Cleo Birner

Cleo Birner, 79 of Sidney, Nebraska died Monday morning, March 27, 2017 at her home in Sidney.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M., Friday, March 31, 2017 in the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Sidney with Pastor David Hall officiating. Burial will follow in the Greenwood Cemetery.

Memorials have been established to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church or the Cheyenne County Community Center Foundation.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, March 30 at the Holechek Funeral Home with the family present.

Cleo Jeanette Birner, the daughter of Melvin and Jenny (Owen) Benson was born October 5, 1937 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She grew up on a farm near Sioux Falls and attended school in Sioux Falls, graduating from Sioux Falls West High School. After graduating, she enrolled in the nursing program at South Dakota State University. It was while she was in school she met Joel Birner and they were married on September 20, 1958 in Sioux Falls. Cleo graduated as a Registered Nurse on March 25, 1959. The family moved to Sidney in 1967 when her husband took a job with Western Drug and Cleo worked as an RN with the Cook, Bitner and Thayer clinic. She retired in the late 1980’s and would spend the winters in Arizona.

She was a member of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and Chapter FR of P.E.O. She enjoyed following her grandchildren in all of their activities.

Survivors include two sons: Mark Birner and friend Cheryl Gorman of Mesa, AZ and Tom Birner and wife Cindy of Sidney, NE; one daughter Kathy Hardy and husband Mark of Chappell, NE; a brother Lanny Benson and wife Sylvia of Brandon, SD; a sister Carol Currier of Sioux Falls, SD and eight grandchildren: Amanda Hardy, Margo Lutes, Ben Hardy, Mike Birner, Sara Birner, Ryan Birner, Kara Birner and Nicole Birner.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Joel in 2005 and a sister Moreen Maytum. 
 
 Holechek Funeral Home and Cremations in Sidney is serving the Birner family.