Elizabeth "Betty" J. Nicolas

Betty Nicolas, 71, of David City, passed away Saturday, December 9, 2023 at the Butler County Healthcare Center in David City.

Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 13, at St. Peter's Catholic Church in Bellwood. Visitation will be on Tuesday, from 5 until 7 p.m. at St. Peter's Catholic Church with a Parish Rosary at 7 p.m. Visitation will resume Tuesday from 9:00 until 10:00 a.m. at the church. Burial will be in St. Mary and Peter Cemetery with lunch following at the St. Peter's Social Hall. Chermok Funeral Home is handling arrangements for Betty's family.

Memorials may be directed in care of the family for a later designation.

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Elizabeth “Betty” Jane Nicolas, daughter of Leonard and Bernice (Romshek) Nicolas was born on October 13, 1952 in Columbus, Nebraska. She was baptized and confirmed at Saint Peter’s Catholic Church, Bellwood and was raised on a third generation family farm near Bellwood. She was a 4-H member of Bell-Valley Livestock Club and attended Bellwood Public School. She was a 1971 graduate of Aquinas High School, David City, and a 1973 graduate of Platte College, Columbus, receiving an Associate of Science degree in Executive Secretary Science. During college she served as secretary of Phi Beta Lambda Sigma Nu.

After college graduation she passed the State Merit Exam at the Nebraska State Capitol and began working for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services from 1973 until her retirement in 2019. She worked at the Colfax County Courthouse in Schuyler from 1973 until 1987 as an income maintenance worker, at the Platte County Courthouse in Columbus from 1987 until 1996 as an income maintenance worker, then at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Office in Columbus from 1996 until 2019 as a social services worker.

She had been co-owner for Nicolas Farms in Bellwood and Edison, Nebraska since 2009. She moved to David City in 2023. She was an Admiral in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska, installed by Governor Pete Ricketts in 2019. She was past Madam President (2004-2005) and past Auxiliary Mother (2010-2011) for the Order of Eagles 1834, past member of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, and was a long time member of St. Bonaventure’s Parish in Columbus.

She is survived by a brother, Vernon of Schuyler, and two sisters, Dr. Jo A. (Jim) Witter of David City, and Julie (Steve) Reiter of Bellwood, many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents.