Ella D. VanEvery

Ella Delores VanEvery, 97, of O'Neill, died Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025 at the West Holt Memorial Hospital in Atkinson.

Visitation will be from 5-7:30 p.m. on Thursday Feb. 27, 2025 at Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill with a 7:30 p.m. prayer service.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025 at the First United Methodist Church in O'Neill. Pastor Robery Wynn will officiate.

Burial will be in the O'Neill Cemetery in O'Neill.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Ella's name.

Ella was born on Dec. 3, 1927 near Verdigre, to William and Maude (Vibbard) Howard. She was the last of 10 children, seven boys and three girls, so her mother was happy to have another girl. Growing up the family lives in several small houses that had nice barns. Ella graduated from Page High School. 

After high school, Ella worked as a hired girl for many local families helping with their daily chores.  

After World War II, she met James VanEvery at the Ash Grove Hall, he was introduced to her by her brother Fred. She liked him because he was happy to work and didn't drink as much as her other dates.

She married Jim on April 2, 1948 at the Methodist Parsonage in O'Neill. To this union six children were born, four girls and two boys. They lived north of O'Neill then moved to Niobrara before returning to the family farm shortly before the “blizzard of 1948-1949. It was a good marriage and they celebrated 70 years together.  

In August of 1962 they traveled with their five children and her mother to visit family in Idaho, then to California and then home in two weeks.  In her retirement she spent time in Omaha and in Hickman before covid hit and she moved into Parkside Manor in Stuart.

Ella kept busy canning from the garden and raising chickens and butchered chickens for the freezer. She was also a sewing leader for 4-H and was the secretary for District 60 for many years. She helped with all the grandbabies; they all loved her even when she made them be good and told them she could take them down and sit on them if they weren't good. Ella and Jim loved to play cards even hosted the neighbors from out by the farm after moving into town, which they did when number six started high school. She would even play cards with the “ladies” in the afternoons. Ella traveled with the KBRX bus tours, she loved country music and she even got to take the bus to Nashville with her sister-in-law and her farm family.

Ella is survived by her six children Virginia (Fred) Milne of O'Neill, George (Nancy) VanEvery of Collierville, TN, Linda (Curtis) Kizzire of O'Neill, Judy Francis of Omaha, David (Louise) VanEvery of O'Neill and Tina (Tim) Lindstrom of Hickman; 14 grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; 12 step-great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews and other relatives.

She was preceded in death by her parents William, and Maude (Vibbard) Howard, husband James VanEvery in 2018 and all of her brothers and sisters on both sides.  She was the last of that generation.