Waunita Axtell

Waunita Irlene Dainton Axtell, 85, of Anselmo passed Friday, January 22, 2016, at Heritage Hall in Broken Bow. Waunita was born February 17, 1930, to Winonah (Winnie) Irlene Street and Stephen Roy Dainton on their ranch near Anselmo, Nebraska. She was the younger of two children. Waunita attended the Grand View School until the 5th grade when she transferred and attended the Anselmo Grade School until she graduated from the Anselmo High School in the Spring of 1947. She then went onto acquire her college degree from the Denver Business College in February of 1948. On September 18,1948, Waunita was united in marriage to LaGene Forrest Axtell of Anselmo. To this union three children were born, David, Debra and Shirley. The couple made their first home on the Street ranch West of Anslemo, in Hoosier Valley. From there, they moved to Anselmo where they resided until LaGene passed on in 1997. Waunita worked at the Kate Wattington General Store and for the VanNest Hardware store for a short period of time. From 1962 thru 1967, Waunita worked at Halsey National Forest in the Bessey tree nursery. She then worked part time for the United States Postal Service and Myers Construction as a machine operator until she accepted the full-time position as the Post Master in Anselmo. She retired in 1992 from the Postal Service but continued to manage the Victoria Manner in Anselmo. She continued to stay active throughout her life by always cutting cedar trees and thistles in the cool summer mornings. In the winter she would also cut wood with a chainsaw in order heat her home well into her 80s. Her age never slowed her down as Waunita loved to go on family vacations and even learned how to snow ski at the age of 65. She then went on to purchase her own Jet Ski in her 70’s and enjoyed every minute while riding around Calamus Lake. Waunita enjoyed spending time in the garden where she would share her vegetables and flowers with many of the neighbors. Canning may have been a chore but many quarts of fruits and vegetables were canned in her kitchen. Along with these, she enjoyed being a 4-H leader where she taught many young girls how to knit and crochet. Survivors of the immediate family include a son and daughter-in-law, David and Patricia Axtell of Hallam, NE; two daughters and a son-in-law, Debra Schultz of Grand Island and Shirley and Herbert McMullen of Anselmo, NE; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband LaGene, her parents, Stephen and Winonah Dainton, her brother Owen Dainton, her brother-in-law Norman Wilson and her Son-in-law Barry Schultz. Funeral Services will be held Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 10:00 AM at the Govier Bros. Mortuary in Broken Bow with Pastor Rick Johnson officiating. Burial will be in the Grandview Cemetery North of Anselmo, NE. Memorials are suggested to the Anselmo Fire and Rescue Unit.