Louise D. Jenness, 91, of Wayne died Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026 at the Wakefield Health Care Center.
Mass Of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 24 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Wayne. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23 St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Wayne. A Vigil Service will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. with the Nebraska Nurse Honor Guard rites. Private burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery in Wayne.
Memorials may be directed to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Wayne.
Arrangements are with Hasemann Funeral Home of Wayne.
Memorials may be directed to St. Mary’s Catholic Church Wayne.
Louise D Jenness was born Oct. 17, 1934 to Carl Nick and Claribel Ruth (Stevens) Fank in Britt, Iowa. She grew up in Emmetsburg, Iowa, graduating from Emmetsburg High School. Louise graduated from St. Joseph Mercy School of Nursing in Sioux City, Iowa.
After graduation, she worked at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and later Cherokee Hospital. It was at Cherokee where she met Miron. They were married on May 26, 1956 in Emmetsburg, Iowa. After their marriage, Miron and Louise moved to Wayne, where she worked at the Benthack Clinic. They moved to Ida Grove, Iowa in 1958 and then back to Wayne in 1963. Wayne became their permanent home.
Miron and Louise were blessed with three children: Carl, Vince, and Ann.
Louise’s nursing career included St Joesph Mercy Hospital in Sioux City; Cherokee Hospital, Cherokee, Iowa; Battle Creek Hospital, Battle Creek, Iowa; and Benthack Hospital and Providence Medical Center in Wayne. She served as Director of Nursing at Providence Medical Center from 1971 until retirement in 1994. After retirement, Louise kept busy working at the Oaks Retirement Community in Wayne for several years. Her life was spent giving and helping others. She did so without the need for honors or recognition. Helping others was all that mattered to her.
Louise and Miron enjoyed traveling after retirement. They were able visit 31 states and 8 countries. She also made several Life of the World Mission trips to Mexico, Belize, and the Dominican Republic. Louise was an active member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church and was involved in various community and nursing organizations.
Louise is survived by one son, Vince (Cindy) of Crofton; daughter Ann, (Bryan) Ruwe of Wayne; nine grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren; one great-great grandchild on the way; and one sibling, Nick (Kathy) Fank, Emmetsburg, Iowa as well as many nieces and nephews.
She was proceeded in death by her parents; husband, Miron; son, Carl; one sister, Sharon Kay; and one brother, Charley (Bubba) Fank; and many in-laws and nieces and nephews.
