LOUP CITY — Mary A. Carkoski, 80, of Loup City passed away Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015, at the Valley County Health System Hospital in Ord.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Josaphat’s Catholic Church in Loup City with the Rev. Martin Egging officiating. Burial will be in the Evergreen Cemetery at Loup City. Higgins Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mary was born March 19, 1935, at Ord to John and Rose (Benben) Knebel. Her parents died when she was young, and she was raised by her aunt and uncle, Sophie and Frank Janus. Mary was raised in the Elyria area where she attended Fort Hartsuff Country School and Ord High School until the age of 16. She then went to Chicago, Ill., to join the convent and graduated from Resurrection High School in Chicago.

For the next seven years, Mary lived in Chicago before returning to Nebraska. She worked at the old St. Francis Hospital in Grand Island as a nurse’s aide and later as a housekeeper.

On Oct. 26, 1963, Mary was united in marriage to Jerome John Carkoski. They made their home on a farm north of Loup City where they raised their family. In 1994, they moved to Loup City.

The couple grew a big garden every year. Mary did a lot of home cooking, canning and baking. She enjoyed making pies, kolaches and Christmas cookies. Mary’s pride and joy was her family, spending time with them and always making the holidays special.

Mary was a member of St. Josaphat’s Cathoic Church and the Rosary Sodality and Servants of Mary. She believed her guardian angel saved her many of times.

Survivors include three sons and daughters-in-law, David and Cindy Carkoski and Philip and Missy Carkoski, all of Loup City, and Gerald and Sue Carkoski of Grand Island; three daughters and sons-in-laws, Rose and Bill Stobbe and Virginia and Troy Hobbs, all of Grand Island, and Linda and Tim Pawloski of Farwell; her grandchildren, Erica and John Taylor, Nicole and Michael Scheer, Andrea Carkoski, Taylor, Carsten and Chloe Carkoski, Tosheena and Breanna Hobbs, Derek, Jenna and Garett Pawloski and Kaylee and Nathan Carkoski; great-grandchildren, Billy and Jack Taylor, Afton, Bren and Tegan Scheer, and Brendan and Ella Dorsey; and a sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Dorothy and Bob Pape of Grand Island.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jerome who passed away on Jan. 18, 2011; an infant daughter, Theresa Elizabeth; two sisters, Agnes Kosmicki and Irene Conway; and a brother, Ed Knebel.