Lila Joan McKenzie

It seems that all stories begin with “Once Upon a Time” and thus the following begins ----

Once upon a time a little baby girl was born to Joseph Theodore Thaller and his wife Leah Virgil Anderson Thaller, at their home in Reynolds, Nebraska on March 10, 1933 ((which incidentally was her cousin Roger-s third birthday).

The couple named the little girl Lila Joan (pronounced Joann) Thaller but she was called Joan all her life. As she arrived early, and not doing as well as the doctor thought she should, he suggested she be put on goat’s milk which was good for her and look what happened, she grew and grew. She also sometimes could be found playing with the little goat kids.

She was baptized as an infant in the United Methodist Church at Reynolds. On September 29, 1957, she made her confession of faith and was baptized at the First Christian Church in Fairbury.
Joan grew up in Reynolds, an ambitious person who liked to climb to the top of the fur tree west of her parents home and the easier trees to climb in her neighbors yards. Her love of music started early as she loved to listen to her mother play the piano. She hoped someday to play like that but later in her life computers took too much of her time. During World War II she wanted a girl’s bicycle with big rubber tires . Due to the rubber tire shortage they were hard to find! Her father found one with the skinny tires and was a BOY’S bicycle and although disappointed she rode it many miles. Her Grandpa PJ told her that if she was going to ride a bicycle she had to learn to take care of it. And she did. She took the bicycle apart, painted it and put it back together with help from her grandpa on some adjustments.

She attended school at Reynolds graduating in 1950 as co-salutatorian. Following graduation Joan and her parents drove to Seattle to see family, the first long trip they had taken together. They also went into Canada traveling there over large and small ferries. Coming home from Seattle they traveled through Yellowstone Park. She then attended Fairbury Junior College, graduating in 1952, the first Fairbury Junior College class to have their graduation ceremony in McNish Park.

In 1953 she went again to Seattle with her cousin Roger Haskell, on whose third birthday she was born. He had purchased a new car in Detroit and he, his mother and Joan’s mother drove it from Detroit to Fairbury and then Roger and Joan drove to his home in Seattle. What a thrill!

October 27, 1956, she married Dean McKenzie at the United Methodist Church in Fairbury. The minister arrived a week ahead of time and the custodian suggested he read the schedule. On the date of the wedding the minister had to be called as he had family home and had forgotten the wedding. The couple made their home in Fairbury, first living in an apartment. They purchased their first home at 1212 C Street and later moved to a new home at 1714 G where they lived for 39 1/2 years. On November 12, 2003 they moved into an apartment at 1022 J. For over 11 years she was responsible for transporting her husband to Beatrice, or finding someone who would, for his dialysis treatments.

In early fall of 1962 a daughter, Connie Sue, blessed the home, and in mid summer of 1964 a son, Michael Dean, made the family complete.

After graduating from college she worked at the Co-op Grocery store until it closed. She worked at the ASCS Office in Fairbury for 10 years where she began to learn about soils, terraces and waterways.

While raising the couple’s two children she was a home seamstress for 15 years (Her sister-in-law called her a ‘professional seamstress‘). She was then employed by Bervin Distributing part-time so she could continue her love of sewing. From 1978-1992 she worked at The Fairbury Journal-News, leaving there to begin another career as a secretary for Eunice Stuart at Waddell & Reed. In 1995 she started work as office manager for Steve Kettelhut at Kettelhut Real Estate. While working with Steve and his crew at auctions she enjoyed clerking for them. After 15 years working for Steve she retired July 30, 2010. However on August 2 that year she took a part-time position at her church working nine hours a week as secretary so she was able to take her husband for his dialysis treatments.

She was active in her church, serving in many capacities including chairman of the board in 1994-95 and 2000-2002 and 2012-2015. She also served as an elder, deaconess, deacon, financial secretary and was Sunday School Superintendent for many years. October 12, 2009 she was honored when Robert Brockmeyer presented her with her Elder Emeritus pin.

She was a member of Vashti Chapter No. 68 Order of the Eastern Star, joining Oct. 16, 1954 (the chapter later merged with Vesper Chapter No. 9 in Beatrice). She served as Worthy Matron of Vashti Chapter for three different terms. She received her 50-year pin in 2004 and was a member at the time of her death. She was also an active member of Rock Creek Quilter’s Guild, serving as president in 2008. She took care of the newsletter (if it wasn’t taking care of her) for a couple of years. She was an avid crafter for many years. She had created over 214 teddy bears, using all type of fabrics to make the bears some of them traveling many miles to their new homes, but her greatest passion was selecting fabric and creating quilts. She also made pot scratchers, 3299 as of November 24, 2024, starting 16 years ago.

On August 12, 2002 she had her first knee surgery, the second one made at the Fairbury hospital, the first being Evvelyn Jackson.

Preceding her in death were her husband Dean, her parents and grandparents Perry and Myrtlonee Anderson and Henry and Mary Thaller; great-granddaughter, Kendra Leah Rose Anderson; and beloved cousin, Dana Joyce Haskell.

Survivors include her son Michael Dean McKenzie of Fairbury; daughter Connie Sue McKenzie of Sheboygan WI; grandson Dustin Michael McKenzie and his wife Carra and their children Blake, Madeline (Maddie) and Bryson of Gaylord, Michigan, Joseph Robert Anderson of Canton. OH, and his sons, Ian Joseph Anderson of Sheboygan, WI and Rydian ---- Anderson of Canton, OH; cousins, Donna (her husband Dr. Darrell Hull of Lincoln who passed away Feb. 28, ,2025 at the age of 99, Robert Claus Krambeck of Sequin, TX and others.