Joanne Frances (Weston) Liebig

Joanne Frances (Weston) Liebig, age 94, passed away peacefully on May 20, 2021 at the Wauneta Care and Therapy Center where she lived.
Daughter of Frank and Carolyn Weston, Joanne was born on March 2, 1927 as the fourth of five children. She was raised in Sutton, Nebraska and graduated from Sutton High School in 1945. With a heart for helping others, Joanne completed a three-year nursing training in Omaha, which served as the foundation for a long career working with the elderly.
On June 14, 1949, Joanne married Daniel Liebig in Sutton and they began their new life on the Liebig family farm in Platte Center. Dan was presented an opportunity to farm out west, so the couple moved their young family to set up their farmstead south of Wauneta where they raised wheat and cattle. In addition to her myriad responsibilities as a farm wife, Joanne cared for the patients at Wauneta Heritage Nursing Home for more than 25 years.
An active member of St. John’s Catholic Church, Joanne taught catechism and was a member of the Altar Society, providing meals for funerals and weddings. On stormy summer days, Joanne could be found near the altar at St. John’s lighting a candle as she prayed for protection over the family’s crops.
While free time is hard to come by on a farm, Joanne enjoyed tending to an extensive garden, connecting with friends, and visiting the senior center and nursing home in town. A true people-person, Joanne was known for multi-tasking in the kitchen while she talked to friends on a rotary dial phone with a 15-foot spiral cord.
Joanne especially loved spending time with her grandchildren when they would visit during harvest, butchering or the holidays. Her grandchildren enjoyed learning how to collect eggs, pick beans, sew, bake oatmeal raisin cookies, and pack lunches for the farm help (two sandwiches per bucket – one dried beef and one summer sausage). She always stocked the basement “deepfreeze” with ice cream sandwiches and fudgesicles for the kids to enjoy after helping on the farm.
Joanne was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Carolyn; husband, Dan; son, Thomas Liebig; two brothers; and two sisters.
She is survived by her son, Paul (Jan) Liebig of Kearney; daughter, Mary Kay (Forrest) Lauher of Schulenburg, Texas; daughter, Rosanne (Bill) Benzel of Waynesville, Missouri; nine grandchildren, Lacey Saunders, Kristin (Cory) Barry, Laura (Stuart) Hoffman, Lindsay Lauher, Alison (Shawn) Koehler, Deane (Macy) Lauher, Lauren Lauher, Eric Lauher, and Lauren Koetter; and many great-grandchildren.
Visitation was Tuesday May 25, at Liewer Funeral Home of Wauneta from 2-6 p.m. (MST) followed by a Rosary at 7 p.m. (MST) at St. John’s Catholic Church in Wauneta. Mass of the Christian Burial was held, Wednesday, May 26, 10:30 am (MST) at St. John’s Catholic Church with Father Christopher Miller celebrant. Interment followed at Riverside Cemetery, Wauneta. A Luncheon followed the burial at Wauneta Community Center.
Memorial contributions are suggested to Wauneta Care and Therapy Center or St. Johns Alter Society.
Online condolences may be left at liewerfuneralhome.com
Liewer Funeral Home of Wauneta is entrusted with arrangements.