rides out to the field. Eventually, on Oct. 18, 2025, his fight ended when he passed away at Bryan East in Lincoln.

Left to cherish his memory are his son, Gary (Penny) Veprovsky, his daughter, Karen Chadwick, his son and daughter-in-law, Kevin & Lisa Veprovsky, all from Dorchester. Sister-in-law, Bonnie Eret, brothers & sisters in law: Frank & Judy Eret, Richard and Vicki Kuzelka. Grandchildren: Joshua (Amber) Mackeprang, Melanie, and Shelby. 4 step grandchildren, many great grandchildren, nieces & nephews.

Emil is preceded in death by his parents, sisters & brother in laws, Rosie (Orin) Duchek and Jarmila (Arnest) Dvorak.

Services will be held Oct. 23, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete. Visitation will be on Wednesday from 6 - 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Arrangements entrusted to Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete. Memorials have been designated to the Dorchester Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. 

Looking Back: Pleasant Hill One Of Nebraska's Most Notable Ghost Towns

 

In 2019, the Lincoln Journal Star published a list of 15 famous Nebraska ghost towns.  

Saline County's Pleasant Hill made the list. 

This is a big deal considering Nebraska once had more than 1,100 towns -- many more than today's roughly 530 cities and villages. So the Cornhusker State has its share of ghost towns.

Sometimes referred to as Dorchester's sister community, Pleasant Hill replaced Swan City as the county seat following an 1871 countywide vote. (Dorchester had also been in the running to become the county seat.)

"Already the county's biggest and most prosperous town after its platting in 1867, with a state-of-the-art mill and at least one store, its offer of land and cash for a courthouse no doubt encouraged voters," the Journal Star reported.

The newspaper continued with its report: 

"Within a couple years, though, Crete and Wilber had grown and sought to claim the courthouse as their own. State law required them to wait five years before bring the matter to a vote. Like its successor, Pleasant Hill finished last in a tight election won by Wilber, where the courthouse remains to this day.

"Getting the county records from Pleasant Hill, however, wasn't a given. It took 160 wagon teams and 300 people projecting force from Wilber before the papers were handed over.

"Like many other towns, its demise was sealed when the railroad by passed the former county seat. That first courthouse, used first as a poor house and then as a community hall, burned down prior to World War I. The final straw, though, was the fire that destroyed the mill in 1930."

Read the Times' 2008 article on Pleasant Hill's history here.

Dorchester's Sandy Klein Passes; Services Oct. 22

Dorchester's Sandra “Sandy” Kay Klein, 73, passed away peacefully on October 10, 2025. She was born on August 23, 1952, in Nebraska City to Alvin and Bertha Velder.

Sandy grew up in a large, loving family and spent nearly all her life in Dorchester, where she built a home filled with warmth, laughter, and love. Her happiest moments were spent with her granddaughters, Brooke, and Brittney, who were truly the center of her world. She cared for them, encouraged them, and treasured every moment they shared together.

Sandy married the love of her life, Roger Klein, and together they shared a lifetime of love and devotion. She is survived by Roger; her daughter Rhonda (Bob) Zoubek; and granddaughters Brooke and Brittney Zoubek, all of Dorchester, Nebraska.

She is also survived by her siblings: Pat Wiles (late husband Don), Charlene (Richard) Neal, Karen Briggs (late husband Larry), Gerry (Sara) Velder, Roseanne (Dean) Rasmussen, Ron (Nancy) Velder, Bill (Diane) Velder, and Kay (Ronald) Mahaffie; along with many nieces, nephews, and dear friends who loved her deeply.

Sandy was preceded in death by her parents, Alvin and Bertha Velder; brothers Kenny Velder and Tom Velder (wife Deb); and sister Betty Good.

For much of her life, Sandy bravely battled multiple sclerosis, yet she faced each day with remarkable strength, grace, and humor. Her wheelchair, lovingly referred to as her “Cadillac,” gave her the freedom to keep living life to the fullest. She never complained and always found a reason to smile.

Sandy will be remembered for her kind heart, her honesty, and her unshakable positivity. She loved Husker Volleyball, the Hallmark Channel, and spending time sewing special projects for those she loved.

Memorials will be determined by the family at a later date.

Graveside Services: Wednesday, October 22, 10:30 a.m. at the Dorchester 
Cemetery.

Everyone is invited to join the family for lunch following the Graveside Services at the 
American Legion building in Dorchester. 

The online obituary is available here.

Gold Fever Struck Our Area 130 Years Ago

Gold is currently fetching around $4,000 an once -- up from $2,350 in summer 2024 and $1,850 at the beginning of last year. Some critics of the federal government's fiscal policy say gold could soon go for $5,000 an ounce as the U.S. debt, and the debts of most other nations, soars and fiat currencies become worth less.

Is it time to start panning Nebraska rivers and creeks for the yellow metal?  

There are folks who believe you should try. Watch this video by a guy who touts a successful prospecting trip near the Niobrara River. 

