Gene Moreland

Gene Hubert (aka Clair) Moreland was born on the family farm northwest of Imperial to Milton C. and Clara Barbara Ellen (Bremer) Moreland on November 23, 1923. Gene departed our world for a better place on Monday, July 21, 2014.
They lived on the farm for several years. At one point his mom (Clara) & dad (Milt) ran the sale barn in Wauneta, NE. Clara was in charge of the restaurant part. She would get up in the wee morning hours to bake all the pies and cakes. Then she and Gene would load them in the car and drive them all the way to Wauneta over those bumpy roads. Gene’s job was to hand-crank the ice cream. He would usually talk a friend into helping him turn the crank with the promise that they could lick the paddle.
From 1932 to 1936, Gene’s dad organized big rodeos out on the home place. One newspaper article dated August 1933 said admissions were collected for 2200 people. They would park the cars in a circle to make the corral. Gene was young enough that Milt wouldn’t let him ride the horses. Gene would carry around a five gallon pail full of ice and soda pop and beer and sold it to the crowd. Another one of his jobs was to dig the cactus out of the arena before the rodeo started.
In 1936 they moved to Wauneta where his folks bought Elm’s Café on Main Street. They lived 2 or 3 blocks away – so Gene would walk to the restaurant in the morning before school and wash all the dishes that were left from the crowd the night before. When he finished, he would walk to school. In 1939 – the middle of his junior year in high school, they sold the restaurant and moved back to Imperial to a house east of town.
Gene graduated high school in 1941. He spent the next couple years helping his brother George farm and then enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in August of1944. Gene took his basic training in Parris Island, S.C. In November he was transferred to New River N.C. and trained as a Marine Infantryman. He was then sent to Camp LaJune in California for further training.
Gene and 5000 other servicemen were loaded into ships in route to Hawaii. It was a big old ship and the bunks were 7 high. They stayed for a while in Pearl Harbor and then were sent to Guam. He was put in the First Marine Division and found out later they would be invading Japan. They were packed and ready to go when the bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Shortly after – Japan Surrendered. Gene realized the bomb probably saved his life.
After serving in Guam for a while, Gene was sent to China where he was put in charge of the Bakery Compound. There were approximately 200 workers there. They made only bread that was hauled out to different military detachments. Gene was ranked as a Private for most of his service, but advanced to a corporal shortly before his discharge in 1946.
After his discharge, Gene decided not to go to college on the G.I. Bill since he had been out of high school for so long. He went to work for his brother George. Eventually, George turned over a couple quarters for Gene to farm and Milt turned over Granddad’s farm. Gene purchased some cattle from Milt and was able to increase his herd as the years went by.
Gene and his buddy, Rolle Arterburn, always checked out the new nurses when they came to town. They saw 2 new ones in Bab’s Café one day. They were very interested. They called the head nurse – Mac Garber – to request an introduction. Gene said, “I decided on the tall one – Rolle took the short one.” ? The tall one was Lucellia Ellen Porter. They were married on September 1, 1949. Rolle and Alice Arterburn (the short one) stood up for them. After a honeymoon in Yellowstone National Park, they rented a basement apartment in Imperial until the house was fixed up on the farm. They moved out to the farm in December of that year. Then the children came along – Kathryn Sue, Jodi Kay, Patricia Ellen, Michael Charles and Kerry Jean.
In the beginning, they raised sheep and cattle and grew dry-land wheat and corn. When irrigation was added they were able to sell the sheep and increase the cattle herd.
In the early days, dad helped get the telephone lines run through the country side and he helped put in the electric poles for the REA across the pastures.
Later, Gene served on the Rural Fire District Board and was a School Board Member for District 22. Gene was also a very active Imperial Lions Club Member. For many years he helped put the US flags out on main street for all the special occasions. He also collected Lions Club donations for the Labor Day Sale and almost always could be found working in the bingo booth at the Chase County fair. He was active in many community projects including the re-building of the Imperial Auction Market in 1997.
Gene and Lee to start traveling, which they did quite a bit during their later years. They started traveling in 1974 and were able to visit many places including Europe, Australia, Canada and the United States.
Gene and Lee lived on the farm until 1980, when he semi-retired and his son Mike assumed the management responsibilities. Gene enjoyed his boat and fishing at Enders Lake. He would take his Father-in-Law, Earl Porter, and they very much enjoyed their time together. He enjoyed taking his kids along once-in-a-while – and would buy them the BIG ice cream cones and put them in the back of the truck for the ride home. As the Son-in-Laws and Grandchildren came along, Gene enjoyed taking them along and enjoyed the boating and fishing with them all. Most of the time, the Grandkids would catch the ‘Big’ Fish of the day.
Gene was proceeded in death by wife, Lucelia Ellen in 2013, his Father Milton C. Moreland in 1954, his Mother Clara Moreland in 1989, his brother George Moreland in 1974, sister, Betty Kregger in 1983, Father-in-Law Earl Porter in 1965, Mother-In-Law Geraldine Porter in 1993, Son-In-Law Mike Schoenfelder in 2014 and Grandson Jovic Gould in 2008.
Gene is survived by his sister, Barbara McNair
His children: Kathy and Butch Loring, Jodi and Lex Thompson, Patricia Schoenfelder, Mike and Jane Moreland all of Imperial and Kerry and Britt German of Cozad.
His Grandchildren: Angela Sanders, Jared Thompson, Jamie Schoenfelder, Megan Schoenfelder, Eric Moreland, Blake Moreland, Jason German and Jessica Kjar.
His Great Grandchildren: Austin Sanders-Adkins, Damien Adkins, Charles David Bell, Skyler, Joel and Bryce Gould, Bryarrose and Skye Thompson, Miklyn Schoenfelder, Hunter Moreland and Maddex and Miles German.
Funeral Services will be 10:30 A.M. (MT), Thursday, July 24th, 2014 at the United Methodist Church of Imperial with Pastor Todd Burpo and Pastor Phil Harris officiating. Interment will follow at Mount Hope Cemetery in Imperial with full military honors.
Visitation will be Wednesday afternoon, July 23rd, 2014 from 2:00-6:00 P.M. (MT) at the funeral home in Imperial.
A memorial has been established to the Imperial Lion’s Club.
Online condolences can be left at liewerfuneralhome.com
LIEWER FUNERAL HOME IS IN CHARGE OF ARRANGEMENTS