Lois Louise Gentzler, 95, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on September 10, 2026, in Fairbury, Nebraska. Born to Walter and Beulah McCoy on February 21, 1931, in Osborne County, Kansas. She called herself a Kansas farm girl and always loved riding in the countryside to check up on crops in the fields.

Lois married Gerald “Gene” Gentzler on November 23, 1949, in Beloit, Kansas. Together they raised two children, Ron and Debbie. Lois took great pride in her children and grandchildren and always let them know. She loved sending them cards for their Birthday, Easter, Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, Beginning of School, I’m Thinking of You or Just a Note cards. Her cards always arrived with a handwritten message.

She worked at JC Penney in Fairbury for 26 years and then moved to Lincoln where she took a position as a Financial Counselor at First Federal Lincoln, rising to Asst. Vice President within her 18 years there. Returning to Fairbury in 1993, she continued working at various jobs from scanning records at the hospital to helping with visitations at the funeral home. At 87 years of age, she finally “retired”.

She loved games from Bingo to board games, but especially card games. The highlight of her week was playing card games with her friends. She was even known to call Bingo at the Elks Club. Lois was a true Nebraska fan and especially enjoyed cheering for the Husker basketball team.

Lois loved God, her church and her church family. She served as a deacon and an elder of the First Presbyterian Church in Fairbury and volunteered many years for the Logos program. She grew up in the Grace Brethren Church in Portis, Kansas.

While her priority in life was her family and her faith, she was passionate about quilting and embroidering, and quite often had multiple projects going on at the same time. She helped start the Rock Creek Quilt Guild as a charter member and belonged to the Never Idle Quilt Club. Her family were all gifted quilts that she handmade with love and special attention to choice of design, fabric and stitch.

Treasured by her family and friends, Lois quilted a legacy of love, stitching everyone’s name onto her heart.

Lois is survived by her son, Ronald (Peggy) Gentzler of The Woodlands, TX; daughter, Debra (Richard) Hellbusch of Fairbury; grandchildren, Keri Mitchell (Devin Hancock), Jessica (Tim) Parmley, Nicholas Hellbusch and Katherine (Adam) Brown; great grandchildren Kailynn Parmley, Cord Brown, Briley Brown, Ava Karis Brown, Alec Parmley, McCoy Mitchell, and Walker Hancock; foster grandson Adrian (Bliss) Stewart and family.

In addition to her parents and her beloved husband, Gene, Lois was preceded in death by parents-in-law, Leslie and Alma Gentzler, brother Richard McCoy; brother Terry “Butch” McCoy and wife, Cheril; in-laws Kenneth and Carolyn Gentzler, and Norman and Jane Gentzler; great grandson Thomas Gerald Mitchell.

A gathering to celebrate Lois’s life will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2026, at 10:30am at the First Presbyterian Church in Fairbury, Nebraska. Burial at Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Family will receive friends on Friday, September 18, 2026 from 5-7pm at Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home, 2414 H St, Fairbury, Nebraska.

Memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, 2310 H St., Fairbury, NE or the Pleasant Hill Cemetery.