Gold has been found in western in rivers that flow from Colorado and Wyoming. Gold in the eastern part of Nebraska has been found in the glacial gold sources around the Nebraska-Missouri border, where it has been trapped, sliding and settling in the flatland.  

Nebraska isn't exactly California 1849, but experts say there's still gold to be found here, even in areas like Saline County. In the 1890s, there was a short-lived gold rush in the Dorchester area, believe it or not.

This week 130 years ago, the Oct. 7, 1895 edition of The New York Times reported: "A raging gold fever has settled down on this section of country over a startling discovery" of gold just north of Dorchester.

According to the publication, the primary source of speculation was a gravel pit near Milford, said to be "rich in gold dust." The pit had been used by Burlington Railway in the construction and upgrade of its rail system.

The Times noted that there was "great excitement in the vicinity of the reputed find" and that speculation was active. 

If you're too skeptical to go panning for gold on the West Fork or Turkey Creek, just take the advice of another YouTube star: Look for buried treasure in old outhouses. Or try looking in one of these five areas where ample gold can still be found.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Stand By For Fall Colors

Stand By for Fall Colors: Forget New England. The other "NE" -- Nebraska -- will have the most vibrant fall colors this year, according to AccuWeather's 2025 fall foliage forecast. Plan some of the best fall color viewing sites include Indian Cave and Ponca state parks, writes the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

DHS Volleyball Drops Below .500: Early October means high school sports are entering the final stretch before state tournament play. Dorchester High School volleyball lost three games to begin this month as the Lady Longhorns have dropped below .500 for the season at 9-10. The Orange and Black Attack have a good chance to earn back some wins with only five regular season games left, including a triangular at Twin River (Genoa and Silver Creek) this Thursday.

Longhorn Football Seeks Third Win: After a 47-0 victory over Harvard on Sept. 26 and a tough 12-66 loss to Silver Lake last Friday, DHS will travel to Diller-Odell (1-4) this Friday, Oct. 10. With some solid play and good health, Dorchester could finish the regular season at .500, according to computer projections   

City Slickers Still Closed With No Answers: City Slickers Bar and Grill -- loved by area residents for more than a dozen years -- has been closed for more than two weeks, since Aug. 1. For the sake of our community and area residents and future of main street, it's time for some clarity. If there are financial issues, we're betting the area community would pull through to support fund raisers. Whatever the case, Dorchester wants to see that spot utilized for the benefit of our community.

Whooping Cough Cases Spike: Whooping cough cases are on the rise in the United States and Nebraska, according to Saline County's Public Health Solutions. Community members are urged to take precautions against the disease, which can be severe and potentially life-threatening for infants and young children. Some health officials have linked the rise to waning immunity from vaccines and potentially decreased vaccination rates. Read more.

Saline County's Pro Baseball Scout: The Flatwater Free Press has published a piece on Friend's Thad Weber -- "a globetrotting professional baseball scout" who's now in his eighth year with the Chicago Cubs and fourth year "trekking to Asia" in his search for who has enough talent for the majors. Read the article.

Beware of Local Journalism's Political Bias: We are disturbed to see the Crete News' soft endorsement of a local progressive (i.e. "liberal") running for the state legislature in 2026. While there are likely personal relationships that are fueling the newspaper's coverage of this candidate, fair and balanced coverage is to be expected, especially at a time when government needs to shrink. (There is a conservative candidate in the race for the Legislative District 32 race.) We are hopeful this favoritism will be corrected by the publisher and that activist journalism won't win the day. 

Boiling Point Over Property Tax Hikes: The Tax Foundation's latest rankings has pegged Nebraska as fourth worst in the U.S. for property tax burden, behind only Illinois, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Property owners in Saline County recently received notices -- thanks to Nebraska’s Truth-in-Taxation law -- that their local governments (school districts and counties) are proposing significant property tax increases as much as 15% to 20% or more. It's a shame. Local governments are spending the property valuation increases instead of lowering levy rates to offset valuations. State government is forced to live within its means -- that is, the income and sales tax revenue. But local governments have a printing press called property taxes, whether its valuations or the levy imposed -- and this broken system has to end. Local elected officials (school board members and county commissioners) must realize they don't have to spend more every year, and that cutting spending is not only OK, but healthy.

October is Food Truck Season: Dorchester's main street (Washington Ave.) will be hopping in October, as cooler temps and farmers hauling grain will mean more food trucks. Here's a look at this month's food truck schedule, as published by Village government:

• Billie's Grilled Cheese: Monday, Oct. 6 (10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.)
• Daylight Donuts: Tuesday, Oct. 7 (7-10 a.m. or until sold out)
• Amigos: Monday, Oct. 13 (11:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.)
• KennaBell's BBQ: Monday, Oct. 20 (11 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 4-7 p.m.)
• Amigos: Monday, Oct. 27 (11:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.)
• Billie's Grilled Cheese: Monday, Nov. 3 (10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 4:30 - 7:30 p.m.)