This has been a hard weekend in the Village of Broadwater. Friday, a Korean War veteran passed away, and Saturday our Village Clerk passed away. In a town of 120 people, death always touches everyone in the town, and hurts us all. More below the fold.
My wife and I today attended the funeral of Richard Stopher, who went by the nickname Bub. We only heard about his death the day before his funeral.
Bub graduated from Broadwater High School and attended the University of Nebraska. He enlisted in the US Marine Corps out of college, and reached the rank of Sergeant. He served in the Korean War, afterwards returning to the Nebraska Panhandle, where he married the woman of his dreams. He'd delayed his marriage to her until after he returned. He leaves his wife and many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
In the last year or so, Bub and his wife have been unable to get out much. My wife, the town Public Library Director, would make special trips to their home to bring and retrieve library books for them.
Last Christmas, the library board arranged a special visit by Santa Claus to their home.
The church this morning was filled to capacity with townspeople and members of his family. The minister (who is originally from Oshkosh, Nebraska, but graduated the same year and has known Bub lifelong) revealed many personal vignettes of Bub's life, and played a 78-rpm recording of Bub singing the hymn "Jerusalem."
Bub was 78 years old.
Saturday our village clerk Brandi Livingston passed away after a long illness. She was 50 years old. Her funeral will be next Saturday, July 26 in Bridgeport. She leaves her husband, and her daughter and sons.
Brandi was the first person to welcome Beth and me to Broadwater, speaking to us over the telephone when we still lived in Oklahoma and were still planning our move here. She helped us make arrangements with the utility firms from out-of-state so our home would be ready when we arrived.
Brandi has been vital for the last quarter-century in keeping the village's financial records, helping the village board plan the annual budget, operating the city water system, and assisting residents and others in all manners of issues.
Brandi was loved by everyone both in Broadwater and Morrill County. She spent almost all her adult life as the Village Clerk of Broadwater, and last year was awarded the Nebraska Municipal Clerk of the Year award.
The award was a complete surprise to her (the village board of trustees sent her on the four hundred mile trip across the state ostensibly for training). Beth and I also made the trip, where I had the signal honour as the lone village trustee in attendance to present her with the statewide award. Our appearance at the award ceremony was also a complete surprise to her.
At the May meeting of the Village Board of Trustees, Brandi formally resigned from her position of village clerk due to her deteriorating health. There was not a dry eye in the village hall as the mayor accepted her resignation, and she received a standing ovation from the entire village assembled.
As the chair of the village flag committee (charged with proper display of the US and state flags, and maintenance of the village's flagstaffs), and with the blessing of the mayor, I will telephone Governor Dave Heineman's (R) office tomorrow to seek a half-staff proclamation for the Village of Broadwater on the day of her funeral. I will also telephone my congressional representative Adrian Smith's (R-NE3) office to seek his aid securing such a proclamation.
Governor Heineman has done this before for civil servants: it is an honour that is simple to provide, costs nothing, shows empathy for the town, and is in accordance with the Flag Code.
I would welcome others inside Nebraska contacting the Governor's office (Lincoln telephone number 402-471-2244 Scottsbluff telephone number 308-632-1370) to ask for this proclamation for a woman who has spent her whole adult life serving her village.
Broadwater is in mourning this week from the loss of two great citizens of our village. They will be missed.