Home For Sale: 1102 Stephens Ave.

Dorchester's real estate market remains strong. This despite that cheap lending money -- following years of federal money printing and massive government spending -- is long gone. You can count on interest rates remaining high due to the uncontrollable debt unleashed during the COVID-19 years.

While homes in large cities and rural properties have become unaffordable for the average buyer, Dorchester looks even more appealing to many. Consider what our community has to offer:

• STREET IMPROVEMENTS: Village leaders have paved many more blocks in recent months and more street improvements are planned.
  
  
• POTENTIAL FOR MORE BUSINESSES: Due to its strategic location and available commercial buildings, Dorchester could see an increase in more small businesses over the next few years with the right leadership.
  
  
• TOP-NOTCH SCHOOL: A newer K-12 school with smaller class sizes and some of the state's best educators. This means individualized attention for your child.

• A SAFE COMMUNITY: With an upgraded water and sewer system.

• LOWER COSTS: Affordable living costs with lower property taxes compared to surrounding school districts.

• KEY BUSINESSES AND PRIME LOCATION: Headquarters for one of the nation's largest agri-businesses (Farmers Cooperative) and situated on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line and along two major highways.

• GEOGRAPHIC ADVANTAGE: A quick drive to employers in Crete, Milford, Friend, and Seward. Just 30 minutes to Lincoln and 12 minutes to I-80. Yet all the advantages of a small, close-knit community.

Here's a Dorchester home that just hit the market:

1102 Stephens Ave.: Beautifully maintained three-bedroom, two-bath home with a two-stall attached garage. This property offers outstanding curb appeal with landscaping, including two established magnolia trees, colorful perennial flower beds, and a row of mature pine trees along the north side for added privacy and year-round beauty. Inside, you'll find brand-new carpet installed throughout the entire home in June 2026. Built in 1992, the spacious floor plan provides a comfortable living and entertaining space, while the enormous primary bedroom serves as a true retreat with four closets and a private en suite bathroom. Oversized two-stall attached garage measures 23' 9" x 23' x 2" and houses an emergency storm shelter. With attractive updates, abundant storage, and a beautifully landscaped setting, this home is ready for its next owner. Schedule your showing today.

NEWS ROUND-UP: Former Dorchester Grocery, Hardware Buildings For Sale

Former Grocery, Hardware Buildings on Main Street for Sale: If you've ever wanted to own one of Dorchester's main street buildings, now is your chance. There's a "for sale" sign in the window of the Betel Worship Center, with an asking price of $80,000. It's our understanding the building to the north is part of the deal. Modern-day residents will remember the building as home to the Dorchester Grocery -- which closed in 2007 -- and before that Torson's Grocery and Dorchester Hardware, and before that Orv's Grocery. Next door was the West Side Cafe, Virgie's Cafe, and a host of other businesses through the decades. (A century ago, the side-by-side buildings housed Troyer Furniture and Undertaking, as well as Tom Jarrett's Hardware as shown in this photo.)

'Nebraska Farmer' Features Shelly Bruha's Restored Tractor: "Nebraska Farmer" magazine recently published a story on longtime Dorchester area farmer, and now village resident, Shelley Bruha. According to the article, Bruha restored his father's 1946 John Deere GM tractor decades after it left the family. As a young boy, Shelley rode the tractor through a fencerow when he couldn't activate the tightened hand clutch. His father had the clutch rod extended by a local welder to give young Shelley enough leverage. Decades later, Shelley found the tractor rusting under a shade tree on another farm and recognized it by that unique extended hand clutch before bringing the wartime-era machine back into the family. 

Football, Basketball Camps For Kids: Get ready to up your game, kids. Dorchester Public School coaches are offering young players a chance to improve their football game or just learn the basics. On June 22 and 23, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. both days, the Longhorns Youth Football Camp will be held at the game field for students going into the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. There is no cost to attend and attendees can just show up both mornings. Call Coach Zoubek at 402-418-1019 for more information. Then on June 29 and 30, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the school gym, DHS coaches Corey Bird and Brandon Bruha will conduct the Longhorn Basketball Camp for kids going into grades 1-8. Again, no cost to attend. Just show up the mornings of camp. For more, email corey.bird@dorchesterschool.org.

