Luella (Lou) Whaley

Luella (Lou) Whaley, age 85, of Aurora, died Saturday, April 10, 2010, at Memorial Community Care.

A Memorial Service will be held 11:00 A.M. Tuesday, April 13th at Messiah Lutheran Church in Aurora. Rev. Sheryl Kester Beyer will officiate. There will be a Private Family inurnment at the Aurora Cemetery. No Visitation. Memorials may be made to the Alice M. Farr Library, for the purchase of children’s books in Lou’s memory or Messiah Lutheran Church. Higby-McQuiston Mortuary is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be e-mailed to the family through the mortuary website at www.higbymortuary.com.

OBITUARY: LUELLA (LOU) WHALEY

Luella Annabelle Whaley, the daughter of William and Anna (Pennell) Stute, was born in Haigler, Nebraska on June 20, 1924 and died in Aurora, Nebraska on April 10, 2010, at the age of 85.

She grew up in Haigler, and graduated from Benkelman High School.

She was united in marriage to Thelman Pursley on May 20, 1944 at Salem Evangelical at Gretna, Louisiana. They were co-owners of a dry cleaning shop in Benkelman. After selling the shop in 1957, they purchased a dry cleaning shop in Aurora, Nebraska, which they had until her husband died in 1967. They had one son, John. After selling the shop she worked at Co-op, Parker’s and her last job was at Pump & Pantry.

Lou married Lynn Whaley on April 22, 1972 at Christ Lutheran Church at Las Vegas, Nevada. After they both retired in 1991, they spent winters in Arizona and Texas for 10 years. Lynn passed away on March 14, 2009.

Lou was a charter member of the Messiah Lutheran Church in Aurora, a long time member of the American Legion Auxiliary and she belonged to several bridge clubs.

She was preceded in death by her parents, both of her husbands; two sisters, Valetta Stute and Hazel Hofer and three brothers, Fay, Marlin and Orval Stute.

Those left to cherish her memory are her son, John (Shauna) Pursley of Aurora; two stepsons, Mitch Whaley of Callaway and Charles Whaley of Alliance; step-daughter, Sonya Jones of Salt Lake City, Utah; 11 grandchildren, Hunter and Carter Pursley, Dustin, Samantha and Austin Whaley, Kyla (Jeremy) Curtis, Morgan and Rachel Jones, Chad, Mandy and Chet Whaley and 3 great-grandchildren, Jareka, Asher and Trevor. She is also survived by two sisters, Stella Bash of Lincoln and Goldie (Kenneth) Gordon of Riverside, California and sister-in-law, Mildred Stute of Haigler.