Lucille Benda

Lucille Benda
1914 — 2014
Lucille E. Benda, 99 of Elgin, NE passed away Sunday, February 2, 2014 at the Golden Living Center in Neligh, NE.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, February 7, 2014 at St. Boniface Church in Elgin, NE with Reverend Ross Burkhalter officiating. Interment will follow in the parish cemetery.
Visitation will be Thursday, 2:00-4:00 p.m. at Huffman-Levander Funeral Home and 5:00-7:30 p.m. at the church, with the family present, and a 7:30 p.m. wake service. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.huffmanlevander.com.
*****
Lucille Elizabeth (Stokes) Benda was born July 21, 1914, to George Sr. and Sophia (Werner) Stokes on their farm west of Petersburg, NE.  Lucille attended and graduated from St. John the Baptist Academy in Petersburg on May 31, 1931.  .
Lucille married Harold Edward Benda on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, 1936 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Petersburg.
They ranched near O’Neill and Chambers NE, and farmed northwest and southeast of Petersburg before purchasing and moving to their farm south of Elgin NE in 1944 where they lived forty-six years.  Their ten children graduated from St. Boniface or Pope John Catholic school in Elgin.  Lucille was active in the Altar and Rosary Society, serving a term as president. She had many hobbies: gardening, playing cards, bingo, doing cross word puzzles, and baking, especially her famous cinnamon rolls. Lucille and Harold enjoyed traveling: going on farm tours, to Europe and Hawaii, and visiting their children living around the United States.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold, on Sept 4th, 1989, her parents and
siblings: Laura Wies, Johanna (Jane) Veik, George Stokes Jr., Ada Henn, Mae Childers, Frank Stokes, Margaret Senske, Charles Stokes, Harold Stokes, and two infant sisters.
She is survived by her ten children; Janice (Ray) Pelster Thornton, Co; John (Peg) Omaha; Judith (Gayle) Zegers  Elgin; Joan (Tom) Johnson  Rancho Palos Verdes, CA; Jerald (Kathy) Benda  Grand Forks, ND; Julie (Dennis) Thome  Omaha; Jeaneen (Dan) Welniak  Omaha; Jolene (Pat) Foss  Yankton, SD; Joyce (Bob) Holliday  Plano, TX;  and Jill (John) Dunning  Topeka, KS. There are 37 grandchildren, 59 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren!
Memorials to St. Boniface Church and School, Elgin Senior Center, and AsceraCare Hospice.