Marguerite E. Skiles

Funeral Services for Marguerite Elaine (Johnson) Skiles will be held on Wednesday, December 1, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Holdrege, Nebraska with Reverend Dr. W. Kirwin Stewart, Jr., officiating. Interment will be held at Prairie Home Cemetery in Holdrege.

Marguerite Elaine (Johnson) Skiles, 81, of Arvada, Colorado (formerly of Holdrege) passed away on Wednesday, November 24, 2010 at Lakewood, Colorado. She was born on March 9, 1929, the 4th of 5 children born to Lawrence Frederick and Hazel Florence (Wall) Johnson in a small farm outside of Atlanta, Nebraska. Marguerite was baptized at the First Presbyterian Church in Holdrege. She lived in the Atlanta area and began her education at Esterbrooke Elementary School. The family moved to Holdrege in 1936, where she attended District #56 School of Phelps County and then Holdrege High School, graduating in 1946.

On November 17, 1946, Marguerite was united in marriage to Howard K. Skiles. They had three children: Keith, born June 8, 1949, Greg, born October 16, 1953 and Kirk, born October 9, 1956. She was a homemaker providing a safe and loving home for their three children. Marguerite and her family lived all over Nebraska including Holdrege, Scottsbluff, Kearney and Lexington. She was a charter member of Holdrege Elks Auxiliary. Marguerite helped Howard in the businesses they owned including the Cozy Inn Café in Holdrege and another small café in downtown Kearney.

In 1980, Marguerite and Howard moved to Arvada. It was there that Howard managed the Arvada Elks Lodge and Marguerite was an active member of the Arvada Ladies Elks. Following Howard's retirement, they continued to be active in the Arvada community and had many friends and relatives in the area. She was a member of Arvada Presbyterian Church.

Marguerite developed countless friendships in every community she lived. She would often be the stabilizing element in the lives of neighborhood children who would be at loose ends because of disruptions to their home lives, but they could always count on Marguerite's caring concern when needed.

Marguerite is preceded in death by her husband, Howard; her son, Keith; her parents; her brothers: Clarence Johnson and his wife, Evelyn, Lavern Johnson and his wife, Jo, Cloyd Johnson and Raymond Johnson; sister-in-law, JoAnn Slade; and brother-in-law, Kenneth Skiles and his wife, Eleanor.

Marguerite is survived by her sons: Greg Skiles of Arvada and Kirk Skiles and his wife, Cindy of Lincoln, Nebraska; her grandchildren: Jessica Skiles of Arvada, Casey Skiles of Jackson, Wyoming, Austin Skiles of Chicago, Illinois, Nicholas Skiles of Portland, Oregon, Caleb Skiles of Lincoln and Elizabeth Skiles of Kearney; sister-in-law, Marlene Johnson of Holdrege; brothers-in-law: Gerald Skiles and his wife, Barbara of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, Al Gardine of Arvada, Colorado, Leo Slade of North Glenn, Colorado and a host of other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. with the family greeting friends from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday November 30, 2010 at the Nelson Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege.

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.