Ardyce "Elaine" Snowardt, 80, of O'Neill, died Wednesday, March 29, 2023 at her home surrounded by her family. Visitation was held Sunday, April 2, 2023 at Biglin's Mortuary in O'Neill with a time of sharing. Memorial services were held Monday, April 3, 2023 at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in O'Neill. Fr. Ross Burkhalter officiated. Burial will be held in the O'Neill Cemetery in O'Neill at a later date. Memorials may be made to the family for future designation. Ardyce Elaine was born on May 13, 1942 on a farm north of O'Neill to Orville "Stub" and Ardyce (Worth) Miller. She attended country school and, other than for a short stint at a California school, graduated from O'Neill High School in 1959. She fell in love with a boy from St. Mary's Academy, Fred Snowardt Jr. and married him on Aug. 5, 1961 after her conversion to Catholicism. To this union were born Gail, Scott, Sheila and Chris. She attended Norfolk Beauty School and graduated in 1960 and was employed at Marie's Beauty Shop. The couple would spend the next 20 years in service to our country in both the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force, and this would take them across the United States, from North Dakota to Arizona and from Oregon to Maine. When Fred would have a year-long overseas assignment, Elaine would move back to O'Neill with the kids to have family support and she would play the role of Mom and Dad for that year. Elaine was a very talented and creative person. She found many outlets for her creativity over the years, some hobbies and some quite practical. Her four children can recall not wearing many pieces of clothing which were store-bought. She was an accomplished seamstress and took full advantage of the benefit of handmade vs purchased as often as possible - from snowsuits to prom and wedding dresses and from Barbie doll clothes to wrapping paper caddies or costumes for Halloween. Elaine especially loved creating the latest fashion dresses and hats for her granddaughters when they were young. She loved to paint, draw, macrame, crochet, knit, garden, embroider and play the organ, which was a carryover from her younger accordion-playing days. She was also an exceptional cake decorator and no birthday went by without a custom-decorated birthday cake. A story is told of one child's wedding cake that was prepared in advance and frozen and then made the trip from Nebraska to Arizona, was assembled and prepared and served to guests, virtually without a hitch. This is a testament to how much she loved and how much her family loved and appreciated her contributions to their special moments in life. Elaine would later spend much of her life in the legal and banking industry and worked at 1st National Bank, Peetz Law Firm, along with Union Bank and a law firm both in Grand Island. Elaine also served on the NIFA board (Nebraska Investment Finance Authority). She retired in 2007 when she and Fred moved back to their hometown of O'Neill. Elaine is survived by her husband of 61 years Fred R. Snowardt Jr. of O'Neill; her mother Ardyce Protivinsky, age 101, of O'Neill; four children Gail Owenby of Pflugerville, Texas, Scott (Pamela) Snowardt of Johnson Lake, Sheila (Shane) Johnston of O'Neill and Christopher (Angie) Snowardt of Gretna; 12 grandchildren Stephanee (Andrew) Cox and Samuel Owenby III, all of Pflugerville, Texas, Jennifer (Zack) Edwards of Elwood, Nate (Jessie) Eby of West Point, Torie Peterson of Atkinson, Kyle (Skylar) Eby of O'Neill, Kaylee and Lainee Snowardt, both of Gretna and Cameron, Caleb, Carter and Callum Cerny, all of Gretna; 14 great-grandchildren Caleb, Owen, Barrett, Georgia, Connor, Hayley, Emily, Trey, Knox, Elle, Bernadine, Charli and Matthew and one great-grandchild due in June; one brother Michael (Clara) Miller of Osmond; one uncle Clarence "Junior" (Dee) Worth of Bella Vista, AR; one aunt Blanche Worth of San Bernardino, CA; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her father Orville C. Miller in 1966, father-in-law Fred R. Snowardt Sr, mother-in-law Merna Mildred (Wallace) Snowardt, one brother-in-law Ronald Dean Snowardt, two half sisters-in-law Dixie Shea and Jean Sutton, one sister-in-law Juanita Miller, one son-in-law Samuel Owenby II and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
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