Eileen Lauby, 98, of Lexington, Nebraska passed away on Sunday, December 11, 2022, at Mt Carmel Home in Kearney, Nebraska.

Eileen was born on January 31, 1924, in Overton, Nebraska to Nick and Elizabeth (Wengler) Thinnes. She graduated from Lexington High School with the class of 1942. On November 29, 1944, Eileen married her sweetheart, Clinton W. Lauby at the Immaculate Conception Church in Elm Creek, Nebraska. Eleven children were blessed to this union: Gerald, Ronald, Thomas, E. Nick, Richard, John, Mary Lou, Elizabeth, Patrick, William, and Baby Lauby.

Eileen spent her time working on the family farm and raising her children. After her husband’s death in 1971, Eileen began working a series of different jobs. She worked at Barmores as a pharmacy assistant, she also worked at the Tri-County Hospital in the house keeping department. She went on to work for the State of Nebraska Nutrition Program where she taught low-income mothers how to manage their money, cooking, and learning how to stretch a meal. At one point Eileen began working for the Dawson County Court House for social services for several years through the Green Thumb Program. Eventually, she went on to the Dawson County Historical Museum as a research director before retiring.

Eileen was a skilled seamstress. She could quilt, crochet, sew and embroider. She was known to sew her daughters’ beautiful dresses and would sew her son’s their shirts. She was great at canning food and would go on to teach her children to do the same. Although cooking was not her favorite thing to do, she was quite the chef in the kitchen. Every Saturday afternoon she would make her children hamburgers and always fried the best chicken. In her later years, Eileen had picked up reading, collecting angels, and going on nice walks. Eileen was a serious chocolate lover. She always kept a stash of chocolate in her house whenever she had a sweet tooth. In later years, her children made sure that she would have a hidden container of chocolate in her room whenever she needed a treat. It wasn’t unusual for her to give up chocolate for lent! She also loved traveling. She traveled to so many memorable places including Alaska, Washington D.C., and California. She even went on a few girl trips to Las Vegas. She was always ready to have a good time.

Left to celebrate her life are her children, Gerald W. Lauby, of Genoa, Nebraska, Ronald (Linda Ellingson) Lauby, of Oconto, Nebraska, Thomas Lauby of Lexington, Nebraska, E. Nick (Pam) Lauby of Lexington, Nebraska, Richard (Kathy) Lauby of Kingston, Utah, John (Pam) Lauby of Las Vegas, Nevada, Mary Lou (Mark) Hueftle of Lincoln, Nebraska, Elizabeth “Liz” (Richard) Cooney of Overton, Nebraska, Patrick Lauby of Lexington, Nebraska and William “Bill” Lauby of Lee’s Summit, Missouri; sister-in-law, Margaret Skelton of Laguna Beach, California, as well as numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, infant son, Baby Lauby, daughter-in-law, Marie Lauby, grandson, Johnny Lauby, nine sisters and four brothers.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be on Friday, December 16, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Ann’s Catholic Church with Father Jose Chavez officiating. The service will be live-streamed via the Reynolds-Love Funeral Home Facebook Page.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 15, 2022, from 5-7 p.m. at St. Ann’s Catholic Church with a Rosary to follow at 7 p.m.

Interment will be in St. Ann’s Cemetery in Lexington, Nebraska.

Memorials are kindly suggested to Mt Carmel Chapel or St. Ann’s Catholic Church.

Reynolds-Love Funeral Home in Lexington is honored to be assisting the family with arrangements. Please share online condolences with the family by visiting: reynoldslovefuneralhome.com