Averyl B. Tarkington

Funeral Services for Averyl B. Tarkington will be conducted from the United Methodist Church in Oxford, Nebraska on Thursday, April 5, 2007 at 11:00 a.m. with Reverend Robert E. Berlie Sr., officiating. Interment will be in the Oxford Cemetery.

Averyl Blanche Tarkington, 92 years of age, of Lincoln, Nebraska (formerly of Oxford) passed away on Sunday, April 1, 2007 at the Village Manor in Lincoln. Averyl was born April 4, 1914 in Harrison County, Iowa near Woodbine, the middle child of seven born to Ralph and Blanche (Donn) Watkins. She grew up in western Iowa, where she received her education, graduating from Woodbine High School.

On December 27, 1932 she was united in marriage to A.L. "Tark" Tarkington and to this union four children were born: Beverly, Irene, Sheryl and Kurt. After helping raise siblings around Woodbine, they spent a brief time working in Omaha before moving to Oxford in 1950, when Tark purchased the livestock market in Oxford. They retired to Holdrege, Nebraska in 1992. On January 18, 1993 she was preceded in death by her husband, Tark. Health concerns caused Averyl to move to Lincoln in 2005.

Averyl was a devoted wife and mother always doing whatever it took to make her family happy. She went fishing when she was afraid of water, road Splash Mountain with her grandkids even though she didn't really like rides, and went to horse races because Tark loved it and her family would be there. She enjoyed family and always had great food for everyone at family get togethers.

She leaves to mourn her passing her three daughters: Beverly Madsen and her husband, Donald of Lincoln, Irene Rankin and her husband, Roger of Longmont, Colorado and Sheryl Kubicek and her husband, Jim of Lincoln, Nebraska; one son, Kurt Tarkington and his wife, Nancy of Orleans, Nebraska; eleven grandchildren; eleven great-grandchildren; four great-great grandchildren; one sister, Bonnie (Siebels) Marshall and her husband, Harold of Kearney, Nebraska; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Besides her husband, Tark she was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers and two sisters.

Mrs. Tarkington will lie in state at the Mitchell-Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Oxford on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 from 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. with the family greeting from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

A memorial has been established in her memory to the American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association or to the donor's choice.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Mitchell-Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Oxford is in charge of arrangements.