Wylma Enquist

Hastings resident, Wylma Ann "Billie" (Gordon) Enquist, 78, passed away Thursday, July 9, 2015 at Mary Lanning Healthcare, Hastings, Nebraska.

Services will be Monday, July 13, 2015; 10:00 A.M. at First St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Hastings with Pastor Joel Remmers, Pastor Renee Johnson, Pastor Charles Johnson, Vicar Ethan Fearing, Pastor Chad Haygood, and Pastor Dale Phillips officiating. Burial will be in St. Paul's Churchyard Cemetery, west of Glenvil. Memorials may be given to the family to buy a leaf for the Mary Lanning Memory Tree. Visitation will be Saturday, July 11, 2015; 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M., Sunday, July 12, 2015; 4:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M. with family present at the funeral home, and one hour prior to service at the church.

Mrs. Enquist was born September 18, 1936, to Fredrick Joseph "Tex" Gordon and Alice Lena (Hinrichs) Gordon, in Lincoln, Nebraska. She attended District 17, Spencer Park, and Hastings Junior High. In 1949 the family moved to Holdrege, Nebraska where she graduated in 1953. She was employed at the Brewster Clinic before moving to St. Louis, Missouri to attend nurses training, graduating from the Lutheran Medical Center School of Nursing in 1958. On July 19, 1958 she married Louis Jerome "Lou" Enquist in Christ The King Chapel, in the Lutheran Medical Center at St. Louis, Missouri, after which they moved to Hastings and to this union a daughter, Linda was born. She was employed at Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital, Dr. Robert McIntire's office, Hastings Regional Center, and retired from the Good Samaritan Village after 21 years of service. During her nursing career she graduated from University of Nebraska Kearney with a B.S. in Psychology, and a M.S. in education with a program in Counseling in dying, death and bereavement, and off campus classes from Columbia Pacific University in San Rafael, California with a Ph.D. in Thanatology and Counseling Psychology. She authored five brochures re: Hospice/Dying/Death/Bereavement/Coping skills for holidays, and a book "Pioneering Thanatology In A Rural Community." She presented many educational programs and seminars about dying, death and bereavement. She was a charted member of the Nebraska Hospice Association, serving as the first Treasurer and Vice President, as well as starting the Hastings Share and Care bereavement support group. She was presented an Outstanding Achievement in Nursing award from the Nebraska State Nurses Association, and was honored in the 1990-91 publication of "Who's Who In American Nursing". She was runner up for Business and Professional Woman of the Year award. She was a past member of the Business and Professional Womans organization, Association for Death Education and counseling, National Five State Synod Board member of Bethphage Mission, now MOSAIC, St. Paul's womens group, Sunday School teacher, WELCA and served on the Social Ministry committee, and was a greeter and choir member and hand bell ringer at First St. Paul's Lutheran Church. Also a member of B.P.O. DOES Drove #112 and National Lupus Foundation. After retirement in 2002, while living in Goldbeck Towers at the Good Samaritan Village she served as 3rd Floor Representative, and president of the GBT Resident council, and a member of Congregate meals GBT Site Counsel. She volunteered by helping to organize evening bingo at the Village assisted living, and assisted Perkins Pavillion nursing home residents in playing TV bingo. She assisted in the Sunday GBT Vesper services by leading the singing. She received the President Volunteer Service Award. She will be remembered for her cardinal collection, always wearing 15 rings on her fingers, her love of cookbooks and whimsical stuffed animals, and making recycled greeting cards. Her granddaughters and great-grandchildren were the joy of her life, and she loved to take them birthday shopping.

Billie was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Louis Jerome "Lou" Enquist; and grandparents, R.K. & Sophia Hinrichs.

SURVIVORS:
Daughter & Son-in-law:
Linda & Rod Colburn - Juniata, NE
Granddaughters & Grandsons-in-law:
Erin & Tharon Buhr - Juniata, NE
Ashley & Brigim Hackel - Ord, NE
Lindsey & Ridge Petska - Ord, NE
Great-Grandchildren:
Eva Buhr
Elijah Buhr
Acacia Buhr
Caden Buhr
Harlie Hackel
Harper Hackel
Huxley Hackel
Jack Petska
Sisters & Brother-in-law:
Ginger & Rich Asmus - Hastings, NE
Winnifred Enquist - Elm Creek, NE
Aunts:
Nellie Wright
Donna Hinrichs
Lorraine Quirk
Many Cousins & Friends