Obituary for Cecil F. Sonnenfelt

Cecil F. Sonnenfelt, 95 of Grand Island died Monday, January 23, 2017 at CHI Health St. Francis. Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at the Evangelical Free Church. Entombment will be in the Westlawn Memorial Park Mausoleum. Military honors will be provided by the US Army and United Veterans Honor Guard. Visitation will be an hour before service time. All Faiths Funeral Home is serving the family. Cecil was born February 16, 1921 at Casper, Wyoming the son of Frank and Celia (Galloway) Sonnenfelt. Survivors include his wife of 74 years, Letha; daughters, Diane (Don) Shaver of Grand Island and Sandy Lawrey of Grand Island; daughter-in-law, Debbie Sonnenfelt of Douglas, Wyoming; son-in-law, Bill Lawrey of Grand Island; 12 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, 7 great-great grandchildren; brother, Dick Sonnenfelt of Verdigre and a sister, Bonnie Etherton of Grand Island. He is preceded in death by his son, Denny; his parents; great great-granddaughter, Emory; sisters, Betty Sanderson, Dorothy Soto, Ruthann Holland and Connie Sonnenfelt and brother, Bobbie Sonnenfelt. At the age of five, he moved with his family to Kilgore, Nebraska. He was baptized in the Kilgore Baptist Church. He attended grade school and graduated from Plum Brush District 73. Later, he was in the CC Camp for two years and attended two years of agriculture classes and received his high school diploma from Valentine High School. Cecil spent three and half years in the US Army from July 1942-October 1945. Having fought with the 2nd Division all through the European Theatre of War from Normandy Beach on D 1 to Pilzen Czechoslovakia where the war ended. Cecil received 5 major battle stars. On January 18, 1943 he was united in marriage to the love of his life, Letha Robertson. They lived on a ranch raising three children, Denny, Diane and Sandra. Some of his accomplishments besides ranching included operating a filling station, managing and owning an Ice Cream and fast food drive-in, working in an implement business and after moving to Grand Island serving as shop foreman for the airport. He retired in 1986. They spent many winters in Texas and Mesa, Arizona. Some of his hobbies included hunting, fishing, woodworking and keeping a beautiful yard. Kids were very special to him. He made life fun and always made others feel special. Memorials are suggested to either the Central Nebraska Humane Society as he loved animals or to the Disabled American Veterans as he cared for others.