LuEtta E. Berry, 96, of Holdrege, died on Monday, October 13, 2025 at Christian Homes Health Care in Holdrege.

A Celebration of Life Funeral Service for Lu-Etta was held on Saturday, October 18, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. at the Holdrege Methodist Church in Holdrege. Interment followed at the Prairie Home Cemetery in Holdrege.

Memorials are suggested to the family.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www. soltwagnerfuneral.com.

Solt-Wagner Funeral Home in Central City, NE is in charge of arrangements.

LuEtta Edna Jones was born on December 29, 1928, north of Huntley, in Harlan County, the eldest of five children to Earl and Edna (Johnson) Jones. She was born on her father’s birthday.

She moved with her family to St. Francis, Kansas for several years when LuEtta attended school in Huntley, then Wilcox, before she finished her education in Huntley.

LuEtta worked at the Ocoma Cold Storage in Holdrege for several years. She married Donald Edward Berry on March 27, 1946 at LuEtta’s parents’ home north of Huntley. They moved to Holdrege in 1947. She worked at OP Skaggs, owned and operated the Frontier Cafe (Husky Cafe) for several years.

Lu worked for Becton Dickinson for more than thirteen years. She retired in 1985.

Don and LuEtta built and restored several houses. They took their Winnebago on many trips with their children, grandchildren, and other family members, camping and fishing. These were special times. LuEtta and Don enjoyed going to Apache Junction, Arizona where they spent the winters for seventeen years. She enjoyed her roses and showing them to guests as they stopped by.

LuEtta was a member of the United Methodist Church of Holdrege for over seventy years.

She was baptized in the Republican River by her cousin, Reverend Melvin Jones.

LuEtta was preceded in death by her husband, Donald; daughter, Marilyn Berry; her parents; her sisters and brothersin- law, Betty Feusner (Wesley), Mary Schroder (Marvin), and Phyllis Ferguson (Al); and brother- in-law, William Leake. She is survived by her son, Gary and wife Dee Berry; daughters, Cindy Cairns, Crystal Leopold, and Donetta Sandell and her husband Craig, all of Holdrege; twelve grandchildren, Todd Berry and wife, Tania of Topeka, Kansas, Troy Berry and wife, Deann of Fremont, Traci (Berry) Ganser and husband Justin of Holdrege, Shane Stabenow and wife, Stacee of Holdrege, Rory Stabenow and wife Nichole of Kearney, Lucas Gaffney and Anna of New Briton, Minnesota, Abby Cairns and fiance’ Austin of Otesego, Minnesota, Shawn Bode of Holdrege, Brielle (Leopold) Grams and husband Chris of Upland, Amber (Sandell) Cochrane and husband Chris of Cozad, Chad Sandell and wife Erica of Omaha, and Jenae (Sandell) Svoboda and husband Adam of St Paul; twenty-three great grandchildren; brother, Earl Jones of Golden, Colorado, sister; Karen Leake of Eagle Vail, Colorado; sisters–in-law, Doris Schriner and Diane Sell and her husband Jim all of Holdrege; and many nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

The Central City Republican-Nonpareil | October 30, 2025