Beverly Ann (Chloupek) Nissen

The Lord in His infinite mercy, has called to Beverly A. Nissen and she is with her Lord and has received the new birth in Jesus Christ on February 12, 2022.  She now has received a new body and is singing God’s praises.  Beverly was born August 28, 1935 in Seward Ne to Florence V (Wood) and Robert J Chloupek.  She was a much loved quiet child with curly blond hair and an inquisitive mind.

She attended a one room school which was a mile east of the farm where she grew up.  She loved to read and was lost in a world of her own. She had a photographic memory and craved learning.  She attended high school at Staplehurst for one year and transferred to Seward High School and graduated in 1953.

In the fall of her senior year in school, she joined the local 4-H club and raised a calf as her project in the beef livestock division.  Her father Bob told her she needed to do this to help finance her tuition in the fall. She showed her beef calf project that summer, much to her enjoyment.  She attended the University of Nebraska for two years.  Money was short, so she took a break in her education and taught in a one room county school for a year and returning to the university the next fall.  While attending classes she worked at Love Library and the Lutheran Chapel on campus.  She had a double major of history and English and graduated from UNL in 1958 and with a MA in 1959.

After graduation, she moved to Omaha to teach English at Benson High School and was married to Lowell Nissen on July 31, 1960.  Of course, her ornery young adult relatives played tricks on the newlyweds, which had the end result of happy memories.

With their move to Illinois Beverly taught at Partridge West HS. This school gave her many challenges. In Wisconsin she taught in Oshkosh West HS.  Later her husband obtained a teaching position with the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, so she entered grad-school at the university to worked on her PHD and taught half time.

Beverly and husband Lowell wanted to adopt a child and were told that one of the parents had to be a “stay at Home” parent.  They made the decision for Bev to be that parent and so she kept herself busy volunteering at the church they attended and many other things until they had that child.  Beverly took up hand spinning and found a love of needle lace.

In 1972, eight and half year-old Lois Ann came to live with them.  Lois needed much love and attention and help with her schooling.  Beverly became proficient in hand spinning, weaving, dyeing with natural dyes and an expert on spinning wheels.  She taught and demonstrated at the John Campbell Folk School in North Carolina and was a mentor at a folk school near Lake Tahoe, California.

Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law Lois and Robert Ganous, Myron, Ga; her three grandchildren, Zachary (Kelsey) Ganous, Meghann (Brad) Butler, and Jordon Ganous; two great grandchildren Barron and Naomi Ganous; her sister and brother-in-law Barbara and Billy Bird of Seward, brother and sister-in-law Dick and Judy Chloupek of Lincoln, her sister-in-laws Helga Nissen, Hawley of Minnesota and sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Larayne and Rev. Richard Radde, Morehead, Minnesota, niece, nephew, many other relatives and a host of friends.  Beverly was preceded in death by per parents, Robert and Florence Chloupek , husband Lowell. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Beverly Ann (Chloupek) Nissen, please visit our floral store.