Phelps-Dawson-Buffalo County NeArchives Obituaries.....Junkin, Vaun C. February 8, 2009 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ne/nefiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Danny Gruber danny.gruber@gmail.com June 30, 2010, 4:42 pm Lexington Clipper-Herald Feb. 11, 2009 Vaun C. Junkin, age 80, of Kearney, died Sunday Feb. 8, 2009 at the St. John’s Good Samaritan Center in Kearney.     Funeral services will be Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Kearney with the Rev. Gary Main officiating.  Graveside services and burial will be at 2:00 p.m. at the Highland Cemetery in Bertrand with military rites at the grave by the Ft. Riley Military Honors Group, V.F.W. Post # 5304 of Bertrand and American Legion Post # 0067 of Bertrand.   Visitation will be Wednesday from 4:00-8:00 p.m. at the Horner-Lieske-Horner Mortuary and one hour prior to services Thursday morning at the church. The family will greet friends at the funeral home from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Wednesday evening.  Survivors include his wife; son, Neil (Cheryl) Junkin of Grand Island; daughters Mary (Ron) Lewis of Eustis, Beth (Brian) Langenberg of Bertrand; step-son Robert (Phylis) Brown of Johnstown, Colo.; step-daughters, Genevieve (Gerald) Brandorff of Kearney, Lauriene (Floyd) Dickerson of Grand Island; six grandchildren, Jennifer Weikel, Natalie Hagan, Jessica Junkin, Erin McCuen, Becky Jones and Brad Langenberg; nine great-grandchildren, Tyler, Jacob, Micah and Eli Weikel, Kayton and Keelie Hagan, Brandon, Akeil and Kapone Applewhite and a new baby in July; 11 step - grandchildren, 36 step-great-grandchildren, 29 step-great-great grandchildren and a new baby in March.  He was born Dec. 6, 1928 in Lexington, the third son of Russell Joseph Junkin and Bernice Mae (Coy) Junkin.   On Jan. 18, 1955 he was united in marriage to Dorene (Colgan) Junkin.  To this union three children were born, Mary Louise, Neil Joseph and Beth Ann.    Vaun later married Doris York on Sept. 3, 1977 and were blessed with 31 years of marriage. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers Dean and Neil.  Vaun grew up in Smithfield and began school in Smithfield in 1934.  In the school year of 1936, Vaun with his parents went to California to spend the winter.  He came back to Smithfield in the spring, and attended school there until 1941 when he and his parents went to Prineville, Ore.  They returned in 1942, and Vaun finished his grade school days in Smithfield. Vaun started high school in Smithfield, but in the fall of 1944, he started school at Bertrand and graduated from the Bertrand High School in 1947.  After graduating from High School at Bertrand, Vaun worked for his dad, Russell, for two years.  He attended college at the University of Nebraska Lincoln Agriculture for one year.  Vaun continued to work for his dad’s hardware business until Jan. 22, 1951 at which time he was drafted into active duty with the Army.  Vaun took his infantry training for 14 weeks at Fort Riley, Kan., and went by ship to Japan, then onto Korea in a small boat.  He served in the 73rd Heavy Tank Battalion during the Korean War.  He returned home and was discharged on Oct.30, 1952.   Vaun began a 30-year career with the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District first in Bertrand as a water patrolman and then later transferred to the Canaday Steam Plant at Lexington where he worked up until his retirement in 1984 due to health reasons.     Together Vaun and Doris enjoyed 31 years of loving companionship.  They loved to go camping and traveling.  They especially enjoyed the opportunity to travel with their children. They traveled many places both abroad and in the states.  After Vaun’s retirement, they began traveling south for the winters residing at their residence in San Juan, Texas.  As spring dawned they would return home, only to have planned more traveling as they were active members of Good Sam’s Camper’s and the “Fun Finders” R.V. group. Vaun served as State director of the Good Sam RV Club of US and Canada for four years. Most weekends’ you would find them camping and relaxing enjoying their time together.  Vaun had a beautiful voice and shared it at many weddings, funerals and church services until his health would no longer allow him to sing.  Vaun was a member of the Bertrand United Methodist Church for 49 years and after moving to Kearney became a member of the First United Methodist Church in Kearney.  Vaun was a member of the VFW, served on the Smithfield school board prior to consolidating with the Bertrand School. Vaun especially loved nature, hunting and the outdoors.  File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ne/phelps/obits/j/junkin176gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/nefiles/ File size: 5.0 Kb