Joyce E. Goodner

Broken Bow, NE

Joyce E. Goodner, age 86 of Broken Bow passed away on February 25, 2025, at the Rose Lane Care Home in Loup City.

Memorial services will be held on Monday March 10, 2025, at 2:00 PM at the Berean Bible Church in Broken Bow. A visitation and time to greet the family will be held on Sunday March 9, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow. Memorials are suggested to the Prairie Pioneer Center or the Homeward Trails Bible Camp. Online condolences and words of encouragement can be left at www.govierbrothers.com .

Joyce Elaine Goodner was born to Nate and Ruth (Peltzer) Davidson on June 21, 1938, in Berwyn, NE, the fourth of five children. The family lived in Berwyn where her father had a small livestock-farming operation. As a child she helped with picking potatoes and tomatoes and pulling rhubarb which they sold to grocery stores in Broken Bow. She also had a milk route and delivered the Omaha World Herald in Berwyn with her brothers for several years. She attended Berwyn School for her elementary education and graduated from Broken Bow High School in 1956. Her first jobs included babysitting and helping at the Berwyn library. During high school she also had a part-time job at Hesteds. As a senior she began working at the Custer County Chief and worked there in the bookkeeping department until 1963.

 She and Robert (Bob) Goodner were wed on May 11, 1958, and to this union six daughters were born. She helped her husband as a bookkeeper in several businesses in which he was involved — G & L Washer Sales, B-J Equipment and Goodner’s Fine Wood. In 1987 she opened a craft consignment shop called Selectibles - one of the first of its kind in the area. She and her husband spent many years traveling to craft shows in Nebraska and neighboring states marketing wooden items which they produced. For several years, they also sold their products in a kiosk in the Kearney mall as well as supplied items to Happythings, a home party group. Later in her life she was also employed by Dollar General.

 At the of age 6 she made the decision to follow Christ and then reaffirmed this decision as an adult at the age of 30. On July 25, 1982, she was baptized in the Middle Loup River at Milburn as an outward sign of this inward decision. She enjoyed being a grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great grandmother and loved sharing her faith with those around her.

 She was preceded in death by her husband, Bob, her parents, Nate and Ruth, her brothers Bill, Jim, Edwin and Philip, 4 brothers-in-law, 6 sisters-in-law and a granddaughter Rachel Myers. She is survived by daughters Marilyn (Bill) Johnson of Callaway, their children Tabitha (Darin) Keller, Michelle (Randy) Kippley, Robert Johnson, Rebecca (Daniel Olson) Johnson, Leonard (Schanae) Johnson; Penny (David) Myers of Broken Bow, their children Jared Myers, Sarah Myers, Megan Meyers, Taylor (Jessica) Myers, Quinn Myers; Kelli (Kenny) Beck of Gothenburg their children Jared (Anna) Beck, Jacob (Dayna) Beck, Jessica Beck; Connie (Doug) Campbell of Broken Bow, their children Levi Campbell, Hannah (Evan) Olson; Carolyn (Tim) Troxel of Berwyn, their children Sam (Troy) Troxel, Sidney (Michael) Schainost; and Judy (Rick) Emswiler of Papillion, their children Harper (RJ) Hemmingsen, Grady (Evan) Janssen, Gracie Sunde, Jed Sunde. She also leaves behind 17 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great grandchildren, 2 sisters-in-law, numerous nieces and nephews, cousins and several life-long friends.