Mary Lee (Pitt) Shotkoski

Mary Lee Shotkoski, 88 of Lincoln, NE formerly of Arcadia, NE died Sunday, December 28, 2014 at Sumner Place in Lincoln, NE.  Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, December 31, 2014 at St. Josaphat’s Catholic Church in Loup City with Father Martin Egging officiating.  Burial will follow at the Evergreen Cemetery in Loup City.  Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 30 at the church with a Vigil Service to be held at 7:00 p.m. at the church.  Memorials are suggested to the Arcadia Fire and Rescue.

Mary Lee was born November 21 ^st , 1926 to William Norris Pitt and Mary Gertrude (Rooney) Pitt at Dunning, Nebraska. She graduated from Valley High School in 1944. She moved to Valley Nebraska during her senior year of high school to earn money working for a family and caring for their children. The woman she worked for was a beautician and taught Mary Lee how to cut and perm hair. Thus, later she became the barber for the entire Shotkoski family and many in the neighborhood.  She then attended Kearney State College for one year then she returned to the Dunning area and taught country grade school for a year.  She then returned to college in Kearney Mary Lee met and married Bernard Shotkoski of Loup City January 27 ^th , 1948 in Kearney Nebraska.  They then returned to the Loup City area to farm and their son William “Bill” Shotkoski was born.  They moved to the Dunning to farm during the blizzard of ’49 there they lived in a sod house and their daughter Bernadine Jo was born.  They spent the first 16 years of their marriage farming and ranching in different places in Sherman and Valley County.  In the early 50’s to supplement their income Mary Lee sold Minnesota Woolen Clothing as a traveling sales person. In 1964 they moved to Broken Bow due to a poor farming economy.  She worked at the BD Manufacturing for ten years while her kids finished High School and started college. Mary Lee was actively involved with Bernard in starting their business, Shotkoski Hay Company. The couple moved to Lexington in 1974 and then to Arcadia in 1980, where they semi-retired and lived in Mary Lee’s dream home, her cobblestone house that she had wanted for many years. During her years in Arcadia she was still a partner in the family business.  Mary Lee did not like idle moments, and until her health required she move to Lincoln to assisted living, she kept herself busy traveling with Bernard, volunteering at various organizations in Arcadia, and spending time with her family.  She was always ready and willing to whip up a meal or cake for anyone who stopped by to visit. She was devoted to caring for Bernard as his health declined and she was eager to chauffeur any friends or family in her area to various appointments in Broken Bow, Kearney and even Grand Island.  She was a lifelong member of the Catholic Church, a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, a volunteer for the Blood Mobile, a member of church circle and almost never missed women’s coffee group.

Survivors include one son Bill Shotkoski and his wife Linda of Lexington, one daughter Bernardine “Jo” Taylor and husband Steve of Lincoln, three sister-in-laws, Florence Fattig of Houston Texas, Julia Shotkoski and Helen Shotkoski of Loup City, her grandchildren Melissa (Adam) Tufford of Lexington, Luke (Cassie) Taylor of Elkhorn, Ryan (Clarice) Shotkoski of Maysville, GA Lindsey (Seth) Carlson of Omaha, and Taylor Shotkoski of Lexington her Great-Grandchildren Bowen, Layla and Estes Taylor, Cooper and Liam Shotkoski, Anabella and Parker Tufford, and Hayes Carlson, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Bernard, her parents, and her brother Bill Pitt.