Nicole (Nicci) Dianne Church
August 29, 1959 – October 13, 2022 Our beloved Nicole passed away unexpectedly in her sleep on October 13, 2022. Nicole was born in Lincoln, NE on August 29, 1959 to Norman, and Karen Church. Thus began her adventurous life. She grew up in Libya, Indonesia, and Singapore. She always felt that Indonesia was her home. Nicole fell in love with Indonesian culture, and batik. After graduating high school early, Nicole spent 3 months learning how to make authentic batiks at a batik school in Java. Nicole moved back to the United States when she was 17. At 22, she had her only child. She raised her daughter on her own with unconditional love, and astounding strength. She fiercely protected, and supported her daughter. When she was 35, Nicole went back to college to finish her degree. She majored in English, and received minors in Geology, and Italian. After she graduated college, she began working as a department manager in the College of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and then the College of Management. She ended up returning to Chemical Engineering. While in Management, Nicole organized the annual Pan Pacific Conference in China, South Korea, New Zealand, Costa Rica, and Indonesia. Going back home to Indonesia was an incredible experience for her. In Chemical Engineering, Nicole took care of the faculty, staff, and students. She took the time to get to know everyone, and learn about the customs of the international students. She created a holiday tree for the department that she would decorate for all the holidays around the world. Outside of work, Nicole was a magical artist. Her writing is captivating. She wrote a piano piece when she was 12 that she was finally able to finish in 2020. She dabbled in many art forms over the years before finding her love for painting furniture. She had the steadiest hands which allowed her to perfectly paint tiny details. You can feel her soul in all of her art. Nicole was also active in the fight for human rights. She went to protests, donated her time on numerous occasions, and did what she could to make the world a better place for everyone. Nicole loved her family. She believed in us more than we ever could. Her relationship with her granddaughters was one of a kind. She taught them about art, music, history, and about her life. They always enjoyed spending time with her. Nicole had free flowing curls, a wild spirit, Crocs in every color, paint splattered fingers and jeans, a colorful personality, artful and expressive stories, and an extensive vocabulary. She was stubborn, talented, music loving, no BS, reliably understanding, cynical, humorous, unique, beautifully intelligent, opinionated, gracious, generous, compassionate, fierce, ever thankful, a force of nature, and always unapologetically herself. Her death has left a void in the lives of many. Preceded in death by her mother, Karen Church. Survived by her daughter, Adrienne (John) Krejci; granddaughters Grace Neylon, and Mary and Norah Krejci; father Norman Church; brothers Tony and Ben (Susan) Church; sister Mynde Church; nephew Max (Janie) Church; niece Brionna (Nate Rangel) Church, and four great nephews. To leave a condolence please use the form below.
Funeral Home assisting is Aspen Mortuary, 4822 Cleveland Avenue, Lincoln, NE 68504. To view an on-line obituary or email condolences please visit Aspen Mortuary’s website at www.aspenaftercare.com.
Earl C. Pate
Earl Collier Pate Born March 9, 1941 in Baltimore Maryland to Thelma Collier Pate and John Paul Pate. Earl passed away on October 12, 2022 surrounded by his family after a long illness. In his early years he got his education in Maryland, Pennsylvania at Blue Mountain Academy, where he worked in the dairy and Michigan at Andrews University, also in Illinois at Hinsdale Sanitarium and later Colorado at The University of Colorado-Denver to finish his Master’s Degree. Earl was a Captain in the United States Army Nurse Corp. and served in a MASH unit in Korea during the Vietnam War. He served in many roles as a nurse and health care administrator and project manager helping to build Littleton Hospital in Colorado, having spent many years and raising his family in Denver Colorado. He and his bride of 59 years Nancy Pate had spent the last 27 years in the Lincoln, Nebraska area. While there he taught in the PA program at Union College and worked at Homestead and Tabitha. He was an avid reader, and bird watcher and had many interests, especially teaching survival skills. In retirement he was a member of the Railroad Club and was a HAM radio operator and Volunteered for the Red Cross in Lincoln, He also loved Beekeeping and enjoyed teaching at the Fair. He was a member of the College View Seventh Day Adventist Church. Preceded in death by John Paul Pate, Thelma Collier Pate, hIs Aunt Ethel Collier, and Step Brother Atwood Barwick. Survived by his wife Nancy Pate, Daughter Teresa Hoskinson (Brad, Tyler and Tanner Hoskinson) of Joshua, Texas and Daughter Melissa Walters (John, Noelle and Lauren Walters) of Fairbanks, Alaska and step sister Ginny Dildine (John) of Connecticut as well as many extended family members in Iowa and Wisconsin. Memorial service to be at a later date. He will be missed. To leave a condolence please use the form below.