Darlene Gerner Passes at Age 90: Longtime area resident Darlene Libbie Gerner, age 90, of Milford, passed away on June 13. Born on March 29, 1936, in Crete to Edward and Libbie Nerud, Darlene had a genuine character and quiet courage that has left an everlasting mark on her family, friends, and all that knew her. Read the full obituary here. Services are Saturday, June 20, at 10:30 a.m. at the Pleasant Dale United Methodist Church with lunch to follow at the Pleasant Dale Legion Hall. Graveside service at 1:30 p.m. at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery, rural Dorchester. Read the full obituary.

Dorchester's Fourth Of July Schedule: America At 250!

The Times is sharing Dorchester's Independence Day schedule in hopes that many from across southeast Nebraska will be able to experience one of the best small-town Fourth of July celebrations in the state. (Feel free to print this schedule for your use.)

Dorchester's July 4th celebration is an annual tradition that draws folks from near and far, including residents from neighboring communities, friends, family, and alumni from across the country. You'll find plenty of things to do in Dorchester on Independence Day, without the hurried crowds of larger communities. (Keep updated on the weather forecast.)

Of course, the highlight comes after dark with the famous fireworks show, which has been delighting crowds for three decades.  

✭✭✭ Dorchester's Fourth of July Celebration ✭✭✭

2026 Schedule of Events for Saturday, July 4

 

All Day ......... Dorchester splash pad/water park open (no charge) 

 

10 a.m. ......... Saline County Museum open until 5 p.m. (free of charge)

11 a.m. ......... Sons of American Legion Sirloin Steak Sandwich "Freedom Feast" @ Legion (until 2 p.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m.)

11 a.m. ......... Auxiliary/Jr. Auxiliary Pie, Ice Cream Social/Raffle @ Legion (until 2 p.m.)

1 p.m. ........... Show and Shine at Museum (antique tractors, classic autos)

2 p.m. ........... Bingo by Legion Auxiliary @ Community Building

 

3 p.m. .......... Buttercup 4-H Bake Sale @ City Park (until 5 p.m.)

3 p.m. ........... Kids' games @ Dorchester City Park until 5 p.m.

3 p.m. ........... Buttercup 4-H bake sale @ City Park until 5 p.m.

4 p.m. ........... Lil' Red Draggin' Kids' Tractor Pull. South of City Park on 7th St. (Registration begins at 3:30 p.m. Participants must register.)

7 p.m. ..... Parade (Line-up begins at 6:30 p.m. at Co-op parking lot near elevator on Depot St. Bring a description of your entry. Email pegbergmeyer@yahoo.com for more details.)

10 p.m. ....... The Big Show: Fireworks at Nerud Field.

✴✴✴✴✴

See this website for more details.

Dorchester's 4th of July celebration depends on private financial support. Dorchester area residents and friends of Dorchester are encouraged to send their donations, payable to "July 4th Celebration," to: 

First State Bank Nebraska
July 4th Celebration
P.O. Box 264
Dorchester, NE 68343

NEWS ROUND-UP: Dorchester Receives Splash Pad Improvement Funds

(Photo: Sharon Axline) 

Dorchester Receives Splash Pad Improvement Funds: According to credible sources, the Village of Dorchester has received a grant from the Farmers' Cooperative Grant Program. A grant of $1,000, along with a matching grant from Land O' Lakes of $1,000, was provided to the village for improvements at the city park splash pad. Pictured with the village employees are members of Dorchester's Youth Action Committee (YAC),  who will be working with the village employees on park improvement projects. For those who don't recall, the Dorchester water park was completed seven years ago, in the summer of 2019, following a large fundraising drive by the Dorchester Community Foundation Fund.

