Patricia L. Quillen, 91, of Kimball died Monday, February 21, 2022, at the Kimball County Manor. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 26th, at Trinity United Methodist Church with Pastor Roger Gillming officiating. Burial will follow at the Kimball Cemetery. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cantrellfh.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church or the Kimball Hospital Foundation. Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Patricia Lee (Wilson) Quillen was born on February 25, 1930, in Drumright, Oklahoma, to Charles Lee Wilson and Calla Rae Neumann. She attended first through eleventh grades in Marceline, Missouri, and graduated high school in Oshkosh, Nebraska. Patricia married Merlin Eugene Quillen on September 1, 1950, in Kearney, Nebraska. They raised two children, living in Kimball since 1952. Patricia was a lifelong learner, attending at various times in her life Park College in Parkville, Missouri, University of Nebraska-Kearney, University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky. She earned a B.A., M.S., and Ed.S. from UNK, and served the students of Dix and Kimball as teacher, counselor, and school psychologist for 34 years. Patricia was an active member of Kimball’s Trinity United Methodist Church, the P.E.O., D.A.R., NSEA-R, and NEA. She served on several boards of directors, including the NSEA-R-Panhandle District, Kimball’s Park Terrace, and the Kimball County Manor. She also served as President of the Kearney State Alumni Association. Patricia especially enjoyed gardening and traveling.
Patricia is survived by her children Charles (Vicki) Quillen of Lincoln, NE; daughter Debra (Charles) Beckwith of Albion, NE; sister Charlene (Art) Lindberg of Greer’s Ferry, AR; grandchildren Mackenzie (Toby) Jeffers of Auburn, AL, Courtney Quillen of Lincoln, Whitney Quillen of Edmond, OK, and Sam Beckwith, Beau (Abby) Beckwith, and Bobbi (Tyson) Broekemeier; and four great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband, parents, sister Mildred Mason, brother-in-law Gaylon Mason, grandson Jesse Ross Beckwith, and great-granddaughter Alex Madison.
