Olive Gibbs

Olive Jane Gibbs, 89, of

Willow City, passed away

Tuesday, June 12, 2019 at

St. Andrew’s Medical

Center in Bottineau. Her

funeral service will be at

11:00 am Thursday, June

20, 2019 in the First Luth-

eran Church in Willow

City with Linda Wimmer

and Wally Fretland offici-ating. Burial will follow

on Friday, June 21, 2019

at the North Dakota

Veteran’s Cemetery in

Mandan. Visitation will

be Wednesday at Nero

Funeral Home in Bot-

tineau from 1-9 pm with a

prayer service at 7:00 pm.

Olive Gibbs was born

April, 23, 1930, in Barton,

North Dakota, to George

and Olga Saude Ness.

Olive was a Barton High

School graduate and

earned her teaching de-

gree from Minot State. On

August 29, 1951, she was

married to Chester Arlo

Gibbs in Barton. Olive

taught in Antler, several

country schools in the

Willow City area, and was

a substitute teacher at

Willow City High School.

In addition to teaching,

she worked at Ed’s U-Save

and was a cook at Willow

City Public School for 11

years. Her husband, Ches-

ter, passed away on Sep-

tember 8, 2007.

Over her lifetime, Olive

had a servant’s heart. She

was an active member of

First Lutheran Church in

Willow City. Over the

years, she served as a

board member or

president of the First

Lutheran WELCA. Olive

was also a member of the

Wilo Homemakers. Olive

was instrumental in help-

ing to create the Willow

City Mission Quilters, an

ecumenical group of la-

dies who spent the winter

months quilting together.

This was a year-long en-

deavor for Olive, who

spent all year cutting,

piecing and sewing in

preparation. In addition,

Olive was a member of

the Lyle B. Rich Legion

Auxilary. Olive was the

Unit Member of the Year

for the state of North

Dakota in 2013-2014 and

also represented the state

at the national convention

that year for her service to

her community and state.

Over the years, Olive was

a den mother for Cub

Scouts and a 4-H leader.

Anyone who entered

her home was welcomed

with coffee and no one

ever went away hungry.

Olive loved quilting, bak-

ing, cooking, gardening

and birds. She also loved

country music and her

and Chester spent many

days at the ND State Fair

enjoying concerts. Olive

could often be found

watching her favorite

shows, Wheel of Fortune

and Lawrence Welk.

Everyone knew her

greatest joy was found in

her family and how proud

she was of them. She will

be remembered for her

kindness, strength and

loving heart. Olive fought

a quiet and courageous

battle with cancer for the

last few years.

In addition to her

parents, she was preceded

in death by her husband,

Chester.

She is survived by four

children and their

spouses, Charles and

LuWanna Gibbs, of Grand

Forks; Barbara Ann and

Leland Goodman, and

Colleen Kay and Kent

Nehring, all of Willow

City; and Paula Rae and

Henry Snell, of Summer-

ville, SC; her grandchil-

dren and their spouses,

Chad and Jenni Gibbs,

Melinda Goodman and

Mike Sorenson, Mindy

and Kenny Rude, Sally

and Andy Grosgebauer,

Brandon and Aimee Nehr-

ing, and Izak, Maxx, So-

phie, Harrison and Sadie

Snell; eight

great-grandchildren,

Seren and Piper Gibbs,

Abel Rude, Abigail and

Annie Schauer, Everly

Grosgebauer, and Aubrie

and Ava Nehring and two

sisters, Gertie Olson, and

Helen Vollmer and a

sister-in-law, Crystal Dol-

beare.

Arrangements are with

Nero Funeral Home in

Bottineau.