Ila Mae (Sybrant) Blake

Ila Mae Blake was born May 30, 1943 at Ainsworth, NE and passed away December 15, 2025 at her home in Rock County, NE at the age of 82 years, six months and 15 days. She and her brother, Arlo, spent their childhood in southern Rock County with their parents, Austin and Naomi (Sokol) Sybrant. She thought the world of her parents and viewed her dad as her hero.

Ila Mae attended elementary school at Sybrant School District 77, which was the same school her dad had attended, and later, all of her children would attend. She had many memories of riding horses to school and carrying her lunch in a bucket. Usually her lunch would be made with homemade bread, which her mom made.

Ila Mae attended and graduated from Rock County High School in Bassett, NE. Due to the distance home from school, she stayed in town at the home of her grandmother, Carrie Sybrant during the weekdays. She enjoyed working at the Cozy Cafe during her high school years. Ila Mae developed some close friendships with her classmates that would follow her for the rest of her life.

Ila Mae Sybrant married Archie Blake in 1962. During the Berlin Crisis, Archie was recalled into military service, so they made their first home in Louisiana and later Corpus Christi, TX where Archie was stationed. During weekends they would go fishing in the ocean. Ila Mae got her first… and probably last experience of cooking a crab during this time. They also had some very interesting memories of their experiences driving across the border into Mexico.

After being discharged from the military for the second time, Archie and Ila Mae moved back to Rock County and returned to ranching. Over the years, they lived on the Hazel Lanz place and the Raymond Hendershot place before Archie built a home for them on the Ben Minor place in southern Rock County.

Ila Mae and Archie became the parents of three children, Dean, Ronda and Ranell. They raised their children with love and devotion. In addition to her duties as a mother, Ila Mae was the “hired man” on the ranch, helping with calving, haying, branding, sorting, and driving cattle. Later on, she also helped with the raising, lambing, and shearing of sheep. It was not unusual to meet her at the door with a baby bottle full of lamb milk, find a baby lamb in a box in the kitchen being warmed by a hooded hair dryer, or a baby calf warming up in the bath tub. It was also common to find a coon hide or a coyote hide wrapped in plastic in the freezer in preparation for the fur buyer. It was all part of the life she loved.

Ila Mae saw beauty in nature. She always commented on the pretty diamonds of frost, snow, or ice sparkling in the sunshine… even on such occasions as getting the kids to school on snowmobiles while snow was plastering her. Ila Mae and Archie enjoyed antelope and deer hunting. She also liked to hunt in the sandy hills for arrow heads. She always had a big vegetable garden with at least a couple rows of flowers, which she referred to as her “soul food.” She spent a lot of time canning and butchering chickens (sometimes with the help of Grandma Gladys Blake who she said was the best mother-in-law a person could have). Ila Mae also loved wild birds which visited, nested, and fed in her front yard. She was especially fond of the “red birds, and was always pleased when they visited. Ila Mae even saw beauty in Dean’s honey bees and enjoyed observing them from a safe distance.

Ila Mae was left to care for the ranch when Archie passed away in 2003. At this time she became especially close to her savior, Jesus Christ. Dean came home to help her and was there for her to the end of her life. Because of this, Ila Mae was able to spend all of her days on the land and in the home she loved.

December 14, 2025 was an especially good day for Ila Mae. She smiled, wore her glasses to watch TV, drank lemonade, and especially enjoyed being pampered by Barb Stout as she had her hair fixed and lotion placed on her body. She pulled her children to her side and spoke to them with love.

Ila Mae Blake went to be with the Lord on the morning of December 15, 2025. She spent her few remaining hours holding Ronda’s hand and gazing into Dean’s eyes as he stroked her hair and she listened to Pastor John pray and read scriptures into her ear via cell phone. As the time grew near, the wrinkles of her face diminished and the look of physical pain became a look of peace.

Ila Mae Blake was preceded in death by her husband, Archie, her parents, Austin and Naomi Sybrant, and her daughter, Ranell. She is survived by her son, Dean of Bassett; daughter, Ronda (Mike) Davis of Ainsworth, NE, brother, Arlo Sybrant (Esther) of Bassett; eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren along with nieces, nephews and other family members.

Funeral Service was held on Friday, December 19, 2025 at the Sybrant Community Church with Pastor Jason Thompson officiating. The music selections of “Shall We Gather At The River” by Doyle Lawson, “Great-Speckled Bird” by Roy Acuff and “Gathering Flowers For The Master’s Bouquet” by Bill Anderson were played. Casketbearers were: Lee Davis, Jay T Davis, Chris Whidby, Lonnie Buoy, Jerry Buoy, Gary Buoy, and Mike Sybrant. Honorary Casketbearers were: All of Ila Mae’s Other Family & Friends. Memorials were suggested to the family in her name. Interment was in the Sybrant Cemetery under the direction of the Hoch Funeral Home of Bassett. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.hochfuneralhome.com.