1916
Blanche
2010
Blanche Irene (Knapp) Phifer
September 30, 1916 — April 12, 2010
Blanche Phifer, 93 of Aurora, NE formerly of Loup City, NE died Monday, April 12, 2010 at Memorial Health Care in Aurora, NE. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 17, 2010 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Loup City, NE with Reverends Shawn Kitzing and Loren Cooper officiating. Burial will be held at the Evergreen Cemetery in Loup City. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Friday, April 16, 2010 at the church. Memorials are suggested to the Loup City Fire Department, Immanuel Lutheran Church or Donor’s choice. Higgins Funeral Home in Loup City is in charge of arrangements. Blanche’s guest book can be signed at higginsfuneralhomelc.com.
Blanche (Knapp) Phifer was born September 30, 1916 on a farm northwest of McDonald, KS to Fay and Sophia (Burk) Knapp. She attended the same one room country school that her father did and graduated from McDonald rural high school in 1935. She taught two years on a second grade certificate in the same school where she herself had attended. She then attended a school of cosmetology and had her own beauty shop for about 4 years in Bird City, KS. She became a Lutheran at Bird City, KS in 1940.
She married John Phifer on October 30, 1941 in Goodland, KS Together they had four children; Leo, Gary, Gail and Marsha. They celebrated 67 years together. She and John farmed for 18 years, and then sold out. They moved to Stratton, NE to work for the Game and parks Commission for five years and then went to Loup City to care for Sherman Reservoir, Arcadia Diversion Dam and Bowman Park. She worked for Don Schwaderer in his drug store and later ran a flower shop for Don. She was a 4-H leader in Dundy, Hitchcock and Sherman Counties and was a Sunday School and Bible School teacher in Dundy County. She started and belonged to the Garden Club in Loup City who eventually became responsible for the Mini Park in town. She donated blood and volunteered at the bloodmobile for many years. She was also an amateur judge of the state and national garden clubs. She loved gardening, canning, studying genealogy, knitting, crocheting, sewing quilts playing cards and scrabble, cooking, telling jokes and caring for her family
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She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Gail and Karen Phifer of St. Petersburg, FL; daughter and son-in-law, Marsha and Ron Akerson of Aurora, NE; six grandchildren and spouses, Nancy Phifer, Janie and Robert Staples, John and Kristen Phifer, Carmen and Anthony Bohaty, Julie and Casey Steele and Steve and Lauren Akerson; six great grandchildren, Trevor Staples, Daniel and Lilian Phifer, Logan and Beckett Steele and Nathan Bohaty and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, infant son, Leo Philbert; son, Gary; brothers, Fay P and Delmer N. Knapp and one sister, Darlene Johndrow.
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