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Bohumil “Bo” Connor, 97

Ord, NE, USA / KNLV AM & FM
KNLV AM & FM
Mar 8, 2023 | 3:58 PM
Bohumil "Bo" Connor, 97


  • Bohumil ‘B0‘ Conner age, 97, of Burwell, Ne. went to see his Lord and the love of his life, Bonnie, in the
    comfort of his home surrounded by family on March 7, 2023.
    Bo was born October 23, 1925 in a cowshed north of Burwell Ne, the son of Clarence and Mary (Holecek)
    Conner. He attended, Lone Star, Midvale, and Free Silver country schools until the 8
    th
    grade. From 1938-1943
    he worked on the family farm and helped build the Ord swimming Pool. July of 1944 he was drafted and joined
    the US Navy. Boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Station for 6 weeks. After boot camp he worked at Sioux City,
    Carter Lake cutting ice until he was sent to Saint Petersburg, Florida. 0ne of Bo’s duties on the USS Hanover
    was shooting the 20 mm cannon at enemy planes. Why would they have a country boy from the sandhills on
    the machine gun? During training he shot the target banner that trailed behind the training plane, off at the rope,
    he shot the banner off the plane. Bo finished his tour on Nov. 1946 and was in the Navy Reserves until 1951.
    After returning home from the war, Bo worked on his parents and uncles farms until 1947, then was employed
    at Rowse Ranch until 1951.
    Bo met Bonnie Mitchell while working at the Rowse Ranch, and the couple was United in marriage on June 2,
    1949 and lived on the Spelts place on the Cedar River. In 1951, while feeding out 500 cattle by himself with
    horse and wagon for $100 a month for the Rowse Ranch, Bob Clifford landed his plane in the pasture and hired
    him on the spot for $350 a month for the Clifford Ranch where he spent 18 years as foreman. While at Clifford
    Ranch, Bo and Bonnie miscarried 2 children Rodney Joe and Mary Elizabeth before they had their daughter
    Cindy in 1957 and Sheri in 1963.
    In 1969, Bo and Bonnie moved to Burwell and bought the Dairy Sweet and called it Bo’s Dairy Mart. On the
    weekends Bo would work from 6:00 am, making cinnamon rolls for the coffee groups, to sometimes 2:00 am if
    the Legion Club had a Dance, selling what he had to hungry dancers out the carhop window until he ran out of
    food. A lot of days you would find Bo playing catch in the parking lot with neighborhood kids in his white
    apron and hat. Bo played a lot of baseball in his younger days, traveling all over northern Nebraska on a
    traveling team. In 1975 they sold the Dairy Mart and Bo was self-employed as a carpenter for over 30 years.
    Bo was involved in many activities, Burwell Legion, VFW member, Elk’s member, United Methodist church
    member, Thursday Night bowling, Mixed Doubles bowling, Senior Citizens Board, Burwell Planning
    Commission, and going to coffee. Some of Bo’s favorite times where gardening, fishing, hunting, and playing
    cards at the Northside.
    Bo loved to hunt and fish. Hunting was part of his family’s life when he was a kid. Bo’s dad would buy a
    broken box of shells (half a box, couldn’t afford a whole box) to get as much wild game as he could of the
    dinner table. He loved fishing with Delmer and Celby Conner. Ice fishing was more like a football game on ice
    when the red flag popped up. Bo was known around town for planting a large garden, more than 60 tomato
    plants. Running or jogging up town to get the mail in his late 70’s and driving the Green Chevy van around
    town doing his carpentry work. He loved to drive around town after he retired and say, I worked on that house
    and that house and that house. Most of all Bo loved his family, and later life his great grandchildren were his
    biggest joy.
    Bo is survived by: Daughter/son-in-law, Cindy and Ron Baillie of Sargent, Ne. Daughter Sheri Conner of
    Burwell Ne., Grandson, Heath Baillie and Caitlin Lundberg of Bondurant Iowa, Great Granddaughter, Natalie,
    Twins- Gemma and Lydia, Grandson Hunter and wife Kate Baillie of Alliance Ne. Great granddaughter
    Kamryn, Great grandson Brooks. Sister/brother-in-law, Pat and Ron Watson, Sister Juanita Allen, Brother/sister-
    in-law Elwin and Lucille Conner, Sister-in-law, Lois Conner, Many Family members.
  • Bo is preceded in death by his parents, Clarence and Mary (Holecek) Conner, Wife, Bonnie Conner, Daughter,
    Mary Elizabeth, Son, Rodney Joe, Brothers, LaVern Conner, Clarence Jr. (Sonny) Conner. Sister-in-law
    Bernice, Edward Conner, Sisters, Mary Pesek/ Brother-in-law, Eddie Pesek, Linda Anderson, Freda Augustyn /
    Brother-in-law, Gene Brother in law, Wayne Allen.
    Funeral services will be Monday, March 13, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Burwell.
    Burial will be in Cottonwood Cemetery in Burwell. Pastor Serene Samuel will officiate. Visitation will be
    Sunday from 5 – 7 p.m. at Hitchcock Funeral Home in Burwell. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to
    Burwell Veterans Memorial Park: Bo Conner family, 46218 4
    th
    Homestead Rd., Burwell Ne. 68823

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