Randall "Randy" A. O'Neel

Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022, at the Friend Congregational Church, with Pastor Tim Schrunk officiating.  Interment is in Andrew Cemetery. Food and fellowship will be provided afterwards down in the fellowship hall of the church.  Visitation is Thursday 2-8:00 p.m. with family receiving friends, relatives from 6-8:00 p.m. at Lauber Funeral Home, Friend, and also 1 hour prior to services Friday at church.  Memorials may be directed to the family for future designation. 

Randall Allan O’Neel was born to Marilyn (Jonas) and Boyd O’Neel in Friend, Nebraska at 10:10 a.m. on January 10th, 1955, the 2nd of four children.  Randy passed away suddenly from a heart attack one week before his 67th birthday on January 3, 2022.

As a young boy Randy attended District #47 the Woodpecker Country School just north of his family’s farm and then graduated with the class of 1973 from Friend High School.  While in high school he played saxophone in band and was on the wrestling team.  Randy placed 2nd at 119 pounds his senior year at the Nebraska State Wrestling Tournament.  Randy loved living in the country and farming with his dad. He also had helped his mom milk cows.  He furthered his education in agricultural after graduation with a degree from the University of Nebraska School of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, Nebraska.  As a young man he enjoyed his Dodge cars and even made a dune buggy out of an old wrecked car.  In November of 1978 he was united in marriage to Cindy Hansmeier, a young farm gal from Ogallala, Nebraska and they made a home for three years south of Friend.  Randy enjoyed making hay and had a custom haying and forage chopping business.  He had a love of horses and has always had a horse out on the farm, he still had one today.   Besides horses Randy loved dogs and cats as well.  He always had a dog growing up. Dancing was one of Randy’s favorite past times and you could usually find him at local country dances and at Pla Mor Ballroom doing the country swing.  In fact Randy’s marriage on October 13, 2007 to Karen Friday occurred at Pla Mor Ballroom.  Even though in his adult life Randy was not much for family get togethers, he did take two big family trips out to New York City and Short Hills, New Jersey for his brother’s wedding and a Thanksgiving celebration.  Randy has been a lifelong resident of the Friend area, but has always considered the farm he grew up on as ‘home’. 

Randy is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Chere and Gary Tuttle, Friend, brother and sister-in-law, Terry and Diane O’Neel, Friend and brother, Gregg O’Neel , Short Hills, NJ, six nieces and nephews, Galen and Jamie Tuttle, Friend, Melissa and Jason Norris, Liberty, MO, Danielle and Samuel Pendleton, Friend, Ethan and Kayla O’Neel, Friend, Ben and Jillian O’Neel, Short Hills, NJ, great nieces and nephews, Peyton and Brooks Norris, Avery and Reese Tuttle and Natalie and Madison Pendleton, and a host of other relatives and friends.

Randy was preceded in death by his parents Boyd O’Neel (2004) and Marilyn O’Neel (2021). 

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