Elinor Adele Roesler Vejraska, 77, went to Heaven to be with her Lord, on Tuesday, May 21, 2013, at Box Butte General Hospital in Alliance, NE, surrounded by family.
Elinor was born on June 13, 1935 at Tobias, NE. She was the youngest of four children born to Edward Anton Roesler, and Caroline Elizabeth Volk Roesler, and grew to adulthood on the family farm southeast of Tobias, along with her siblings, Gerald, Norma Jean, and Edward.
Elinor was born to a strong and faithful Lutheran Christian family, and was baptized and confirmed at the Zion Lutheran Church, two miles from the family farm home. She received her grade school education at the Zion Lutheran Parochial School, and then was a four year honor student at Tobias High School, graduating with the class of 1953. She boarded in Tobias during her high school years, and worked part time at one of the local grocery stores, along with participating in most every extra-curricular activity available at the time. It was during this time that she met the love of her life, Eugene Gaylord Vejraska. Elinor attended the University Of Nebraska in Lincoln for one semester after her graduation from high school, and then after his service in the Korean War, she was married to Gene at the Zion Lutheran Church, on August 20, 1954. They lived in Lincoln from August, 1954, until July, 1959, while Gene attended pharmacy school.
Elinor and Gene were blessed with three children to their marriage, Scott Douglas in September of 1957, Mark Thomas in May of 1959, and Beth Deanne in January of 1961. During the early years of Gene’s pharmacy practice, the young family lived at Beatrice, NE from July, 1959, until August of 1964, then in Kimball, NE until August of 1967, in Gordon, NE until August 1970, and finally in Alliance, NE, where Elinor and Gene have resided since establishing Gene’s Pharmacy Inc., which they owned and operated together until their retirement, and the sale of the business, in January of 2001.
Elinor and Gene raised their children in the Christian faith, and Elinor was a faithful servant of God and her church throughout her life, always leading by example in various ladies aide groups and societies, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, and bible study groups. Grandsons Heath and Cole were regulars at Bible Break with Grandma Elinor when they were young children. She also lived life with a strong sense of volunteerism, participating in such groups as Mrs. Jaycee’s, Soroptimists, and the Box Butte General Hospital Auxiliary, where she volunteered many hours in the gift shop at the hospital.
Elinor was a devoted wife and business partner, mother, and grandmother, and took great interest and pride in the activities and accomplishments of her children and grandchildren. In the early, pre- Gene’s Pharmacy years of her married life, she also cared for many young children in her home as a baby sitter. She was a great cook and baker, for many years canned and froze produce raised in Gene’s gardens, and at various times, squeezed in hobbies such as doing ceramics, knitting, and crocheting. She was always an avid reader, and had a brilliant mind when it came to letters and numbers, working the crosswords and other puzzles daily, and was always up for a good, competitive game of Scrabble, pinochle, or pitch. She also had a card table set up with a jig-saw puzzle in various stages of completion a lot of the time. Singing, music, and all Cornhusker sports were also lifetime loves.
Elinor leaves to mourn her death her husband of 58 years and 9 months, Gene, of the home at 1635 Toluca in Alliance, her children Scott (JoElla) Vejraska of Mirage Flats, NE, Mark (Karen) Vejraska of Grand Junction, CO, and Beth (Tad) D’Ambrosio of Pittsford, NY, grandchildren Heath (Terra) Vejraska of Papillion, NE, Cole Vejraska of Mirage Flats, NE, Andrew and Christian D’Ambrosio of Pittsford, NY, and Paul, Sara, and Kalea Vejraska of Grand Junction, CO, and one great granddaughter, Karsyn Vejraska of Papillion, NE. She is also survived by her brother, Gerald O. Roesler, of Valparaiso, IN, her sister, Norma Jean Holtmeier of Omaha, NE, sister in law Esther Roesler, of Western, NE, sister in law Kathryn (John Randall) Freeman, of Geneva, NE, brother in law Jim (Jan) Vejraska, of Sun City West, AZ, and by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Edward D. Roesler, sister in law, Rose Roesler, mother and father in law, Lillian and James Vejraska, and brother in law, Melvin Vejraska.
Memorial services will be held Tuesday, May 28, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. at the Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church in Alliance, NE, with the Reverend Martin T. Schnare and Reverend Richard C. Mueller officiating. Inurnment will be in the church columbarium, with dinner to follow at the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be given to the Immanuel Lutheran Church, Jane’s Closet, or Prairie Haven Hospice. Donations may be sent to 1635 Toluca, Alliance, NE, 69301.
Online condolences may be left at www.batesgould.com with Bates-Gould Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.