Jean Massey-Mcelroy

Jean Marie Massey McElroy, 86, passed away peacefully on January 5, 2018 at Riverside Lodge in Grand Island, Nebraska.



A memorial service to celebrate Jeans life will be held at St. Stephens Episcopal Church at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 15, 2018. Her ashes will be inurned with R. L. Massey at Ft Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado. Apfel Funeral Home is caring for the family.



Jean was a native of Nebraska, born to Josephine and Ray Nielsen in Dannebrog on the first day of summer, June 21, 1931. At the age of ten she moved to St. Paul, where she grew up and took great delight in playing the clarinet and marching in the band. At the age of fifteen she moved to Grand Island where she continued her love of music, played in the high school band, and graduated from Grand Island High School with high distinction as a member of the Honor Society. She was a member of Eastern Star and the Sub-Debs group in high school in which she cultivated lifelong friendships. Her round robin correspondence group of friends from that era have enjoyed many reunions and remain in touch to this day. After graduating from high school, Jean worked in downtown Grand Island at a local bakery, a womens clothing store Schwesers and was an operator at the phone company.



Jean married her high school sweetheart, R.L. Massey, on June 17, 1951 in Grand Island. After his tour of duty in Korea, Jean and R.L. lived in several places around the U.S., finally settling in Denver, Colorado where they finished their careers, retired and enjoyed their travels all over the world. Jean loved playing golf and bridge, listening to music and just getting together with her friends and family. Jean and R.L. had been married for 51 years when R.L. passed away in 2002. After several years living independently, Jean had the opportunity to reconnect with a Grand Island high school friend, Jim McElroy, and they were married in October 2007. Her marriage to Jim energized both of them and rekindled Jeans love of her birthplace, Nebraska. They had a wonderful marriage, enjoyed each others families, traveled extensively and generally loved each other and their life together.



Jean is survived by her husband Jim McElroy of Grand Island, her son Dean Massey of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, his wife Karen and their twin sons Jackson and Benjamin; and her daughter Maureen Scott of Aurora, Colorado, her husband Kent Scott and their children Julia Scott, Ryan Scott and his wife Stacey; and many relatives in the Massey, McElroy and Nielsen families.



Jean was predeceased by her brothers Eudell, who was killed in action in WW-II and Douglas, also a WW-II veteran, who passed away in 2011. The family requests that donations be made to the American Diabetes Association or the Alzheimers Association in lieu of flowers.



Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.apfelfuneralhome.com