Lonita M. "Nita" Staples

Memorial Service for Lonita M. "Nita" Staples will be held on Monday, February 17, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. at the Christian Homes Chapel in Holdrege, Nebraska with Pastor Glenn Frecks and Rev. Darrel Wissmann officiating.  Interment will be held prior to the service, on Monday, February 17, 2020 at 9:30 a.m., at the Highland Cemetery at Bertrand, Nebraska.

Lonita M. "Nita" Staples, 86 years of age, of Holdrege, formerly of Bertrand, passed away on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at the Christian Homes Care Community at Holdrege. Nita was born May 2, 1933, in Ogallala, Nebraska, the third of four children to Walter S. and Marchen M. (Dinkleman) Gake. She received her primary education at District #2 in Keith County, Nebraska and, graduated from Ogallala High School, with the class of 1950.  She then pursued higher education, attending summer college courses from Kearney State Teaching College.  Nita taught for one year at a country school near Ogallala.

On June 18, 1952, she was united in marriage to Donald A. Staples in Ogallala, and to this union four children were born: Theresa Ann, Debbie Sue, Rick Allen, and Tamara Rae. The family made their home in Ogallala, and later began to make their home in Bertrand, where Nita focused on her family's needs. Later in life, she employed by Becton-Dickinson in Holdrege, in the Molding Department, for 26 ½ years of service to the company.

Throughout the years, Nita enjoyed being involved as a mother and grandmother. She was a member of Faith Free Lutheran Church in Bertrand, serving as a Children's Bible Study Leader and crafter.

Nita enjoyed attending craft shows, crafting, gardening, canning, playing BINGO with friends at Christian Homes Care Community and following the stock market.

Nita was preceded in death by: her parents; father-in-law and mother-in-law; her husband, Donald in 1999; her sister, Corrine Hiner and her husband, Keith; two brothers: John Gake; and Lloyd Gake; a daughter-in-law, Linda Staples; and two brothers-in-law:  Kenneth Staples; and Oran Magnuson and his wife, Janet.

Nita leaves to celebrate her life; her children: Theresa Ann West and her husband, Bob of Lincoln, Nebraska; Debbie Towndrow and her husband, Randy of Holdrege; Rick Staples of Los Lunas, New Mexico; and Tamara Belmudez and her husband, Abraham of Thornton, Colorado; nine grandchildren: Heather, Todd, Mandy, Brandie, Heidi, Christina, Phillip, Fatima and Tonya; two step-grandchildren: Barrett, and Cathy; many great-grandchildren; along with a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives, and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, in the Staples and Gake families.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, February 16, 2020, from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. with the family greeting from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege.

A memorial has been established in Nita's honor, and kindly suggested to the Bertrand Veteran's Organization.

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