Philip Vrana

Hastings resident, Philip Wayne Vrana, 82, passed from this earth Saturday, March 29, 2014 at Homestead Assisted Living in Hastings. Services will be Tuesday, April 1, 2014; 2:00 P.M. at Butler Volland Chapel Hastings, with Rev. Dr. Lee R. Wigert officiating. Burial will be in Parkview Cemetery, Hastings, Nebraska. Memorials may be given to UNMC Eppley Cancer Center. Visitation will be Monday, March 31, 2014; 5 P.M.-8 P.M. with family present 6 P.M.-8 P.M. and prior to the service Tuesday at Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home.

Phil was born Aug 2, 1931 on a farm near Valparaiso, NE, to Josef (Joe) and Ruth Luella (Fifer) Vrana. He grew up living some in Lincoln, but more time was spent on farms in Lancaster County, near Yankee Hill, Emerald, Waverly & Roca. He graduated from Waverly High School in 1948. In 1951 he married Jean Hulin. He graduated from the University of Nebraska Agricultural College in 1952 with B.S. in Agriculture at Lincoln, NE. He served in the U.S. Army from June 1952 to June 1954. After basic training at Camp Chaffee, AR, he attended school at the Army Intelligence School, Fort Riley Kansas. After graduation he spent the rest of his two years working as administrative personnel at Fort Riley, living in Junction City, Kansas. He moved in June of 1954 to Farmers National Company training farm at Adel, Iowa, and stayed until August of 1956. They moved then to Columbus, NE, to begin a career in Farm Management, working for Farmers National Company of Omaha, NE. He was active in the Methodist Church and was a charter member of the Columbus Evening Lions Club. In March of 1973, he went into business by buying Pierce Agricultural Service at Hastings, NE. This became Mid-West Farm Management Inc. in 1982, managing, appraising and selling farms. In 2002 he became semi-retired. He was active in Grace United Methodist Church, Noon Rotary Club, Past President of Nebraska Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, and earned the title of accredited Farm Manager from the American Society of Farm Mangers and Rural Appraisers.

He is preceded in death by his parents and one grandaughter.

His wife Jean survives him, sons Steve (Marilyn) of Aurora, NE, and Dan (Mary) of Gilbert, AZ and daughters Jan (Matt) Dwyer of Hastings, NE and Sue (Terry) Colhour of Lincoln, NE. He has twelve grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, one brother Dale, three sisters; Bonnie, Margaret, and Joanne.