Mary Lou Conger - Obituary

Mary Lou (Svoboda) Conger, age 85, passed away Saturday, April 25, 2020 in Kimball, NE.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M., July 7, 2020 in the Sidney First United Methodist Church with Pastor Corey Jenkins officiating. Inurnment will follow in the Greenwood Cemetery. Friends may stop at the Gehrig-Stitt Chapel to sign Mary's register book and leave condolences for the family. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Cheyenne County Community Center. You may view Mary's Book of Memories, leave condolences, photos and stories at http://www.gehrigstittchapel.com.

Gehrig-Stitt Chapel & Cremation Service, LLC is in charge of Mary's care and funeral arrangements.

Mary was born in Lincoln, NE on January 9, 1935 to Jerry Edwin Leo and Eleanor Frances (Bower) Svoboda. She lived her youth on the family farm outside of St. Paul, NE. Mary attended grade school at Bunker Hill country school a mile from their farm and rode her horse "Star" to school each day. When she started high school in town, she tried to get Star to cross the bridge over the Loup River into town but Star wouldn't have anything to do with that so Mary had to ride the bus. She graduated from St. Paul High School in 1953. While in high school Mary lettered in pep club, was active in 4-H and received the University of Nebraska Board of Regents Scholarship for her freshman year in 1953. Mary attended University of Nebraska for 2 years and went on to Lincoln General to finish her RN diploma. Mary graduated from Lincoln General in 1956 and began working at Ord Nebraska's Hospital.

Mary worked as a Registered Nurse all her life but her favorite job was being a mom!! Mary loved ALL her children unconditionally!! Over the years Mary had lived in Ord, NE; Fremont, NE; Sidney, NE; Ogallala, NE; and again, finally Sidney since 1972 when she married the love of her life, Daryl Conger. Over Mary's professional career she worked as a surgical nurse and school nurse in Ogallala, NE, and a floor nurse at the convalescent wing of Sidney Hospital and in the years before retiring she worked in surgery at Sidney Medical Center. Mary retired in 1997.

Mary was very active in Mrs. JCs and was a past president. She loved reading, antiquing, exercising, playing bridge, dancing with Daryl and socializing with friends. Mary's GREATEST joy was having her family all together when they were coming down the mountain!! Mary and Daryl's dream was to have all the kids AND grandkids on skis enjoying the Colorado Mountains and that dream was realized for many years until Mary could no longer ski!!

Mary is survived by her husband Daryl Conger; brother Jerry Svoboda; daughter; Kimberly Howard of Galena, Il; sons; Todd Baliman of Kimball, NE and Kent Baliman of Norfolk, NE; step-children; Denise Shiffermiller of Lincoln, NE, Randy Conger and Ron Conger both of Sidney, NE; (10) grandchildren and (8) great-grandchildren.