Virgil L. Burrell

Page — Virgil Leo Burrell, 89, of Page, died Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025 at Avera St. Anthony's Hospital in O'Neill.

Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025 at Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025 at the United Methodist Church in Page. Janene Reynolds will officiate.

Burial will be in the Page Cemetery in Page with military rites provided by the Page American Legion Post 315.

Memorials may be made to the family for future designation.

Virgil was born June 14, 1935 on a ranch southwest of Chambers, to Ernest and Estella (Whitsell) Burrell. He attended school at District 178 through the eighth grade.  

In August of 1955, Virgil enlisted into the U.S. Navy and was assigned to the Helasron Two Anti-Submarine Squadron. He was honorably discharged in July of 1959. Virgil was honored to have served his country. Virgil had a Helasron Veteran flag specially made to proudly hang with the American flag outside his home in Page.

Virgil stayed in Alabama and worked at a papermill.  

He married Lorraine and to this union a daughter was born, Melanie.  

After moving back to Nebraska, Virgil married Wilma (Weber) Johnson in Stuart on Nov. 29, 1987.  

He worked doing custom haying all across the Midwest. In the early 1990's, they bought a farm near Orchard and raised hogs. The couple retired in 1999 and moved into the house Virgil and Wilma built in Page.

Virgil was a member of the Page Village Board, Page Development Club, Page United Methodist Church and a lifelong member of the Page American Legion Post 315.

He enjoyed fishing, camping, traveling and playing cards. Virgil and Wilma remodeled an old school bus into a camper he painted gray. Their family referred to the bus as the "Silver Bullet.”  Virgil was a very handy man and was always building or tinkering with things. Virgil was always planning his next fishing trip or he would take off for Minnesota in the middle of the night because his family said the fish were biting there. He would like to share his catch when he returned by having a fish fry and making his great-granddaughter's favorite hush puppies.

Virgil is survived by his daughter Melanie (Ronald) Sanders of Alabama; three stepdaughters Jolene Emme of O'Neill, Linda (Rod) Anson of Atkinson and Sharon (Tom) Homes of Scribner; one stepson Steve Johnson of Atkinson; seven grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; one brother Faye Burrell of Park Rapids, MN; three sisters Latrelle (Dewain) Vanderbeek of Sebeka, MN, Rachel Johnson of Laramie, WY, and Wanda Burrell of Staples, MN; two sisters-in-law Carol Burrell of Riverton, WY, and Sue Burrell of O'Neill; one brother-in-law Dale Brown of Broken Bow; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife Wilma in 2018; three brothers Victor Burrell, Foster Burrell and Roscoe Burrell; and one sister Virgina Brown.