Pearl Duval

Former Bladen and Hastings resident, Pearl Duval, 93, passed away Thursday, February 28, 2019 at Holdrege Memorial Homes, Holdrege, NE.



Graveside service will be Saturday, March 9, 2019 at 11 am at Parkview Cemetery, Hastings. Visitation will be Friday, March 8, 2019 from 3 pm to 7 pm with family present from 5 pm to 7 pm at the Apfel Funeral Home Chapel, Hastings. Condolences may be sent to the family from www.apfelfuneralhome.com. Apfel Funeral Home, Hastings is in charge of the arrangements.



Pearl was born November 26, 1925, the seventh child born to Herman and Belva Keim Bestwick Smith in rural Frontier County, NE. She grew up and attended school in rural Frontier County. Her family moved to Bladen, NE around 1941. She worked with her family where her dad was a race horse trainer. She also worked in restaurants in Hastings, mainly at Dalton’s Café.



On August 1, 1943 she married Kenneth W. Duval. To this union two sons were born, Larry and Kenneth. After her husband returned from serving in WWII in 1945, they began their life farming for nearly 40 years south of Bladen. She was very proud of her sons and participated in many school activities and events with them. During those 40 years on the farm she did anything that was needed. She raised a big garden and raised 300 chickens a lot of years. During this time, she also worked as a nurse’s aide and med aide at nursing homes in Hastings, Blue Hill and Red Cloud.



Pearl was a avid bowler and enjoyed it very much and actually considered herself a pretty good bowler. She loved her grandchildren which included great grandchildren very much, always trying to do as much for them and be with them as much as possible. She was very proud for having a 5-generation family from both of her sons. After nearly 40 years of farming she retired with her husband in 1982. They moved to Hastings where she lived until moving to Holdrege in 2014. During the years of farming and retirement she and her husband traveled the United States visiting most if not all the 48 states. Beginning in about 1965 and for 35 years they began going south for the winter. They traveled from Florida to Texas but always ending up in their favorite places of Apache Junction and Yuma, Arizona.



She is survived by her two sons, Larry and friend Becky of Holdrege and Kenneth and wife Kathy of Pierce, NE, granddaughters, Tanya Laudenklos of Kearney, Shelly Lawson and husband Willie of Lincoln, grandsons, Todd Duval and wife Stacy of Arvada, CO, Greg Duval and wife Patty of Lincoln, great grandchildren, Tyler Laudenklos and wife June od Pocatello, ID, Emily Laudenklos of Kearney, Cameron, Dillon and Alec Duval of Arvada, CO, Nick Lawson, Ashley and Jake Kimmen of Lincoln, great great grandchildren, Jaylen Naber, of York, James and Tristan Laudenklos of Pocatello, ID, Kennedy and Brady Duval of Arvada, CO, Bryson and Jacey Kimmen, Collon Delancy, Brookley Cramm and Mya Lawson of Lincoln.



She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Kenneth in 2001, her brothers, Lloyd and Floyd Bestwick and their wives, Wayne Smith and wife and Harold Smith who was killed during WWII, sisters, Belva Coats and husband Dorothy Jacobs and husband, Vera Smith and two infant brothers at birth.