1933
Robert
2015
Robert D. "Sonny" Nealon
February 12, 1933 — April 19, 2015
Robert D. "Sonny" Nealon, 82, of Wolbach died Sunday, April 19, 2015 at CHI St. Francis in Grand Island.
Services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Wolbach. Vicar Marcia Dorn and Reverend Bob Hayden will officiate. Interment will be held in the Hillside Cemetery in Wolbach with military honors by Ray Mapes American Legion Post 236 of Wolbach.
Visitation will be Wednesday, from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the family's choice.
Jacobsen-Greenway Funeral Home in St. Paul is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Nealon was born February 12, 1933 in rural Wolbach in Greeley County to Joseph and Mildred (Nelson) Nealon.
Sonny attended rural school northeast of Wolbach and then Wolbach High School. During his high school years he worked for the Wolbach Messenger newspaper. He graduated from Wolbach High School in 1950.
In 1952 he entered the United States Navy, serving in the Korean War.
After receiving his discharge, he returned to Wolbach.
Sonny was united in marriage to Peggy Klein on May 20, 1953 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Wolbach.
Sonny again began working for Tommy Thompson at the Wolbach Messenger. For years he wrote a column entitled "Sports on the Sonny Side". In 1965 he began working at the Wolbach Post Office where he continued his employment until his retirement in 1998.
After retiring from the post office, he worked in the Wolbach Grocery Store and he continued to write a column for the Wolbach Messenger for many years.
Sonny was very active in the community serving on the Wolbach Village Board, was the mayor of Wolbach, served on the Park Board, Cemetery Board, Wolbach Foundation, was an EMT and was a member of the Wolbach Fire Department for over 50 years.
Sonny also enjoyed many activities including hunting, trout fishing, golf, gambling and he taught hunter safety course for many years. He loved baseball and coached for many years and then was active in the baseball program. He played town team baseball in his earlier years.
After a trip, Sonny came up with the idea and then he made the signs for the "7 Exits" for the entrances into Wolbach.
Sonny was also a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Wolbach where he served on the Church Council and Ray Mapes American Legion Post 236 of Wolbach.
Survivors include his wife, Peggy of Wolbach; three sons, Rob and Jeff Nealon, both of Wolbach and Dan Nealon and his wife, Kathy of Lincoln; a daughter, Lori Newsham and her husband, Brian of Wolbach; 8 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; one brother, Joe Nealon and his wife Nancy of Red Oak, IA; his cousin Jerry Grossart, who Sonny was very close to and the Thompson family that published the Messenger newspaper in Wolbach. Sonny considered them to be his second family.
He is preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Patrick Nealon; two nephews, Billy and Shay Nealon and a great-nephew, Cole Nealon.
Services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Wolbach. Vicar Marcia Dorn and Reverend Bob Hayden will officiate. Interment will be held in the Hillside Cemetery in Wolbach with military honors by Ray Mapes American Legion Post 236 of Wolbach.
Visitation will be Wednesday, from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the church.
Memorials are suggested to the family's choice.
Jacobsen-Greenway Funeral Home in St. Paul is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Nealon was born February 12, 1933 in rural Wolbach in Greeley County to Joseph and Mildred (Nelson) Nealon.
Sonny attended rural school northeast of Wolbach and then Wolbach High School. During his high school years he worked for the Wolbach Messenger newspaper. He graduated from Wolbach High School in 1950.
In 1952 he entered the United States Navy, serving in the Korean War.
After receiving his discharge, he returned to Wolbach.
Sonny was united in marriage to Peggy Klein on May 20, 1953 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Wolbach.
Sonny again began working for Tommy Thompson at the Wolbach Messenger. For years he wrote a column entitled "Sports on the Sonny Side". In 1965 he began working at the Wolbach Post Office where he continued his employment until his retirement in 1998.
After retiring from the post office, he worked in the Wolbach Grocery Store and he continued to write a column for the Wolbach Messenger for many years.
Sonny was very active in the community serving on the Wolbach Village Board, was the mayor of Wolbach, served on the Park Board, Cemetery Board, Wolbach Foundation, was an EMT and was a member of the Wolbach Fire Department for over 50 years.
Sonny also enjoyed many activities including hunting, trout fishing, golf, gambling and he taught hunter safety course for many years. He loved baseball and coached for many years and then was active in the baseball program. He played town team baseball in his earlier years.
After a trip, Sonny came up with the idea and then he made the signs for the "7 Exits" for the entrances into Wolbach.
Sonny was also a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Wolbach where he served on the Church Council and Ray Mapes American Legion Post 236 of Wolbach.
Survivors include his wife, Peggy of Wolbach; three sons, Rob and Jeff Nealon, both of Wolbach and Dan Nealon and his wife, Kathy of Lincoln; a daughter, Lori Newsham and her husband, Brian of Wolbach; 8 grandchildren; 3 great-grandchildren; one brother, Joe Nealon and his wife Nancy of Red Oak, IA; his cousin Jerry Grossart, who Sonny was very close to and the Thompson family that published the Messenger newspaper in Wolbach. Sonny considered them to be his second family.
He is preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Patrick Nealon; two nephews, Billy and Shay Nealon and a great-nephew, Cole Nealon.
A TRIBUTE AND THANK YOU TO OUR AGING VETERANS DEDICATED TO VETERANS OF WWII & THE VETERANS OF THE KOREAN WAR WHO HELPED TO PRESERVE THAT VICTORY FINALLY, A LONG OVERDUE THANK-YOU TO VETERANS OF THE VIETNAM WAR
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