Twyla Dehning

TWYLA DEHNING, 91, of Big Springs, NE, passed away Saturday, June 10, 2023, at Regional West Medical Center in Scottsbluff.

Twyla Jean Kenfield Dehning, born on February 13, 1932, departed from us on June 10, 2023, at the hospital in Scottsbluff. Born on a farm Southwest of Brule, Nebraska, to Marion M. and Alice (Braden) Kenfield, Twyla was the cherished eldest sibling among five children.

Twyla graduated with honors from Big Springs High School in 1949. Her journey then led her to NE Wesleyan University before she moved to Denver to work in an insurance office while living with her aunt and family.

On October 8, 1950, Twyla married Marion Dehning of rural Big Springs. They made a life together on a farm southeast of Big Springs. Their union was blessed with three children, Michael, Mark, and Patricia.

Twyla was a driving force in the Big Springs community. She was a charter member of the Big Springs Improvement Group (BIG), which planned and developed the activities for the village's centennial celebration. Throughout her life, Twila embodied dedication and selflessness, leading by example as a 4-H leader, Cub Scout mother, and longtime member of the Willing Workers Extension Club and the Progressive Club. For 17 years, she honorably served as the Red Cross bloodmobile chairman, a role she undertook when the Red Cross began coming to Big Springs to collect blood for their North Platte, Nebraska facility.

Twyla passionately compiled genealogical records of her family and the Dehning family, tracing their roots back to the 1600s. She assembled notebooks on all the ancestors and gifted each of her grandchildren with their own. An avid reader, she owned an extensive book collection and always found time to keep in touch with relatives and friends.

Twila took immense pride in supporting her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren through babysitting, sewing, caring, or cheering at their various activities. Her love for nature, travel, and her home was evident in all she did. She had a special affinity for her yard, meticulously maintaining it as a welcoming sanctuary for family and friends.

Twyla was preceded in death by her parents, Marion M. Kenfield and Alice M. (Braden) Kenfield; husband, Marion Dehning; her daughter, Patricia Kay Dehning Johnson; infant sister, Fern Marie Kenfield; great-granddaughter, Morgan Rae Dehning; sisters-in-law, Helen Dehning, Evelyn Dehning, Corabell Dehning, Katie Kenfield and Eileen Smith; brothers-in-law, Lavern, Delmar and Mervin Dehning.

She is survived by her sons, Dr. Michael M. (Debra) Dehning of Omaha and Mark R. Dehning of Brule and special friend Mary Dale Ness; son-in-law, Terry Johnson; granddaughters, Jill (Sam) Dare, Jennifer (Nathan) Vacha, Jessica (Chip) Hartman, and Bailey Dehning; grandsons, Troy (Russchelle) Dehning, Christopher (Traci) Dehning, Matthew (Joanne) Dehning, Andrew (Megan) Dehning, Jordan Dehning, Shawn Dehning, and Nathan Dehning; 24 great-grandchildren; 2 great-great-grandchildren; siblings, Gerald Kenfield, Marvin (Doris) Kenfield, and Beverly (Charles) Trautman; many beloved nieces and nephews; brothers-in-law, Lyle (Beverly) Dehning, Orval (Elda) Dehning; and a host of cousins.

Services will be Friday, June 16, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at the St. John's Lutheran Church in Brule, with Pastor Jon Dickmander officiating. Inurnment will be in the Big Springs Cemetery at a later date.

Visitation will be on Thursday, June 15, 2023, from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. at Prairie Hills Funeral Home Ogallala.

A memorial has been established in Twyla's memory to the Big Spring Swimming Pool or the Nebraska Heart Association. Condolences may be shared at prairiehillsfuneralhome.com, where the services will be streamed live.

Prairie Hills Funeral Home of Ogallala is in charge of arrangements.