Graveside Services for Myrtle Rethmeier age 97 of Neligh, will be 11:00 am Saturday, December 20, 2008 at Laurel Hills Cemetery, Neligh, Visitation will be from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Saturday at Snider Memorial Funeral Home in Neligh.
Myrtle passed away on Monday, December 15, 2008 at the Golden Living Center in Neligh.
Myrtle Lucille Miller, daughter of Morgan and Inazetta (Carnes) Miller, was born March 12, 1911, in rural Antelope County. She graduated from Neligh High School in 1928 and attended Yankton College, for one year, before returning to become the school secretary at Neligh. She was also employed at the local Penney�s Store and the Atlas Bank. In 1931, she married Charles (Chick) Rethmeier of Neligh. They founded the Neligh Livestock Sale Barn, north of Neligh, which they operated until 1954. During the 1943-45 war years, while Chick was in the Marines, Myrtle managed the sale barn alone. After the sale of the sale barn, in 1954, Myrtle competed her second year of college by correspondence and became a case worker for the Antelope County Welfare Office. In 1964, she was named the first executive director of the newly-organized Pioneer Homes in Neligh. She retired from that position in 1980. During all this time, Myrtle and Chick provided a local auction service and eventually operated the Clearwater Auction Store in Clearwater until in their 80s. In 2008, the couple celebrated their 77th wedding anniversary.
She is preceded in death by her parents and five brothers.
She is survived by her husband, Chick, of Neligh; two sons, Ted Rethmeier of Neligh and Ken Rethmeier and his wife, Judy, of Loveland, CO; six grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.