Rachel M. Gatewood, 87

Rachel M. Gatewood, 87, of Omaha, died Monday, Sept 18, 2005, at St. Joseph’s Villa in Omaha.

Funeral services were Wednesday, Sept. 21, at Memorial United Methodist Church in Lyons. Interment was in the Lyons Cemetery.

Rachel Marguerite (Anderson) Gatewood was born July 25, 1918, on the family farm in the Jefferson area, north of Lyons to Andrew G. and Clara Matilda (Morrell) Anderson.

She was baptized and confirmed at the Memorial United Methodist Church in Lyons. She attended rural school at Jefferson School and graduated from Lyons High School in 1936.

On March 21, 1940, she married John E. “Jack” Gatewood at the Lyons Methodist Parsonage. The Gatewoods farmed in the Lyons area at here locations before moving to her parents’ home farm in 1957. In 1961, they moved into Lyons.

Mrs. Gatewood was a farm wife and mother. She also worked in Omaha for a time, doing café and house work; in Fremont at Swanson Foods and Campbell Soup and in Lyons, she worked as a cook at the nursing home and did the cleaning at the Memorial United Methodist Church, among other jobs.

She was an active life-long member of the Memorial United Methodist Church in Lyons and had been recognized as a 75 year member. She was also a member of the Auxiliary of the Robert Klase VF Post No.7998of Lyons, Jefferson Aid and the Happy Days Senior Citizens Center.

Survivors include her daughters & sons-in-law: Myrna Johnson of Davis, Calif.; Mary Sue “Suzie” & Jerry Denton of Norfolk; Shirley Ann & Robert Nebel of Omaha, Janell Rae & Randy Carson of Herman; son, Thornton Michael “Mick” Gatewood of Norfolk; 19 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; one great-great grandson; sister-in-law, Grace Smith of Wahoo; several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack, in 1969; son, Robert; grandchildren, Carol Ann Gatewood and James Lee Carson; son-in-law, Tony Johnston; brothers and sisters-in-law, Milton and Margaret Anderson, Virgil and Garnet Anderson and sister and brother-in-law, Julia and Harley Gould.

Memorials are suggested to the Memorial United Methodist Church, Lyons Alumni Association and the Lyons Senior Center.