Elna Young

Elna Pauline (Kuehner) Young was born on August 19, 1935, in Goliad, TX, to Paul and Elna (Peterson) Kuehner, and passed away on February 22, 2026. She spent her childhood in several Lutheran parishes, including Pender and Walton, NE. She graduated from high school and attended Luther College in Wahoo, NE.

On September 1, 1956, Elna married James Lee Young in Diller, NE. They welcomed five children:

Mark, Amy, Anne, Matthew, and Mollie.

Elna and Jim lived in Lincoln until 1965, then moved to Nelson, NE, where Elna excelled in

childrearing and homemaking. She transformed a neglected Victorian house into a warm, inviting

home. When she wasn't wrangling children, wallpapering, sewing, or painting, she made her singular

yeasted doughnuts for Jim to sell to the morning regulars at Young's Pharmacy.

In 1979, the family moved to Milford, NE. Elna became custodian and caretaker of the Milford United

Methodist Church, a role she devoted herself to for 25 years. After retiring, she continued working by

cleaning the office of Laminated Wood Systems in Seward.

A lifelong learner, Elna embraced creativity and movement. She took classes in piano, dance,

aerobics, knitting, sewing, swimming, music theory, and drawing. She excelled at violin, playing an

instrument Jim handcrafted for her. In 2016, the Lincoln Civic Orchestra established The Elna Young

Award for Excellence and Commitment in her honor.

Elna loved games and play-darts, pingpong, washers, and energetic water fights, keeping a water

gun on hand "just in case." She cherished her gardens, her annual battle with bindweed, and the

satisfaction of a beautifully stacked woodpile. In later years she treasured quiet time by the fireplace

and the companionship of her dog, Winnie.

Elna was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jim; her brotherinlaw, Mark Lindberg; and

her soninlaw, David Dovel. She is survived by her five children, 15 grandchildren, 19

greatgrandchildren, nieces, nephews, and the "honorary Youngs," the Anne and Boyd Anderson

family.

Funeral Service: Sunday, March 1, 2026, 2:00 p.m. at the West Blue Church, rural Milford, NE.

Interment: 3:15 p.m. at the Blue Mound Cemetery, Milford, NE.

There is no visitation.