Elaine Luceen Vance 2/27/1922 to 5/27/2011

Elaine Luceen Vance, 89, of rural Bladen died Friday, May 27, 2011 at the Blue Hill Care Center in Blue Hill, Nebraska. She was born February 27, 1922 on a farm near Bladen to Etta (Anderson) and Clyde Derr, and later moved into Bladen where she graduated from Bladen High School in 1939. Following high school she taught in Kearney County rural schools and at Norman, Nebraska.

On February 14, 1943 she married Glenn M. Vance at Yuma, Arizona. Glenn was serving in the U.S. Navy and left for the war in the Pacific the next day. Elaine lived in San Diego, California for awhile then returned to Nebraska where she was employed in the Office of Freight Accounting, Government Bureau, at the Union Pacific Headquarters in Omaha. In April 1945, Elaine returned to live in Bladen. Glenn received his discharge from the Navy in October 1945, and they were able to finally establish a home at Bladen.

On May 10, 1950, Glenn and Elaine moved to the farm 1 1/2 miles west of Bladen. They have maintained that home for 61 years. Elaine worked hard on the farm canning and freezing fruit, vegetables and meats for her growing family. Elaine was a very talented seamstress and used those skills to design and sew fashionable clothing for her daughters and herself. In later years she also sewed some clothing for her young grandchildren, and sewed and tied quilts for all of them. Elaine was talented in many types of art and needlework. She was especially talented at embroidery and crocheting. The family treasure many heirlooms she made, including crocheted suits, hand painted trays, ceramics, baby baptism bonnets and shawls. She was able to find time to keep up with her family. Roger recalls how once when he was quite young and did something naughty he started running away from her and jumped in a hay stack to hide and was he ever surprised that she kept at his heels and jumped in the haystack after him! LeAnn recalls at a young elementary age Jeannie packed up her little dance suitcase and headed down the road looking for a new residence. Elaine handed toddler Janice to LeAnn to hold and she headed on the road to bring her strayed child home.
Elaine continued teaching at home by teaching her children how to cook, can, freeze, sew, crochet, embroidery and many other skills. These same skills have passed to many of the granddaughters and now some of the great grandchildren enjoy cooking, helping in gardens to perserve food and even learning to sew. Elaine was a wonderful cook and loved trying new recipes. She had a star system for rating the goodness of the dish. She was a "clipper" of good sounding recipes and that habit has proved contagious! If a new recipe was extra special she would sit and write multiple copies to share with family. We all enjoy many of her recipes today. Several decades ago we inherited a small suitcase filled with a 2nd copy of her "favorite" recipes because if they should be destroyed she couldn't start over again! Elaine loved pie and made the most beautiful pies in the county. The problem was they only lasted for one meal. She was always asked to bring a pie. We recall Janice as a child saying "You always take the pies away, when are you going to make a pie for us?"
Elaine joined the Bladen United Methodist Church at a young age and was a member of the church for 77 years. During that time she belonged to several groups, held various offices including 4 years as leader of the Intermediate Youth Fellowship, Cradle Roll Superintendent for 10 years, Vice President of Women's Society of Christian Service. Elaine's faith was important to her. She attended many Bible Studies in addition to studying the Bible at home. Her family found a notation in one of her study Bibles which said that in addition to her studies at one point she had read the Bible in its entirety 4 times plus was on the 5th time.
Elaine cared for her ailing mother and later an uncle. Whenever someone in the family needed help, Elaine would come. She would tell her family "That's the way our family does." That too, is a good tradition that is being passed down to younger generations.
Elaine always enjoyed helping with community service projects. In addition to her church work, she was a member of and hald many offices and working at many projects through Extension Club. She served various offices of this organization. When Nebraska celebrated the bi-centennial of the state, it was Elaine's idea that every Veteran's grave in the five Bladen cemeteries needed to be remembered with a flower on Memorial Day. The Bladen Extension Club took on that big project in their centennial attire and in the rain and mud.
Glenn and Elaine Vance Family received the Great Nebraska Family Award on October 27, 1988, by the Webster County Council of Home Extension Clubs and Nebraska Council of Home Extension Clubs for outstanding contributions as a family to improve your community and to strenghten America.
Elaine joined Bladen Rebekah Lodge #247 on April 18, 1941. She served as Noble Grand of the Bladen Lodge four years, and secretary four years as well as other offices. She was Noble Grant of the Degree Staff three years, District Deputy President and Delegate to State Assembly. At a meeting on August 1978, her daughter, Janice, presented her mother with a 35 years Rebekah jewel. In 1987, Elaine was honored as the International runner-up for Rebekah of the Year for her community service.
Elaine joined Harmony Fellowship Club on July 1, 1953. She served serveral offices and participated in many projects of that community service organization.
During Glenn and Elaine's earlier retirement years, Elaine was asked if she would represent her legislative district as a Silver Haired Senator. At that time the Silver Haired Legislature held meeting and conventions and would then meet with the Nebraska Representatives to the State Unicameral, and they would present ideas and bills that would assist senior citizens. One famous issue was Living Wills. For several years Glenn and Elaine traveled in the district to meet with Senior Citizens, helped form groups and meetings for many towns, got ideas of what their needs were and they took news to the people regarding issues the Silver Haired Legislature was lobbying and what was happening in the State Unicameral that would affect the elderly.
In 2000, Glenn and Elaine family were honored by the Knights of Ak-sar-ben for continuing ownership of the same Nebraska farm for 100 years or more. This farm will continue to be in the Vance and Hite family now into the 2nd century. Having patiently endured living at Blue Hill Care Center for almost five years, Elaine wanted nothing more than to go to the home that she knew for 61 years.
Elaine was a member of the Adams County Geneological Society, charter member of the State Geneological Society. She spent long arduous hours going through miles of microfilm looking for information on the various family lines of her and Glenn's families. We are blessed with many volumes of information of our interesting heritage! Family, heritage and the stories of our ancestors were of great interest to her. It is sad that the new family members are not being updated to the information she collected. Many people have also used her information to pursue their lineage.
Elaine has always been interested in the history of this area and had become a local historian. She extensively researched the cemeteries of Webster County. She has collected and written articles on local history. Her home was filled with volumes of local history. In the 1990's many people coming to Bladen to locate where their ancestors lived, farmed or are buried were referred to Elaine and Glenn. they always stopped what they were doing and would show these people around the community.
Following Glenn's death on November 29, 2004, Elaine lived alone on the farm for almost two years. She then suffered multiple strokes, so she had to make the Blue Hill Care Center her last residence. She endured her years there, but longed to go home. The strokes had left her with many phyusical disabilities that prevented her from pursuing her hobbies, thus time moved slowly for her. She missed her husband and family that were deceased. Her greatest pleasure came when her grandchildren and great grandchildren came to visit, and she was delighted with the birth of every one of her great grandchildren.

