Nancy G. Blume

Nancy G. Blume, 83, of Kearney, passed peacefully with family around her on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Kearney. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m., Thursday, July 16, 2026 at Faith United Methodist Church with Pastor Jeff Wulf officiating. Burial will follow at the Kearney Cemetery. Visitation will be an hour prior to services at the church. Memorials are suggested to the Help Care Clinic, or the Kearney High School Foundation for Nursing. Please visit www.hlmkfuneral.com to leave a tribute or message of condolence. Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl Funeral and Cremation Services in Kearney are in charge of arrangements. Born on May 14, 1943 to Donald and Dorothy Golay in Kearney, Nebraska, she grew up with a curious mind and a desire for knowledge in the sciences. Throughout her life she maintained a steadfast connection to the community of Kearney. As a youth she enjoyed archery, even winning a city-wide contest. She had a love of volleyball, biking, and hiking in her younger years. She became involved with the youth group at Faith United Methodist Church, of which she was a long-time member. She joyfully served the church’s outreach efforts, whether it be manning the church fireworks stand or gathering school items for area children. She also thrived in volunteering at the HelpCare Clinic and at Good Samaritan Hospital after she retired. Nancy found her life’s calling when she began nursing school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha straight out of high school. As her interests broadened in various medical specialties, from surgery to community medicine and ultimately academia, Nancy pushed the limits. Gaining her Master’s Degree from Creighton University and Doctoral Degree from the University of Kansas in Nursing were a major source of pride in the family, as well as her unwavering desire to pass her knowledge on to the next generation of nursing professionals. The pinnacle of her career was being the Director of the Graduate Nursing Program at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. She was a guide, mentor, and inspiration to all around her. The students found her to be sympathetic, a guiding force, and at times a task master capable of showing students that they could accomplish much more than they ever dreamed possible. While at Lamar, she spearheaded their nationally recognized and accredited on-line nursing program, which she valued as one of her greatest professional accomplishments. Her research with Alzheimer’s caregiving afforded her to travel and present as a key-note speaker on an international stage, where she caught the bug for being abroad. She retired from nursing education in 2014, knowing that there is a next generation of highly skilled nurses, thanks to Dr. Nancy Blume. Although quite busy with her work over the years, she always made time for her family, her dear husband Frederick and her daughters Jennifer and Kathryn. This group grew with the additions of William White (Schuyler, NE - husband to Jennifer) and Jon Kyle Van Gaasbeek (Walnut Creek, California - husband to Kathryn). They had many adventures together traveling to Europe, Australia, the Hawaiian Islands, the Caribbean, and their latest destination, Alaska. Nancy loved to be surrounded by the “Blume” posse as they took trains to Denali or island hopped to visit Pearl Harbor. She conquered her fear of water, going on many day, evening, and river boat cruises all over the globe. She would tell you about eating squid ink paella in Valencia, tasting a black forest torte on the Rhone river, or sipping her favorite wine at a Napa vineyard. Being with her family was her greatest joy. Nancy held her friends close, having a listening ear and offering a shoulder to lean on. She made friends with her colleagues, her neighbors, and her fellow Bible study pals. She would tell her daughters they only needed one true friend in the world, and her example of loyalty, kindness, and strength, are reflected in those who celebrate her memory. We cannot forget Nancy’s life-long passion for gardening. Her impressive backyard garden provided her many choices of flowers, plants, and birds. It always pleased her to serve her family a fresh salad, cherry pie, a jar of grape jelly, or a glass of homemade wine from this bounty. Her green oasis was a testament to her gardening skills, a vibrant sanctuary of lilies and peonies that she happily shared with everyone. She shared her green thumb with the Soil Sisters & Misters garden club and loved watching the birds especially any cardinals and hummingbirds, out her back window. We know she must be having a grand garden celebration with her Lord knowing she is home. Nancy will be greatly missed by her sister Judy Johnson and husband Larry (Kearney, NE) her sister-in-law, Melanie Johnson and husband Steve (Upland, NE), and sister-in-law, Rose Blume (Kearney, NE). She has four nieces and 2 nephews who also survive. She was preceded in death by her parents, the Golays, her brother-in-law Eric Blume, and her nephews, Shane and Seth Johnson.

Tributes

Nancy G. Blume

May 14, 1943 - July 8, 2026