Janice M. (Kind) Konicek, 82, of Bancroft NE

Janice M. (Kind) Konicek, 82, of Bancroft, NE passed away Saturday, October 22, 2016 at Legacy Garden Rehabilitation and Living Center in Pender, NE.  Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Bancroft, NE; Fr. Paul Ortmeier will be officiating.  The visitation will be held on Tuesday from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. at the church with a prayer service at 7:00 p.m.  Burial will be in the Bancroft Cemetery.  Memorials are suggested to the family for future designation.  Munderloh – Smith Funeral Home of Bancroft is in charge of the arrangements. 

Janice was born on May 16, 1934 on a farm southwest of Wisner, NE, the daughter of Helmut and Alvina Kind.  Jan attended rural school southwest of Wisner, and graduated from Wisner High School in 1952.  She worked at Hoover’s Café in Wisner, taught rural school, and attended Norfolk Junior College in the summer.  Janice and Donald were united in marriage on January 29, 1955 at St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Wisner.  They lived on a farm northeast of Wisner for one year until moving to a farm east of Bancroft in February, 1956.  Together they farmed, square danced, and showed cutting horses.  In December of 1962 they moved to the farm west of Bancroft and Janice continued to teach country school and graduated from Wayne State College in 1969.  In 1973 she began teaching 4th Grade at Bancroft Elementary School.   In 2000, Janice retired from teaching along with building and moving into their home in Bancroft.  She was a member of Holy Cross Catholic Church where she was an EME and reader, and also a member of St. Mary’s Altar Society.

Janice took great pride in her teaching, and especially enjoyed teaching her students about Nebraska history.  After retiring from teaching, she worked part-time at the city clerk’s office, worked part-time for a CPA, was a member of the Bancroft Betterment Board, and sold tickets at the Cuming County Fair.   She enjoyed researching genealogy, bowling, playing cards, her lawn and garden, family holidays especially Christmas when she decorated 18 Christmas trees in her home, and attending many family sports events and activities.  She and Don especially enjoyed traveling to many horse shows with their kids and she sometimes competed herself, and they enjoyed traveling to high school rodeos in Nebraska and other states with their 4 children and continued this hobby by going on vacations to various rodeos with friends such as Calgary, Las Vegas, Pendleton, Cheyenne, and Dodge City.  Due to her declining health, Jan moved into Legacy Garden in January, 2015.

Janice is survived by her husband Don, of 61 years, children:  Jeffrey (Sherry) Konicek of Wisner, NE, Bradley Konicek of Wisner, NE, Kellee (Len) Hermelbracht of Bancroft, NE, and Barrey (Melissa) Konicek of Ord, NE, eleven grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brother Elton and sister-in-law Mary Kind, and a grandson-in-law Niall Hansen.

Janice Konicek