Marlene B Fast

Graveside service will be at 10:00 A.M., Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at Parkview Cemetery. The memorial service will be at 11:00 A.M. at First St. Paul’s Lutheran Church with Pastor Chad Power officiating. Visitation will be Monday, June 29, from 1-7 P.M., with the family present 5-7 P.M. at Butler Volland Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to First St. Paul’s Lutheran Church or American Macular Degeneration Foundation, PO Box 515, Northampton, MA 01061-0515 or online at https://www.macular.org/. The service will be live-streamed on Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home’s website. To view the service, go to Marlene’s obituary and click the play button shown towards the bottom of the page. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.lbvfh.com. Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home & Cremation Center is serving the family.

Marlene was born on October 29, 1931, to Harry and Clara (Wisda) Bresley at the family farm north of Ord, Nebraska. She attended a one-room country school through eighth grade and graduated from Ord High School in 1948. After graduation, she worked at the Ord Quiz as a reporter. She later worked at Overland National Bank in Grand Island.

While living in Grand Island, Marlene met her future husband, Robert “Bob” Fast. They were married July 26, 1953, at her parents’ home in Ord. Bob was in the U.S. Navy, and they lived in Philadelphia, PA, while his ship was in dry dock. During that time, Marlene worked in the Appointment Office at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. They then moved to Key West, Florida, when Bob was stationed there. Upon Bob’s discharge, they came back to Nebraska. Marlene and Bob made their permanent home in Hastings, where Marlene worked at Hastings State Bank. She spent the next few years taking care of their five children: Jerry, Chuck, Marvin, Audrey, and Susan. After the children were older, Marlene worked in the office of First St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

Family vacations in the pop-up tent camper were always fun, going to the Black Hills, Colorado, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton. The grown kids still talk about some of the vacations, especially having ice cream in the gazebo at Aunt Esther’s home near Red Rocks, Colorado, along with the cold stream they waded in and the red clay in a campground. Times at Johnson Lake were--and still are--enjoyed by all.

Marlene spent many happy times watching her family play in their sports of interest: lots of baseball games (all three sons played), football, basketball, swimming, and volleyball. She also enjoyed going to their orchestra concerts. Later, it was the sports and activities the grandchildren were involved in: a lot more football and baseball games, music recitals, parades, band concerts, and competitions. She was very proud of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and their accomplishments.

After the kids were grown and gone from home, Marlene and Bob did some traveling. They went back to Key West, Florida, enjoyed an Alaskan Cruise, and took several trips to Branson to see shows and the Christmas lights. Travel took them to many parts of the U.S., just missing a mudslide in Oregon one night.

Marlene was a member of First St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, the Hastings Quilters Guild, and the Hastings Sewing Guild. She delivered Meals on Wheels, volunteered in her church office, and Lutheran World Relief. She was a member of the YWCA, where she was secretary of the Teenage Program Committee for many years.

Marlene sewed many articles of clothing for herself and her children. She later embellished sweatshirts for herself and her family, including the grandchildren. She made a denim quilt for each grandchild, given when they graduated from high school. For each quilt, she used that grandchild’s jeans and pockets as well as pockets and suspenders from their Grandpa’s overalls. Many pillows were made for grandchildren and, later, the great-grandchildren. She also made a blanket and pillow to give each new great-grandchild, along with a Teddy Bear.

Marlene is preceded in death by her husband, Bob, her parents, brothers, and spouses, Milo and Betty Bresley, Dean and Heloise Bresley, Lloyd Bresley and Helen Bresley, two nieces, and a nephew.

She is survived by her children and spouses, grandchildren and their spouses and great-grandchildren: Jerry and Debi Fast of Kearney and their family, Bryan and Jenna Fast, Emilie, Barrett and Phoebe of Kearney, Kevin Fast and James of Lincoln; Chuck and Wendy Fast of Lincoln and their family, Alan Fast and Ady Pratapa of Durham, NC, Shannon Fast and Erica Larson, Wesley and Madeline of Minneapolis, MN, Aaron Fast and Kelsey Jorgensen and Penelope of Beaverton, OR; Marvin and Jeannette Fast of Hastings and their family, Maggie Fast and Cole Malin, Amelia and Emmett of Papillion, Lauren Fast of Chicago, IL, Jaimie Fast and Jack Danks, Matilda and Margot of Lansing, MI, Katie Fast and Kyle Alstead of Woodbury, MN; Audrey and John Steider of Geneva and their family, Valerie and Joel Starr, Jack, Jace, John, Nora and Evie of Gretna, David and Jessica Steider, Ella, Olivia and PJ of Bellwood, Ryan and Hailey Steider, Aiden and Emma of Geneva; and Susan and Alan Givens of Lincoln and their family, Kyle Givens of Lincoln; sister-in-law Libby Bresley, several nieces and nephews.

Marlene’s most recent years were spent at Southlake Village Rehabilitation & Care Center in Lincoln. During her first few months there, she quickly regained her mobility. Over the years that followed, she enjoyed engaging in Southlake’s many activities, visiting with friends and family, talking with her nurses and staff, and spending time with the other residents. The quality of care she received at Southlake directly contributed to the quality of life she enjoyed. Marlene and her family sincerely thank all of the nurses and staff at Southlake Village for making her time there so special.

 In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to First St. Paul’s Lutheran Church or American Macular Degeneration Foundation, PO Box 515, Northampton, MA 01061-0515 or online at https://www.macular.org/.