Evelyn M. Prellwitz

February 12, 1932 - September 15, 2020

Evelyn M. Prellwitz, 88, of Kearney, passed away Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at the Mother Hull Home in Kearney. Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m., September 21, 2020 at St. James Catholic Church with Fr. Art Faesser officiating. Burial will follow the service at the Kearney Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., September 20, 2020 at Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl Funeral and Cremation Services and one hour prior to the service Monday at the church. The family requests that masks are worn for those attending visitation and the service. Memorials are suggested to the Prellwitz Family Scholarship Fund established with the Kearney Catholic High School Foundation. Evelyn Marie Bartak was born on February 12, 1932, at home on the ranch in rural Wheeler County near Ewing, NE, to Emil Vencil Bartak and Johanna Judit (Jennie) Beelart Bartak. She attended grade school in a one room schoolhouse with her brother Jim and four other students. She attended a boarding style high school in Bartlett, NE graduating in 1948 at the age of 16. After high school she attended Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, IA, taking business and accounting classes. She worked at various banks and as an accountant until she married Dr. Frederick Prellwitz. Evelyn and Fred were married on September 6, 1952, at St John’s Catholic Church near Clearwater, NE. After he graduated from dental school in Omaha, they moved and set up residence in Kearney, NE. Evelyn raised five children and was a very talented seamstress and tailor working for Hirschfeld’s Men’s Clothing and the Brass Buckle. She was also very active in her children’s lives as a leader in Cub Scouts, 4-H, Campfire Girls and shuttling them to various sporting and musical events. Evelyn enjoyed bowling, golf, international travel to exotic places and her bridge group. She was a member of the St James Catholic Church Altar and Rosary Group, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Does (Elks club auxiliary), Community Concert Association and volunteered for many years helping with local elections, blood mobile canteen, KCHS School board and as a hospital volunteer at Good Samaritan Hospital. Evelyn was also an excellent cook who hosted many family and neighborhood gatherings. Survivors include daughters, Janet (Phil) Mannhard of St. Louis, MO and Julie (Edward) Noethe of Council Bluffs, IA; sons, Daniel (Chris) Prellwitz of Mount Pleasant, IA, Bruce Prellwitz of Hastings and Cory (Julie) Prellwitz of Kearney; grandchildren, Katherine (Matt) Helbig of St. Louis, MO, Stephen (Jacquie) Mannhard of Boulder, CO, Patrick (Brittany) Mannhard of Spokane, WA, Michael (Alyse) Mannhard of Spokane, WA, Jared Prellwitz of Atlanta, GA, Graham Prellwitz of Springfield, IL, Emily Prellwitz of Denver, CO, Samuel and Benjamin Prellwitz of Kearney and Clare and Jackson Noethe of Council Bluffs, IA; great-grandchildren, Connor, Paige and Murphy Helbig and Rose and George Mannhard. She was preceded in death by her parents, stepfather, Frank Bohn, her husband Frederick and her brother, Jim Bartak.