Nancy Jean Cerone

Nancy “Nana” Jean (Dickinson) Cerone was born July 13, 1943 to Jim and Dorothy Dickinson. She and her brother, Bob Dickinson, grew up on the family farm. After graduating from Gretna High School, she attended two years of college at Nebraska Wesleyan University and then worked at the Farmers State Bank in Millard. It was there that she met Michael (Mick) Cerone, who she married on January 21, 1967. After working in banking, Nancy and Michael owned and operated The Stockade restaurant in Millard. She later boarded thoroughbred horses and ran a small cow-calf herd. She was the most amazing and loving mother to three sons – Shane, Tony, and Matthew. 

Nancy was a strong woman of faith who had an incredible capacity to love her family and friends. Her grandchildren were her greatest joy and she connected and communicated with them all on a regular basis. She often would send small gifts and notes to family and friends – words of congratulations and words of encouragement when they needed it the most. She loved watching her children and grandchildren grow and participate in all sorts of activities. In recent years, she especially enjoyed watching the games and activities of her Nebraska grandchildren and making trips to Detroit to visit her grandchildren there. We miss her so much.

She is survived by her sons Shane (Sarah), Tony (Jami), and Matt (Erin); eleven grandchildren: Luke, Claire, Jonah, Sophia, Lexi, Carson, Alex, Abenezer, Brady, Camden, and Owen; brother Bob (Margie); sisters-in-law Mary and Sharon (David); and brother-in-law Denny; many nieces and nephews; wonderful friends and extended family.

Nancy was preceded in death by her father and mother (Jim and Dorothy Dickinson), her former husband Mick Cerone, and her cousins Gary and Russell Dickinson.

A Celebration of Life will be hosted by the family on Tuesday, March 26, beginning at 5:30 pm at Journey Church (20020 Hampton Drive, Gretna, NE). The family will greet guests and a simple/strolling dinner will be served. Members of Nancy’s family will share words of remembrance at 6:30 pm, which will be followed by fellowship.  

Funeral services will be held at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Gretna at 10 am on Wednesday, March 27.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her memory to Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire ministry (www.wordonfire.org/donate/), Food Bank for the Heartland https://donate.foodbankheartland.org/, or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org/donate, all organizations that Nancy sponsored and to which she was deeply committed.