Jacqueline Tibbels died June 10, 2024, at home in the arms of her daughter, Cathy, at the age of 89.

MEMORIAL VISITATION with family present will be Sunday, June 16th, from 4 to 6 p.m., at Stokely Funeral Home in West Point, NE. PRIVATE FAMILY INURNMENT will be at St. Michael's Cemetery. Arrangements by Stokely Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to John A. Stahl Public Library, Franciscan Healthcare Rehabilitation Center, or the West Point Community Foundation.

She was born February 17, 1935, to Charles I. and Pansy E. (Bates) Maybee in Nebraska City, NE, the eighth of 12 children. She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1953 and then attended Immanuel School of Nursing, completing her RN in 1956. She also completed a psychiatric nurse program shortly after.

On October 31, 1959, she married Thomas R. Tibbels at Holy Name Catholic Church in Omaha where Tom taught and coached. Following their early morning wedding, the couple participated in the Nebraska fall tradition and went to a Husker football game. Sitting in the stands with her new husband and other coaches, she was concerned about the towel covering the center's rear. She wanted to know why they didn't just fix the hole in his pants.

The couple welcomed twins, Steve and Scott in 1960 before moving to West Point where Tom taught and coached at Guardian Angels (Central Catholic) High School. In 1962, they returned to Omaha where Tom began medical school. Jacque continued to work as a nurse. The couple had four more children, Tracy, Matt, Cathy, and Mike.

Following Tom's residency in Lincoln, NE, Jacque and her family returned to West Point. She settled into a life of children and community. She was active in the West Point Newcomer's Bridge Club along with three or four other bridge clubs, Women's Club, EVARC (Elkhorn Valley Association for Retarded Citizens), and the Red Cross Bloodmobile. In the mid '90s, embracing the Christmas gift of a purple outfit, red hat, and red feather boa from her children, she established the first Red Hat Society Club in town.

She had an adventurous spirit, was fun, and fiercely independent. A beautiful, kind-hearted person, her beginnings were humble, which shaped her generous, patient nature.

She had an amazing sense of humor and a love of Pink Panther movies. One morning, she yelled "bonsai!" and pounced on her difficult-to-wake son in his bed. Unfortunately, the bed frame broke, and the pair hit the floor. The rest of the kids ran to see what happened, leaving everyone doubled over in laughter and with a story that lives in family infamy.

With six kids, there were bound to be more events like these. For example, once the twins came home from their summer job at D&S Tire covered in rubber soot, Jacque commanded they not touch anything. They looked at each other, then, without speaking, wrapped her in a bear hug. They all needed showers and clean clothes after that.

Music was a part of who she was. She had a beautiful voice and sang on the radio as a teen. She sang her children awake in the morning and sang her grandchildren to sleep many times. She taught herself how to play the piano. She entertained her family by playing and singing. When her daughter's friends were over, Jacque would play for sing-alongs. She taught her children and grandchildren silly songs like, "I Wish I Were a Little Bar of Soap," "Grandfather's Clock," and "When Sammy Put the Paper on the Wall". Later, she played piano for the residents at St. Joseph's Home. She played with her grandchildren on the floor and in the dirt and danced with them until her knees wouldn't let her anymore.

She became the family rebate queen, slyly evading the "one per household limit" by spreading the bounty to those she loved. Many times, a package would arrive at the homes of her grandchildren with no return address. Inside were various surprises, from stuffed animals to wacky glasses to checks for $2.10.

She was an avid reader and a regular on the John A. Stahl Library staff's call list. She was the best Trivial Pursuit partner!

She put everyone before herself, and this was very evident at home. She took care of her family and ensured everyone had what they needed at family dinners before seating herself. On one occasion, she sat down after serving everyone and said, "Pass me everything." So, family members looked at each other in complicit understanding, then passed her everything-all the food, seasonings, their plates, utensils, and cups piled before her. She threw her head back and laughed.

She became an accidental collector. What started out as simple jokes exploded into family commitments. She had collections of penguins, moose, bees and gnomes. Her Christmas trees would have themes ranging from Hershey's Kisses to bees to West Point city ornaments.

Jacque was beautiful, loving, generous, incredibly kind, accepting, and a force of influence in her family's lives. She is greatly missed.

Jacque was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas R. Tibbels, M.D.; her son, Michael Joseph; her parents, and seven siblings. She is survived by her children, Steve (Loretta) Tibbels, of Wake Forest, NC, Scott (Michelle) Tibbels, Tracy Tibbels and Cathy Tibbels, all of Omaha, and Matt Tibbels; grandchildren, Stacey (Toby) Shinaut, Stephanie, Ash, Danielle, and Nicholas Tibbels, Patrick and Nathan (Renae) Tibbels, Caleb Smidt, Elise (Ryan) Kubik and Lexa (Ty) Szynskie, Ben (Gina) Tibbels and Aaron Tibbels; brothers, Alan (Cher) Maybee, Pat (Laurie) Bressler; sisters, Lois Prather and Shirley Lutge; great-granddaughters, Clementine Smidt and Ellie, Adalyn and Vivi Shinaut; great-grandsons, Brody and Ryker Kubik; and many nieces and nephews.

STOKELY FUNERAL HOME, 121 East Park, PO Box 55, West Point, NE 68788

Published by Omaha World-Herald on Jun. 15, 2024.