Kent Swanson George Kent Swanson was born on January 12th, 1944 in Beatrice to Kenneth and Edythe Swanson. Kent’s dad and grandfather were both funeral directors in Beatrice and Wahoo respectively. In 1951, Kent’s family moved to North Platte when his father and Bill Adams started Adams & Swanson Funeral Home. He attended St. Pat’s and graduated from there with the class of 1962. He attended Creighton University and graduated in May 1966 with a Bachelor’s of Science in History and a Minor in Political Science and Philosophy. In October 1966 he joined the U.S. Navy as an officer and was stationed in San Diego. After his enlistment in 1969 he attended the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science. After completing school he returned to North Platte and received his funeral director’s license in 1971.
In 1972 Kent married Linda Krause. The couple have four children; Sarah, Jason, Molly, and Joseph; and two grandchildren, Zoe and Xavier. Kent belongs to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus as a 4th degree Knight and the American Legion.
Mike Montgomery Mike Montgomery grew up in Cozad, Nebraska, born to Brian and Peggy (Naylor) Montgomery, who still reside at Cozad. Mike graduated from Cozad High School in 1990. He then attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney for four years before finishing his schooling at Kansas City, Kansas School of Mortuary Science. Mike and his wife Laura moved to North Platte in 1995 where he has been at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home. Laura is a financial analyst for First National Bank in North Platte. Mike and Laura have three daughters, Katherine, Allison, and Megan.
Dennis M. Harrahill Denny was raised and graduated from Hemingford High School in 1995. After high school he entered the United States Navy and served as a sonar technician aboard a nuclear powered submarine, the USS Billfish. After the military, he attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney for two years and graduated from Mortuary School at Kansas City Kansas Community College. He has worked in the funeral business since 2000 and has been employed by Adams & Swanson Funeral Home since 2002.
Denny is the youngest of five children of Carmen and the late Jack Harrahill. He is a member of the Harvest Christian Fellowship Church and a member of VFW Post #1504. His hobbies include sports (especially college football), working in his yard, movies, history, and church activities.
Linda Bell Johnson Linda Bell Johnson has lived in North Platte all her life. She is the only child of George and Helen Bell. She graduated from North Platte High School in 1970. She continued her education and received an Associates of Arts Degree in Elementary Education. She married Steve Johnson in 1972. Steve is an engineer with the Union Pacific Railroad. They have two grown sons, Tim (Jessie) Johnson of North Platte and Rick Johnson of Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Tim works in radiology at Great Plains Regional Medical Center and Rick teaches middle school Math at Highland Ranch, Colorado. Linda has worked at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home since 2002.
Her hobbies include her yard, with all the berms and flowers she plants in the Spring and Summer; reading; traveling; movies; being outdoors and she is an avid sports fan. Linda’s favorite thing is spending time and playing with her two grandsons, Ethan and Chase, who live in North Platte.
Kristine Hengen Kristine Kay Sitorius Hengen was born and raised in North Platte and graduated from North Platte High School in 1978. After attending UNL for a year she married Dave Hengen in 1979. Dave is employed for the Union Pacific Railroad as a switchman. After working and living in Cheyenne, Wyoming for five years, they moved back to North Platte in 1985. Dave and Kristi have three daughters, Sara (Brandon) Altig, Stephanie and Sally. Kristi had enjoyed being a stay at home mom for the past several years before taking the part-time secretarial position at Adams & Swanson. They are members of Holy Spirit Catholic Church. She is the oldest of four daughters of Dick and Judy Sitorius. She enjoys volunteering at McDaid Catholic School where her youngest daughter attends school, attending her daughters sporting and school events, reading and crafts.
Deb Burkle Deborah (Deb) Burkle was born in Amarillo, Texas. She spent most of her early years in Iowa where her father was a Farmers Home Administrator. The oldest of four children, she graduated from New Hampton in 1971 and Buena Vista University, Storm Lake in 1975 where she majored in elementary education. She met and married her husband, Dennis, an English teacher in West Bend, Iowa where the lived for fourteen years. She taught junior high reading and writing. In 1989, she and her family moved to North Platte where Dennis became the journalism teacher at North Platte High School. The mother of four children, she operated a daycare from her home for 14 years. She was a substitute teacher for four years before joining the staffs of Adams and Swanson and Carpenter Memorial Funeral Homes in 2006. Dennis and Deb’s children are Jessica (Rodney) Schulz of Lincoln, Joshua (Megan) Burkle of Holdrege, Erin (Zach) Runcie of Hastings and Zachary. She also has one handsome grandson, Karter. Jessica is a salesman with Homesteaders Insurance Co., Joshua operates the Runza in Holdrege, Erin teaches third grade in Grand Island and Zach is a sophomore at Hastings College. She attends Bethel Evangelical Free Church where she and her husband co-teach an adult Sunday School class. She is also involved in the couples’ volleyball league, Share and Care and quilting. Her hobbies include scrapbooking, following college football, reading, biking with her husband, gardening and spending time with her growing family.
