John T. Tarrell

John T. Tarrell, age 81, of Kearney, passed away Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at C.H.I. Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. A private celebration of life service will be held at a later date. Memorials can be made to the family for a later designation. Please visit www.hlmkfuneral.com to leave a tribute or message of condolence. Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl Funeral and Cremation Services in Kearney are in charge of arrangements. John was born in Winner, S.D. on November 21, 1940 to Alvin and Gladys (Eagleton) Tarrell. John grew up in Winner and enjoyed the benefits of a small-town culture and rural lifestyle. South Dakota offered many opportunities for a young man to enjoy the outdoors and John told many tales of “packed lunch” pheasant hunts over the school noon hour with his dad and the then very liberal limit of 7 birds was almost a given – provided you could shoot proficiently, which John claimed, “was never an issue”. John earned his undergraduate degree from Dana College. He graduated from Creighton University with a Juris Doctor Degree and was admitted to the Nebraska Bar Association in 1966. John was united in marriage to Joan Coffey on August 27, 1960 and they raised three sons, Alvin, Everett (Ev) and David. On April 2, 1993, John married Cindy Reimers Williams. One of John’s greatest pleasures was serving on the Central Platte NRD board for many years. John will always be recognized as a “small-town” style lawyer, very approachable and always willing to lend a helping hand. His good nature and small-town upbringing translated into an open willingness to “horse trade” on fees which further translated into a lifetime accumulation of a very interesting array of items that still makes all that knew him smile while slightly shaking their heads. John will continue to remain famous for his many “treasures”, outdoor memorabilia and numerous collectables of possible “future value”. John loved the outdoors, hunting, fishing, his dogs, and spending time with his grandkids. He believed and practices that “every moment is a teaching moment”. John is survived by his wife, Cindy Tarrell of Kearney; sons Alvin (Kena) Tarrell of Elkhorn, Ev (Jana) Tarrell of Sydney and David Tarrell of Lincoln. Stepsons, Jason (Stacey) Williams of New Ulm, MN, and Andrew (Tiffany) Williams of Lopez Island, WA; sisters, Rosalie Elder of Costa Mesa, CA, and Dorothy (Terry) Hokenstad of Shaker Heights, OH; 14 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. John was preceded in death by his parents.

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John T. Tarrell

November 21, 1940 - August 16, 2022