Waldo "Wally" L. Birkley

Waldo (Wally) Birkley, 87, of Jackson, Nebraska died Thursday, August 5, 2010 at a Sioux City, IA hospital, as the result of a July 23rd traffic accident. He was surrounded by his loving family.Funeral services will be at 10:30 A.M. on Monday, August 9, 2010 at Salem Lutheran Church in Ponca, Nebraska with Rev. Dr. Neal Anthony officiating. Burial will be in Silver Ridge Cemetery in rural Ponca. Visitation with the family present will begin at 5:00 P.M. on Sunday, August 8, 2010, with a prayer service at 7:00 P.M. at the church. Online condolences may be sent to www.mohrfuneralhome.com.Wally was born on December 27, 1922 in rural Maskell, Nebraska to Ole and Josie (Johnson) Birkley. He grew up in the Maskell area and graduated from Maskell High in 1940. In 1941 the family moved to a farm northwest of Willis, Nebraska. In 1946 Wally moved to a farm ½ mile northeast of Willis, where he lived his entire life. On September 7, 1952 he was united in marriage to Joy Ann Lieber at Salem Lutheran Church in Ponca, where he was a lifetime member. The couple farmed until his retirement in 1987. Joy died on January 27, 2006. For the last 11 months he resided at Hillcrest Assisted Living in Laurel, Nebraska.He was a past leader of the Willis 4-H Feeders Club, on the executive board of the Greater Siouxland Fair and Rodeo, and president of the Dakota Co. Agricultural Society. He was also on the Ponca Rural Fire Board, church council and renovation committee member at Salem Lutheran Church, ASCS Committeeman, FmHA board member, a member of the Dixota Wrangler Saddle Club and the local school board. He received the Ak-Sar-Ben Good Neighbor Award in 1978. Recently he was a member of the Salem Cemetery Association, Bluebirds Across America and the Ponca Garden Club. He arranged for a scholarship to be awarded annually by the Ponca Educational Foundation in honor of Joy and Wally Birkley.Wally will always be remembered for his devotion to his wife, his community spirit, and his generosity. He will be missed by all who knew him and loved him.He was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Joy; his parents, Ole and Josie; and 3 brothers, Dale, Raymond and Joe.Survivors include a daughter, Linda Keller and her husband, Gary of Audubon, IA; a son, Lowell and his wife, Susan of Jackson, NE; 5 special grandchildren, Stacey Stokes and her husband, Travis of Maryville, MO, Derek and Nathan Birkley of Brentwood, TN, Reid Keller of Waverly, IA and Drew Keller of Audubon, IA; 2 great-grandchildren, Lauren Joy Stokes and Birkley Myles Stokes of Maryville, MO; a sister, Mardell Kurtz and her husband, Merle of Cushing, IA; 2 brothers, Lynn and his wife, Edna of Ponca, NE and Mike and his wife, Phyllis of Hubbard, NE; a sister-in-law, Laveta and her husband, Gene Bradley of Prescott Valley, AZ; 3 brothers-in-law and their wives, Herman and Eleanor Lieber of Jackson, NE, Del and Sharie Lieber of South Sioux City, NE and Darrel and Sue Lieber of Sioux City, IA; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.