Linda Rae VerHage

Linda Verhage

December 30, 1950 – August 7, 2025

Linda (Ullsperger) Verhage (74) passed away at her home in rural Crawford as a result of a horseback riding accident on August 7, 2025.

Linda grew up on a farm near Douglas, Nebraska and graduated from Douglas High School. She always enjoyed her animals and the country life. She married David Verhage in 1972. David was in the Navy at the time, which led them to living in several locations in California. After David’s enlistment was fulfilled, the couple settled in Fairmont, Nebraska for a short time. However, after being invited on a hunting trip to Crawford, Nebraska by David’s step father, David and Linda fell in love with the Crawford area for its beauty and history. They elected to make Crawford their home.

Linda was an extremely hard working lady. She worked for the State of Nebraska Department of Roads and could hold her own running heavy equipment. She also worked at the Crawford Hospital for a time. Many hours were spent enjoying the land she lived on. She was a member of the St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Crawford and a devoted fan of the Post Playhouse in Crawford.

Linda cared for her husband David before he passed away in 2016 after 44 years of marriage. She missed him terribly these last 8 years. Linda was a very unique and memorable character. She was a good neighbor. She was very independent, and proud that she could make her own way with hard work and ingenuity.

In addition to her husband, Linda was preceded in death by her parents, Raymond and Beth Ullsperger. She is survived by sisters, Karen Pester (Palmyra, NE) and Susan Burbee (Douglas, NE), brothers-in-law Carroll Verhage (Geneva, NE and Wendell Verhage (Hastings, NE) and Sisters-in-law Marianne Henderson (Talala, OK) and Lucille Weber (Hastings, NE).

A small gathering for a Celebration of Life is being planned for a future time by the family. Memorials in Linda’s name would be a loving gesture and may be sent to the Post Playhouse, PO Box 447, Chadron, NE 69337