Vesta Marie Thalacker, age 94, formerly of North Platte, passed away at
The Legacy Retirement Community in Lincoln on Sunday, May 29, 2022.
Vesta, the daughter of Laportie and Lillie Bucklew, was born at home in
Hanover Twsp., PA, on December 8, 1927. She grew up on a farm and
attended a one room country school. When Vesta was 16 her dad went
into the ministry and moved the family to Chicago where he could
attended divinity school but Vesta stayed behind in Pennsylvania to
finish high school. She graduated from Annville High School in 1944 at
the age of 16, then the following day, she boarded a train by herself
and joined the family in Chicago. She worked for Sears and attended the
Illinois College of Commerce and Manchester College in North Manchester, IN.
After her dad graduated from divinity school the family moved to
Wisconsin where he had his first pastorate. Vesta got a job at National
Pressure Cooker in the Martin Outboard Motor Division in Eau Claire, WI,
and this is where she met Roger Thalacker. They married on July 3, 1948,
and were blessed with three children, Joanne, Lynette and Brenda.
The Thalackers eventually moved to Maxwell, IA, where Roger worked for Montgomery Wards in Des Moines. Vesta worked at home, typing and addressing envelopes for Boys Town. In 1962 Roger was transferred to North Platte with Montgomery Wards. Vesta worked for Nash Finch typing grocery orders then went to work in Medical Records at St. Mary's
Hospital. She continued her career at Memorial Hospital in the
Pathology Dept. as a Medical Transcriptionist, and eventually for Great
Plains Health. Vesta received the Transcriptionist of the Year Award in
1988. After unsuccessfully trying to retire twice, she finally retired
at the age of 84 in 2011 after working 48 years.
Her hobbies included camping, fishing, reading, knitting, singing and
Bible Study.
Vesta accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord when she was eight and Baptized
in the river on Easter Sunday. She was a member of the First Baptist
Church in North Platte for nearly 60 years. Living her life for Jesus
was very important to her and she left a rich legacy of faith for her
family.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Roger, and daughter, Joanne
Jurjens; parents, Laportie and Lillie; her three brothers, Rolland, Glen
and Paul Bucklew; and sister, Francis Mikesell.
Vesta leaves behind her children, Lynette (Glen) Waltemath of Lincoln
and Brenda (Dale) Oberg of Farnam, and son-in-law, Larry Jurjens of
Farnam; grandchildren, David (Raquel) Jurjens, Lisa Jurjens, Cory
(Diane) Waltemath, Kevin (Carrie) Waltemath, April (Grant) McCloskey and Heath (Sara) Oberg; 15 great-grandchildren; 5 great great-grandchildren; and other family.
Services will be 10 a.m. on Friday, June 3, 2022, at First Baptist
Church with Pastor Clint Walker and Grant McCloskey officiating.
Celebration of Vesta's life will conclude with burial in Fort McPherson
National Cemetery at 1 p.m. Visitation is prior to services at the
church. The memorial book may be signed at odeanchapel.com or at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore, which is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials can be made to the family or First Baptist Church, 100
McDonald Rd, North Platte, NE, 69101.