Phyllis Elaine (McDaniel) Skillman

Phyllis Elaine Skillman, beloved mother and grandmother, age 92, of Ainsworth, NE, passed away peacefully on May 8, 2025, at Kearney Regional Medical Center in Kearney, NE. She was born on September 4, 1932, in Johnstown, NE, to Albert R. and Lillian A. (Hamaker) McDaniel. Phyllis was the second of eight children, with three sisters and four brothers.

Phyllis graduated from Ainsworth High School in 1950 and soon after married Carl Spies. From this union, three daughters were born: Teresa, Barbara, and Peggy. When the girls were young, this marriage ended. Phyllis worked to support them, waiting tables at the Nite & Day Café. She began dating Donald Skillman, and when they were married on February 6, 1963, Don brought two daughters, Janet and Kathy, to the marriage. Phyllis and her daughters moved to Don’s family farm. When Teresa was a freshman, Don and Phyllis built a house on Merten Street in Ainsworth. The family lived there until Peggy was a senior when they returned to the farm. In 1980, Phyllis's granddaughter Brandi came to live with her and Don on the farm, and they adopted her in 1984. When Brandi was a junior in high school, Phyllis and Brandi moved back to town with Phyllis returning to the farm after Brandi’s wedding in 1994. Phyllis and Don celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on February 6, 2013, just ten days before Don's passing. In July of 2013, Phyllis permanently moved into Ainsworth.

While the girls were in school, she worked as a cook in the Ainsworth nursing home and later started working in retail at McDonald’s, McCarthy’s, and Moyers. After retiring, she decided to open her own store, The Book Nook, where she sold books, health food, and offered alteration services.

When she was younger, Phyllis was an avid bowler, making many trips to the state bowling tournaments. She also was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, where she served as Auxiliary President in 1996. Phyllis was also active in the Dorcas Society, the Thrift Store and the Quilt Guild. She thoroughly loved quilting, making a quilt for each of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren, along with several Quilts of Valor and other miscellaneous quilts.

An avid traveler, Phyllis would make many trips to Sacramento, CA via Denver, CO to pick up her sister, Ruth and her kids, to visit their mother. In later years only Brandi made the trip with them. Every year they would always take a different route. Phyllis missed seeing her children after they grew up. So, one summer, when her oldest daughter, Teresa was stationed in Germany with the Air Force, she and Brandi visited her for 14 days and cherished every moment of the trip.

Phyllis’ greatest joy was spending time with all her grandchildren. Because Brandi lived in Ainsworth, she was able to spend more time with her youngest granddaughters, Dena and Whittney. They enjoyed weekend sleepovers at the farm with their grandparents, helping grandma in her garden, learning to bake and help can the produce from the gardens and going to Sunday school and church every week when they were younger. However, just because the other grandkids did not live close by, that did not mean that Phyllis was not at their events. Don always said that she could not stay home. Phyllis put many miles on vehicles attending all the different activities Shon, Jason, Julie, Joel, Trent, Chad, Tonya, or Tammy participated in.

Phyllis suffered a couple of heart attacks and had a pacemaker implanted. In 2021, she experienced a stroke that affected the right side of her body and spent three weeks in Kearney for rehabilitation. Despite this, she didn’t let the stroke hold her back; she simply slowed down a bit. Although she never returned to her sewing machine, she picked up her cross-stitching again from time to time. She continued to enjoy traveling, now accompanied by her daughter, Peggy, who moved in to assist her during the last three years of her life. Together, they made multiple trips to Montana to visit her grandson, Mykal and his wife, Julie. She attended parties for her great grandchildren, Kirsten, Kaelyn, Conner, Austin, Jaydenn, Lucas, Landon, Ryann, Hadley, Hunter, Zaveri and Kensley. She loved meeting her great-great grandchildren, Elias and Maybrie. Phyllis was a woman of many talents, with a heart as big as the world.

Phyllis was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Skillman; daughter, Teresa Furden; stepdaughter, Janet McNeel; grandson, Shon Kloepping; father, Albert R McDaniel and mother, Lillian A. Schlechty; mother-in-law, Grace Skillman; father-in-law, Harry Skillman; three sisters, Gloria, Linda and Ruth; three brothers, Gilbert, Gordon and Jerry, and sister-in-law, Marjorie Peterson. She is survived by daughters, Barbara (Doug) Kloepping of Lexington, NE, Peggy (Jerry) Funk and Brandi (Scott) Pirnie of Ainsworth; stepdaughter, Katherine (Vernon) Counts of Cozad, NE; stepson-in-law, Larry McNeel of Lincoln, NE; 12 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren; brother, Steve McDaniel of Moreno Valley, CA; along with nieces, nephews and other family members.

Memorial Service was held on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 at the Zion Lutheran Church in Ainsworth with Pastor Lynn Christensen officiating at the event. Obituary was read by Scott Pirnie. Music was provided by Betty Bower with the congregation singing “Rock of Ages” and “Amazing Grace.” The song, “Scars in Heaven” by Casting Crowns was played at inurnment at the Ainsworth Cemetery under the direction of the Hoch Funeral Home of Ainsworth. Memorials were suggested to the family for a future designation. Condolences may be left for the family at www.hochfuneralhome.com.