Barbara Alene Sell

Barbara Alene Sell, 68, formerly of Fairbury, died Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013 at Nathan Adelson Hospice in Las Vegas, Nev. Barb was born Oct. 25, 1945, in Beatrice, to Alice and Glenn Fall.

She was baptized in 1955 at the First Christian Church in Beatrice. She attended elementary school and country school in Beatrice, before graduating in 1963 from Fairbury High School.

On Sept. 8, 1963, she married Harold Wiegert of Fairbury. The couple farmed for 20 years. They had two children. Barb was active with the Fairbury Hospital Candy Stripers, as well as the PTA. She worked at the Montgomery Ward catalog store in Fairbury and served as promotion director for the Nebraska Pork Producers Association for many years.
In 1984, the couple purchased Marv’s Liquor in Fairbury and ran the business as Hap’s Liquor until 1990. Barb also owned and operated Professional Marketing Concepts in Beatrice.

On Dec. 29, 1995, Barb married Bill Sell of Fairbury. They lived in Beatrice for several years. Barb worked for Midwest Livestock Systems, The Oaks in the Beatrice Country Club and The Kensington assisted living facility. She operated a home-based business, Prairie Ridge Press, and she also served as a member of the Fairbury School Board.

Barb and Bill moved to Las Vegas in 2003. There, she worked as an event planner for Silverstone Country Club and as an office manager for Appraisers of Las Vegas. She retired in 2012.

Through the years, Barb enjoyed cooking and time with her family. She also was an avid reader of fiction and an expert at crochet.

She is survived by her husband, Bill; children, Travis (Ann) Wiegert and Darcie Bontje; stepson, Tanner Sell; grandson, Nicholas Bontje; mother, Alice Nelson; sister, Diana (Dan) Wheeler; brothers, Robert Fall and David Beverly) Fall; mother-in-law, Fern Sell; brother-in-law, Dan Sell; sister-in-law, Beth (Jeff) Loper; three aunts; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Barb was preceded in death by her father, Glenn; stepfather, Donald Nelson; father-in-law, Buzz Sell; and son-in-law, Paul Bontje.

Memorial services, open to the public, will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 21, 2014 at Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home in Fairbury with a lunch following at the VFW. Memorial gifts to be made to the family’s choice. Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.