W. Mcfadden

W. Howard McFadden 89 of Gothenburg, NE died on June 12, 2010 at the Gothenburg Long-Term Care in Gothenburg.

Howard was born October 11, 1920 at Crawford, NE. to Ignatius and Mary (Walsh) McFadden. His early schooling was in rural Saint Paul, NE. The family moved to Gothenburg in 1927 where he graduated with the class of 1937. He was a World Herald carrier the last three years of high school. He worked in the local Union Market for two years and at Jensen Brothers Market two years. He went to Burbank, CA. and worked in the Lockheed Airplane Factory until 1942. He rode his motorcycle back to Nebraska and enlisted in the Air Force where he served in the Philippines, Iwo Jima and the Occupation of Japan. He returned to the States and was discharged April of 1946.

Howard began his postal career in 1946 that lasted thirty-five years and served as postmaster from 1971 until his retirement in1980. He was a member of the lions Club for thirty-one years.
He married Rosa Mann of York, NE in 1948. They both enjoyed traveling and visited all fifty States plus Canada, Mexico, and three Islands of Hawaii, Ireland, England, Scotland, and a tour of central Europe including Italy, Venice, France, and Holland. During his lifetime he enjoyed fishing, pheasant hunting, boating, and water skiing. He took flying lessons and received a commercial pilot's license. During the years, he owned six different motorcycles which he enjoyed riding, including a Honda 250 which he sold to a friend so that he could see it every so often. He also made a lot of people happy with woodwork that he did over the years.

Howard moved to Stone Hearth on April 9, 2008. He was not able to make a planned trip to Hawaii. So, Stone Hearth brought Hawaii to Howard. After that, if the wheels were rolling so was Howard. For any outing Howard's instant response was, "Let's go". Then even before the ignition cooled he wanted to know, "where are we going next?" Howard loved adventure; even in his 80's Howard was riding a motorcycle... until he wrecked it; and for goodness sakes, parachuting. Howard broken his hip and went to swing bed at the hospital on Feb. 25, 2010 and then moved into Long-Term Care on March 15, 2010 where he resided until his death.

Howard was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Harry, and his wife Rosa.

He is survived by his brother Harold, of Gothenburg, a sister Gladys Armitage of Cheyenne, WY, and
many nieces and nephews.