Arvid Samuelson.

Arvid “Sonny” Eugene Samuelson, Jr., 83, of Wakefield, Nebraska died on Wednesday, January 29, 2014 at the Wakefield Health Care Center in Wakefield, Nebraska. Funeral services for Sonny will be held on Saturday, February 1, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Wakefield; Pastor William Bertrand will be officiating. The visitation with the family present will be held on Friday, January 31, 2014 from 3:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the Bressler – Munderloh – Smith Funeral Home in Wakefield. Burial with military honors will follow a lunch at St. John’s Lutheran Church at the Bancroft Cemetery in Bancroft, Nebraska. Memorials may be directed to the family for future designation.

Sonny was born on February 8, 1930 to Arvid and Bertha (Pates) Samuelson on a farm west of Lyons, NE. He was baptized on April 20, 1930 ad confirmed at Grace Lutheran Church in West Point, NE. He attended rural school and graduated from Lyons High School in 1947. He worked at several different jobs, plus helped his father with the farming. On January 4, 1952, Sonny married Imogene Burhoop at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Bancroft, NE.

He was drafted into the United States Army on January 9, 1952. Sonny was sent to Fort Leonard Wood, MO before being transferred to Camp Roberts, CA, where Imogene joined him. He was transferred to Camp Cook, CA, and at the end of October 1952 he got his orders to Mannheim, Germany. He returned to the United States in November of 1953 and after serving for two years was released in January 1954. He then spent six years in the Army Reserves. He was a member of the Bancroft American Legion until moving to Wakefield and joining the Wakefield American Legion.

Sonny returned to farming and semi-retired in 1995, moving into Wakefield, but remained helping on the farm. He was one of the founding members of the Bancroft Saddle Club.

Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Imogene of Wakefield, NE, two sons Douglas Samuelson of Lincoln, NE and Galen (Amy) Samuelson of Wakefield, NE, five grandchildren: Eric (Brandy) Samuelson, Casey (Jenny) Samuelson, Brianna, Caleb and Dawson Samuelson, four great grandchildren: Taylor, Ethan, Caden and Elynn. He is also survived by a sister Ina Welding of West Point, NE, his twin brother Arnold (Mila Jean) Samuelson of Mesa, AZ, a sister-in-law Marilyn Burhoop and brother-in-law David (Judy) Burhoop of Bancroft, NE, and many nieces and nephews.

Sonny was preceded in death by his parents, a son Brian Samuelson, sisters Ila Samuelson and Lucille Poledna and brothers-in-law Harold “Deke” Welding, Dennis Poledna and Dale Burhoop.