Blanche A. Fillipi

Blanche Alma Fillipi, 89, of Thurston, Nebraska, passed away on Tuesday, October 11, at the Pender Community Hospital in Pender, Nebraska. Funeral services will be held on Friday, at 10:00 a.m. at John Huss Presbyterian Church in Thurston with the Rev. Charity Potter officiating. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the funeral at the church. Interment will be in Rosehill Cemetery in Pender. Blanche was born to Louis and Aloisie (Matus) Votava on September 20, 1922 at rural Thurston, Nebraska. She attended grade school in Butler County. She did housework and babysitting for several years before moving to Omaha where she did housework for several families. In 1948 she met Jerry Fillipi, and on January 23, 1949 she married him. Following their marriage, the couple moved to Thurston. She did housework for several homes in Pender. She also worked for Social Services for eleven years before retiring. Blanche was a member of John Huss Presbyterian Church. She was an ordained elder for several years. She was also an officer in the Women's organization. She also served the church teaching Sunday School and being the church caretaker along with her husband for many years. Blanche belonged to the Senior Center in Emerson, playing in the Elderberry band for several years. She loved gardening and raising flowers that she shared with neighbors and her church. She moved to Heritage of Emerson in October of 2003 to be with her husband. Blanche is survived by one brother and his wife, James and Ann Votava of Clearfield, IA, two sisters: Alice Sedlak of Omaha, NE, and Mary Lou England of Clearfield, IA, as well as many nieces and nephews. Blanche was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Jerry in 2006, two sisters and two brothers.