Ralph Buse, 79, of West Point, passed away Thursday, October 5, 2017 at Methodist Hospital in Omaha. Funeral Mass will be 10:30am Monday, October 9 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with Fr. Harold Buse as celebrant. Burial will be at St. Michael’s Cemetery with lunch following at the Nielsen Center. Visitation will be Sunday from 10:00am to 2:00pm at Stokely Funeral Home and will continue from 3:00pm to 5:00pm with a Knights of Columbus rosary at 5:00pm at church. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorials be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Stokely Funeral Home isin charge of arrangements. Ralph Clemens Buse was born on August 19, 1938 to Henry and Frances (Ernesti) Buse in West Point. He attended Guardian Angels School in West Point, often time staying with his grandparents during the week and returning home on the weekends. He graduated from Guardian Angels in 1954 at the age of 16. On June 20, 1962, Ralph married Evelyn Brester at St. Henry’s Catholic Church near Howells. They made their home in West Point where Ralph was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and 3rd Degree Knights of Columbus. He served in the Nebraska National Guard and was employed at IBP in West Point until his retirement. As a couple, Ralph and Evelyn loved growing a large garden every summer. They would spend many hours tending to their plants and then sharing the bounty of their harvest with family, friends, the priests and especially the nuns of the parish. Ralph found great joy in his family. He loved when the children and grandchildren would stop by to check in with him. The ones that lived further away would get a routine phone call from grandpa letting them know he was thinking about them – sending love and a smile across the miles. Survivors include his wife, Evelyn, of West Point; children, Mark (Kathy) Buse of West Point, Lori (Duane) Deutsch of Knoxville, IA, Donna (Todd) Lichtenfeld of Lincoln, Lou (Brian) Reimers of West Point, and Pat Buse of Omaha; grandchildren Laura (Anthony) LaRossa of Grand Island, Nicole Buse (fiancé Jay Linton) of Lincoln, Mandi and Alissa Deutsch of Des Moines, IA, Rachel Buse of Des Moines, IA, Russell Lichtenfeld (fiancé e Maggie Stenvers) of Pinedale, WY, Emma Lichtenfeld of Lincoln, Chris, Garret and Jacob Reimers of West Point, and great-granddaughter Emerson LaRossa; brother, Jerry (Rose) Buse of West Point; brothers and sisters-in-law, Geraldine Burenheide of Howells, MaryAnn Brester of Howells, Joan (Larry) Groenthal of Platte Center, NE, Doris (Ted) Gentrup of West Point, Ann Mae (Albie) Sindelar of Howells, Eugene (Ann) Brester of Howells, Alice Bayer of Howells, Dan (Denise) Brester of Howells, Gary (Deb) Brester of Howells, and many nieces and nephews. Ralph is preceded in death by his parents; parents-in-law, George and Catherine Brester; brothers-in-law, Allen Burenheide, Reynold Brester and Richard Bayer; and niece Mary Lou Burenheide.