Margaret "Maggie" McCready

Margaret “Maggie” Irene (Straub) McCready, 67, of Hastings, Nebraska, passed away March 9, 2022 at Mary Lanning Healthcare, Hastings, NE.

She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Donald McCready; her three children, Luke McCready, of San Francisco, CA, Nick (Nancy) McCready and their daughter Elouise, of Lawrence, KS, and Erin McCready, of Austin, TX.

She also is survived by brothers Josef (Carolyn) Straub, Tom (Betsy) Straub, Mark (Cheryl) Straub, Pete (Susie) Straub, and sisters Mary Straub, Barbara “Ariane” Canas (James Windus) and Cecilia (Yves) Timon.

She was preceded in death by her brother, John Straub, two earlier siblings Clement and Charles, and her parents, Irene and Carl Straub.

Maggie was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on Aug. 31, 1954. The family moved between Nebraska, Boulder, Colorado, and Livermore, California, ultimately settling back in Nebraska where she graduated from Cozad High School in 1972.

She moved to Hastings in 1973, where she and her husband made their lives together. They caught each other’s eye at a party, and were married on Aug. 3, 1974.

She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Kearney in 1987 and received a Master’s of Fine Arts and Psychology from Hastings College in 1991, as well as a Certificate of Art Therapy from the University of Chicago. She was a certified art therapist for nearly 30 years. She worked for many years at Hastings Regional Center, even opening her own private therapy practice for a short time. She volunteered her services for eight years at Catholic Social Services.

She was a member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Hastings.

Maggie was beloved by her family. She was one of a kind. She was warm and welcoming to all, always inquisitive and curious to learn everything she could about a person.

Her favorite places were the kitchen, where she spent countless hours canning, cooking and baking, and outdoors, amongst her beautiful flowers.

She had a green thumb rivaled only by that of her husband. They were a dynamic team, growing and preserving food from their robust garden. They built their home together from the ground up, Don skilled in construction and Maggie skilled in design. She used her talents to grow gorgeous flower beds all around the property, carefully designing them to provide year-round color.

She was an excellent watercolor artist. She loved traveling with her watercolor and art supplies in tow, always looking for opportunities to create. She was an active member of local art clubs, entering her artwork into various shows at the Stuhr Museum.

She loved attending shows at the Lied Center, going to concerts with her husband, traveling around the U.S. to places as varied as New York City and the Rocky Mountains, pedicures, making Sonic drink runs and watching late-night TV.

She loved being an Oma to her granddaughter; she was one of Elouise’s favorite people on Earth. They not only shared looks, but an incredibly special bond, as well.

To know Maggie was to love her, and she will be missed tremendously by her family and friends.

Memorial Services will be 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 16, at Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home in Hastings with Father Christopher Kubat officiating. Additional services and burial will be in Avoca, NE, at a later date. Memorials may be given to Catholic Social Services.