Doralene E. Weed

Doralene E. Weed, 85, Kearney, died Tuesday, July 12, 2016 at C.H.I. Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. Funeral services will be 1:30 p.m., Friday, July 15, 2016 at the First Baptist Church with the Rev. Stan Murdoch officiating. Burial will be at the Kearney Cemetery. Visitation will be 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, July 14, 2016 with the family present at Horner Lieske McBride and Kuhl Funeral and Cremation Services and one hour prior to the service at the church. Memorials are suggested to the First Baptist Church, Mother Hull Home, or Nebraska Firefighters Museum. To view the service live, log onto www.Kearneyfb.org Doralene was born June 25, 1931 in Smithfield, Nebraska to Merle and Rachel (Harvey) Robbins. She grew up in Kearney and graduated from Kearney High School in 1949. While working as an usherette at the World Theater, Doralene met fellow usher Gordon Weed. They later married on April 29, 1950 in Julesburg, Colorado. The pair supported each other’s careers and activities throughout their marriage. Together, Doralene and Gordon taught their family to love Jesus, treasure family and friends, the value of hard work, and the importance of public service. They designed and hand built the house they lived in for 60 years. Doralene and Gordon were also proud to be actively involved the early planning of establishing the Nebraska Firefighters Museum in Kearney. Doralene’s greatest joy was spending time with her family and friends. She especially enjoyed the time spent with her cousins in the Harvey and Robbins Family. Doralene worked in public service most of her life. She was the first woman elected to the Buffalo County Board of Supervisors and served from 1976 until 1992. In 1990 she was elected President of the Nebraska Association of County Officials (NACO), and was proud to have visited 87 of the 93 county courthouses during that year. Beginning in 1992, she served for 12 years on the Nebraska Public Power Board of Directors. Doralene also was involved with the Guardian Council of Job’s Daughters; Assistant 4-H leader; State Advisory Committee for Title XX Services; Chairman-General Assistance and Medically Indigent Committee of NACO Board; Ex-Officio Director-Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; Member of Governing Board Mid-Nebraska Individual Services; Member of Tuscan Chapter No. 35 Order of Eastern Star; Buffalo County Republican Women, and First Baptist Church, where she was active in the Prison and Jail Ministry. Doralene has been honored with the Presidents Award for Distinguished Leadership in County Government-NACO; International Women’s Week Honoree; Runner-up, American Association of University Women Award for Outstanding Women Contributing to Local Government. Doralene is survived by her daughters Julie Brooker and husband Jim, Andrea Weed of Kearney; grandsons Aaron Brooker and wife Laura and their children Elias, Jonas, and Ari of Omaha, Jacob Brooker and wife Lindsey and their children Liam and Josie of Dallas, TX; nieces and their husbands Jana and Joe Green, Lori and Rex Skarka, Jill and Jerry Milligan, Lisa and Kevin Kunnemann, Joni Weed and Dan Kossmann, Leigh and Chuck Stepanek, and a host of cousins and friends. Doralene was preceded in death by her husband Gordon.

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Doralene E. Weed

July 12, 2016 - July 12, 2016