Irvin Junker

Irvin Henry Junker was born to Edward and Anna Junker on January 18, 1925, in rural Fairbury, Nebraska, and passed away on January 23, 2016, at the Good Samaritan Society in Beatrice, NE., five days after his 91st Birthday.

He attended rural grade school through grade 4 and finished his education in Fairbury, graduating in 1943.

January 1, 1944, he was united in marriage to Marjorie E. Glaze. Two children were born into this union, a daughter, Barbara Ann (1945) and a son, Robert Irvin (1948).

Entering military service in April of 1944, he took his basic training in Aberdeen, Maryland. He was then deported overseas in the Pacific Theatre to the island of Okinawa with the 216th Ordinance Bomb Disposal Squad. His squad diffused land mines, booby traps and bombs. He was also selected to help take the surrender of a number of small Japanese islands in the Pacific. He returned to the United States in 1946 and received his Honorable Discharge as a Sergeant First Class.

During his lifetime in Fairbury, Irvin worked during high school at the Fairbury Journal, and stayed at the fire department his junior and senior years of high school as a night sleeper volunteer fireman. He also worked at the Hested Warehouse. In 1943 he went to work for the Chicago Rock Island Railroad in the depot’s clerical department. Later he worked as a fireman on the Rock Island Railroad and finished his career as a Locomotive Engineer, retiring in 1985 with 42 years of service.

Irvin helped with the boys Pony League Baseball program and was their manager for several years. He served over 13 years on the volunteer fire department plus he was on the Fairbury City Council for just over six years becoming City Council President and chairman of the finance committee during a million dollar municipal light plant expansion. Irvin was a lifetime member of the Presbyterian Church, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Fairbury Elk’s Lodge 1203.

Preceding him in death were his parents; brother, Harold; sisters, Helen Boley and Arleen Lombardo; and his wife, Marjorie. He leaves to mourn his passing Barbara Meyer and husband, Jerry of Cairo, NE; Bob Junker and wife Becky of Lincoln, NE; grandson Douglas (Angie), Evan, and Spencer Meyer of Cairo, NE, grandson Brian Meyer (Jane), Kelen, Hunter and Colt of Ord, NE, grandson Brad Junker and Brady of Lincoln, NE, grandson Dave Junker (Carrie) Benjamin and Ty of McCook, NE, and Granddaughter, Katie Edic (Shane) and Addi of Surprise, AZ.

Services will be held on Wednesday, January 27, at the Presbyterian Church in Fairbury, at 1:00 p.m. Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home of Fairbury is in charge of arrangements. Burial will be in the Fairbury Cemetery.