Warren Fales, 96, of York, formerly of Springview and Basset, NE, and Melbourne, AR, passed away Thursday, February 22, 2018 at York, NE.

He was born on July 20, 1921 to Ellis and Hannah (Wright) Fales in Sargent, NE. The family included the 14 children from Ellis’s first marriage, Ray, Luella, Homer, Alpha, Renna, Lola, Erma, Sylvia, Laura, Glen, Harry, John, Lester, and unnamed baby. Children born to Ellis and Hannah were Warren and his younger siblings, Wayne, Tressie and Evert.

When Warren was just over one year old, the family moved back to their homestead ranch west of Taylor and lived in a six-room sod house, until the prairie fires where under control. They later built a small house that still stands today. Warren loved to sing and play the guitar and purchased his first guitar from Montgomery Ward for $4.98 when he was in the 7th grade.

Warren attended the Knobby Ridge grade school and graduated from Taylor High School in 1939. The following year, Warren stayed on the ranch working for his family while his father’s health deteriorated. His father passed in 1940. Warren then taught country schools east of Burwell for the next two years.

After serving in WWII, Warren took off with one suitcase of clothes and his guitar, eventually landing in Salt Lake City, UT. One of his jobs was to play for Alcoa Aluminum radio commercials for 15 minutes, three times a week for a total salary of $67.50. While Warren liked the job, he grew tired of the customers requesting the same old tired worn out songs over and over, and had a hard time putting his heart into it.

In 1945, Warren took a job working on a dude ranch in the Teton Mountains in Wyoming. One morning, while out rounding up the horses, he was bucked off his horse, hitting his head on a rock and waking up two hours later. This fall “knocked sense into him” and he decided it was time to get back to Nebraska and the ranch.

This period of Warren’s life was a combination of teaching school, breaking horses, riding bucking broncos in rodeos and playing guitar for dances in the evenings. He loved good times and fast cars, owning three convertibles and received nine speeding tickets in one year.

In the summer of 1955, Warren attended a training session for teachers prior to the beginning of the school year where he met the love of his life, Jean.

Warren and Jean were married on December 1, 1957 at the Baptist Church in Gothenburg, NE. Theirs was a loving marriage that grew for over 55 years. Their first home was in Gates, NE where both Warren and Jean taught the local two-room consolidated country school. Jean taught the lower grades, while Warren taught the upper grades. The following year they taught near Newport, NE. Warren’s love for cattle ranching drew them to Gregory, SD, Springview, NE, Jacksonville, MO and Melbourne, AR. Retirement brought them back to York.

Warren was a devoted Christian who studied his Bible diligently. He was laid to rest in the Moulton Cemetery, Taylor, Nebraska. All Faiths Funeral Home of Grand Island is serving the family.

Warren is survived by his four step-daughters, Carolyn Nelson of Lincoln, Jacque (Tom) Shotkoski of Lincoln, Marilyn (Don) Hayes of Martell and Barbara (Lennie) Devine of Grand Island; ten grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; nephew, Dale Fales; and great niece and nephews.

He was predeceased by his beloved wife, Jean; all of his siblings; one grandchild; and a son-in-law, Dave Nelson.

All Faiths Funeral Home