Jo Ann Edgecombe, 1947-2022

Dec 1, 2022

Jo Ann Edgecombe was born November 14, 1947, at the Geneva, Nebraska, Hospital to Warren ‘Flunky’ Lefever and Florence ‘Flossie’ Lefever. She passed away on November 13, 2022, at the Fillmore County Hospital in Geneva at the age of 74 years old, one day shy of her 75th birthday.

Edgecombe grew up on the Lefever family farm four miles west of Geneva. She attended grade school and high school at Geneva Public Schools.

Jo started dating John Edgecombe Jr. in their junior year of high school. She graduated with the class of 1965. Jo attended Kearney State College for two years before marrying John on Sept. 2, 1967. They eloped to South Dakota before moving to California for John’s service in the Navy. John deployed overseas to Vietnam, and upon his return, he was transferred to Virginia before returning home to Geneva.

John and Jo welcomed two boys, James in 1971 and Michael in 1974. John and Jo were married for 55 years.

Jo worked at the Geneva Public Library and the Geneva High School as a librarian. She helped with production of the Nebraska Signal throughout the years. In 1994, John and Jo bought the Minden Courier, and she began driving to Minden for 10 years to help her son, James, with the production of the newspaper. In 2000, they bought the Hebron Journal Register, where she began helping her son, Michael, with the production of that newspaper.

Jo had a love for genealogy, and after her mother passed, she took over tracing the family history. Jo and John traveled to cemeteries and visited family members to help connect the history of the families.

Jo was involved with Chi Omega while at the college and traveled throughout the United States while John was serving with the National Newspaper Association.

For over 50 years, she was a member of the First Congregational United Church of Christ, played for the bell choir for several years; was a member of the Fillmore County Democrats and spent a lot of time traveling to watch her grandchildren in their many activities.

She made a great tour guide in Washington D.C. with each of the grandkids throughout the years. She loved playing games with her family, including Mexican train Dominos, Pitch, Spoons and Scrabble. She created a family cookbook and loved cooking for friends and family.

Jo is preceded in death by her parents, Flunky and Flossie Lefever, and father and mother-in-law, John and Bette Edgecombe.

Jo is survived by her husband, John Edgecombe; sons, James and wife Michelle Edgecombe of Omaha, Michael and wife Abbe Edgecombe of Hickman; brother Ken and wife, Sandra Lefever of Geneva; sister Beth Lefever of Hastings; grandchildren Lauren (Dylan TePoel) Edgecombe of Malmo, Grant (Cece Beahm) Edgecombe of Kearney, Shaun (Shanna Utecht) Edgecombe of Littleton, Colorado, and Ben Edgecombe of Kearney, Katie, Anna, Luke and Riley Boonstra of Hickman; nephews John Lefever of Lincoln, Nate and wife, Chelsey Lefever of Geneva, Dan Lefever of Oakland, California, Brent Hultine of Hastings, and niece Aimee and husband, Jeff Schlegel of Lincoln; aunt Jean Vance of Pennsylvania; brother-in law Joe Edgecombe (Judy) of Panama City, Florida; and sister-in-law Jan Edgecombe (Glen Capek) of Geneva; and great-nieces and nephews; cousins; and many friends.

Funeral services were held at the First Congregational United Church of Christ on November 18, 2022. Honorary pallbearers were Jo’s grandchildren: Lauren Edgecombe, Grant Edgecombe, Shaun Edgecombe, Ben Edgecombe, Katie Boonstra, Anna Boonstra, Luke Boonstra and Riley Boonstra.

A private family inurnment will be held at a later date at the Geneva Public Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the family and will be designated later.