Leslie Cline

Funeral services for Leslie Cline will be held on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. at the United Church of Christ, in Naper, NE, with Alex Bendig officiating. Honorary casket bearers are all his friends and family. Interment will be in the Knollcrest Cemetery in Naper, NE. Leslie Frank Cline was born on June 29, 1968, to Dennis and Linda (Grooms) Cline in Martin, SD. As a small child Leslie was active and mischievous, always wanting to know how things worked and occasionally getting into minor trouble for taking things apart and trying to put them back together. Dad gave him a tool kit once and he proceeded to take the vents off the floor registers.

He also loved running the streets of Naper, hot-rodding or cruising the town in a car or motorcycle up the old dirt back roads. His favorite was town night (Wed or Sat) to run down to the VFW to get hamburgers or ice cream from Daldorff’s Drug Store. He helped George (Bud) Alexander with delivering groceries to customers around town and Len Fuhrer with well digging. His first love was learning to skateboard on the bowery, riding his go cart, and later a moped. As he got older, he enjoyed playing pool at the bar with his cousins and dad. He was an avid fisherman, often making trips to Jim Blum’s fishing pond.

He attended grade school in Martin up to 1975 when his parents bought the bar in Naper, NE, and moved the family there. In Naper he finished elementary and graduated high school with the class of 1987. In the fall after graduation, he attended Northeast Community College in Norfolk. In 1989 he graduated with an Auto Body degree. Leslie worked for several body shops from Neligh to Bassett, NE, and then later worked in Alliance and finally Ogallala, NE. His favorite was the older suicide cars and panel vans. He was an artist in his painting of vehicles. Due to health conditions, he quit doing body work and went to work in Ogallala at The Underpass, where he made amazing prime ribs and the Driftwood Steak House, where he washed dishes. While in Ogallala, Leslie became best friends with Harry Neiman. Tired of the restaurant business and due to poor health, he helped Harry with his well digging until 2023 when Harry passed. The loss of his friend was extremely hard on him.

Leslie Frank Cline, 55 of Ogallala, NE, passed away on April 2, 2024. He is survived by his sisters Joy Bechtold and Angel (Bryan) Nelson; stepfather Lonnie Davis; and nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his father Dennis Cline; mother Linda (Grooms) Cline-Davis; sister Melody Brunkhorst; and grandparents Frank and Wilma Grooms, and Harney and Opal Cline.