Claire J. Longly

November 18, 1953 - July 25, 2019

Claire Longly, 65 Kearney resident Claire Jo Longly, age 65, passed away Thursday, July 25, 2019 at Remington Heights Assisted Living in Omaha, NE surrounded by her loved ones, after her battle with brain cancer. A Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 31, 2019 at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Kearney. Father Paul Colling will celebrate. Interment will be held at the Kearney Cemetery at a later date. The family will receive friends 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday at O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Kearney. 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. Claire was born on November 18, 1953 in Central City, Nebraska to Mike and Genevive (Steinke) Harris, the third of five children. Growing up in Clarks, Nebraska and graduating from Clarks High School in 1972. She married Gordon Schott on July 25, 1970 and to this union four children were born. She met Nick Longly in 1983 and they were married on September 9, 1996. Nick lost his battle to cancer in 2011. In her younger years she enjoyed raising her kids on the farm near Clarks and began her waitressing career at the Lincoln Manor Steakhouse in Central City. She moved to Kearney, Nebraska in 1982 where she continued waitressing at the Fort Kearney Inn and at Nick’s Place. In 1984 Claire and Christine Wadas opened The Lodge Restaurant in Kearney which eventually became Nick and Claire’s business of thirty years. In 2014 Claire moved to Fullerton, Nebraska with the excitement of a new grandchild on the way. She was working at Reimer’s Pharmacy and Pappy’s Place up until her diagnosis on June 28, 2019. Claire was an avid reader and thoroughly enjoyed taking many adventurous trips with her family. She was known for hopping in the car to go visit with family and friends or to attend as many of her grandchildren’s activities as she could. Her selflessness was one of her strongest characteristics, along with kindness, loving unconditionally, a strong work ethic, and her genuine spirit. Left to cherish her memory are three of her four children, Geremy (Joy) Schott of Burwell,Nebraska, Megan (Eric) Dubas of Fullerton, Nebraska, and Travis Schott of Kearney, Nebraska; grandchildren, Gavyn and Jenna Schott, and Keila, Reese and Brandt Dubas; son-in-law, Rustin Hughes of Fort Collins, Colorado; siblings, Charlene Wobig of Monterrey, California, Jim (Nancy) Harris of Lincoln, Nebraska, Robbie (Fred) McHargue of Largo, Florida, and Mickey (Darrell) Eggli of Aurora, Nebraska; brothers-in-law, Tom Longly of Lexington, Nebraska, Jim (Patricia) Longly of Lexington, Nebraska; sisters-in-law, Sharon (Terry) Jorgensen of Lexington, Nebraska and Deb (Ryan) Berggren of Stromsburg, Nebraska; and many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents, Mike and Genevive Harris; her husband, Nick Longly; and her daughter, Brandy Lyn (Schott) Hughes.