Clifton Buske

Clifton August Buske, 92, of Lisco passed away late Tuesday evening, January 14, 2020 at the Regional West Garden County Nursing Home in Oshkosh.

Memorial Graveside services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, February 1, 2020 at the Lisco Memorial Cemetery with Gary Almquist leading.  Please dress casual and warm.

A gathering of family and friends will be held Friday evening, January 31, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Holechek-Bondegard Funeral Home in Oshkosh.

Holechek-Bondegard Funeral Home and Cremations in Oshkosh is serving the Buske family.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Regional West Garden County Foundation-Nursing Home(1100 W 2^nd St Oshkosh, NE 69154), the Western Nebraska VOA (PO Box 128 Lewellen, NE 69147), or Lisco Memorial Cemetery Fence Fund (c/o Bill Vogler PO Box 82 Lisco, NE 69148).

Clifton was born on September 14, 1927 to August and Myrtle Buske at the Buske ranch seven miles north of Lisco.  He grew up on the family ranch where his love for farming, ranching, and flying airplanes took root. Following graduation from Garden County High School in 1945, he attended Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Oklahoma and achieved his aircraft mechanics rating.  He remained active in the flying industry for nearly all his life, flying until 1968 and then serving on the Garden County Airport Authority Board. During his time on the board a terminal building and an 8-unit tee hanger were built, runway and taxiway lengths extended, taxiway lights were added as well as a new fueling system and snow removal equipment.  In 2008 Clifton was inducted to the Nebraska Aviation Hall of Fame, honored for his leadership role in promoting aviation in Nebraska and for his 40 years of service on the Board of the Garden County Airport.  In 2019 the main terminal building of the airport was named the Clifton Buske Hanger.

Clifton was also very active in his community in other ways.  As a member of the North Platte Valley Sportsman Club he donated his hunting blinds for the annual goose shoots and participated in building goose nests along the North Platte River.   He was an original member of the Board of Directors for the Volunteers of America  (VOA), board member of the Oshkosh Country Club where he designed and built a log cabin restroom on the golf course, a member of the Lisco Fire Department for 28 years, and an  assistant horse 4-H leader.  He served on various Lisco Oldtimers Day committees for many years and in 2000 was the honored Oldtimer.  In 2003 Clifton was inducted into the Garden County Ag Society Hall of Fame.

Clifton's primary occupation was a farmer/rancher, raising corn and alfalfa and running a cow-calf operation east of Lisco.  He lived all his life in Garden County except for 2 years in Ogallala where he worked as a cabinet maker.  During the winters he continued using his carpentry skills to remodel homes and build cabinets for many of the locals.  Upon retiring from farming in 1992 he completely remodeled his parents' house which became his retirement home.  He kept himself busy with his favorite hobbies of carving ducks and gardening as well as continuing with his cabinetmaking and golfing. 

 On November 9, 1948 Clifton married Wanda Jacobson and they raised two sons, Brad and Marco, and one daughter, Cynthia.

Clifton is survived by his children Brad (Doris) Buske of Folsom California, Marco (Diane) Buske of Severance Colorado, and Cynthia (Gary) Almquist of Bayard Nebraska, as well as 5 grandchildren and special friend Elaine Campbell and her family. 

He was preceded in death by his parents August and Myrtle Buske, brother Preston Buske, sister Lucille Charles, infant brother Cecil, and Wanda Buske Mueller.