Wanda Cruise

Wanda J. Cruise, 82 of Holdrege, died Saturday evening Oct. 22, 2011 at Holdrege Memorial Homes in Holdrege. A memorial service will be held 11:00 AM, Friday Nov. 11, 2011 at First United Methodist Church in Holdrege. The Rev. Dale Lambert will officiate. Private interment will be held at the Williamsburg Cemetery south of Elm Creek. Memorials are suggested to Holdrege Memorial Homes. On-line condolences maybe submitted to osrfh.com. O'Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Kearney is in charge of arrangements. Wanda was born the second of six children on June 19, 1929 in Sterling, CO to Delbert and Lora (Fellows) Simmerman. Her early years were spent in Sterling, but later her family moved to a farm in the Elm Creek area. She attended Elm Creek High School, where she met Dean Cruise, and the two were united in marriage on Dean's parents farm southwest of Elm Creek on February 6, 1949. They farmed southwest of Elm Creek for many years, bringing forth during that time, 3 sons; Robert; Russell; and Richard. They farmed until 1968 at which time Dean and the family moved to Loomis to begin an electrical and construction business. Later, Dean slowed down and ran a lawn sprinkler company until his retirement in 2001. They moved from Loomis to Kearney in November of 2004 only briefly as Dean became ill and passed away in March 2005. She then moved back to the Holdrege area until entering the nursing home in 2010. She will forever be remembered for her wonderful baked goods and pumpkin pies. She was a member of the Williamsburg Methodist Church; the Loomis Methodist Church and First United Methodist Church in Holdrege. She also served on the board at Holdrege Memorial Homes. She is survived by three sons; Robert and wife Debra of Lincoln, NE, Russell and wife, Nancy of Loomis, NE and Richard and wife Rosemary of Chandler, AZ, 6 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, brothers; Wayne of Elm Creek, Harlan and wife, Kay of Elm Creek and Dick and wife, Myrtle of Overton, sisters, Wilma Jean Keep of Ogallala and Ardis Refior of Elm Creek and brother-in-law; Dr. Dale Cruise and wife, Helen of Salem, OR. She preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Dean, brother-in-law, W.F. Keep of Ogallala; brother-in-law, Donald Refior of Elm Creek and sister-in-law; Phyllis Simmerman of Elm Creek.

Wanda Cruise

June 19, 1929 - October 22, 2011