Willa J. Bose

A funeral service for Willa Jean Zelske Bose will be held on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., at Trinity Lutheran Church, Stamford, Nebraska, with Pastor Thalia Woodworth officiating.  Interment will follow at the Stamford Cemetery.

Willa Jean Zelske Bose, 91, passed away peacefully on July 4, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas.  Willa was born September 6, 1933, on the original Zelske family farm near Stamford, the only child of Edward Karl Zelske and Angie (DeBuhr) Zelske.  She always kept her love for Nebraska and the land she was raised on.

Willa graduated from Stamford High School (1951) and received a degree in Education from Nebraska State Teachers College in Kearney, Nebraska. She married Leonard "Len" Bose after graduation, and they were married for 65 years. During Len's Air Force service, they moved to various locations across the United States and raised three daughters. Willa valued her family above all else and instilled in her daughters a passion for reading and the pursuit of education. She took great pride in their achievements.

Willa began her teaching career in Nebraska, later pausing to devote time to her family. She resumed her profession at Northwood High School in Shreveport, Louisiana, upon her two older daughters' entry into high school. After both Willa and Leonard retired, they moved to Waskom, Texas.  While in Waskom, Willa served as Director of the Waskom Public Library for two decades.  She played a vital role in encouraging literacy and establishing pathways to learning, to those in need.

She was a dedicated Lutheran, actively participating in Trinity Lutheran Church in Stamford and Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bossier City, Louisiana. Her faith and commitment to Christian values were central to her life, which truly was her legacy.

Willa was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard Bose, in 2020; her parents Edward and Angie Zelske; and a grandson, Jack Meche.

Willa is survived by her daughters:  Debbi (Larry Easterling); Renee (Dr. Richard Sims); and Lisa (Russell McDermott); two grandchildren:  Katherine (Ross Marquette); and William (Laura) Easterling; three great-grandchildren: Mikey Marquette; Anna Kate Easterling; and George Easterling; a sister-in-law, Patricia Taylor; and a niece, Lynn Taylor.

The family sincerely thanks the staff at The Vantage in Fort Worth, Texas, for their compassionate care and loving support.

A visitation will be held an hour prior to the service at the church.

A memorial has been established in Willa's honor and donations are kindly suggested to Trinity Lutheran Church in Stamford, Nebraska.

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

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