Theresa Jeanne Watts, SFO, age 74 of Ogallala, passed away Saturday morning, October 1, 2011 at the Perkins County Hospital in Grant, Nebraska.
Theresa was born September 9, 1937 in Creston, Iowa, the daughter of John C. and Theresa I.(Mullen) Minard. She married Larry G.Watts on April 16, 1960 in Joliet, Illinois. After their marriage the couple made their home in Ft. Collins, CO until 1984 when they moved to Loveland, CO. After Larry’s death in 1991, Theresa remained in Loveland until 1998 when she retired and moved to Ogallala to be near her children and grandchildren.
In 1988 Theresa graduated from the Catholic Biblical School of the Archdiocese of Denver with a degree in Basic Biblical Studies and went on to receive an advanced degree in Biblical Studies in 1991, also from the Archdiocese of Denver.
She was a past member of the Insurance Women of Larimer County, CO and the National Association of Insurance Women.
On October 1, 1989 Theresa professed a life commitment to the Franciscan way of following Jesus and was accepted into the National Secular Franciscan Order of Lay People. She was a past member of the San Damiano Fraternity of Loveland, CO and served as a minister of the St. Stephen the Martyr Fraternity in Sterling, CO from 2002 – 2004. She also served as the Regional Secretary for the National Secular Franciscan Order from 1999-2002. Theresa taught 5th grade Religious Education at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Ogallala from 2000-2006.
Survivors include a sister, Patricia (Minard) and Hub Vande Voorde of Claremont, FL; an uncle, Harry Hansen II of Moline, IL; three sons, John and Grace Watts of Magnolia, TX, Patrick Watts and Burt Watts of Ogallala; two daughters, Lori and Mark Beckius and Theresa and Ron Fisher of Ogallala, grandchildren Kim (Watts) and Mitch Hale of Abilene, TX, Stephanie Watts of Plano, TX, Marcus Watts of Ft. Collins, CO, Anna Watts of Ogallala, Marcia (Leikam) and Preston Case of Venango, NE, Jeffrey and Amanda Fisher of Ft. Knox, KY, Jennifer (Fisher) and Trent Harger of Madrid, NE and Jessica (Fisher) and Daniel Goodall of North Platte, NE; eight great grandchildren, Addison, Jaxon, Blair, Brandon, Kyle, Kaiden, Benjamin and Jaymee, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Larry G. Watts; parents, John and Theresa Minard, one child, Marion Watts; a daughter-in-law, Yolanda Watts, a granddaughter, Sara Jean Watts and a great grandchild, Baby Case.
Rosary will be recited at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 5th at the Gubser Funeral Chapel. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 6th at St. Luke’s Catholic Church with Fr. Bryan Ernest as celebrant. Burial will be in the Crete Cemetery near Champion, NE at 1:30 p.m. Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. until the time of the Rosary on Wednesday at the Gubser Funeral Home. Online condolences may be sent at gubserfuneralhome.com. A memorial has been established in her memory. Gubser Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.