Althadene (Grudzinski) Placek

     It is with great sadness the family of Althadene Placek announces her passing on July 17th, 2023, at the age of 88 years. Graveside services will be held 1:00 p.m. Saturday, September 30, 2023 at the Evergreen Cemetery in Loup City, NE with Father Richard Piontkowski presiding.

     Mrs. Placek was born May 30, 1935, the eldest daughter of Lloyd and Clara (Palu) Grudzinski on a farm north of Loup City, Nebraska. Althadene (Dene) attended school at District #56. The family moved to the Wiggle Creek community in 1943. She finished the 8th grade there and graduated from Loup City High School in 1953.
On June 22nd, 1953, she married John Placek. The couple moved to a farm in the Austin community south of Loup City, where they prospered for the next 50 years. Dene farmed along side John, specializing as the Chief Dairymaid of their Holtstein cows for 30 years. Their four girls farmed with their parents, until each left for college. As a side note: Their children quickly learned only to enter the milk barn when Mom was singing opera; never enter if she was yelling. Denie loved to sew!! She tailored her four girls’ clothes throughout their lives. There was nothing mom couldn’t sew or mend. However, her trade signature was to leave at least one straight pin in the article to stick you when you tried the piece on. John and Althadene moved to Loup City in 2003. Althadene was a wonderful bowler, participating in mixed double leagues with John, then on a ladies’ team. Her average was 170, with many 200 games. She was a hands-on grandma to her beloved grandchildren, often WWF wrestling with them when they were young. She enjoyed traveling, playing cards, crafts and quilting.
“Denka” was a life-long member of Alpha Nu Extension Club, past-president of Sherman County Home Extension Council, and the 4-H Leader of Sunset 4-H for 20 years. Denie was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Rockville, NE, holding various offices for 50 years; then a member of St. Josephat’s Catholic Church in Loup City, NE, belonging to the Rosary Sodality for over 20 years.
Survivors of the immediate family are daughters Dr. Debra Placek of Nebraska; Christine Jester of Wyoming; Jeanne & Steve Scheneman of Texas; and Sue and Johnny Williams of Oklahoma. A sister Betty and Clix Kaslon of Nebraska; and brother Allen and Pat Grudzinski of Nebraska. Althadene was blessed with eight grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren with more on the way. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband John and her folks, Lloyd and Clara Grudzinski.

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