Elaine Kurtenbach

Elaine Kurtenbach passed away on Monday, September 18, 2023, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lincoln, NE.  She was a devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandma, sister, aunt, and friend.

Mass of Christian Burial is 10:30 a.m. Thursday, September 21, 2023, at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church where she was a lifelong parishioner. There will be a 7:00 p.m. vigil service Wednesday at the church, with visitation from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the church. Visitation will continue Thursday morning at 9:30 am until service time. Burial will be in All Saints Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to St. Bonaventure Church or Scotus Central High School.

Elaine was born on March 29, 1940, at Saint Mary's Hospital in Columbus, Nebraska to John and Marge (Paproski) Blahak. She graduated from Saint Bonaventure High School in 1959. Over the years, Elaine worked at Jordan's Bakery, Becton-Dickinson, as the secretary at Saint Bonaventure, the City of Columbus, Central Parts, and also worked at Central Nebraska Community Services/Head Start.

Elaine married Alvin Kurtenbach on September 12, 1959. Together they enjoyed nearly 60 years of marriage and raised three children: Gary, Mark, and Lora.  Elaine lived on the same block her entire life, until she moved to Tabitha GracePointe in Lincoln in 2019.

Elaine loved watching Husker volleyball, always eager to get the TV schedule.  She supervised the planting of flowers and the vegetable garden each spring, and she and Alvie enjoyed card club, trips to the casino, bus tours, visiting grandkids in Lincoln and Davenport, and Friday nights at the VFW with friends. She always had time for a cup of coffee and conversation. Elaine and Alvie were great dance partners.

Elaine had a remarkable memory for people, places, and events.  She was the family historian, and could recount precise details about family relatives, get-togethers, and what it was like growing up and living in Columbus throughout the decades.

She was preceded in death by her husband Alvin, her parents John and Marge Blahak, brother Duane (Denny) Blahak, granddaughter Jill Kurtenbach, brothers and sisters-in-law Maynard and Margie Kurtenbach and Alfred and Norma Jean Beiermann. She is survived by sons Gary (Linette) Kurtenbach, Mark (Janet) Kurtenbach – both of Lincoln, and Lora (Jim) Schroeder of Davenport, Iowa, her eight grandchildren – Kyle, Alex, Jack, Lauren, Sam, Natalie, Kaitlin, and Calvin, three great-grandchildren – Leo, Maggie, and Sonoma, sister and brother-in-law Connie and Mike Stachura, sister and brother-in-law Theresa and Ron Coon, brother and sister-in-law Tom and Susan Blahak, brothers and sisters-in-law Ed and Joan Heimann, Gerry and Kathy Engelbert, and many nieces and nephews.