Jonita Marie Hain

Jonita Marie (Sears) Hain was born on February 27, 1942 in Valentine, Nebraska to loving parents Joe and Helen Sears. She grew up on the Sears cattle ranch just outside of Valentine, where she and her 7 siblings worked outdoors on the ranch as well as indoors helping her mother with daily living chores. Jonita attended high school in Curtis, Nebraska with a couple of her sisters. She moved to Boulder, Colorado shortly after high school where she attended The University of Colorado. Jonita moved back to Valentine and began working at the Bank of Valentine. In 1965, while working at the bank, she met her husband, Larry Hain, who was traveling from Omaha on business. It was "love at first sight!" Jonita said to herself, "I'm going to marry that man". Jonita and Larry married on April 29, 1967. They settled permanently in Omaha where Jonita worked at Omaha National Bank until they started a family. They enjoyed a beautiful home in Millard where their three children - Alecia, Andrew and Ann - were born. Jonita was meticulous about her landscaping, and on the weekends, Larry and Jonita could be found tending to the yard and the beautiful shrubs and flowers they had planted each season. The Hain family enjoyed vacationing to the family ranch in Valentine where they would play Pitch and tell stories until the sun rose, skiing during the winter in Colorado and boating in the warm summer months. Their favorite summer destinations included Branched Oak Lake in Lincoln, Merritt Dam Reservoir in Valentine and Lake Manawa in Iowa. As the children grew older, Larry and Jonita built a second family home on Lake Calamus in Burwell, Nebraska. For decades, the family, extended family, and many friends had wonderful times in Burwell. Larry and Jonita's favorite pastime was grilling the catch of the day and watching the pink and orange sunsets that graced the rugged sandhills on clear evenings. Jonita was an avid Husker football fan. The family spent many weekends tailgating in Lincoln, rooting for the Huskers and often traveling to bowl games. In their retired years, Larry and Jonita loved traveling across country in their RV, cheering on Nebraska football, feeding the finches, and listening to country music. Jonita was present at each of her grandchildren's birth, even though she had to travel thousands of miles to get there. She loved spending time with her three children, eight grandchildren and of course her loving husband of 53 years. Jonita took extraordinary care of Larry until his passing in 2020. Following Larry's death, in 2021, Jonita moved to Plymouth, Minnesota to be closer to her daughter Ann and her family. During that time, she enjoyed attending many of her grandchildren's sporting events, listening to piano concerts, boating on Lake Minnetonka and eating family dinners on Sunday evening. Jonita even found a love for dogs, and you would often find her lounging on the couch, sipping a glass of Reisling, and petting her furry friend. She lived in an independent living community called Trillium Woods, where she began meeting an entire new set of friends and companions. Jonita enjoyed playing poker and several other card games with this group, and her life began to flourish again – even earning the nickname "Poker Jo" by her friends. Jonita had a zest for life and really appreciated deep conversations with everyone she met. Jonita was preceded in death by her parents Joe and Helen Sears and her husband Larry. She is survived by her three children Alecia (Hain) Stepp, Andrew Hain, Ann (Hain) Nusbaum, daughter-in-law Danielle (Tobin) Hain and son-in-law Nicholas Nusbaum along with eight grandchildren: Brooke and Brea Stenger; Lauren, Lindsey and Lexi Hain; Max, Major and Mace Nusbaum, cousins, nieces, nephews, and many friends. Funeral service for Jonita Hain, age 83 of Plymouth, MN and formerly of the Valentine and Omaha areas will be held on Monday, April 14, 2025, at 10:00 AM at Sandoz Chapel of the Pines in Valentine. The burial will follow at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Valentine. Visitation will be held 1 hour prior to the funeral service. Mrs. Hain passed away on April 7 in Plymouth, MN.