Preceding her in death were her husabnd, her parents, her brother, Leland Derr and a sister, Elvina Derr Maxwell; and two great grandchildren, Mariah Roos Sayer and Miles James Sayer.

Left to treasure Elaine's memory are four children: LeAnn and Jim Johnson of Blue Hill, Nebraska; Roger and Charlene Vance of Columbus, Ohio; (Vanetta) Jean and Jim Larrick of Valley, Nebraska; and Janice Hartman of Guide Rock, Nebraska. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren: Renee' and John Sayer, Vance and ViviAnne of Schuyler, Nebraska; Russell and Ann Vance, Elena and Natalie, Columbus, Ohio; Dr. Alicia and Dr. Mike Cruce, Henry and Eliza of Lincoln, Nebraska; David and Kari Larrick, Curin and Conley; Daniel and Bekki Larrick, Madilyn and Nolan, all of Omaha, Nebraska; Justin Vance, Columbus, Ohio; Heather and William Bryan and Will, Papillion, Nebraska; Diana and Travis Garges, Elkhorn, Nebraska; John Hartman of Kearney and J. Cody Grashorn of Holdrege, Nebraska; brother-in-law Ilef Vance of Bladen; sister-in-law Joan Vance of Kearney; several cousins, and many nieces, nephews and friends.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, 2:00 p.m., May 31, 2011 at the Bladen United Methodist Church. Interment was at the East Lawn Cemetery.

A memorial fund has been established by the family.

Williams Funeral Home of 241 West 4th Avenue in Red Cloud, NE was in charge of arrangements.