Kristie E. Spencer

KRISTIE ELLA SPENCER, age 64 of Abilene, Kansas passed away Sunday, June 18, 2023 at the Ascension Via Christi Saint Francis Hospital in Wichita, Kansas. Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Friday, June 30th, 2023, at O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Kearney, Nebraska. The family will receive friends one hour prior at 9:30 a.m. All are welcome. Burial will follow at the Kearney Cemetery. Lunch will be served with the family after the burial. Memorials are suggested to the family for future designation. Condolences may be shared online at www.osrfh.com. Services are entrusted to O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral and Cremation Services. Kristie was born on May 20, 1959, in Cozad, Nebraska. Her parents were Wayne Kenneth Ostrom and Annabell May (Breach) Ostrom. In 1966 she moved to Elm Creek, Nebraska with her parents and sister Deborah where her father was manager of Allied Mills, Inc. She graduated from Elm Creek High School in 1977. Kristie was always a hard worker. She worked various jobs over the next few years including: being a manager at Holiday Gas Station, Old Home Bread Store and Sunglass Hut. She worked for the family for many years in the alfalfa industry. She was able to drive many things including: tractors, straight trucks, and loaders of many sizes. She made bullets working 3D Manufacturing. On August 6th, 1983, Kristie married Eugene (Gene) Spencer at the First Christian Church in Elm Creek. They were married nearly 40 years. They were blessed with the birth of their 2 daughters, Cheri’ Ann and Tiffany Ella. While the girls were still little, both Kristie and Gene pursued higher education at Kearney State College, Kearney, Nebraska. They both graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in education in 1989. Kristie chose a career in teaching elementary children. As her family changed locations throughout the years, she taught various grade levels and schools—Sodtown District 65 in Sodtown, NE, Stolley Park Elementary in Grand Island, NE, Substitute Teacher for many schools in Louisiana School District, Park Elementary in Pascagoula, MS, Clark County Schools in Las Vegas, NV, Wyoming Virtual Academy in Green River, WY, Kennedy and McKinley Elementary in Abilene, KS. She was very capable of using computers to teach students on-line when they lived in Green River, Wyoming from 2008-2021. At the present time, Kristie worked as an Art teacher for Kennedy and McKinley Elementary in the Abilene Public School District. She loved working with elementary children, and they loved her in return with smiles, laughter, and hugs. Kristie also used her artistic talent in remodeling and decorating her homes throughout the years. She loved flowers, dogs, and cats. Kristie enjoyed her nieces and nephews. She loved playing cards and watching movies with them. She liked to play games and gamble. They remembered that Aunt Kristie had a special and contagious laugh! She also liked to go shopping. Her nieces and nephews are: Stacy Buettner, Susan Lindstrom, and Jill Schroeder of Holdrege, Nebraska; John Garrelts and Holly Maxey of Omaha, Nebraska; Cari Ostrom and Charles Ostrom of Amarillo, Texas and Rachel Ostrom of Kearney, Nebraska. Kristie is survived by her husband, Eugene Spencer of Abilene, her two daughters-Cheri’ Spencer and Tiffany Rahe; a son-in-law, Timothy Rahe, and four grandchildren-Cody Spencer, Anajlisha Rahe, Mary Rahe, and Gabriel Rahe. Kristie’s childhood family included her sister Carol Eigenberg (husband Ken) of Holdrege, Nebraska, Deborah Garrelts (husband Lyle) of Omaha, Nebraska. Kristie was also preceded in death by her older brother Darryl Ostrom of Branson, Missouri recently passed away in February of 2023 and Kristie’s parents Wayne K. and Annabell M. Ostrom of Kearney, Nebraska.

Kristie E. Spencer

May 20, 1959 - June 18, 2023