Mary A. Cabela

Mary A. Cabela, age 86, of Sidney, passed away Tuesday, May 30, 2023, in Sidney, NE. A Wake Service will be held at 6:00 P.M. on Monday, June 5th. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 A.M. on Tuesday, June 6th, both services will be held at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Sidney with Father C.P. Varghese and Father Bryan Ernest officiating. Interment, where all are welcome, will follow at the Cabela Family Cemetery. Friends may stop at the Gehrig-Stitt Chapel on Monday, June 5th from 1-4:00 P.M. Services will be livestreamed on the Gehrig-Stitt Chapel Facebook page and recorded for later viewing on our website.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions, in Mary's name, may be given to Regis University at 3333 Regis Blvd. Denver, CO 80221.

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 Cabela, the heralded outdoor enthusiast and conservationist who co-founded the outdoor gear company Cabela's, with her husband Dick, died Tuesday, May 30, 2023. She was 86.

Mary was born on May 4, 1937 in Wyoming where the nearby plains, mountains and rivers blessed her with endless adventures and provided the spark for a lifetime pursuing a passion for the outdoors and a dedication to conservation.

She attended high school in Sidney, Nebraska where she met the love of her life, Dick Cabela. Together, they explored the plains of Nebraska. Together, they raised nine children. Together, they hunted the world. They shared a passion for God, family, and wild places. Those passions defined their lives and became one continuous adventure so interconnected they could not tell where one began or one ended. They understood God in their family, their family in the outdoors, and the outdoors in God. Nearly all Mary's efforts, time, and treasure have been given, in one form or another, to God, her family, and the outdoors. All of this time dedicated to these endeavors was fueled by love. She loved her family, she loved the outdoors and she loved God. Understanding that all that love comes from one source, she was a woman of prayer, more commonly seen with a rosary or prayer book in her hand than without one.

Throughout her life, Mary supported many conservation organizations and initiatives. Her most recent focus was the transformation of The Cabela Family Foundation into one of the world's foremost conservation foundations specializing in highly impactful projects that promise long-term sustainability. 

Most of all, it was Mary's love and zest for life that people from all over the world remember her for. Her joy-filled, generous heart impacted so many individuals from so many walks of life and from so many different parts of the world. Her joy and the influence it has had on others will be a lasting testament to the legacy of her life-a life well-lived by any measure.

Mary is survived by her nine children, Nancy, Geri, Teri, Rich, Chaz, Dan, Cari, David, Joe and their spouses, her 22 grandchildren and spouses, and her 27 great grandchildren as well as her brother Jim Kerns and sisters, Rita Burnett and Virginia Helm.