Sylvia Wilson
May 21, 1921 - March 19, 2014
Mass of Christian Burial for Sylvia Wilson, age 92 of Neligh, Nebraska, will be 2:00 p.m. Monday, March 24, 2014, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Verdigre, Nebraska. Reverend Kizito Okhuoya will be Celebrant, with burial to follow in the St. Peter Catholic Cemetery in Ewing, Nebraska.
Brockhaus Funeral Home of Creighton is in charge of arrangements.
Sylvia died Wednesday, March 19, 2014, at Alpine Village of Verdigre.
Sylvia Helen (Caulfield) (Cunningham) Wilson, daughter of Andrew and Hulda (Scofield) Caulfield, was born May 21, 1921, at Walnut, Nebraska. Sylvia grew up in the Pleasant Valley Community, between Walnut and Verdigre, where she attended rural school near the family home. In 1936, Sylvia was married to Joseph Cunningham at Neligh, Nebraska. The couple was blessed with three children: Barbara, Pat, and Joe. Sylvia and Joseph began their married lives on a farm north of O’Neill, Nebraska, where they raised many horses, and later moved to a farm east of O’Neill. After losing their farm home to a fire, Sylvia and Joseph moved to O’Neill, where they later built a new home of their own. While living in O’Neill, she worked at the Tri-State Poultry Plant, at the M&M Bakery and Café, and for several other restuarants. While Sylvia would have several different career roles during her lifetime, one particular profession would be a major part of her: food service. For many years, Sylvia operated the Slats Supper Club in O’Neill, just to the west of the junction of Highways 281 and 20 on the west end of town. After Joseph’s untimely passing, Sylvia moved to Norfolk, Nebraska, where she attended St. Joseph’s College of Beauty school, took nursing courses, and also earned her GED; a major accomplishment for a middle age mother in the 1960’s. In 1964, while living in Norfolk, Sylvia was married to Dale Wilson, a former resident of Clearwater, Nebraska. After their marriage, Sylvia and Dale moved to Neligh, Nebraska, where she was not only a homemaker, but also cared for her husband who battled the effects of post-polio syndrome the rest of his life. Sylvia and Dale had over 25 years of life together, until his passing in 1990. After Dale’s death, she remained in Neligh where she did volunteer work at the Neligh Nursing Center, and became a devoted full-time grandma. In her later years, due to changing health, Sylvia would go “full circle”, returning to her beloved homeland of west-central Knox County, taking up residence at Alpine Village of Verdigre, only a few miles northeast of where she grew up. At Alpine, Sylvia had many stories to tell of her childhood in the Verdigre/Walnut area, breaking and training horses, going on house calls with her father who was a “practical doctor” of the era, working in the outdoors, and her love for bowling. These stories gave her children insight into how colorful and life-loving their mother was, even in her younger years, and the residents of Alpine took much delight in making countless trips down “memory lane”, visiting with Sylvia. She also won the Alpine Spelling Bee, loved to visit with fellow residents and their families, and enjoyed the many live music events and dances at Alpine.
Brockhaus Funeral Home of Creighton is in charge of arrangements.
Sylvia died Wednesday, March 19, 2014, at Alpine Village of Verdigre.
Sylvia Helen (Caulfield) (Cunningham) Wilson, daughter of Andrew and Hulda (Scofield) Caulfield, was born May 21, 1921, at Walnut, Nebraska. Sylvia grew up in the Pleasant Valley Community, between Walnut and Verdigre, where she attended rural school near the family home. In 1936, Sylvia was married to Joseph Cunningham at Neligh, Nebraska. The couple was blessed with three children: Barbara, Pat, and Joe. Sylvia and Joseph began their married lives on a farm north of O’Neill, Nebraska, where they raised many horses, and later moved to a farm east of O’Neill. After losing their farm home to a fire, Sylvia and Joseph moved to O’Neill, where they later built a new home of their own. While living in O’Neill, she worked at the Tri-State Poultry Plant, at the M&M Bakery and Café, and for several other restuarants. While Sylvia would have several different career roles during her lifetime, one particular profession would be a major part of her: food service. For many years, Sylvia operated the Slats Supper Club in O’Neill, just to the west of the junction of Highways 281 and 20 on the west end of town. After Joseph’s untimely passing, Sylvia moved to Norfolk, Nebraska, where she attended St. Joseph’s College of Beauty school, took nursing courses, and also earned her GED; a major accomplishment for a middle age mother in the 1960’s. In 1964, while living in Norfolk, Sylvia was married to Dale Wilson, a former resident of Clearwater, Nebraska. After their marriage, Sylvia and Dale moved to Neligh, Nebraska, where she was not only a homemaker, but also cared for her husband who battled the effects of post-polio syndrome the rest of his life. Sylvia and Dale had over 25 years of life together, until his passing in 1990. After Dale’s death, she remained in Neligh where she did volunteer work at the Neligh Nursing Center, and became a devoted full-time grandma. In her later years, due to changing health, Sylvia would go “full circle”, returning to her beloved homeland of west-central Knox County, taking up residence at Alpine Village of Verdigre, only a few miles northeast of where she grew up. At Alpine, Sylvia had many stories to tell of her childhood in the Verdigre/Walnut area, breaking and training horses, going on house calls with her father who was a “practical doctor” of the era, working in the outdoors, and her love for bowling. These stories gave her children insight into how colorful and life-loving their mother was, even in her younger years, and the residents of Alpine took much delight in making countless trips down “memory lane”, visiting with Sylvia. She also won the Alpine Spelling Bee, loved to visit with fellow residents and their families, and enjoyed the many live music events and dances at Alpine.
My great grandma Wilson passed away this week. I hadn't been to the nursing home to see her in quite a while and I feel guilty about this. She was always a funny and quirky person and the entire time I knew her she had a touch of dementia. She loved to tell you story after story that involved no one you knew. Once you started talking to her you didn't dare leave to go do anything else for the entire time you were there. Although we joke about some of the funny things she would say and do we all really loved her and more than anything I wish I would have known her in her younger days. I think she was probably a pretty determined woman with a lot of spunk. We will miss you grandma.
Abby, Emerson and I went up to Norfolk the night of March 23 and then rode with Steph to Verdigre for the funeral on Monday.
This was the first time that Grandma and Grandpa Walnofer got to meet Emerson.
Grandpa was a little nervous to hold her but he looks pretty good holding a baby.
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