FREELING, JOHN J.

OMAHA – John “Jack” Freeling, 87, of Omaha, formerly of Kearney, died Thursday, Feb. 18, 2010, in Omaha.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. James Catholic Church in Kearney with the Rev. Harry Kurtenbach officiating. Burial will be at Kearney Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. today at Braman Mortuary in Omaha with a Purple Heart Memorial Service at 7 p.m. and from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the church in Kearney. The family will be present Wednesday at the funeral home.

He was born Feb. 7, 1923, in Kansas City, Mo., to Joe and Marie (McKenzie) Freeling.

On Oct. 11, 1947, he married Adeline Schreck. She died Dec. 4, 1967.

On May 31, 1970, he married Dell Todd. She died Sept. 20, 2003.

Survivors include his sons, Richard Freeling and his wife, Nancy, Philip Freeling and his wife, Anna, and Lonny Todd and his wife, Terri; daughters, Rita Weiss and her husband, Don, Mary Ann Freeling, Susan Muchmore-Phelps and her husband, Paul, Joan Nies and her husband, Terry, Cecelia Wildrick and her husband, Mark, Lorri Salyards, Jackie Anderson and her husband, Larry, and Kyla Robbins; 25 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; brother-in-law, Eugene “Ole” Hinz; and many nieces and nephews.

John was a U.S. Marine Corps World War II veteran and member of the U.S. Marine Raider Association, U.S. Marine Corps League-Omaha Detachment, Military Order of the Purple Heart Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion.

He was an active participant in the fundraising for the construction of Kearney Catholic High school. Jack worked for Rite-Style Optical Co. in Kearney and Omaha for 40 years.

Memorials are suggested to the U.S. Marine Raider Solomon Island Native Education Fund, c/o Jack Miller Jr., 102 Colonial Drive, Meridianville, AL 35759-1002.