Larena E. Bourelle

Funeral Services for LaRena E. Bourelle will be conducted from the First Baptist Church in Holdrege, Nebraska on Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. with Pastor Darren Stroh, officiating. Interment will be in Prairie Home Cemetery at Holdrege.

LaRena E. Bourelle, 94 years of age, of Holdrege, passed away on Thursday, February 4, 2010 at the Christian Homes Care Community at Holdrege. She was born on July 14, 1915 in Helena, Montana, the fourth of eleven children born to Carl and Emma (Anderson) Burklund. She attended school in Sacramento and Hollinger, Nebraska. Following her education, LaRena provided childcare and housekeeping for area families.

On July 24, 1939 she was united in marriage to Harold Hilmer Bourelle at North Platte, Nebraska and to this union six children were born: Richard, Larry, Betty Lou, Polly Sue, David and Carla. The family made their home in Oregon and California until settling to the Holdrege area.

LaRena was a homemaker and also worked outside the home. Her employment included a receptionist for Nelson Photography Studio, housekeeping and nurse's aide at Christian Homes, nurse's aide at Bethphage Mission in Axtell, Nebraska, a factory worker at Baldwin Manufacturing in Kearney, Nebraska, and restaurant owner of the Dairy Treat in Bertrand.

LaRena was an active member of the Baptist faith, and taught Sunday School and Child Evangelism classes in member homes for 27 years. She enjoyed quilting, collecting antiques, playing Bingo and most of all spending time with her grandchildren.

Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Harold in 1987; son, David and daughter, Carla both in infancy; one grandson, Jeff Bourelle in infancy; two great-grandsons: Kelly and Mitchell Hupka; great-great grandson, Angel Mosey; three sisters: Inez Purpura and her husband, Frank, Hazel Seymour and her husband, Chuck and Ruth Thorell and her husband, Raymond; five brothers: Leonard Burklund, Cliff Burklund and his wife, Fern, Norbert Burklund, Clyne Burklund and his wife, Ruth, and Bill Burklund; brothers-in-law: Jewel Bourelle and his wife, Dorothy and Cliff Bourelle; and sister-in-law, Lucille Johnson and her husband, Carl.

She leaves to mourn her passing her four children: Richard Bourelle and his wife, Paula of Holdrege, Larry Bourelle and his wife, Sharon of Stromsburg, Nebraska, Betty Lou Winkelmann and her husband, Louis of Holdrege, and
Polly Sue Ziems and her husband, Keith of Kearney; 10 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; 5 great-great grandchildren; two brothers: Herbert Burklund and his wife, Elaine of McMinnville, Oregon and Kenneth Burklund of Burleson, Texas; three sisters-in-law: Alice Burklund of Washington State, Connie Burklund of Oregon and Verlon Bourelle of Yuma, Arizona and a host of other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be held at the First Baptist Church in Holdrege on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. with the family greeting from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

A memorial has been established in her memory and will be designated at a later date.

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

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege is in charge of the arrangements.