Dorchester's Kathy Palky Passes: Rural Dorchester's Kathleen Ann Palky, age 83, passed away peacefully on June 7, 2026, in Lincoln. Services will be held on Saturday, July 11, at 10:30 a.m. at the Dorchester United Methodist Church. Visitation will be Friday, July 10, from 5 - 7 p.m. at Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete. A more detailed obituary will follow. Arrangements entrusted to Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete.

Former DHS Standout Vern Johnson Passes: Dorchester alumnus and former Longhorn athlete Vern L. Johnson passed away June 8, 2026 in Geneva at the age of 85. Vern grew up in Dorchester and graduated from DHS in 1960. A gifted athlete, he excelled in football, basketball, and track, earning numerous all-conference honors and All-State recognition in football. Around 1956, while still a teenager, Vern was asked to help organize what became the SFS Baseball League. At just 16 years old, he began coaching alongside Mike Nerud and later coached on his own. Over the next 35 years, he coached baseball teams in Dorchester, Friend, Fairmont, and Geneva, impacting generations of young athletes. Read the full obituary.

Dorchester's Blake Hansen Featured in UNL Publication: DHS alum and recent University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate Blake Hansen has been spotlighted in UNL's "Nebraska Today" online magazine. Hansen, the third generation in his family to attend the university for ag economics, served as president of the Tractor Restoration Club and a teaching assistant in agronomy and horticulture. He received the Holling Family Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Assistant Award and was honored with the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Award. Hansen graduated on May 9 with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics and agronomy, both with high distinction, and minors in agricultural systems technology and agribusiness. He has also returned to his family farm.

Looking Back: Freidell Photos Captured Dorchester More Than A Century Ago

Every now and again, we come across old photos of the Dorchester area that will take all of our readers back to a time that no one alive today can remember. But we can all imagine what it was like thanks to the imagery.

Today we wanted to share a few such photos taken by Dorchester's early photographer Russell Freidell.

Russell Freidell was the son of William Freidell, the well-known dry goods store owner and retailer who ran his business in Dorchester for more than 50 years. The Freidells resided in a beautiful Victorian home on the corner of Washington Avenue and 10th St. (The historical home was renovated in the late 1990s and today it looks nothing as it once did.)

The Freidells' dry goods business also managed to survive an 1896 fire that destroyed a portion of Dorchester's business district, when most of the buildings were made of wood.

In 1890, William Freidell was a key decision-maker in the construction of the community's first dedicated high school, which cost $10,000. That same year, Russell was born.

Seventeen years later, Russell was a proud 1907 graduate of Dorchester High School. 

In addition to his Sunday School service and work with the Masons, he would also go on to become known for his photography.

Russell was drafted during World War I, and he was around Dorchester as late as the 1940s. 

Russell lived to age 97 and was buried in Houston, Texas in 1987. Nearly 120 years after his high school graduation, we're still talking about his photos. 

All of his images are worth a long look, whether it was the 1908 photo that Freidell took of the Big Blue River north of town or images of an area country road, with no road signs and certainly no wider than the width of a Model T or a horse-drawn carriage. (Click on any photo here for a better view.)

One of our favorite Freidell photos shows Dorchester's Independence Day in 1908 (pictured atop this story). It gives viewers a front-row seat at the village's celebrated Fourth of July parade, which continues to this day. The theme of Dorchester's 1908 Fourth of July Parade was "Comic Parade."

Another favorite photograph by Freidell illustrates a clear, crisp view of the 1909 Dorchester baseball team. Back then, games were often played south of town in the space now occupied by the Saline County Museum, or in a cow pasture northwest of town called Grant Horner's pasture. Yet another location was Bankson's pasture, just on the outskirts of Dorchester. Most games were played during free time on Sundays, according to old-timers quoted in the Dorchester Centennial history book.

Freidell's postcards are occasionally available for purchase online and make a fine gift for any Dorchester native or resident who enjoys studying our area's history.