Henry J. Ketteler, 91, of Petersburg, NE passed away on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at the Boone County Health Center in Albion, NE.
Mass of Christian Burial was held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, November 11, 2026 (today), at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Petersburg, with Rev. Frank Baumert officiating. Private family inurnment will be at a later date in the parish cemetery.
Visitation was held from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Wednesday morning at the church.
Levander Funeral Home of Albion is in charge of the arrangements. Condolences may be sent to www.levanderfuneralhome.com.
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Henry Joseph Ketteler was born at home in Petersburg, Nebraska on May 2, 1935, to Joseph and Louise (Loxterkamp) Ketteler. The family moved to Laurel, Nebraska when he was a young boy due to the drought and difficult farming conditions.
When the time came for Henry’s First Communion, they returned to Petersburg, Nebraska so he was able to attend a Catholic school.
He attended St. John the Baptist school from that point until his graduation from high school in 1952.
After high school, he worked at various farming/ranching positions and the Loxterkamp John Deere Implement Company.
In 1959, he married Marilyn A. Stokes at St. John’s Catholic Church in Petersburg. The couple started farming and raising a family. They had three children, Kent, Karen, and Kay.
The farm was diversified including both crops and livestock. This included milking cows, fattening cattle, raising hogs, and two stupid sheep (Bullet and Peanut – who the kids enjoyed and Marilyn hated). Henry and Marilyn progressed from renting to owning their current farm in 1969. They built a new home in 1970 where they resided to present.
Henry had three hobbies, farming, farming, and more farming. He was strictly a John Deere man!! He bled green through and through!! Well, maybe playing Sheephead with anybody that understood how the card game was played should be included.
In later years after the milking herd was sold, the couple finally enjoyed traveling to most of Europe, Canada, and visited most of the states in the US.
Henry was invested and involved in his community and family. He was Holy Name President for St. John’s Parish, President of Pope John XXIII school board, and President of Boone County National Farmers Organization. His nephews and nieces considered him the patriarch of the Ketteler family.
Henry was a devout Catholic. It was a priority of his to attend mass, tithe, and to have his children learn about their faith and attend Catholic schools.
Henry passed unexpectedly on November 5, 2026, in the Boone County Health Center after suffering a heart attack.
He was preceded in death by his parents Joe and Louise Ketteler, siblings and in-laws Mary (Maurice) Henn, Patricia (Kenneth) Schumacher, Helen (Lawrence) Borer and nephew Brian Borer, and infant brother Henry.
Henry is survived by his wife Marilyn A. Ketteler and brother James (Rosemary) Ketteler, children Kent E. (Denise) Ketteler, daughters Karen A. (Bill) Novak, Kay L. (Anthony) Medina. Grandchildren, Blaine (Davida) Petska, Seara (Eric) Johnson, Samantha Ketteler, Heath (Elizabeth) Ketteler, Ben (Erin) Novak, Andrew (Cheyanne Loeffler) Novak, Christina (Jimmy) Elder. Great grandchildren, Atticus Petska, Breckham and Ava Johnson, Oliver, Gemma, Eleanor, and Clara Ketteler, Lincoln Novak, and Lillian Elder and numerous nieces and nephews.
