Mary Laleff Nollette of Nenzel, Nebraska, age 93, died on Friday, April 10, 2020 (Good Friday) at Pineview Nursing Home in Valentine, Nebraska.

She was born on the Satra Ranch northeast of Kilgore, Nebraska on January 29, 1927.  Even though her birthday was January 29, she always celebrated it on January 1.  She went to Sunshine Rural Elementary School northeast of Kilgore.  She  graduated from Kilgore High School in 1945.  She attended Chadron Teacher's College for one year.  After graduating from college, she taught at the Peter's School south of Kilgore for one year and one year at the District 182 School south of Nenzel.  That is when she met the love of her life, Joseph Nollette from Nenzel.  Mom loved to dance--that's where she met her future husband.  Joe and Mary were married on May 25, 1948 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Nenzel, Nebraska.  To this union were born four sons:  Louis Anthony on March 29, 1949; Neal Patrick on April 5, 1952; Gregory Reo on May 27, 1956; and, Timothy Joseph on January 24, 1960.

Mom loved to garden, dance (including square dancing), play pitch, and go to garage sales.  Education was an important value for her and she encouraged her sons to live up to their full potential.  All four of her sons graduated from college and eventually received master's degrees.  All seven of her grandchildren have college degrees and three of them have now received their master's degrees.  Something Mom was extremely proud of.

Mom's other love in her life was her family.  She was always interested in what her sons were doing and where they were going.  She had an equally strong interest in all of the activities of her grandchildren.  Later in life, she had a pocket calendar that she had her sons write down what they were doing, where they going to be, and when they would do it.  Since her sons were very active in their jobs and careers, she always said "It's just too much to keep track of so I have to have you write it down so I can remember it all."

Mom was a very active member of St. Mary's Church.  She attended Mass every weekend.  Even during the five years she was at Cherry Hills Assisted Living and Pineview Manor, one of her sons would drive to Valentine, pick her up, and bring her to Nenzel for Mass.  After coffee and rolls after Mass, she would go to Tim's or Greg's for Sunday dinner.  After a beer, a great meal, and a good visit with her family, one of her sons would get her back to Valentine in time for her "nightly meds".  During her younger years, she had a big garden not only to help feed her family, but also have enough dill pickles for St. Mary's Bazaar.  For many years, she cleaned St. Mary's Church at Nenzel.  She finally quit when she was 70 years old.  She scrubbed the tile floor on her hands and knees all of those years because she believed that a mop just wouldn't get it clean enough.

Since the house she lived in at Nenzel was also the gas station in town, she was a filling station attendant while raising her sons.  She did this from 1954 until 1974.  She was also a rancher.  She milked cows, fed hogs, and raised chickens.  She milked her last cow in the summer of 1995.  She also spent a number of years cleaning the bank in Kilgore and several people's homes.  In addition,  she was an assistant cook at the Elementary School at Kilgore.  She held her bank cleaning job simultaneously with her school cooking job.  She would get up early in the morning, milk her cow, drive to Kilgore, clean the bank, and then go to the school to help prepare the noon meal.

Mom died a very peaceful death after a long life of hard work, severe arthritis, and many, many joyous experiences of being with her family.  She died early in the morning on Good Friday, April 10, 2020.

She is preceded in death by her parents William and Fannie (Satra) Laleff, "Old Mary" Satra Laleff (her stepmother), her husband Joseph Nollette, and her brothers Charles Laleff and Wallace Laleff.

She is survived by her sons Louis Anthony, Neal Patrick, Gregory Reo (wife Cindy), Timothy Joseph (wife Terri), and her sister Alice Riege.  She is also survived by her seven grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren.

There will be a "limited" visitation from 5-7 PM MDT at St. Mary's Church in Nenzel on Wednesday, April 15, 2020.

There will be a private Funeral Mass on April 16 with burial to follow at St. Mary's Cemetery in Nenzel.

A Memorial Service will be held at a later date when it is safe to do so after the Coronavirus/Covid 19 pandemic subsides.

Memorials can be made to St. Mary's Catholic Church at Nenzel, Nebraska or to Pineview Nursing Home in Valentine, Nebraska.

Funeral arrangements are by Sandoz Chapel of the Pines in Valentine, Nebraska.