Eunice Oltjenbruns

     Eunice Marie (Krueger) Oltjenbruns was born Oct. 5, 1927, at the family home near Blue Hill, Nebraska, the seventh child born to Simon and Ida (VanBoening) Krueger. Her Christian faith carried her through life, and she passed from this life on earth on April 19, 2018, surrounded by family.
    She was baptized at Trinity Lutheran Church in Blue Hill on Oct. 13, 1927.
    In 1930, after a fire in their home, Eunice moved with her parents to a farm southeast of Amherst. She attended St. Paul’s Parochial School in Amherst and was confirmed into the Lutheran faith on April 6, 1941. She then attended two years of high school at Amherst Public School, but due to World War II and the rationing of gas and tires, she was unable to continue high school. Ultimately, when the opportunity became available, she and her husband, Elton, attended night classes, and both obtained their GED diploma in 1970.
    Eunice was involved with the Ladies Aid at St. Paul’s during the war and baked cakes to take to the North Platte Canteen.
    She and Elton Oltjenbruns were married on March 9, 1947, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Amherst. They lived and raised their four daughters on a farm southwest of Amherst for 33 years. After Elton became a Phillips County commissioner, in 1980 they moved into their current home in Holyoke, where she enjoyed gardening vegetables, flowers and grapes.
    Eunice was very active in helping young people. She taught Sunday school for many years, she was a 4-H leader for 12 years and an FHA mother adviser for 6 years and was made an honorary mother of the Holyoke FHA in 1973. She always made it a point to attend the spring tea when the officers were installed.
    Eunice was always aware of her blessings and served the Lord as a member of the St. Paul’s Ladies Aid, where she held offices and also served two years as president of the Northeast Zone LWML. After her marriage to Elton, who was a veteran, she joined the American Legion Auxiliary and held all major offices at the local, district and state levels.
    She was a member of the Amherst Mothers Club, the Amicus Federated Club and the UNIDO Extension Club. She volunteered many years as a Girls State counselor. She was Aunt Eunice to many nieces and nephews and was often their caretaker when their moms and dads went to town shopping.
    She was preceded in death by her parents, Ida and Simon; husband of 69 years, Elton; brothers, Andrew, Chester, Russell and Bill Krueger; sisters, Leona Brinkema, Lucia Vieselmeyer, Laurine Ackerman and Ida Nierman; and son-in-law, Ken Roll.
    She is survived by her four daughters, Susan and husband Larry Walters, Sally and husband Don Saling, Jeri and husband Terry Jones, and Teri and husband Harold Boyd; seven grandchildren, Michelle Roll and sons Drew and Adam Minor, Jeff and Laura Roll and children Alyssa and Beau Stieb and their son Jameson Stieb, Zachary and Latashia Roll, and Emma Roll, Angela and Jay Stephenson and children Tyler, Reagan and Aria, Stephen and Lisa Saling and children Isabel and Vaughn, Scott and Kelly Saling and son Elliott, Carrie and Jonathan Kraft, and Jamie Roll and Chris Reyes and daughter Evie; brothers, Jay Dean and wife Joyce Krueger and Dan and wife Carol Krueger; sister-in-law, Donna Krueger; and many nieces, nephews and friends. She was dearly loved and will be especially missed.
    In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred: Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska, Orphan Grain Train in Julesburg, Northeast Zone LLL Scholarship Fund or Melissa Memorial Hospital Foundation.
    The funeral service was held April 24 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Amherst, with Pastor Kurt Hatteberg officiating. Interment followed at the Amherst Cemetery.
    Baucke Funeral Home directed the service.