Memorial Services for Lucille Stella Wabs, age 91, of Lockhart, TX formerly of O'Neill, NE will be 11 A.M. Saturday, July 8, 2017, at Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill, with Inurnment to follow at the Mineola Cemetery, northeast of O'Neill. There will be a luncheon to follow at the O'Neill Community Center. Memorial Visitation will be one hour before the service at the funeral home.   Lucille passed away on February 4, 2017 at the Heart Hospital of Austin, TX, surrounded by her family. Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill is in charge of arrangements.

When you have lived for 91 years without a lot of physical issues and with an active mind, it can be said that you've had a good life. Lucille Wabs had a good life. She was born on October 9, 1925 in Norfolk, NE to Claus R.H. Stoffer and Anna Kriezier. She was given the nickname "Tiny" by her mother. Lucille grew up on a homestead in Opportunity, NE with her family. She attended Opportunity school and graduated eighth grade. She enjoyed playing baseball at the school yard and horseback riding with her siblings in the hills of Opportunity. It was in her youth, she grew a passion for horseback riding, animals, cooking, baking, gardening, and crocheting, and learned, from her mother, how to be a homemaker. Lucille met her husband, Carl, at a dance hosted in a barn. They married September 5th, 1942. Lucille and Carl welcomed two children, a son, Carl Jr., and a daughter, Caroline. To support the family, Lucille helped her husband with farming and was a full time homemaker. The joy of motherhood, being a wife, along with raising cattle and sheep, on the farm, made hard work of farming easier for Lucille. Lucille got to display her sewing skills when she sewed her daughters' grade school graduation dress. Her appreciation for traveling came when her son flew Carl and her out to Maryland. Over her lifetime, she explored the lands across the US by airplane, car, and train. At the age of 88, Lucille planned her last family vacation and took two great granddaughters to Disney World.

In 1979, Lucille and her husband sold the farm and she started working at M&M Bakery as a bakery assistant and evening dish washer.  She attended Christ Lutheran Church in O'Neill, NE and went by "Lucy". She had fond memories of working at the bakery. Lucille left the bakery in 1987 for Center Point, TX to take on role caring for four of her grandkids.

In the year of 1988, Lucille moved to Port Arthur, TX to be with her daughter. She became member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church and started working in home health as an aid. After two car crashes back to back, it was time for Lucille to retire from Dear Care and enjoy the benefit of being chauffeured. Her homemaker skills continued, teaching her granddaughters to crochet, mailing care packages when one grandson was overseas, and she stayed busy helping another grandson make woodwork by free hand drawing wood cutouts, painting, and wood clocks.

After countless getaway trips over 24 years to Texas Hill Country while living in Texas, Lucille decided to move to Austin, TX. She got settled in quickly, had her favorite restaurant spots, favorite bookstore, and enjoyed exploring the city life. Lucille then moved into a small apartment at Golden Age Assist Living (Lockhart, TX) in the spring of 2015. It was there, she gained new friendships, never missed a chance to play bingo, storytelling, crafting, and kept strong by going to exercise classes.

Lucille's love for her family was shown through each generation as her family grew so did her heart. She was proud of being called "Grandma" and family was Lucille's most value possession. She never missed a chance to spend time with family. Family gathering meals and holiday dinners were prepared by Lucille with love and her handmade pies were highly requested. She kept her homemade cookies stocked in the cookie jar. If Lucille wasn't outside, cooking, baking, or reading a book about cowboys, you could find her watching a "good old" western movies, starring John Wayne. Her all-time favorite musician was Willie Nelson. She supported Boy Scout and Girl Scout clubs throughout her life span. (Especially cookies)

Lucille stayed active, cracked jokes, laughing, talkative, and was a go-getter up to her last day here on Earth. She fit the mold that age was a number and her motto "you can do anything you want to do, you just have to be willing to work for it". Lucille will be miss dearly by her family.

Left behind after her passing are son Carl Wabs Jr. & wife Sharon of Yorba Linda, CA; daughter Caroline Hovey of Lockhart, TX; Grandsons Bobby Hovey Jr. and Michael Wabs, Daniel Wabs and David Hovey; Granddaughters Sherry Hovey and Kristie Hovey; five great-grandchildren; loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, and relatives

She is preceded in death by her husband Carl Wabs, her parents, Brother Albert Stoffer, Sisters Letha Morton and Sharon Kilcoin, niece Claudette Banks, parent in-laws, and two brother in-laws

The family would like to extend a "thank you" to close friends that loved Lucille.