Verda M. Uden

Verda M. Uden, age 90, was taken up into the arms of Jesus, her Savior, to join that great crowd of witnesses, on the afternoon of May 1, 2025, at Mary Lanning Healthcare, Hastings, NE.

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 9, at Christ Lutheran Church, rural Juniata, with Pastor Darren Olson officiating. Burial will follow at Concordia Cemetery. Visitation will be from 12-4 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at the funeral home, and then at Christ Lutheran Church, rural Juniata, from 5-7 p.m., with family present. Memorials may be given to Christ Lutheran Church or School, Juniata, or Saint John Nepomucene Catholic School in Weston, NE 68070. The service will be live-streamed on Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home’s website. To view the service, go to Verda’s obituary and click the play button shown toward the bottom of the page. 

Verda Mae Uden was born, the youngest of six children, to Emil and Hilda Nolte on the first day of spring, March 21, 1935, in Daykin, NE. She was baptized on April 7, 1935, and confirmed on April 10, 1949, at Zion Lutheran Church, Tobias, NE.

Verda attended Zion Lutheran School and then went on to Daykin High School where she graduated as Salutatorian of the Class of 1953. After graduation, she attended two years of Teacher Training at Concordia Teachers College in Seward, NE. Her first call into the teaching ministry was to Christ Lutheran, Juniata, NE, where she met Lewis (Louie) Uden.

At the beginning of her teaching career, Verda lived with William and Mary Uden; Mary taught her how to sew. Verda was also a talented artist and would often draw pictures for her students.

Lewis and Verda were united in marriage on June 1, 1957, at Zion Lutheran, Tobias, NE. They made their home on the Uden family farm in the house built by Louie’s ancestors. Within this home, Louie was born and eventually passed on to eternity on April 28, 1996. Verda lived in that same home until her last four days on this earth.

Two sons, Larry and Alan, were born to this union. After the boys were older, Verda returned to Christ Lutheran for a time to teach Kindergarten.

She loved the outdoors and raised flourishing vegetable- and flower gardens. Her lawn was meticulously mown and for many years she also lovingly maintained the lawn at Christ Lutheran, where she was also the custodian. She was blessed with health to care for her lawn and flower gardens well into her eighties. When she had a heart attack at age 85, the doctor asked her why her shoes were green. She was still mowing her lawn last summer at age 89.

Verda was well-known locally, and beyond, for her sewing skills and was called upon by many to make their wedding, bridesmaid, and flower-girl dresses, winning top honors at the Nebraska State Fair for a flower girl dress she had created for Alan and Lynette’s wedding. Quilting was another specialty. She enjoyed joining the quilters weekly in the basement of Christ Lutheran. She made new baby and graduation quilts for her seven grandkids and new baby quilts for her 26 great-grandchildren, one who is still on the way.

She loved her kids and grandchildren. Verda always made sure all seven grands were dressed in style for Easter and Christmas. They always knew they could go to Grandma’s freezer to raid her store of Snickerdoodle, Chocolate Chip, or Sugar Cookies.

In between stitches and baking, Verda also ran the auger wagon into her eighties, during harvest.

Verda was preceded in death by her husband, Lewis; parents; two brothers, Loren Nolte and Eldo Nolte; three sisters, Irma Bartels, Vera Nolte, and Lorna Landkamer; great-granddaughter Aliyah Saltzgaber; four great-grand Angel Babies; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Left to cherish her memory and looking forward to the resurrection, are sons: Larry (Cindy) of Kenesaw, NE and Alan (Lynette) of Valparaiso, NE; grandchildren, Genna (Craig) Eller, Darrin (Peyton) Uden, Joanna (Brad) Fien, Daniel (Annika) Uden, Rachel (Derek) Saltzgaber, Hannah (Nathan) Wingfield, and Rebekah (Garrett) Suchanek; great-grandchildren, Liam, Piper, Audrey, Peter, Cullen, Marianna, John Paul, Kolbe, Michael, Jack, Felicity, and Becket Eller, RaeLynn and Sawyer Uden, Fallyn and Holland Fien, Samara and Kyra Uden, Jase and Adelynn Saltzgaber, Grace, Mary, Gideon, and Naomi Wingfield, and Madison and Katelyn Suchanek; sister-in-law, Vivian Uden; and numerous nieces and nephews.