Elsie Anna Shanks, age 92, of North Platte, NE, passed away surrounded by her family on March 27, 2017, at Great Plains Health.
Elsie was born October 6, 1924, to Peter W. and Anna Wulff Mohr on a farm near St. Libory, NE. On August 26, 1925, Elsie was baptized at Messiah Lutheran Church in Grand Island. In 1938 she became a confirmed member of Trinity Lutheran in Grand Island, with Revelation 2:10 “Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life” her confirmation verse.
Elsie attended school in Grand Island at Trinity Lutheran, Walnut Jr. High and graduated from Grand Island High School in 1942. After graduating, Elsie was employed as a service assistant at Northwestern Bell Telephone Company.
On November 30, 1947, Elsie was united in marriage to Benjamin Curtiss “Benny” Shanks, Jr. at Grand Island. To this union five daughters, Patricia Lynn, Janet Frances, Nancy Ann, Mary Helen and Linda Diane, were born. The couple first resided in Grand Island where they worked for Northwestern Bell Telephone Company and then moved to North Platte following Benny’s transfer. Here they raised their family and were members of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. Elsie and Benny were together for 58 years when he passed away in 2006.
Elsie was a very nurturing person who loved to cook and bake. Baking cinnamon rolls and her many breads were frequent requests of family and friends. She was proud of her children and their families and she also helped raise her 11 nieces and nephews. Elsie had a compassionate nature and a talent for doing good things for others but also enjoyed the solitude of reading and solving word puzzles.
She was a member of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League and Telephone Pioneers of America. Elsie was a kind, loving woman who found her faith, family and her church most important to her. She lived life by her favorite quote from Albert Einstein, “Only a life lived for others is worth living.”
Elsie leaves behind her daughters, Patricia (Rick) Malinowski, of Littleton, CO, Nancy (Doyce) Williams, of North Platte, Mary Cladinos (Edgar Galloway), of Raleigh, NC, and Linda Shanks (Wayne Meacham), of Aurora, CO; five grandchildren, Daimon (Nadine) Cladinos, Janelle Banks, Wyatt (Liz) Williams, Dustin Williams and Jon Galus; 11 great-grandchildren; a great great-grandson; brother, Edward (Carol) Mohr, of Lincoln, NE; sister, Helen (Ashley) Grandy, of Tucson, AZ; as well as many nieces, nephews and other family.
Along with her husband, Benny, Elsie was preceded in death by their infant daughter, Janet; her parents, Peter and Anna Mohr; brother and sister-in-law, Ernest and Mary Ann Mohr; and her sister and brother-in-law, Elizabeth and Calvin Engquist.
Funeral Service will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 31, 2017, at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church with Pastor Robert Wiest officiating. Burial will follow in Floral Lawns Memorial Gardens where she will await the glorious day of resurrection of all the dead.
Visitation will be 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore, which is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may also be shared at odeanchapel.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials are to Our Redeemer Lutheran Church or the North Platte Animal Shelter.