Iola Faye (Fasnacht) Mellage

Iola Faye (Fasnacht) Mellage, 88, of Beatrice, Neb., passed away Thursday morning, May 8, 2008, at the Good Samaritan Center in Beatrice. She was born on March 11, 1920, to Frank and Elizabeth (Grabher) Fasnacht on a farm near Diller, Neb.

She was the second of four children. Iola attended a country school near Diller and later attended school at Ellis, Neb. She worked as a hired girl for families in the Ellis area. Later, Iola and her brother Max moved to Beatrice, Neb., where she worked as a waitress in a downtown coffee shop and at Swift and Company candling eggs. On May 23, 1944, she married Donald F. Mellage at Marysville, Kan. To this union were born two children, a daughter Sandra and a son Robert. She devoted herself to her family and home. She also worked side by side with Donald building several homes for resale including the home in which they lived until her health deteriorated in 2005. At that time, she moved into the Good Samaritan Care Center in Beatrice and lived there until her death. Iola was a caring and loving wife, mother and grandmother. She enjoyed working outside, word games and cards, music and dancing.

Survivors include, a son, Robert Mellage of Beatrice; a daughter, Sandra Vitosh and husband Charles of Odell;

two grandsons, Douglas Zimmerman and wife Lorena of Papillion, Neb., Nicholas Zimmerman and wife Renae of Lincoln, Neb.; 3 granddaughters, Kimberly Zimmerman of Odell, Neb., Kristin Herrell of Phoenix, Ariz., Kerrie Newman of Beatrice, Neb.; a stepgrandson, Mark Vitosh and wife Janet of Odell, Neb; a stepgranddaughter, Beth Billesbach and husband Mark of Odell, Neb; 5 great-grandsons; 3 great-granddaughters; 3 stepgreat-grandsons; 3 stepgreat-granddaughters; 3 stepgreat-great-grandsons; a stepgreat-great-granddaughter; a brother-in-law, Gerald Reed of Funk, Neb.; a sister-in-law, VaLois Fasnacht of Hickman, Neb.; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald, in 2000; her parents; a brother, Max; and infant brother, Rex; a sister, Blanche Reed; a sister-in-law, Evelyn Gerdes; and a stepgreat-granddaughter, Whittney Rogers.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 12, 2008, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Sixth and High, Beatrice, with Father Steven Major officiating. Burial will be in the St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery. The body will lie in state from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m.-9 p.m. Sunday at the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel, Sixth and Washington streets, Beatrice, and not at the church. A scriptural prayer service will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice. A memorial has been established to the church with funeral home in charge. Messages of condolence may be sent to: rich@griffithshovendick.com. They will be forwarded to the family. Arrangements have been entrusted to Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice.

(Paid)