Brenda E. Wedige

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Atkinson — Brenda Evonne Wedige, 84, of Atkinson, died early Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024 at the Central Nebraska Veteran's Home in Kearney.

Visitation was held Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024 at Seger Funeral Home with a rosary.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Atkinson. 

Burial will be in the St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Atkinson.

Memorials may be made to the family for future designation.

Brenda was born three months early, on July 19th, 1940, to Charles V. and Floramae (Harzke) Cole at Sunnyslope Farm in Star, northeast of O'Neill. She always said the Dr. had to plunge her into a bucket of cold water, from the well, to force her to breathe. They wrapped her in flannel blankets, tucked her into a shoe box and placed her on the open oven door to keep her warm, as was the custom before incubators. She started school at the age of three because of her mother's cancer illness, attending country school about a mile from the farm through the eighth grade.

Attending O'Neill Public High School meant boarding in town during the week and she graduated in 1957 at the age of 16. That summer she met a handsome young Marine from Atkinson who was home on leave, and they began dating. That fall she began classes at Wayne Teacher's College, in Wayne, with plans of becoming a teacher like her sister Delta, but she only stayed for one semester. 

On Jan. 24, 1959, she married that handsome Marine, Donald G. Wedige, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in O'Neill and from this union seven children were born, six boys and one girl. They celebrated 65 years of marriage this past January!

Brenda loved her Lord Jesus, converting to the Catholic faith at the age of 16 and learning all she could throughout her life, her bible always close at hand. After her family, it was her greatest joy to teach others, especially children, about Jesus and her faith. She spent the rest of her life teaching in some capacity; Sunday School, Catholic Youth Ministries, aide at "The Pink School" #149 and St. Joseph's, Boy Scout Den Mother and Vacation Bible School to name just a few.

Throughout their marriage, Don and Brenda worked together in multiple personal businesses; Don' Cafe, Wedige and Son's Salvage, Prairie Peddlers as well as others, while traveling across the country together.  

Brenda was a member of St. Joseph's Altar Society, on the Deanery Committee, worked with Alcoholics Anonymous, Holt County Domestic Violence, sang for weddings, funerals and at Mass, was a founding member of Atkinson Fire Belles and worked on the Hay Days Committee for many years.

Brenda was an exceptional seamstress, a beautiful artist, an avid photographer (It's difficult to find a picture with her IN it!), loved to quilt, craft and garden. Her handwriting was a thing of beauty, and she chronicled her life and memories through the years. Spending time with her children and grandchildren was most important to her and she loved traveling to their various events! She will be greatly missed.

Brenda is survived by her seven children Alan (Colleen) of Kearney, Steven (Charlotte) Kloppenborg of Emmet, Todd (Marilyn) of Lincoln, Michael (Marilyn) of North Richland Hills, Texas, Darrin of Austin, Texas, Jill (Larry) Gettert of O'Neill and Troy (Kandi Karo) of Fort Calhoun; two sisters-in-law Gladys Cole of O'Neill and Patricia Bouska of Stuart; 25 grandchildren; 52 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; as well as many beloved nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her husband Donald in April of this year, her parents, two brothers Claude Cole and infant Ridgway Lloyd, sisters Cleone Klinetobe and Delta Tharnish, in-laws George and Florence (Moeller) Wedige, two sisters-in-law, five brothers-in-law, one granddaughter and four great-grandchildren. 

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