Marjorie Paul

Marjorie "Jean" (Healey) Steier Paul passed away on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017, at the age of 89 at the Henderson Care Center.

Memorial Services will be Friday, October 6, 2017; 2:00 P.M. at the Hardy Union Church, Hardy. Inurnment will be at the Hardy Cemetery, Hardy, Nebraska. There will be no viewing or visitation as Jean was cremated, per her wishes. Memorials may be given to Butler-Volland Funeral Home in Hastings, or to the family.

She was born to Joseph and Anna (Warner) Healey on January 12, 1928, in Atchison, Kansas. When Jean was six, the family moved to Jewell County, Kansas. Jean attended Myers and Mountain country schools in Jewell County and graduated from Burr Oak, Kansas in 1946. Jean attended Kansas State University to receive her certificate to teach school. Jean taught one year at Valley View School, south of Superior, Nebraska.

Jean was united in marriage to Elvin Steier at the Christian Church in Burr Oak, Kansas on June 22, 1947. The couple made their home on the Steier farm, three miles south of Hardy in Jewell County along the Republic and Jewell County boundary line. To this union, five children were born: Cathy, Carla, Colleen, Cammie and Philip.

Jean was a homemaker on the family farm for over 30 years. She cooked, baked, canned and would freeze food for her family and hired-hands during this time. Jean had large vegetable gardens over the years but she was widely known for her beautiful flower gardens. A large flower garden was located so it could easily be seen as people traveled past the Steier family farm. Jean had multiple other flower beds and she was very proud of her rose garden and her blooming Magnolia tree in the front yard of the home.

Jean was an excellent cook. She started baking pies at the age of seven as she was the eldest daughter in a family of four other children. Jean also did a lot of other cooking for her family during her childhood. As a mother, Jean taught her children to cook and she provided home cooked/baked items for school, church and community events. Jean always "pitched in" to do her part.

Jean loved her immediate and extended family and enjoyed large family get-togethers. Jean and her late sister, Freda Lou Hanson shared lots of laughs as they prepared food or did other tasks for family events in their later years. Jean shared stories of her childhood and family members to her children.

In addition to her love of flowers and nature, Jean had a passion for books and reading. She had her own "library" and she passed that love down to all her children. Jean believed that education was important and reading was a way for everyone to learn more. Jean also loved the Christmas season and winter months. Jean liked to decorate her home for the seasons, but especially for Christmas. The family had a large live Christmas tree during their years on the farm and for many years the decorating was taken to the outside where lights would be placed on a very large evergreen and the house. These could be seen and enjoyed by the "county line" inhabitants and anyone traveling by.

Jean was a good friend and neighbor and would loan needed items as requested if she was able to comply. Jean had the good fortune of developing life-long friendships with area neighbors that she dearly treasured. Jean had many other friendships that she also treasured. Many of Jean's family and friends, pre-deceased her but Jean was grateful for the family and friends still living and she enjoyed their visits immensely. Jean was always loyal and devoted to her friends and family. Jean first became a grandmother in 1973 and she loved and cared for all of her grandchildren over the years. She cherished the several generations of babies and children and always enjoyed seeing them.

In 1981, Jean and Elvin were divorced. Jean moved to Hastings, Nebraska and worked part-time at a day-care and caring for some elderly people. Jean worked for many years as a cook and later the kitchen manager at the Crosier Monastery in Hastings. Jean's health required her to retire in 1989.

Jean helped her daughters by caring for the grandchildren, preparing sweet corn for the freezer or other food items. She would also help clean and act as a "chauffer" when needed. Jean was a great baby rocker and she would hold and rock her grandchildren for overly stressed parents and children in need of a nap. She was usually successful at getting babies/young children to sleep. If she could help anyone in some way, she would do this.

On December 14, 1994, Jean married a former high school classmate, Verlin Paul, and they made their home in Red Cloud, Nebraska. This marriage resulted in two step-children for Jean: Michael (Joyce) Paul, Western and Sandi Gapp, Fairbury. Jean and Verlin enjoyed camping, spending time with grandchildren and other family events. They had a vegetable/flower garden and worked on it and their yard during the summer months. When Verlin's health declined he went to live at the nursing home in Red Cloud and later he moved to Perkins at Good Samaritan Village in Hastings, Nebraska. Jean moved to Good Samaritan Village to an independent apartment to be near Verlin in 2011. Verlin passed away in 2015 and Jean's health had deteriorated so she moved to the Henderson Care Center in Henderson, Nebraska. She lived there until her death.

Jean will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by her family and friends. Her children mourn the loss of her friendship, sharing in tasks and fun activities, knowledge, influence, guidance and unconditional love.

Jean was preceded in death by her husband, Verlin Paul; former husband, Elvin Steier; parents, Joe and Ann Healey; brothers, Chan, Jimmy and J.W. Healey; sisters, Freda Lou (Healey) Hanson and Joanna Healey, who died in childhood; daughter, Carla (Steier) Glebe; granddaughter, Carissa Poppe; step-great-grandson, Christian Paul; great-great-granddaughter, Adelina Holloway; son-in-law, Clarence Holloway; sister-in-law, Edna Healey; and brother-in-law, Rex Paul.

SURVIVORS:
Children & Spouse:
Cathy Holloway - Winfield, KS
Colleen Utecht - Hastings, NE
Cammie & Greg Poppe - Hastings, NE
Philip Steier - Hastings, NE
Step-Children & Spouse:
Sandy Gapp - Fairbury, NE
Mike & Joyce Paul - Western, NE
Son-in-law:
Ron Glebe - Superior, NE
Grandchildren:
11
Step-Grandchildren:
7
Great-Grandchildren:
16
Step-Great-Grandchildren:
24
Great-Great-Grandchildren:
4
Step-Great-Great-Grandchildren:
7
Sisters-in-law:
Doris Healey - Superior, NE
Janice Paul - Hastings, NE
Brother-in-law & Spouse:
Raymond & Glenda Hanson - North Bend, NE
Many other relatives and friends