Marjorie Jean Yohe

Marjorie Jeane Ward Yohe

Oct. 9, 1926 - March 29 2015

McCOOK, Neb. -- Marjorie Jeane Ward Yohe went home to Heaven to be with her Lord and Savior on Sunday, March 29, 2015, while residing at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook.

"Jeane" was born Oct. 9, 1926, to Elmer Edward Ward and Jessie Mae (Bratt) Ward on a family farm east of Hayes Center, Nebraska. For nearly 67 years of marriage, Jean and her husband, Harold Yohe, resided in McCook at their family home on West 14th Street.

As a child, Jeane was always happy and healthy until she reached 10 years of age, when she developed severe tonsillitis. Following adverse complications, she was diagnosed with rheumatic fever, which left her battling the illness for nearly a year. This event would affect Jeane the rest of her life and she often felt the repercussions of a weakened immune system.

Her faith in God grew over the years and empowered her to overcome these and other obstacles.

She attended grammar school at a one-room school house east of Hayes Center and then attended Hayes Center High School. After her high school graduation in 1944, Jeane became a teacher in the same one-room school house she attended as a child. She had the blessing of teaching one of her younger sisters, Hazel Ward.

On Sept. 24, 1948, she married Harold Wayne Yohe in Omaha, Nebraska. To this union, two children, Mary Lee and Gerald Ward, were born.

Always active, Jeane worked at various jobs within McCook: at the community hospital, as a cook at the cafeteria at McCook Community College and as a salesperson at Gerhart's Clothing Store. But her proudest achievement was her last career as the owner of her home-based business, The Lifesaver Book Store.

Her involvement in church played a significant role in her life; she was a member of First Baptist Church and then, later a member at Berean Fundamental Church in McCook. Throughout the years, she and her husband, Harold, hosted Bible-study groups in their home. In summers, she held a "children's church" in her backyard. Jeane was a Sunday-school teacher for most of her adult life. She had a love for sharing her faith with young children.

Jeane was an avid vegetable and flower gardener, a gifted cook and she loved to crochet afghans and pillows, as well as play the piano. She played Domino and Scrabble and was quick-witted at each, up until her last years. She took pride in teaching her grandchildren all of these things.

She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister and daughter. Her family always came first. Jeane was driven to help anyone that she felt was less fortunate. She dedicated her life to helping the poor. She was truly generous and provided whatever she could to those in need. Regardless of her needs, she always made sure to provide time, money, and effort to those less fortunate. For many years, she and Harold dehydrated produce and sewed clothing and dolls, to benefit an orphanage in Haiti.

Jeane is preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Robert Ward; her brother-in- law, LaMoine McKillip; and her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Quigley and Jean Wilson.

Surviving Jeane is her husband, Harold Wayne of 67 years; daughter, Mary Lee and husband, Paul Nichols of Culbertson, Nebraska; son, Gerald Ward and wife, Beth Yohe of Chadron, Nebraska; grandchildren, Kyle and wife, Nancy Nichols of Culbertson, Kevin P. Nichols of Boston, Massachusetts, Karen and husband, Marcus Machart of Smithfield, Virginia; Camella, Kimberly, Heidi, Jeremy, Katie, Chad, Luke, Scott and Becky Yohe of Chadron; great-grandchildren, Nicole and Christopher Nichols; Kiley and Taylor Machart; sisters, Betty McKillip of McCook, Hazel and husband, Jack Loomis of McCook, Irene and husband, Richard Oglesby of Sherman, Texas, and Rebecca (Becky) and husband, Richard (Dick) Busboom of Dannebrog, Nebraska; sister-in-law, Ruth Ward of McCook and several nieces and nephews.

A celebration of her extraordinary life will be at Bethel Missionary Church in Culbertson on Monday, April 6, 2015, at 2:30 p.m. with officiating pastors Jason Smith and Richard Karrer.

Visitation will be from 2 p.m. prior to family time. The family will greet friends and family from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 4, 2015, at Hermann-Jones Funeral Chapel in McCook. Memorials may be given in Jeane Yohe's name to Gideons International (http://www.gideons.org) or the Bethel Missionary Church in Culbertson. On-line condolences can be left at herrmannfh.com

Herrmann-Jones Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.