Sheila Mae (Fortner) Christofferson

Sheila Mae (Fortner) Christofferson, 63, of rural Lodgepole, NE, went to be with her Heavenly Father May 30, 2014 while in her husband's arms at her home after a long tough battle with lung cancer.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM Saturday June 7, 2014 at the Evangelical Free Church, 2763 11th Ave., in Sidney, NE with Pastors Melvin Johnson and Doug Birky officiating. Burial will follow at the Weyerts Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, 13 miles east of Gurley.

A viewing will be held from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM Friday, June 6 for family and friends at the Holechek Funeral Home in Sidney with the family present from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

You can view the online obituary and share condolences with the family at http://www.holechekfuneralhomes.com

Sheila was a member of the Sidney Evangelical Free Church, where memorials can be made to the Evangelical Free Church Ark Ministry for Children where Dale and Sheila were both avid volunteers.

Sheila was born Feb. 6, 1951 to William "Bill" and Kathryn "Kate" (Kepler) Fortner in Bridgeport, NE. She lived at the Sioux Army Depot north of Sidney in her younger days, attending school there. Later, her family moved to Gurley, where she attended high school. It was there that Sheila met the love of her life, Dale Christofferson.

Dale and Sheila were married Feb. 12, 1967 in Gurley, NE. Together they raised three children, one daughter, Lisa; and two sons, Michael and Marcus. Sheila's family was her greatest accomplishment and was the biggest highlight of her life. Dale and Sheila and their family lived in Sidney where Dale owned his own welding business. In 1984, Dale, Sheila and their family moved to Dale's family's farm west of Gurley, and a few years later they moved to Dalton, NE. In 2002, they moved to their home west of Gurley where Dale manages a natural gas field.

Sheila spent her time taking care of their children, volunteering in their church, coaching t-ball and playing softball. She also had a great passion for volleyball and loved to play, loved to crochet, and truly loved the home and acreage east of Gurley where the grandkids could play and spend time. Their home east of Gurley was the location for several family reunions as she had a passion for entertaining and cooking for her family.

Sheila is survived by her husband, Dale Christofferson of rural Lodgepole; children, Lisa and Monte Tallmage of Dalton, Mike and Beca Christofferson of Trenton, Neb., and Marcus and Becky Christofferson of Lodgepole; brother, Roger Fortner of Las Vegas, Nev .; sister, Sharon Rathbun of Hastings, Neb., and grandchildren, Andy Christofferson of Dalton, Kaneisha Christofferson of McCook, Neb., Keanu Christofferson of Sidney, Troy Christofferson of Alliance, Neb., Natalie, Hallie and Tyler Christofferson of Lodgepole, and Kaleb and Anthony Christofferson of Trenton.

She is preceded in death by her sister-in-law, Gail Fortner, cousin Lonnie Fales and her parents, Bill and Kate Fortner.

Holechek Funeral Home and Cremations in Sidney is serving the Christofferson family.