Marcia K. Grafe, 79, of Omaha, passed away peacefully on Friday, August 28, 2026, at home due to Parkinson’s.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at Palmer-Santin Funeral Home in Fullerton with Reverend Vern Olson officiating. A private family inurnment will be later at Bureau Cemetery in Clarks. Palmer-Santin Funeral Home is serving the family.

Memorials can be sent to Daylen O’Dell, 5413 N 155th St, Omaha, Nebraska 68116.

Marcia was born November 7, 1946, to Forrest and Mabel (Johnson) Ferree in Aurora.

She married the love of her life, Dan Grafe, on December 13, 1969. He passed away in February 1997. In 1969, Marcia graduated with honors from St. Francis School of Nursing. Nursing was her passion. During her career, she worked at Fullerton Memorial Hospital in Fullerton as a clinical nurse. After, she worked at Annie Jeffery Hospital in Osceola in management. After the death of her husband, she moved to Grand Island where she was in management in the utilization review and coding department at St. Francis Hospital. She then moved to Lincoln and worked as a clinical research nurse in cancer research. She retired after forty-seven years of nursing.

In 1994, Marcia’s family expanded from five to six with a four-legged fur baby, Tyson James.

Her husband didn’t want a dog in the house but after three days, he was just as smitten with him as Marcia. Tyson went over the rainbow bridge in 2011 at the age seventeen. He was cremated and will be buried with Marcia.

Some of Marcia’s most fond memories are of her grandchildren.

Often, they would come to Grammie’s house and would bake chocolate chip cookies, scones, and pancakes.

Marcia is survived by her children, Don Grafe, Dustin Grafe, and Daylen (Dan) O’Dell; her six grandchildren, Aaliyah, Ashtyn, Anistyn, Kylie, Khloe, and Daniel; great-granddaughter, Iris; and sisters, Maralyce Ferree and Merlene Petrik.

She was preceded in death by her husband and sisters-in-law, Anne Khlone and Jane Hayden.

The Republican-Nonpareil| September 3, 2026