Barb J. Maytes (Sperry)

 With heavy hearts, we announce Barbara’s passing, as she left this world surrounded by the love of her family. Born on January 7, 1944, Barbara was a beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother, and great-grandmother whose kindness and warmth touched everyone she met.

Barbara was preceded in death by her loving husband: Michael J. Maytes. They built a beautiful life together over nearly 58 years and stood by each other’s side until Michael’s passing in September 2022.

She is survived by her children: Jeff Maytes (Lisa) of Guthrie, OK, Dave Maytes (Melanie) of Litchfield Park, AZ, and Kristy Maytes (James Cunningham) of Bellevue, NE. She was a cherished sister to Jay Sperry (Ruth) of North Kingstown, RI, and Sandy Sperry (Craig Coons) of Goodyear, AZ.

Barbara found immense joy in being a grandmother to Sharmayne, Jonny (Ashley), Logan (Taylor), Connor (Sierra), Desirae (Nathan), Hannah, Katie, and Dustin. She was also blessed with eight great-grandchildren, with one on the way.

Barbara “Barb” Jean Maytes (Sperry) was born Jan 7th, 1944, in Lincoln Nebraska to John and Marian Sperry. She was the eldest of three children and spent part of her early years in a one room apartment in Chicago while her father attended school for television repair. Barb’s father and mother later established Sperry TV in Lincoln, NE where she grew up.

Barb used to mention how even though her parents owned a television repair service, their television remained broken for weeks when she was a teenager. She finally took her father’s self-help manual and ran through the steps to find which tube was bad and replaced it by fixing the television herself. Years later, she attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln for 1 year and then took a position with Montgomery Ward.

It was while working at Wards and taking a break that she met her future husband, Mike. With just the two of them in the break room, Mike got up the nerve to ask this “out of his league” girl to join him for coffee and on Nov 14th, 1964, Barbara married him in Lincoln. They moved to their first home, purchased on the east side of Greenwood, NE across the street from his sister Geri Frank.

Mike and Barb spent 6 years in their first home and had their first child born March 12th, 1967, Michael Jeffry Maytes (Jeff) and two years later a second son, David John Maytes (Dave). Growing their family, they made a big move all the way over to the west side of Greenwood in 1970 where they purchased a new home with their own lot on West Street. Here they completed their family with their daughter born Feb 9th, 1971, Kristy Lynn Maytes (Cunningham).

In 1979, Barb and Mike moved 2 blocks north where they built a new home on land which had the old Beatle house still standing. They spent many weekends as a family cleaning out the old house before letting the fire department use it for training and burning it down and replacing it with their new home. They did a lot of the finishing of the family room and basement themselves.

Barb was one of the first group of women to join the Greenwood Fire & Rescue Department in the 1970’s. Through the years she was active in the PTA, library board, both boy and girl scouts, softball, bowling, weekly bingo and until her illness always had a book going. She was a big Husker football fan and later an even bigger volleyball fan. With all three children in school and Mike working on the road splicing cable, Barb began working for Sandy Hammers and her Sparkling Klean business. She would later take classes at the community college for typing and accounting. Despite her busy life, she never missed her children's church events, school activities, and sporting games, often chauffeuring them and their friends between Ashland and Greenwood.

After her children left home, Barb and Mike left Greenwood and moved to Gretna, Nebraska. However, Barb never really left Greenwood as she continued to attend the Methodist church until it’s closing and was the secretary for the Greenwood Cemetery until her passing. Barb loved spending time shopping, eating out or watching movies with her friends, family and all her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was always a very strong and independent woman. Mercifully the life-changing impacts of her illness were short-lived. She left this world peacefully.

Visitation 12:30 - 1:30 PM Tuesday (3/25) at Roeder Mortuary Gretna Chapel; Funeral Service 1:30 PM Tuesday (3/25/2025) at Roeder Mortuary Gretna Chapel 11710 Standing Stone Gretna, Nebraska 68028; Burial 3:15 PM Tuesday at Greenwood Memorial Cemetery in Greenwood, NE.

Following the burial, there will be a 4:00 PM luncheon at Uptown Saloon, 609 Main St, Greenwood, NE 68366.

Roeder Mortuary, Inc. - Gretna Chapel - 11710 Standing Stone - Gretna, NE - 402-332-0090

www.RoederMortuary.com