Edward J. Skorniak

Edward J. “Eddy” Skorniak, 95, of Ashton, died Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012, at the Rose Lane Home in Loup City. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at St. Francis Catholic Church in Ashton. The Rev. Marty L. Egging will officiate. Burial will be in the St. Francis Catholic Cemetery in Ashton. Visitation will be Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the church, with a 7 p.m. vigil service. Peters Funeral Home of Loup City is in charge of arrangements. Mr. Skorniak was born on Oct. 13, 1916, west of Tarnov, the son of Andrew and Teckla (Zakrzewski) Skurniak. He is survived by two sons and one daughter-in-law, Robert and Judy Skorniak of Loup City and Andrew Skorniak of Brule. He is also survived by two grandchildren, Steven Skorniak of Omaha and Amanda Skorniak and Jerome Dolan of Ord; two sisters-in-law, Blanche Skarniak of Grand Island and Ellen Mostek of Loup City; and numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. When Eddy was born he joined a growing family of brothers, Stanley, Vince, Dominic “Dick” and sisters Mary and Joanna. At age two, he moved with his parents and settled five miles northeast of Ashton. He grew up in the Paplin/Ashton area. He attended Mount Carmel Catholic School and graduated from the eighth grade at District 58 school at Paplin, in 1931. He attended Mount Carmel Catholic Church until 1945. After graduation he farmed with his brother Stanley a few years. He then worked in Argyle, MN and Los Angeles with his brother Vince and also in Ogallala with Reid Construction building Kingsley Dam. In 1940, he returned to the Paplin/Ashton area and began farming. He was united in marriage to Salomea “Sally” Wojtalewicz on Nov. 24, 1941, at St. Francis Catholic Church in Ashton. They were blessed with two sons, Robert and Andrew. In 1942, he began working in Grand Island for Orshek and Christensen Construction, building the Army Ammunitions plant and later for Thiesen Brothers Construction, building the airport for the Air Force. In 1953, he moved into Ashton and began working for Abbott Alfalfa Mills northwest of Grand Island as a hay chopper and operator. He later worked for American Crystal Sugar Beet factory until its closing in 1957. Eddy began working for the village of Ashton as village marshal and maintenance man until 1968, when he went to work for the Loup Basin Reclamation/Farwell Irrigation District until he retired as Watermaster in 1983. After retirement, he was elected to the Ashton Village Council, serving on the board from 1986 to 1998, and serving as chairman for ten years. During his tenure as chairman, he was instrumental in surface street improvement, purchasing a motor grader, backhoe and a storage building for the heavy equipment. He was a member of St. Francis Catholic Church and the Ashton Volunteer Fire Department. Eddy enjoyed playing cards, going to casinos, fishing, working on crossword puzzles and watching baseball games. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Sally on April 7, 2002; infant daughter, Mary; infant sons, David, Kenny and Jim; grandson, Shawn Skorniak; granddaughter, Shannon Skorniak; brothers, Stanley, Vince and Dick; and sisters, Mary Skorupa and Joanna Johansen. Memorials are suggested to the family's choice.