Lovena Crouse

Funeral Services for Lovena Crouse will be held on Tuesday, December 10, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church in Wilcox, Nebraska with Pastor Nathan Abel officiating.  Interment will be held at 2:00 p.m. at the Zion Lutheran Cemetery at rural Macon, Nebraska.

Lovena Crouse, 92 years of age, of Minden, Nebraska, formerly of Wilcox, Nebraska, passed away on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at Bethany Home in Minden.  Lovena was born September 3, 1927 in Macon, one of seven children to Herman and Joan (Arnold) Kruse.  She was baptized on March 17, 1929 and later confirmed on May 11, 1941 at the Zion Lutheran Church at Macon.  Lovena attended the Lynch Rural School District #59, northwest of Macon through the 8 ^th grade.

On April 4, 1945, Lovena was united in marriage to Fred H. Harms at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, south of Hildreth, Nebraska.  This union was blessed with five children:  Shirley, Sandra, Keith, Lyndell, and Kathryn.

On November 11, 1977, Lovena was united in marriage to Melvin J. Crouse at the First Lutheran Church in Kearney, Nebraska.  The couple resided in Haigler, Nebraska, where they worked together for 24 years on the farm, north of town.

God blessed Lovena with a smile that radiated warmth and kindness and her humorous one liners, carried hints of wisdom.  She was also an accomplished seamstress and tailor and many knew her for these talents.  Lovena graduated from Bishop Sewing and Tailoring School in Lincoln, Nebraska, and went on to teach adult education sewing classes at Kearney High School.  Her favorite accomplishments were the bridal gowns, she delighted in sewing.

Lovena was preceded in death by:  her parents; son, Keith Harms; two husbands:  Fred Harms and Melvin Crouse; three brothers:  John (Rose) Kruse; Herman (Frieda) Kruse; and Carl Kruse; three sisters:  Marie (George) Casper; Rose Kruse; and Elsie (Lorenz) Johnson.

Survivors include:  her children: Shirley Dirks and husband, Lewis of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Sandra Blank and husband, Ron of Wilcox; Lyndell Harms of Kearney; and Kathryn Davis and husband, Doug of Omaha, Nebraska; step-children:  Ardis Snyder of Milford, Massachusetts; Sherri Smith and her husband, Dick of Fort Morgan, Colorado; Marlan Crouse of Haigler, Nebraska; Steven Crouse and his wife, Jody of Haigler;  seven grandchildren; six step-grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; one step-great-grandchild; three great-great-grandchildren; cherished sister-in-law, Milrae (Kruse) Seaman of Ozark, Alabama; along with many nieces, nephews, and extended family.

Visitation will be held on Monday, December 9, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Bauer-Torrey & Mach Funeral Home in Wilcox with the family greeting from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

A memorial has been established in Lovena's name and kindly suggested to:  St. John's Lutheran Church, AseraCare Hospice or the Parkinson's Foundation.

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

The Bauer-Torrey & Mach Funeral Home in Wilcox is in charge of the arrangements.