A Memorial Mass for A. Elaine Snowardt, age 80, of O'Neill will be at 11:00 am on Monday, April 3, 2023 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in O'Neill with Fr. Ross Burkhalter officiating. The service will be live-streamed at
https://holtboydcatholic.org/snowardt Burial will take place in the O'Neill Cemetery at a later date. Memorial Visitation will be from 3-5 pm on Sunday, April 2, 2023 at Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill with a 5 pm Time of Sharing. Elaine passed away on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at her home in O'Neill surrounded by her family. Memorials may be directed to her family for future designation. Arrangements are entrusted to Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill.

Ardyce Elaine Miller was born on May 13, 1942 on a farm north of O'Neill, NE to Orville 'Stub' and Ardyce (Worth) Miller. She attended country school and, other than for a short stint at a California School, graduated from O'Neill High School 1959. She fell in love with a boy from St. Mary's Academy, Fred Snowardt Jr. and married him on August 5, 1961 after her conversion to Catholicism. To this union were born Gail, Scott, Sheila, and Chris. She attended Norfolk Beauty School and graduated in 1960 and was employed at Marie's Beauty Shop.

The couple would spend the next 20 years in service to our country in both the Navy and Air Force, and this would take them across the United States, from North Dakota to Arizona and from Oregon to Maine. When Fred would have a year-long overseas assignment, Elaine would move back to O'Neill with the kids to have family support and she would play the role of Mom and Dad for that year.

Elaine was a very talented and creative person. She found many outlets for her creativity over the years, some hobbies and some quite practical. Her four children can recall not wearing many pieces of clothing which were store-bought. She was an accomplished seamstress and took full advantage of the benefit of handmade vs purchased as often as possible - from snowsuits to prom and wedding dresses and from Barbie doll clothes to wrapping paper caddies or costumes for Halloween. Elaine especially loved creating the latest fashion dresses and hats for her granddaughters when they were young. She loved to paint, draw, macrame, crochet, knit, garden, embroider, and play the organ, which was a carryover from her younger accordion-playing days. She was also an exceptional cake decorator, and no birthday went by without a custom-decorated birthday cake. A story is told of one child's wedding cake that was prepared in advance and frozen and then made the trip from Nebraska to Arizona, was assembled and prepared and served to guests, virtually without a hitch. This is a testament to how much she loved and how much her family loved and appreciated her contributions to their special moments in life.

Elaine would later spend much of her life in the legal and banking industry and worked at 1st National Bank, Peetz Law Firm, along with Union Bank and a law firm both in Grand Island. Elaine also served on the NIFA board ((Nebraska Investment Finance Authority). She retired in 2007 when she and Fred moved back to their hometown of O'Neill, NE.

Elaine is survived by her husband of 61 years, Fred R. Snowardt Jr. of O'Neill, NE; mother, Ardyce Protivinsky, age 101, of O'Neill, NE; children, Gail Owenby of Pflugerville, TX, Scott (Pamela) Snowardt of Johnson Lake, NE, Sheila (Shane) Johnston of O'Neill, NE, Christopher (Angie) Snowardt of Gretna, NE; 12 grandchildren, Stephanee (Andrew) Cox of Pflugerville, TX, Samuel Owenby III of Pflugerville, TX, Jennifer (Zack) Edwards of Elwood, NE, Nate (Jessie) Eby of West Point, NE, Torie Peterson of Atkinson, NE, Kyle (Skylar) Eby of O'Neill, NE, Kaylee and Lainee Snowardt of Gretna, NE, and Cameron, Caleb, Carter and Callum Cerny of Gretna, NE; 14 great-grandchildren, Caleb, Owen, Barrett, Georgia, Connor, Hayley, Emily, Trey, Knox, Elle, Bernadine, Charli, and Matthew; one great-grandchild due in June; brother, Michael (Clara) Miller of Osmond, NE; uncle, Clarence 'Junior' (Dee) Worth of Bella Vista, AR; aunt, Blanche Worth of San Bernardino, CA; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Elaine is preceded in death by her father, Orville C. Miller in 1966; father-in-law, Fred R. Snowardt Sr; mother-in-law, Merna Mildred (Wallace) Snowardt; brother-in-law, Ronald Dean Snowardt; half sisters-in-law, Dixie Shea and Jean Sutton; sister-in-law, Juanita Miller; son-in-law, Samuel Owenby II; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.