Funeral Services For Nona Purcell

​Nona R. Purcell, 80 of Lincoln, NE, passed away Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at her home, surrounded by family.

Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, July 22, 2017 at the United Methodist Church in Albion, NE with Rev. Janet Burgel officiating. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery in Albion. Visitation will be 5-8 p.m. Friday at Levander Funeral Home in Albion, NE


Nona R. Purcell was born December 22, 1936 on the Atwood homestead near Albion, Nebraska to Myron “Bud” and Helen E. (Mitchell) Morgan. She graduated from Albion High School in 1954 and St. Francis Nursing School in Grand Island in 1958. Nona moved to Omaha where she worked at Clarkson Hospital.
She married Robert M. Purcell on January 14, 1959 at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha.  Nona continued to live in Omaha until 1960 when she moved to Spring Lake, Michigan for a short time and then back to Albion where she began working at the Boone County Hospital. In1961 Nona moved her family to Mesa, Arizona due to her father’s failing health.  Following the death of her father, she returned to Albion in 1964 and rejoined the staff at the Boone County Hospital.  Nona served as Director of Nurses until 1983 when she moved to Lincoln. In 1984 Nona began working at Madonna. While working there she earned her BSN from St. Mary’s College in Lincoln and became a Certified Geriatric Nurse. During her 19 years at Madonna, Nona was Nurse Manager for a 65-bed unit and later served as RAI Coordinator. In 1999 she received the Nebraska Hospital Associations Caring Kind Award.  
Following retirement, Nona spent her time babysitting her grandchildren and following their many activities, taking care of her mother and managing the family farm. Her family was her life.
She is survived by:
Daughter: Kimberly (Scott) Kruse of Amarillo, TX
Daughter: Debra (Scott) Opfer of Lincoln, NE
Son: David (Michelle) Purcell of Columbus, NE
11 Grandchildren: Jessica (Caleb) Childress, Katie Kruse, Timothy (Alanna) Opfer,  Michael (fiancé Laura Dennis) Purcell, Alison (Harrison) Walden, Molly Kruse, Matthew Kruse, Andrew Purcell, Isaac Purcell, Jonathan Opfer, Mattie Purcell
2 Great Granddaughters: Sloane Kruse and Sutter Childress
Uncle: Gene (Dorothy) Atwood of Albion, NE
And other Extended Family

She was preceded in death by:
Mother: Helen E. Wallick
Father: Myron “Bud” Morgan
Step-Father: John Stone
Step-Father: Ivan Wallick

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