Centurion, Florence D. Chilewski, 101, of Loup City died Monday, Aug. 29, 2011, at Rose Lane Home in Loup City.

Florence was born Dec. 19, 1909, at Paplin to John and Elizabeth (Gappa) Badura.

On Oct. 28, 1936, she married Edwin Chilewski. He died in 1998.

Survivors are: son and daughter-in-law, Kenneth and Caroline of Loup City; daughters and sons-in-law, Arleta and Peter Levering of Grand island and Adeline and Robert Wylie of Long Beach, Miss; granddaughter, Charlene Levering of Grand Island; grandsons, Wayne Levering and wife, Dana, of American Fork, Utah, Randy Levering and wife, Renee, of Walkill, N.Y., Lawrence Levering and wife, Sarah, of St. Paul, Rick Chilewski and wife, Tina, of Loup City and Daniel Wylie of Salida, Colo; great-grandchildren, Cody, Ashley and Nicole Chilewski all of Loup City and Aaron and Alex Levering of St. Paul.

When Florence was five years old, her family moved from the Paplin community to a farm west of Loup City. Here Florence attended Moon Creek School and two years of high school in Loup City.

She then worked for the Jenner family until her marriage to Edwin Chilewski. They started married life in the Austin community. In 1944, they bought their farm west of Loup City.

In 1953, she was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for her work with Home Extension. In 1954, she and her husband became Jehovah's Witnesses, which brought great comfort and hope to them and their family. After 62 years of marriage Edwin died in 1998. Florence continued to make her home on the farm until 2007, when she moved to Rose Lane Home.

Florence was a life-long gardener. She also enjoyed crocheting.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Edwin Chilewski and son, Norbert J. Chilewski; parents, John and Elizabeth Badura; eight brothers, Alex, Tony, John, Mike, Ben, Stanley, Edmund and Hubert; eight sisters, Antonia Jarzynka, Anna Carkoski, Elizabeth John, Josie Kuta, Nellie Badura, Grace Smedra, infant Ernestine Badura and Emma Martin.

Burial was in the Evergreen Cemetery, Loup City, NE.

Published in The Grand Island Independent on August 31, 2011