Funeral Home assisting is Aspen Mortuary, 4822 Cleveland Avenue, Lincoln, NE 68504. To view an on-line obituary or email condolences please visit Aspen Mortuary’s website at www.aspenaftercare.com.
Doris Jean Killin
Born on March 26, 1959. Passed away on October 11, 2022. Service information pending. To leave a condolence please use the form below.
Funeral Home assisting is Aspen Mortuary, 4822 Cleveland Avenue, Lincoln, NE 68504. To view an on-line obituary or email condolences please visit Aspen Mortuary’s website at www.aspenaftercare.com.
Garrett Tyler Cantrell
Born on September 16, 1993. Passed away on October 10, 2022. No service at this time. To leave a condolence please use the form below.
Funeral Home assisting is Aspen Mortuary, 4822 Cleveland Avenue, Lincoln, NE 68504. To view an on-line obituary or email condolences please visit Aspen Mortuary’s website at www.aspenaftercare.com.
Paula D. Jones
Paula Dee Jones, 83, of Lincoln, died in peace with family at her side in the Hospice Unit of Bryan Medical Center West on October 10, 2022. Born August 10, 1939, in Rapid City, S.D., to Paul D. and Ruth (Wonder) Ragsdale. Her early childhood was spent in the Black Hills. She was tutored in First Grade at Mystic, S.D. Her family moved to Merna, Nebraska, in 1950 where her father was a Depot Agent for the Burlington Railroad and the family lived in the depot. She graduated from Merna High School and entered the Bryan School of Nursing (Lincoln) in 1957. Upon her graduation from Bryan in 1960 she became a Ward Nurse at Nebraska State Hospital, Ingleside (Hastings). She returned to Lincoln to become a Clinical Nurse at Lincoln General Hospital. Paula and her husband adopted an infant girl, Jennifer Lynn Miles, in 1970. Paula left work to become a full-time mother and housewife. The family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1975. Paula and Jennifer moved to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in 1982 where she worked as Director of Nurses for a long-term care facility. The Jones, although Nebraska raised, did not meet until living in Cape Girardeau and their girls were members of Jobs Daughters where Paula and John had roles as adult advisors. In 1985 she married John M. Jones and they began a new family with two teenage daughters, Jennifer Miles and Kelly Jones. In that same year Paula accepted a position to establish a Home Health program for Perry County Memorial Hospital in Perryville, Missouri. While there she presented papers on the cholesterol screening program in place at Perry County Hospital to both a regional and a national nursing conference. In 1989 she helped established the hospice program at Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Festus, Missouri. She went on to work in hospice care at Lutheran Hospital and Samaritan Care Hospice in St. Louis. She earned continuing education certification in Parish Nursing from The Deaconess Parish Nurse Program at Webster University, St. Louis, MO. The Seabury Institute of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and National Episcopal Health Ministries. As well as Bellarmine College and the Lansing School of Nursing. Louisville, KY. She was also a volunteer educator for the Alzheimer’s Association of St. Louis. In 2000 she was a Volunteer of the Year. In 2008 they returned to Lincoln for their retirement years. She was a member of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church and was a member of St. Mary’s Guild, the Arts Guild, Altar Guild, and played in the Hand Bell Choir. Paula and John enjoyed their travels from Washington, D.C., to Tucson and New Orleans to Lake Bel Taine, Minnesota and in between. Their trips were enhanced when they could go by rail. They were able to ride on well-known trains including The California Zephyr, The Capitol Limited, The City of New Orleans and The Pioneer. And, during their time living in Cape Girardeau they were volunteer crew members of a tourist steam train. Paula’s position on board was Train Chief. Survived by husband, John M., of Lincoln; daughter Kelly Case (Derek) and grandchildren Emily and Evan Case, St. Louis; brother Jay Ragsdale (Dorothy) Oswego, Illinois; and two nephews. She was proceeded in death by her parents and daughter Jennifer. A Burial Service and Celebration of Life will take place at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 2325 S. 24th St. Lincoln, at 11 a.m. April 15, 2023. Lunch to follow at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to The Bryan Foundation Hospice Unit. 1600 S. 48th Street, Lincoln, NE 68506 To leave a condolence please use the form below.
Funeral Home assisting is Aspen Mortuary, 4822 Cleveland Avenue, Lincoln, NE 68504. To view an on-line obituary or email condolences please visit Aspen Mortuary’s website at www.aspenaftercare.com.
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