Emogene Veeder

Emogene Veeder, age 93, passed away peacefully on Monday, August 26, 2024, at Belvedere Nursing Home in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Funeral services will be held on September 3rd at 2:00 PM at Cairo Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Cairo Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Visitation will take place on September 2nd from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Cairo Baptist Church. Apfel Funeral Home is assisting the family. 

Emogene was born on October 22, 1930 in Alda, NE to Herman and Mamie (Seier) Rathman. She grew up on the family farm in Wood River, NE, and graduated from Wood River High School in 1948.

On August 29, 1953, Emogene married Robert Veeder in Cairo, NE. The couple lived in various places before settling in Cairo, NE where they raised nine children. Emogene worked in several roles including the Nebraska Veteran’s Home as a nurse’s aide, Cairo Senior Center as a server. She concluded her career as a custodian at the Cairo Baptist Church, retiring at the age of 85. 

Emogene enjoyed making mints for graduations and weddings, loved to garden and tend to her plants and flowers, enjoyed watched her children and grandchildren play sports, loved watching Nebraska football and volleyball and reading the bible. Emogene was a devoted member of Cairo Baptist Church. She found great joy in spending time with her sister Eunetta Schoneberg and cousin Darlene Schultz. In her later years, Emogene moved to Hot Springs Village, AR, where she lived with her daughter and son in-law Kathleen and Richard Jeffers.

Emogene leaves behind a large and loving family, including her children: Kathleen (Richard) Jeffers of Hot Springs Village, AR; Leah (Stan) Fernau of Hot Springs Village, AR; Garth (Opal) Veeder of Hot Springs Village, AR; Robert (Philip Valdez) Veeder of Temecula, CA; Eric Veeder of Grand Island, NE; LeAnn Veeder of Hot Springs Village, AR; Jody (Brian) Collingham of St. Paul, NE; Andrew Veeder of Grand Island, NE; and Leslie (Paul) Wooden of Ridgefield, WA. She is also survived by 21 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great-grandchild; her sister Eunetta Schoneberg, and sisters-in-law’s Jan Rathman and Janice (Rathman) Powell all of Grand Island, NE; and numerous nieces and nephews. 

She was preceded in death by her husband Robert Veeder, parents, Herman and Mamie Rathman, infant sister LaVonne Rathman, numerous brother and sister-in-laws: Merlin & Maxine Rathman, Elton & Vera Rathman, Delbert Rathman, Jerome Rathman, Ben Schoneberg, and Earl Veeder, as well as her daughter-in-law Kristi Veeder.

Emogene was a beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother who will be deeply missed by all who knew her.