Proctors found, giving family closure

The tears were still flowing Monday morning for the Proctor family as they processed the end of a long, painful journey.
Two months to the day after Bob and Loveda were reported missing, the family received a call Saturday afternoon from law enforcement while celebrating a family member’s birthday, confirming the tragic news that their beloved parents/grandparents were found deceased on a rural road northeast of Kearney.
Son Victor shared a sense of immense grief on behalf of the family, combined with gratitude to all who helped in what proved to be a gut-wrenching search.
“I am glad that we found them,” Victor said. “I had hoped that it would be better circumstances, but at least we know what happened. We’re learning now what happened and how it happened.”
Based on the last video sighting and where Bob and Loveda were ultimately found, Victor said the family has a pretty clear understanding of what happened that fateful night in January.
“We believe that they went to Minden and went straight north because the gravel road they were on is straight in line with that highway out of Minden,” he said. “So they crossed over I-80 and then as soon as they crossed over (Highway) 30 they were on gravel for about four or five miles and then they hit the minimum maintenance road.”
Victor said his parents continued north for about 1-1/2 miles and then got stuck on a road reported to be in rough condition. In fact, the family tried to visit the site Saturday, but was advised not to, as the road was in such poor condition and there was no place to turn around.
“Right before they went on to the minimum maintenance road there were two farmhouses,” Victor shared. “I believe that’s where my mom was trying to walk to, trying to get help. My mom never stopped trying to help.”
Law enforcement authorities informed the family that Loveda was found near a tree, approximately 100 yards away from the vehicle. Bob was found inside the vehicle, which had run out of gas and was discovered to have a dead battery.
“They did let us know that my dad was in the vehicle and that my mom had her coat on and my dad’s coat in her hand, with my dad’s walker,” Victor shared. “She had walked 100 yards uphill and fell down by a tree and that’s where they found her.”
Joe Proctor, the family’s middle son, said it meant a lot to finally find his parents, though he was struggling with a sense of helplessness they must have felt near the end.
“You know it just hurts because our mom has always been a supporter for all of us,” he said. “My mom needed us and we couldn’t find her. We spent every day driving and looking for my mom and dad and it just hurts. I’m glad somebody found them, that’s for sure. They were together, I guess, and they’ll go to heaven together, so that’s a plus.”
Loveda left one final message, Victor shared, for anyone who found the vehicle.
“They also said that my mom left a note in the vehicle to ‘Call Victor,” he said, his voice cracking. “I’m happy that my mom and dad are with their family now that they haven’t gotten to see. They’re in heaven now, I know they are, and I can’t wait to see them again.”
Sadly, the Proctors did not have a cell phone to make that call themselves. Granddaughter Laci Fleming noted that the family had provided a cell phone for emergency purposes, but it was left at home that night.
“They were supposed to keep it charged for 911 purposes, but we found it with the charger on the stairs behind Grandpa’s chair,” she said. “So they did not have it with them.
“I feel like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders, but it also was just very emotional,” Laci continued. “All that hope that they were maybe still out there was just gone. It’s just been very hard.”

Sense of gratitude
While dealing with the reality of his parents deaths, Victor had a message for the many people who helped in various ways during the two-month search.
“I would like to thank everybody in Hamilton County, Hall County, Grand Island, Aurora, Hastings, and just everyone who put so much time, money and everything that they went through to help us,” he said. “It’s been truly amazing and it makes you really proud to be a Nebraska Husker.”
Some who helped, Victor noted, were people the family did not even know, including volunteers from other states.
“We ran into people from Columbus out on gravel roads searching on their days off,” he said. “People from all the area towns, even Lincoln and Omaha, have helped search. It’s just been unbelievable.”
“Everyone would not accept any answer until we found an answer,” voiced Victor’s wife, Tammy. “They would not give up hope. They kept trying. For all this time, everyone kept trying and we really appreciate that. Nobody chose to stop searching.”
Victor added special thanks to the Aurora Police Department for its help since Day 1.
“The Aurora Police Department has just been working nonstop, doing everything possible,” he said. “They were amazing and are so appreciated.”
Though the search for Bob and Loveda has ended, Victor said the family’s efforts to help with future searches will continue on.
“We have things we want to do for Aurora that we’re going to do in the near future,” he said. 
Those plans include posting video cameras around the square, as well as at the 1st Street and Highway 14 intersections on Highway 34, so that video surveillance will be available for future searches if and when needed.
“Another thing that we need to change is allowing license plate readers on our interstate and highways,” Victor continued. “We could have been following my mom and dad from Day 1 with cameras if they were out there.”
He reported that he’s been told a proposal to allow video searches in Nebraska was rejected and needs to be reviewed.
“Of course, we’re all tracked by our cell phones and most of our newer vehicles are tracked also, so as far as people thinking that they’re going to be tracked by those license plate readers, they’re just going to help us find missing children and missing elderly,” he added. “That’s what we need them for.”
Having agonized over the what-ifs for two months now, Victor shared one final thought on how this tragedy might have been avoided.
“I wish that the hospital (in Grand Island) would have realized the circumstances they were in at that point,” he said. “I think they were the last one’s that were going to be able to help my mom and dad when they went there. I think my parents were looking for help and I wish they would have called.”
As of Monday the family was making plans to put Bob and Loveda to rest, with a funeral planned for Friday. Victor was also making plans to add a fence in the backyard to accommodate Holly, his parents’ German shepherd.
“She is a 70-pound dog and we have a six-pound Pomeranian,” he said, voicing a smile. “Neither of them has ever been around another animal and we are still trying to get them to where they can coexist together. We’re getting ready to put in a 200-foot fence in our back yard so she can run full speed. We’re going to let her open up and run, giving her the best life we possibly can.”