Elmer E. Pollock, 76
April 23, 1948 — October 3, 2024
GRAND ISLAND — Elmer Earl Pollock, 76, of Grand Island, died Thursday, October 3, 2024, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Grand Island.
Memorial service will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, October 19, 2024, at Peace Lutheran Church with Pastor Carl Eliason officiating. Inurnment will follow in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery.
Friends and family will gather from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the church. Memorials are suggested to the family to be designated at a later date.
Apfel Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements, online condolences may be left at www.apfelfuneralhome.com .
Elmer was born on April 23, 1948, in Grand Island, Neb., to Earl and Anna (Meier) Pollock. He grew up in the Grand Island rural area. He attended a country one room school, Trinity Lutheran School, Walnut Junior High, and Northwest High School, graduating with the class of 1966.
He was united in marriage to Bonnie Traudt on May 22, 1970, at Trinity Lutheran Church. The couple lived in Lynnwood, Wash.; Barstow, Calif.; and Denton, Texas; and then returned to Grand Island to live on the family farm. This is where Elmer farmed and raised cattle with his father.
Elmer also worked with Automatic Electric, Continental Telephone, was self employed doing phone repair/installation for many years, and did work for Siemers Feedlot, and the Hall County Roads Department. For the next five years he sold insurance and did crop adjusting for claims. In April of 2000 he bought the Longhorn Saloon in Farwell, Neb., and ran this until 2010. Then he drove a semi-truck for Midwest Express and Naber Trucking until his cancer diagnosis in 2020 when he would then retire.
Elmer entered the United States Army on March 19, 1968, serving during the Vietnam War due to being drafted. He was honorably discharged on October 22, 1969.
Elmer was a member of Peace Lutheran Church, the Saddle Club, the local VFW, and the American Quarter Horse Association. He enjoyed watching Nebraska football and volleyball, and playing cards and backgammon with family and friends. He had a passion and love for raising horses, which he was very proud of.
Elmer is survived by his children, Tracie Pollock, Kristina (Mike) Pokrandt, and Andrew (Diedre) Pollock; his grandchildren, Daija Pickett, Daynna Pickett, Jason Heston, Kayley Pokrandt, and Allison Pokrandt; a great-granddaughter, Georgia; and three sisters, Earlene Stratman, Ruth Priebe, and Joye Becker.
He is preceded in death by his parents; three brothers-in-law, Lee Stratman, Don Priebe, and Francis Becker; and a nephew, Ron Stratman.
