Irene A. Nordhues

Irene Ann (Mlnarik) Nordhues, 102, of Omaha, Nebraska, died on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. 

Irene was born on Aug. 12, 1922 to John and Agnes (Pospichal) Mlnarik, who operated a farm near Dodge, Nebraska.

Living on the farm, she attended a country elementary school and graduated from Dodge High School in 1940. A hard worker, her first job after high school was in a factory, inserting bristles into nail polish brushes. 

In the 1940s she joined the civil service and became part of U.S. occupation forces in Germany after the war. Able to type 200 words a minute on a heavy manual Underwood typewriter, she taught secretarial skills while seeing much of Europe in her spare time. Irene never forgot the experience, returning to Frankfurt in 1985 to rekindle memories. 

In 1948, she met Francis Anthony Nordhues of Randolph, Nebraska, at Omaha Steel Works, where she worked as a secretary and he as a welder. They married in 1950 at St. Cecilia’s Cathedral in Omaha and had four children. Irene and Frank - who later worked many years at Falstaff Brewery - were married for more than 42 years. He died in 1993. 

In 1960, the family moved to the Minne Lusa area of Omaha, where she became active in Blessed Sacrament parish and formed lifelong friendships. A generation of schoolchildren knew her as an imaginative Cub Scout den mother and Girl Scout troop leader who directed many field trips and fun-filled meetings. For years she organized the parish’s profitable Friday night fish fry dinners during Lent. 

Irene’s cooking and baking skills were always on display, particularly during Christmas or visits from friends or family. She could effortlessly concoct a delicious meal of Czech or Italian dishes, even when her kids and their friends showed up at the Bauman Avenue house on short notice. 

Her office experience served her well once she went back to work after her children grew older. She held clerical positions at places such as Boys Town, Roberts Dairy, Natelson’s and Bozell Jacobs. In her 50s, she continued to reinvent herself, learning to drive so she could commute to her job and taking keypunching courses at a local business school in order to work with computers. 

Throughout her life she kept close ties to her extended family. Family vacations were often road trips to rural Nebraska and Iowa on dusty gravel or unpaved roads to visit relatives she wanted to be certain to see. 

After the death of her husband, she moved to a home in the Florence area of Omaha. The quarter-acre lot allowed her to indulge her love of plants and flowers, and her colorful backyard was featured in local “Garden Walks.” She took care to maintain her little house. At one point in her mid-80s she climbed onto her roof to clean out the gutters. 

In 2010, Irene moved to Immanuel Village where she required increasingly specialized care but always kept a happy attitude and was quick to laugh. 

She is survived by a sister, Marilyn Julian of Fremont, Nebraska; daughter, Linda Nordhues of Omaha, Nebraska; sons Scott (Marie) Nordhues of Placentia, California, Mark (Cathy) Nordhues of Omaha, and Dr. Craig (Marci) Nordhues of Dothan, Alabama. Grandchildren Kelsey Gnam (David), Emily Nordhues, Katherine Nordhues, Eileen Daley. Great grandchildren Holden and Brighton Gnam; nieces and nephews.

There will be a Rosary at 9:00 AM with the Visitation from 9:30-10:30 AM; Funeral Mass 10:30 AM Saturday (1/4/2025) at St. Philip Neri Church 8200 N. 30th St. Omaha, NE; Interment Calvary Cemetery Omaha, NE; Luncheon, at church, following burial. 

In lieu of flowers memorials to Immanuel Newport House.

Roeder Mortuary, Inc. - 108th Street Chapel - 2727 N 108th St - Omaha, NE - 402-496-9000

www.RoederMortuary.com