| John Forbes, Sr. |
John F. Forbes, Sr., 85, of Palmer, died Thursday, July 11, 2024, surrounded by his loving family, at Tabitha at Prairie Commons in Grand Island.
A visitation was held on Saturday, July 20, 2024 at the United Methodist Church in Palmer. Reverend Cesar Duran offered words of comfort.
Casketbearers included Alexis Schmidt, Erin Schmidt, Toby Forbes, David Forbes, Danielle Buhrman, and Kaitlyn Tenski.
Members of the Palmer Fire Department and Rescue Squad were the honorary bearers.
Burial followed at the Glenwood Cemetery near Palmer.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Palmer Fire Department, Palmer EMTs, or to the family for later designation.
Peters Funeral Home of St. Paul is assisting the family.
John was born on September 1, 1938, on the family farm north of Palmer, the son of Fred L. and Nellie E. (Russell) Forbes. He grew up on the farm and attended Glenwood District 28 country school and graduated from Fullerton High School.
He was united in marriage to Karen L. Tibbetts on October 9, 1960, at the United Methodist Church in Palmer. The couple farmed and raised cattle north of Palmer. He had also worked as a paramedic at Swift in Grand Island for a number of years.
John loved his dogs, and raising cattle was his passion. He enjoyed having coffee with the guys, and he and Karen enjoyed traveling and going out to eat. Later in life, they enjoyed taking evening drives together.
He was a member of the Palmer United Methodist Church, was a twenty-year member of the Palmer EMTs, a member of the Grand Island T-Bone Club, and a member of the Nebraska Livestock Feeders.
He is survived by his wife, Karen, of Palmer; children and spouses, John Jr. and Nancy Forbes of Palmer, Jill and Ron Schmidt of Geneva, and Jeff Forbes of Wood River; six grandchildren, Alexis Schmidt, Erin Schmidt, Toby and Naomi Forbes, David and Jessica Forbes, Danielle and Matt Buhrman, and Kaitlyn and Paul Tenski; and eleven great-grandchildren, with another on the way.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Nellie Forbes; sisters and brothers-in-law, Dorothy and Duane Dudney and Marilyn and Vern Sonderup; and in-laws, Charles Tibbetts and Lucille Lambert Tibbetts.
The Phonograph-Herald | July 24, 2024