ORCHARD — Services for Curt Robert Johann Schleusener, 88, of Royal will be Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Orchard with burial in Orchard Lutheran Cemetery. Visitation at the church will be 5-7 p.m. Wednesday under direction of Ashburn Funeral Home.
He died Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015, at Antelope Memorial Hospital in Neligh.
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Curt was born on Sept. 28, 1926, in Bancroft to John and Elenore (Leimer) Schleusener. After Curt’s graduation from Orchard High School in 1944, he enlisted in the Merchant Marines. He traveled around the world on oil and gas tankers from 1945 to 1947.
In 1947, Curt returned to Orchard and started farming and ranching. He met Janice Walmer at the Plainview roller-skating rink during this time.
Curt was drafted into the U.S. Army and was sent to Korea in January 1951 along with other soldiers from Antelope County. He served in Company A, 4th Platoon, of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, until his honorable discharge in December 1952.
Janice and Curt were married on June 28, 1953, and settled in the Orchard area to raise their family. He farmed and ranched all of his life and could often be found tinkering in his shop or on his International tractors.
They traveled to the dedication of the National Korean War Memorial in Washington, D.C., in 1995. Curt enjoyed giving speeches about his military service to local high schools on Veterans Day assemblies. He remained close to the other Korean War vets in the area and enjoyed their reunions.
Curt is survived by his children and their spouses, Jeff and Vicki Schleusener of Orchard, Stacey and LaVern Mitchell of Oakdale, Robert and Carol Schleusener of Royal and Lorie and Kelly Whiting of Rapid City, S.D.; 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; and two brothers, Lyle Schleusener of Orchard and Merle Schleusener of Bettendorf, Iowa.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife Janice; daughter Maureen; sons Bradley and Dana; sisters Velma Sivesind, Dorothy and Marie Schleusener; and brother Stuart Schleusener.
The family requests that memorials be directed to the Norfolk Veterans Home, where he was a resident for the past few years.