Phyllis M. Kinney, 98 of Elgin passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on Thursday, January 9, 2025 at The Willows Assisted Living in Neligh, NE.
Funeral Services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, January 18, 2025 at Park Congregational UCC Church, rural Elgin, with Rev. Delores Ruzicka and Rev. Mary Avidano Hubert officiating.
Interment will follow at Park Cemetery west of Elgin. Visitation will be held 5-7 p.m. Friday at Levander Funeral Home in Elgin.
Memorials may be directed to Park Center Cemetery and AseraCare Hospice in O’Neill, NE.
Levander Funeral Home of Elgin is in charge of the arrangements.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.levanderfuneralhome.com.
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Phyllis Marie (Lawson) Kinney was born on July 10, 1926, to Virgil and Agnes (Fink) Lawson at the family farm southwest of Elgin. She attended Belltower schools District #39 through 8th grade and attended Elgin Public Schools graduating in 1943. After graduation she taught school for four years at District #70 and District #148.
Phyllis and Roland Kinney met while in high school and married on December 22, 1946. They lived on the farm until retiring in 1993 and moved to Elgin. They enjoyed spending some wintertime in Port Aransas, TX with their Elgin friends. Roland passed away in 2011. She lived the past six years at the Willows in Neligh.
In addition to being a devoted wife and mother, Phyllis enjoyed gardening and flower gardening, scrapbooking and counted cross stitching. Phyllis was a member of Park Women’s Fellowship, taught Sunday School, assisted with bible school and Christmas programs for many years. She was also a Charter member of the Stitch and Chatter Club of Elgin.
Survivors include children: Lana (Dick) Bennett of Elwood, NE; Rich (Gwen) Kinney and Tom (Connie) Kinney; daughter-in-law Karin Kinney all of Elgin: nine grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild; sister Marian Gilsdorf of Tucson, AZ, along with many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Phyllis was preceded in death by her husband Roland, infant daughter Beverly and son Michael along with her parents, brother Ralph (Bud) Lawson and wife Jean, her brother-in-law Orville Gilsdorf, her father and mother-in-law Walter and Ella Kinney, brother and sister’s-in-law Raymond and Eleanor (Kinney), Hunter and Wayne and Dorthy (Kinney) Currie.
