Edward Nick Spahn

Edward Nick Spahn, 91, went to be home with the Lord Tuesday, December 15, at McCook Community Hospital.  Ed was born June 11, 1924, in McCook to Nick and Mary (Brenning) Spahn.

Ed remembered the flood of 1935 that swept away the family home at the young age of 11, losing everything and forcing them to move.

After graduating from McCook High School in 1943, Ed was drafted into the service and inducted and sworn into the Army Air Corp at Fort Logan, Colorado.  He received basic training at Amarillo, TX, then on to Camp Crowder, Missouri for schooling in morse code, radio wiring and telegraph.  After his training he was stationed in Salt Lake City sending messages in a teletype office until it was de-activated and he was told to cut his own orders so he choose McCook Army Base.  At no choice of his own he was transferred from Army Air Corp to the Infantry being sent to Camp Howze, TX for infantry training.  On to Camp Shanks, NY for more training before leaving on a ship for La Harve, France, traveling across France on a train to Bremen, Germany at Camp Grohn, which was an old Nazi army camp.  He served for 3 years arriving at Forte Meade, Maryland, then on to Fort Leavenworth KS for discharge on May 1, 1946 as a Sergeant.

He married Patricia Conaway from Adel, IA on December 10, 1950 in McCook.

Returning to McCook, Ed drove a truck for Burlington Truck Lines, Hiway Motor Freight, and Buckingham Trucking, loading and unloading trucks and driving his own routes.  He took his civil service exam at the McCook Post Office in 1959, and began working as a mail carrier, then working at the “window”, as he called it, as a clerk, and finished his 26 year career sorting mail to be delivered to McCook residents, retiring in 1985.

He enjoyed woodworking and his first project after retirement was to build himself a barn. He made oak kitchen cabinets for his wife, a china hutch, dressers, nightstands, book cabinets, vcr cabinets and other various furniture for his daughters and grandchildren.  He enjoyed fishing, hunting, collecting coins and stamps and he loved being with his grandchildren.

Preceding him in death were his parents; wife Pat of 46 years; sister Ruth Spahn; brothers Elmer and infant brother Raymond.

Survivors include daughters; Donna and husband, Rex Carfield of Indianola, Mary and husband, Butch Gonzales of McCook; brother Stan and wife Shirley of McCook: grandchildren Michael Stucker of McCook, Nick Stucker and wife Kristi of Adel, Iowa, Luke Gonzales and wife Charity of McCook, Mandy Wheeler and husband Glenn of Denver, Co, and six great-grandchildren; two nieces, Terri Powell of Malcom, NE and Bev Madden of North Platte.

Memorials may be given in his name.

Visitation will be Friday from 1:00 – 8:00 p.m. with the family greeting friends from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 19, 2015 at Carpenter Breland Funeral Home with Pastor Ted Long officiating.

Burial with Military honors will be Riverview Cemetery.

Carpenter Breland Funeral Home of McCook is in charge of the arrangements.