Milrae Sullivan

Milrae Sullivan, 96, of Grand Island died Thursday, October 29, 2020 at Tiffany Square Care Center in Grand Island. A private family service will be 10:30 AM Thursday, November 5, 2020 at Apfel Funeral Home with Reverend Mark Maresh officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar View Cemetery in Doniphan. Those in attendance will be required to wear masks and to practice proper social distancing. The service will be streamed on the Apfel Funeral Home Facebook page. Memorials are suggested to the family for later designation. Online condolences may be directed to www.apfelfuneralhome.com.



Milrae (Lepin) Sullivan, youngest of three children, was born in Blue Hill, Nebraska, on January 19, 1924, to Herman and Rose (Kottwitz) Lepin. The family moved to Doniphan in 1931 and she attended country school District 60 until 1937 when the family lived in Hastings for a short time. They returned to Doniphan and she began High School there in the Fall of 1937 and graduated from Doniphan High School in 1941 as class Valedictorian. She attended 1½ years at Hastings College on a scholarship. She worked at various jobs including Cornhusker Ordnance and Hastings Naval Depot defense plants, and also for a short time at General Electric in Lincoln and the Hastings Tribune in Hastings, Nebraska.



Milrae and John P. Sullivan were married in St. Patrick’s Highland Catholic Church on September 19, 1945. They farmed in the Doniphan community all their married life. They had six children: Rosemary, Connie, Barbara, David (deceased in 1999), Linda, and Julia. In 1972 John and Milrae moved from the farm to a home in Doniphan. Mr. Sullivan died December 30, 1990. In 2002 Milrae sold her home to St. Ann’s Catholic Church for their use as a rectory and she moved to Grand Island.



She was a member of St. Leo’s Catholic Church. She had memberships at the Liederkranz, the Platt-Duetsche, the Elks Does, and the Saddle Club – all in Grand Island. She enjoyed life and her family was very important and at the top of her list. It didn’t matter if you were born into her family or joined later, you were hers! Her friends were so special to her and they all had a close bond enhanced by their frequent together times for cards, lunches and dinners, and lots of conversation. She was a very special and spiritual church-going woman, and a great caretaker of her family; and she was a book reading, game playing, bingo enjoying, puzzle solving, card playing, people person and a real joy to visit with. She was also a wonderful example of being the great matriarch of a large and lively family and was always ready for a visit or phone call. She dealt with her situation with grace and acceptance of “it is what it is”.



She is survived by her daughters, Rosemary (Wendell) Triplett of Grand Island, NE, Connie Osler of Grand Island, NE, Barbara (Ron) Page of Omaha, NE, Linda Eihusen of Grand Island, NE, Julia (Brian) Brodrick of Deweese, NE; 23 grandchildren; 63 great grandchildren; eight great-great grandchildren; sister, Verna (Graf) Kiesling of Hastings, NE; daughter-in-law, Christy Sullivan (Myron Peterson) of Lincoln, NE, and many nieces and nephews.



She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, John, son, David, and brother, Lamar Lepin.