Lois Eileen (Skrdlant) Nohavec, of rural Crete, passed away after a short battle with cancer on July 7, 2023, at Tabitha in Crete at the age of 74.
She was born in Red Cloud on May 4, 1949, the second of five children, to Irvin and Marjorie (Duval) Skrdlant. Lois grew up on the family farm west of Doniphan and attended Doniphan High School, graduating in 1968. Following high school, she attended Bryan College of Nursing in Lincoln. During that time, she met the love of her life, Kenny Nohavec, at a dance in Hastings and they have been dancing together ever since. Days after graduating from Bryan, they were united in marriage on Aug. 15, 1970. They made their home on the Nohavec family home place west of Crete, where Kenny grew up. They enjoyed their time on the farm raising cows, chickens, ducks, corn, kids and grandkids.
Shortly into their marriage, they were blessed with their three children, Kristi, Cindy and Mike. In addition to being a full-time homemaker and raising kids, Lois also held two other full-time jobs – being a registered nurse and a farmer’s wife. She spent many hours helping Kenny with hauling grain during harvest and handling the farming books. When the grandchildren came along, she added part-time babysitter to her resume.
Lois loved all six of her grandkids dearly and was so proud of them. She was regularly seen at school and sporting events cheering them on. She passed her love of cooking and baking to each of them, and they all enjoyed baking rolls and kolache alongside Grandma at a very young age, learning her magic touch.
Lois was very active in many community organizations and activities through the decades. These include being a permanent member of the August-Vanek Dorchester American Legion Auxiliary Unit #264, a club leader for the Crete Creative 4-H group, the Wannanoit Extension Club and a member of the Dorchester United Methodist Church, where she sang in the choir and played the organ for the past 30+ years. She was honored by the Dorchester Women of Faith last fall with the Special Mission Recognition Pin for her years of service and leadership. Lois and Kenny enjoyed dancing throughout their entire marriage, with polka dancing being their favorite. Their polka family saw them almost weekly at local and regional afternoon dances and at weekend festivals across Nebraska and across 10 different states as they followed “their bands.”
In July of 2021, Lois retired from the Crete Hospital after 51 years of service. She started as a floor and emergency room nurse in 1970 right after graduating from Bryan. When they added the cardiac rehab program downstairs at the old hospital, she transferred to that unit. A few years later, she realized she missed her patients and coworkers, and she went back to the surgery floor. Lois was a very dedicated, skilled, compassionate nurse and over the years, many people would comment on how lucky they were that they had her as their nurse, or that they worked under her or beside her, learning from her voice of experience.
Lois is survived by her husband, Kenneth; children, Kristi Nohavec of Omaha, Cindy (Darin) Kotas of Western, and Michael (Amanda) Nohavec of Crete; grandchildren, Michelle, Megan and Amber Kotas and Benjamin, Garrett and Camille Nohavec; brothers, Ray (Mary Jo) Skrdlant, Russ (Teresa) Skrdlant, and Duane (Sue) Skrdlant; sister-in-laws, Jane Bolling, Sharon (Harold) Axline, Aris (Bill) Rut and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Irvin and Marjorie Skrdlant; in-laws, Stan and Judy Nohavec; brother, Marvin Skrdlant; and niece Rebecca Skrdlant.
Visitation is Wednesday, July 19, from 5 – 8 p.m. at Kuncl Funeral Home in Crete. The memorial service is Thursday, July 20, at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home. Memorial contributions, in lieu of flowers, are suggested to the family to be designated at a later date. Arrangements by Kuncl Funeral Home.
