Video confirms Proctor sighting in Hastings Jan. 12

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  • This video footage confirms that Bob and Loveda Proctor stopped at the Pump & Pantry on Hwy 6 south of Hastings at 1:02 a.m., Jan. 12. It is the last known sighting of the Aurora couple.
    This video footage confirms that Bob and Loveda Proctor stopped at the Pump & Pantry on Hwy 6 south of Hastings at 1:02 a.m., Jan. 12. It is the last known sighting of the Aurora couple.
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The month-long search for an elderly Aurora couple missing since Jan. 11 led to a specific sighting early that next morning, the family reported on Friday, with Bob and Loveda Proctor confirmed by video tape to be at the Pump & Pantry on Highway 6 south of Hastings at 1:02 a.m., Jan. 12.
Victor Proctor spoke with renewed energy Friday afternoon as he shared the details of the latest information, expressing appreciation on behalf of the Proctor family for the continuing efforts by law enforcement and other volunteers and community members to find his parents.
“This is wonderful news,” Victor said. “Now we know for sure they were there in Hastings at the Pump & Pantry. When they left there they went west on (Highway) 6, so that will give us more cameras in the Hastings area to search to see what direction they went from there.”
Proctor said it’s been estimated that his parents had travelled approximately 120 miles from Grand Island to Giltner to Hastings since last filling their Chrysler Pacifica with gas, meaning they could be within a range of 280 miles from Hastings before they would have run out of fuel.
Family members were encouraged by the latest information, noting that there have been reports of other sightings in the area as well.
“We did have a person that said right around this time they were at the fitness center, which is up a couple of blocks from there,” Proctor said. “We were told that someone got out of the vehicle and asked how to get to Aurora, and when they started to explain to the man he said ‘You’ll have to tell my wife because I won’t remember.’ That’s something my dad would have said, that he won’t remember, so we’re pretty sure they were there.”
Clearly exhausted from the emotional drain of searching night and day for so long, Proctor said he couldn’t say enough about the tireless efforts of so many people to find his parents.
“The Aurora Police Department has just been simply amazing,” he said. “From the first time I walked in and said I had a thought that they were missing, they didn’t say they had to wait a certain time period, they were on it right away. You know, several places I’ve stopped to check for footage and was told they (APD) had already been there. They are working tirelessly. I also know that the (Hamilton County) Sheriff’s Office and the State Patrol are out driving the gravel roads.
“Just last Sunday we were driving around the Giltner area and ran into a couple from Columbus who just decided to drive around looking for them,” he added. “It’s just so great that the state of Nebraska has reached out to us, I mean so many people have called and given information to the police. They are going through everything, to the point that I know some of the officers are having trouble sleeping because it’s in their head all day and they are working so hard.”
Proctor also expressed appreciation for efforts to search the area from the air.
“The Aurora Coop has been up with their planes and there have also been other planes out, as well as helicopters and drones,” he said. “It’s just unbelievable what the community and state have done. We’ve also seen posts in almost every county in the state of Nebraska and even some from California, Florida, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Iowa, South Dakota, just everywhere. We’ve had police departments from surrounding states call us and ask what they can do and that they’re looking, so we really appreciate that.”
Proctor said he was driving south on Highway 14 in the Davenport area recently when he saw a sign for the small town of Oak, Neb., which hit him hard in the moment, emotionally.
“That just instantly made me break down because that’s where my dad was born,” he said. “We went and drove through Oak and looked around there. It’s just a really small town, but I remember that my dad had said he wanted to go back to Oak sometime. I told him I work in that area and that I’d take him there, but it just didn’t happen.”

Timeline
On Jan. 11, around 4:10 p.m. Bob and Vada left their home. They proceeded to Aurora Coop to fill up with gas in their blue 2007 Chrysler Pacifica around 4:19 p.m. and then left for Grand Island.
According to the family, Bob wasn’t feeling well, which resulted in Loveda taking him to the Grand Island VA Medical Center, arriving there at approximately 4:55 p.m. As Bob walked up to the VA hospital with the assistance of his walker, he was approached by a doctor who offered immediate care. Bob reportedly complained of pain, dizziness, weakness and that “everything felt dry.”
The doctor reported Bob appeared very weak, was pale/grayish in color and was slow to respond to questions. After assessment, determining Bob required emergency attention, they called 911. The VA Medical Center closes at 5 p.m., so Bob was transferred to the St. Francis Emergency Room.
At 5:35 p.m., Bob was transferred via ambulance and Loveda was instructed to follow. Unfortunately, Loveda wasn’t able to follow or keep up with the ambulance for unknown reasons and got lost.
Loveda ended up going the opposite direction and seeking help on Vine Street. Thankfully a good Samaritan gave her directions to St. Francis. Upon her arrival at St. Francis ER, around 6:15 p.m., Bob was complaining of a “non-productive dry” cough (as stated by St. Francis ER). St. Francis claimed that Bob’s diagnosis is an acute cough and noted no weakness, but that he was adamant about going home.
They then discharged Bob and allowed him and Loveda to leave at 8:04 p.m. St. Francis stated that they were aware that Loveda has problems driving at night and got lost on her way to St. Francis from the VA Medical Center.
Veda attempted to drive them home in the dark and headed west on Faidley Ave. from St. Francis. Video footage shows Veda turning south on Webb Rd. around 8:15 p.m.
The couple reportedly arrived at a home in Giltner and asked for directions, specifically to Aurora, between 10-10:30 p.m. Video footage shows Bob and Veda arriving at a stop sign in Giltner at West 6 Road and South H Road. Veda turned south onto South H Road and arrived back at the stop sign around 10 minutes later.
Further, according to family members, Loveda would know to not take gravel roads. After the couple returned to the stop sign 10 minutes later, they turned east on West 6 Road. It was further reported that they stopped at another home outside of Giltner on West 6 Road.
The most recent discovery of video tape footage of the couple at the Pump & Pantry on Highway 6 south of Hastings confirms their latest known whereabouts.
“Several friends and family members continue search efforts as well as assisting with helping spread the word far and wide,” noted Laci Fleming, a family member. “There are undoubtedly others working hard to get us answers as well. We deeply appreciate the help we’ve received as well as all the prayers and well wishes. Please never give up on this search. We will find Bob and Loveda Proctor.”