Laverna Ely

Erma “Laverna” (Kotschwar) Ely passed away on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. She was 95 years old.

Laverna was born on December 29, 1929, in Hayes County, Nebraska, to Leo Peter and Anastasia Christina (Wasia) Kotschwar. Laverna married Wayne Donald Ely on January 1, 1947, in Oberlin, Kansas.

She had a very deep love and devotion to her family. She loved teaching her grandkids and great-grandkids to bake, sew, and make jelly. The whole family looked forward to her weekly Sunday fried chicken dinners.

Laverna loved being creative with her hands and, as she said, “making something from nothing.” She operated an alteration business out of her home and donated her time altering prom dresses as part of McCook’s Prom Shop. She liked using her talents to help the community, including volunteer work with Meals on Wheels, serving as an election poll worker, baking brownies for bloodmobile donors, and baking turkeys for community Thanksgiving meals.

Preceding her in death were her parents; husband, Wayne (died Oct. 6, 2007); seven sisters: Laurine Channel, Ruth Vielh, Thelma Duckworth, Alice Carlson, Shirley Slack, Jackie Boehm, and Phyllis Traphagan; and three brothers: Don, Bud, and Jiggs Kotschwar.

Survivors include her daughter. Kathy Pursley and husband, Ron of Benkelman, Nebraska; son, Mark Ely and wife, Christine Klein of Boulder, Colorado; brother, Kent Kotschwar of McCook; grandchildren: Joshua Beideck and wife, Lisa of McCook and Ashley Curtis and husband, Dustin of Columbus, Nebraska; and great-grandchildren Haley and Koral Beideck, and Kyah and Lathan Curtis.

Funeral services are scheduled at 10:30 AM on Friday morning, May 23, 2025 at the Herrmann-Jones Funeral Chapel, 607 Norris Ave, McCook. Burial in Memorial Park Cemetery in McCook will follow services.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Laverna’s name are suggested to the McCook Heritage Senior Center, P.O. Box 1059, McCook, NE 69001. Online condolences may be left at herrmannfh.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Herrmann-Jones Funeral Chapel of McCook.