CECRLE, Joe J.

Joe J. Cecrle, 87, of Grand Island, died Thursday evening, August 5, 2004 at St. Francis Medical Center. Funeral services will be held Monday, August 9, 2004 at 10:30 A.M. in the Chapel of the Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home with Gary Bennett officiating. Visitation will be Sunday evening from 4-8 P.M. with the family present to greet friends from 4-5 P.M. Cremation will follow the service at Westlawn Memorial Park Crematory with private burial in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. Joe was born March 9, 1917 in Milligan, Nebraska the son of Joe and Mary Kassik Cecrle. He graduated from Milligan High School in 1935 graduated with a degree in Music from Kearney State College in 1939. Joe played the trombone and during WWII in the U.S. Air Force Band from April of 1941 until his discharge in February of 1946. He played with Bob Hope when he entertained the troops. After the war he played with Lawrence Welk, Sammy Kay, Tommy Dorsey and the Phil Levant Orchestra for 28 years. He also sang with the Mills Brothers. He was recently inducted into the International Hall Of Fame for Trombones. He was united in marriage to Marie Randall on May 1, 1939 in Grand Island. During their marriage they lived in Kearney for 21 years. Marie died in February of 1997. On November 22, 1997 Joe married Patricia Reddish in Grand Island. Joe was a member of Stolley Park Church of Christ and the American Legion. He served as Commander of the Kearney American Legion 1956-57. He was a past member of the Saddle Club and Liederkranz. Joe is survived by his wife Patricia and a daughter and son-in-law Roxan and Tom Brennan of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He is also survived by four sisters; Rose Krupicka of Geneva, Nebraska, Elsie Cecrle of Lincoln, Maryann Kronhoffman of Tobias, Nebraska and Blanche Chapek of Milligan. Also left to cherish his memory are two granddaughters; Andrea of Kansas City and Stephanie of Chicago and one grandson Todd of Omaha. He was preceded in death by his first wife and brother Rudy and sister Emily.