Thurman "Ole" Licking

Mullen, NE - Thurman “Ole” Licking age 90 of Mullen formerly of Seneca, died Saturday January 13, 2018 at the Pioneer Memorial Health Center in Mullen. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday January 17, 2018 at 2:00 PM Central Time at the Seneca Auditorium at Seneca, NE.  A visitation will be held on Tuesday January 16, 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM mountain time at the Mullen Funeral Home in Mullen.  Memorials are suggested to the Seneca Auditorium.   Thurman’s last ride will be to the Seneca Cemetery in a horse drawn hearse pulled by Don Lickings team of horses.  Military Honors will be held at the Cemetery. Thurman “Ole” Dale Licking was the tenth child born to Charles Edward and Emma Sophia (Hanner) LIcking, on May 2, 1927, at the Family Ranch, south of Seneca, Nebraska. Thurman attended Country School District 16, south of Seneca, and then attended High School at Seneca.  He quit school at the age of 17 to join the US Navy in October of 1944. He was sent to the Great Lakes Naval Station, Illinois.  He served in Florida, Norfolk, VA, Guantanamo, Cuba, and then returned to the United States. He spent the last month of his service on the US RAnger, an aircraft carrier.  He returned home in July of 1946.  He later received his High School Diploma at the age of 33. Thurman bought his parent’s homestead and other land that his parents had added.  Thurman was on the School Board for the Country School that his niece and nephews attended that was the school that he had attended years before.  Thurman enjoyed coyote hunting with his horses and hounds.  Thurman and his brothers enjoyed talking on the party phone line at night during the winter catching up on the day’s happenings. He married Barbara Ethel May on October 8, 1961, at Litchfield, NE.  Barbara worked at the Seneca POst Office for more that 20 years.  They adopted two children in 1966; Fredrecia May, who was born on March 20, 1960, and Justin Mel, who was born on April 19, 1966. Barbara died of cancer in 1985. In later years Thurman worked at the sale barn in Thedford, and then worked as a flagger for the road department.  He had been living in North Platte and then went to the Mullen Nursing Home in the Fall of 2016. Survivors include his daughter Fredrecia May Eyton of North Platte, and his son Justin Mel, of North Platte, two step grandchildren; Russell Jr. and Nicholas Eyten, and a sister-in-law Jackie Licking of Mullen. He was preceded in death by his wife Barbara and his son-in-law Russell Eyton. Thurman was also preceded in death by his parents, seven brothers; Clyde, Lawrence, Everett (Grit), Roy, Vernon, Norman, and Paul, three sisters; Vera Pulver, Vada Warren and Ruth Craft.