Renee Lynn Henry

ReNee Lynn (Dux) Henry was born on July 21,1956 to Marvin Dux and Gertrude (Kujath) Dux in Fairbury, NE. ReNee had to fight from the beginning as she was allergic to cows milk and was given goats milk instead. She spent her childhood on the farm east of Gilead, NE. ReNee did her share of the farm chores mainly helping with the cooking and cleaning, but also with the gathering and washing and later selling of eggs to area residents from the hundreds of chickens on the Dux farm. Faith in God was important to ReNee, being baptized and confirmed and later married in Zion U.C.C. (now countryside) church east of Gladstone, NE. Her education began by attending Gilead elementary school through the 8th grade. She then attended Fairbury High School, graduating in 1974. She maintained friendships all these years from her high school days. After graduation ReNee attended Brown Mackie business college of Salina, KS. After obtaining her business degree, ReNee wasn’t satisfied so she went back to school, enrolling in Southeast Community College of Fairbury. After her two years at SCC, she enrolled at the University of Nebraska Lincoln to pursue a degree in Elementary Education. She loved being a teacher. It was around this time she met the man who to become the love of her life Allen Henry of Daykin. She was able to handle the distractions of dating her farm boy, maintaining her grades and graduating in 1981, while planning a wedding and starting a new job. She was a true multitasker. ReNee and Allen were married on September 5th, 1981. She passed away just four days short of their 44th wedding anniversary. Their honeymoon had to be cut short so ReNee could start her first job as a teacher in the elementary at Western, NE. She held this position for 3 years. After this time, ReNee and Allen decided to start a family. Complications ensued and in ReNee’s true fighting spirit they decided to adopt. Finally, the call came. A baby boy was born on July 11, 1985, and on July 24, 1985, ReNee and Allen traveled from their farm home to the NE Childrens home in Omaha to meet their new son Chet. Allen always stated that he improved the gene pool a great deal on both sides of the family. After two years of raising Chet and doing some substitute teaching, ReNee decided to apply for a full-time teaching job. She got a job at Meridian Public Schools by Daykin, NE. For the first couple of years, she was in the regular classroom, but seeing the great need for special education teachers, she started attending classes to get her Sped ED degree. This turned out to be her true calling. She loved her kids fighting on their behalf whenever it was called for. Many teachers and administrators learned that she would not back down when fighting for their rights. She was known for being a stern, nononsense teacher, but if they worked hard, they were loved unconditionally. ReNee retired in 2022 receiving many accolades from students and fellow teachers.
Her son Chet was never without love and attention from ReNee.  Although she wasn’t a big sports fan, she never missed a football game, wrestling match or track meet he participated in, as well as every school play and band concert. And always ready with camera in hand to chronicle the event. Chet met and married Anna Magdanz of Lincoln and they blessed ReNee with 3 grandsons. And despite them living almost eight hours away, ReNee resolved to go see them every month. And for the first few years she pulled it off. Her goal in retirement was to assemble scrapbooks for the boys to chronicle their lives. Sadly, she never got this completed. Anna called her the perfect grandma. She never sat still, at least not for long. She would be down on the floor doing crafts or teaching them how to make cookies. She was especially noted for her decorated Christmas sugar cookies, as well as turning pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns. Precious Memories. ReNee was known as an expert quilter. She was a perfectionist. Making sure that all the points lined up perfectly and if they didn’t, she would rip it apart and start over until they did. Her husband, her son and wife, her grandsons’ nieces and nephews and some great nieces and nephews all have quilts to remember her by and when they wrap up in them to remember the warmth and love she put in every stitch. She also loved flowers and every year she would plant hundreds of annuals in containers and in her rock garden.
ReNee’s life was cut short by a series of devastating strokes, but even in death, she showed her love for others by donating her organs. She passed away on September 1, 2025.
She was preceded in death by her parents Marvin and Gertrude Dux of Gilead, her in-laws Wesley and Viola Henry of Daykin, many aunts and uncles, including her beloved uncles Herbert and Hugo Dux of Gladstone, NE. She left to mourn her passing her husband of 44 years Allen Henry of Daykin, her son Chet (Anna) and grandsons Gabriel, Wesley and Jonah of Longmont, CO, siblings Sherrie (Marlan) Dux-Ideus of Amherst, NE, Michael (Susan) and Stephen (Karen) Dux all of Fairbury, NE, many nieces and nephews, several great nieces and nephews, Aunt Christa Kujath of Lincoln, NE and a great many cousins and friends.

Services will be Monday, September 15, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Johns Lutheran Church in Daykin, NE, with Pastor Keith Feisel serving as officiant.  The family will greet friends on Sunday the 14th from 5 – 7 p.m. at Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home in Fairbury. Attendees are asked to wear her favorite color; red. Memorials will benefit The Nebraska Stroke Association and St. Johns Church. Gerdes-Meyer is assisting with arrangements.