OBITUARIES

Betty J. Allen

Betty J. Allen, 100, of Spearfish, South Dakota, a former Kimball resident for 74 years, died in Spearfish on Friday, April 12, 2024.

Betty Jane Alice Meyer was born December 11, 1923 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Clifford and Mildred (Clancy) Meyer. She was an only child. During her childhood and teen years she moved several times, including Atlanta, GA, but returned to Cincinnati where she met and married her husband of 42 years, Silas Gilbert Allen in 1946. After a short time in Omaha and North Platte Nebraska, they moved to Kimball in 1949 to work for the Craig Mortuary. In 1958 they purchased the business and it became Allen Funeral Home. In 1966 they built and opened the beautiful funeral home that exists in Kimball today.

Betty was homemaker and business woman. She became a licensed funeral director and was very involved in the day to day operations of Allen Funeral Home. She became a 50 year member of the Nebraska Funeral Directors Association in 2008. She was very active in the community. She served as the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce for several years in the 1960’s and was a member of the BPW (Business and Professional Women’s Foundation). She was a 75+ year member of the Order of the Eastern Star and served in every capacity including Worthy Matron. Her church, Trinity United Methodist Church, was very important to her. She was a long time member of the UMW and organized and served funeral dinners for years. Betty also volunteered many hours at the hospital for the “health fairs”. Her hobbies included, bowling, golf, ceramics, listening to music, and (beginning in the 1980’s) walking 4 miles everyday! Another great passion of hers was genealogy!!! She and Gil spent hours on research, traveled many miles, and wrote hundreds of letters developing our family’s history. Babysitting and traveling with grandchildren was also one of her greatest joys!

She is survived by her son Dr. Charles Allen (Claire), and daughter Barbara Brady (Bob). Grandchildren Matthew Allen, James Allen, Dr. Katherine Brown, Cassandra Iwansky (Ryan). Great grandchildren Corinne and Lilah Brown, and Davis, Camden and Lydia Iwansky. She also leaves behind a treasure trove of friends from many walks of life that meant a great deal to her. Betty was an incredibly strong woman that lived her life with the love of her family, dedication to her friends and strength and commitment to the Lord.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at the Cantrell Funeral Home in Kimball with Pastor Lorri Kentner officiating. A private family burial will be held prior to the funeral. Friends may stop at the funeral home on Friday, April 26, 2024 from 3:00 until 6:00 p.m. to pay their respects to the family. Friends may also visit www.cantrellfh.com to view her Tribute Wall and share stories and condolences with the family. Memorials may be given to either the Trinity United Methodist Church or the Kimball Hospital Foundation. The services for Betty have been entrusted to the Cantrell Funeral Home.

Bill Kroll

William George Kroll was born July 1st, 1951, in Hebron, NE to Norman and Lucille (Vonderhaar) Kroll. He departed this life on Thursday, March 7th, 2024. Bill grew up in Hebron and attended Sacred Heart Catholic School through the 8th grade and graduated from Hebron High School with the class of 1969. Bill attended Southeast Community College in Fairbury, NE and University of Nebraska in Lincoln, NE.

Bill married Cynthia A. Kluthe on December 29, 1973, at the Cathedral of the Risen Christ Church in Lincoln, NE by Monsignor Crowley. This union was blessed with the birth of one son and three daughters. They celebrated 50 wonderful years of marriage just this last December!

Bill returned to Hebron to work for the Thayer County Road Department and then for Central Market as a meat cutter for 19 years. He started working there for Ernie Uphoff when he was only 13 years old. Bill and his brother John started a construction business and then purchased Hacker Funeral Home in 1997. They added on a chapel to the Hebron site and built funeral homes in Deshler and Bruning. Eventually, they changed their family business name to Kroll Funeral Home. In 2003 Bill returned to school in Kansas City, KS to receive his Mortuary of Science Degree as a funeral director.

Bill was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Hebron, serving as an acolyte, and teaching many boys how to serve mass as well. Bill and Cindy taught many years of Catechism classes to high school seniors. He belonged to the Knights of Columbus, Lions Club, Deshler Chamber, Isaac Walton League, and Hospital Foundation, serving in various offices. Bill dedicated his life to helping hundreds of people in their time of need with the loss of their loved one. He was loving and compassionate to his family, friends, and even strangers. Bill enjoyed sitting on the porch with Cindy, always with a cup of coffee, cruising around town in their golf cart “the blue bullet”, fishing, hunting, cooking, and most of all spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren, never missing any of their activities.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents and sister Louise Lebow.

Bill is survived by his wife Cindy of Hebron, son Dan Kroll and wife Karen, daughters Jen Krupicka and husband Eric of Hebron, Clarissa Reddi and husband Vish, Amy Schwartz and husband Josh of Lincoln, NE; grandchildren Christian, Jaxon, and Cooper Krupicka, Lukas, Gavin, Karsten, and Trayton Kroll, Lexi and Sammy Schwartz, Luciana, Francesca, and Romeo Reddi, brother John Kroll and wife Joyce of Hebron, NE; nieces, nephews, relatives and many friends.

Funeral services will be Wednesday, 10:00 am, March 13, 2024, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Hebron with Rev. Steve Major officiating. Interment will be at the Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery in Hebron.

The rosary will be recited Tuesday, 7:00 pm, March 12, 2024, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. (Everyone is welcome to attend.)

Visitation will be Tuesday, 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm at the Kroll Funeral Home in Hebron and Wednesday, 8:00 am to service time at the church.

The family requests no flowers and in lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established by the family.

Kroll Funeral Home
330 North 5th Street
Hebron, Nebraska  68370
Phone 402-768-6165