Verna Cecilia Kellogg, of North Platte, Nebraska passed away at home surrounded by her family on Wednesday, October 21, 2020, at the age of 95.
Verna was born January 31, 1925, to John and Mary Goonan in Greeley,
Nebraska. She attended Sacred Heart School in Greeley for 12 years,
graduating from high school in 1943, as valedictorian of her class. She
then accepted a secretarial position with the U.S. Federal Government at
the Grand Island Air Force Base.
In June of 1946, her work transferred her to Wright Patterson Air Force
Base, Dayton, Ohio, where she was secretary to the Chief Executive
Officer of the Flight Test Division. This position involved recording
by shorthand and transcribing many top secret meetings of a highly
technical and newsworthy nature. During these years, Verna had the
opportunity to work with many interesting and highly honored military
personnel, including Captains Chuck Yeager and Glen Edwards. Capt
Yeager made the historic flight of breaking the sound barrier in an X-1
research rocket plane at Muroc Air Force Base in California.
Capt Edwards, a test pilot, was killed in the crash of a new,
experimental aircraft, "The Flying Wing", at Muroc Air Force Base. The
base was later renamed, Edwards Air Force Base in his honor. Both
Captains were friends of Verna's, having a working relationship on a
daily basis. Verna was proud of the years she worked at Wright
Patterson Air Force Base.
In 1949, Verna resigned her position to return to her hometown of Grand
Island, then accepted a position as secretary to the Commanding Officer
at Kearney Air Force Base until it closed. She then transferred to
Bergstrom Air Force Base, Austin, Texas, where she held a temporary
position as secretary to the Base Adjutant.
After a few months, she returned home and became reacquainted with
longtime friend, Don Kellogg, and they had a whirlwind courtship of
three months. They married at St. Mary's Cathedral in Grand Island, Nebraska on November 26, 1949. The couple moved to North Platte, Nebraska in 1953 with their three young children and later welcomed five more children. Verna was a stay-at-home mother and homemaker for the following 11 years.
She went back to work for the U.S. Federal Government in 1964, working
in the newly built Federal Building in North Platte. She worked for the
General Services Administration for 12 years then transferred to the IRS
for another 12 years. Verna retired in 1988 having completed 30 years
with the Federal Government.
Verna had a strong Catholic faith. She was an active member of St.
Patrick's Catholic Church for over 30 years, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton for
15 years and was currently a member of Holy Spirit. Don and Verna's
faith also guided their four boys and four girls to complete 12 years of
education at St. Patrick's Catholic School. A Catholic education for
their children was most important to Verna and Don.
Over the years, Verna was secretary for St. Patrick's Boy Scout Troup,
assistant leader for the Blue Birds Club, a member of the Altar Society,
St. Patrick's School Board as well as the Eagles and Elks Clubs. Verna
belonged to several bridge clubs and she and Don belonged to a poker
club with their longtime friends for over 60 years. For the past
several years, her favorite pastime was attending dances at the Senior
Center, Eagles and Elks, sometimes dancing two or three times a week.
Verna's children and their families were always an important part of her
life. She looked forward to the many family get-together occasions to
celebrate birthdays, weddings, holidays and family reunions. She and
Don were devoted parents who took pride in their eight children, at one
point having 6 children ages 7 and under. Verna was a loving wife,
mother and grandmother who had a passion for her faith and dancing and lived life to the fullest.
Verna was preceded in death by her husband, Don, and daughter, Julie
Buehler; parents, John and Mary Goonan; infant brother, William; sister,
Mary Ellen and husband, Holly 'Jack' Donohue; brother-in-law, Charles
and wife, Jean Gallagher; and son-in-law, Duane Beck.
Survivors include her seven children, Nancy (Rick) Bodenhamer, of
Hershey, Janet Beck, of Omaha, John (Rhonda) Kellogg, of Council Bluffs,
IA, Tom (Bev) Kellogg, of Omaha, Sally (Jim) McMurtry, of North Platte,
Patrick Kellogg (Patty Martin), of Grand Island, and Dennis (Jennifer)
Kellogg, of Lincoln; son-in-law, Neil Buehler, of Belmont, MI; her
special friend, Leon Sullivan, of North Platte; 31 grandchildren, 66
great-grandchildren, 2 great great-grandchildren; as well as other family.
Services will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in North Platte, Nebraska. Rosary will be 7 p.m. Sunday, October 25, 2020 and Mass of Christian Burial will be 8:30 a.m. Monday, October 26, 2020. Burial will follow in Ft. McPherson National Cemetery in Maxwell, Nebraska. Visitation will be Sunday from 1-4 p.m. at Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore in North Platte and from 6-7 p.m. with family greeting friends at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.
Online condolences may be shared at odeanchapel.com. In lieu of
flowers, memorials are to the North Platte Catholic Schools Endowment
Fund or Women's Resource Center. Odean Colonial Chapel at C & Sycamore is in charge of arrangements. For those unable to attend, mass will be livestreamed on youtube at Holy Spirit Catholic Church North Platte or posted to Verna's website.