Lila J. Dearing

Lila Jean attended college in Nebraska and Colorado.

On April 2, 1961, Lila Jean married Waldo Herschel Dearing, Jr. at Light Memorial Presbyterian Church in Sidney, Nebraska. They lived and both worked at the Sioux Army Depot in Sidney.

In addition to living in Sidney, Lila Jean and Waldo also resided in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi; Jackson, Mississippi; and Moraga, California. Lila Jean loved church and community volunteering, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

In 2005, Lila Jean moved to Lincoln to be closer to family and the family farms in Dalton and Brule, Nebraska.

A devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and business woman, Lila Jean took great joy in supporting her immediate and extended family. Also, she worked tirelessly to organize Sioux Army Depot Reunions for many years after the Depot’s closing in 1967.

Lila Jean is survived by her daughter, Dannie Elizabeth (Mike) Elwood; three grandchildren, Elizabeth Jean Elwood, Mardi Rhiannon Elwood (Dakota Baumgartner), Samuel Ray Elwood; brother Ancel W. (Gwen) Lewis, Jr.; sister Sandra Lewis Zinck; brother Leland (Sue) Lewis; sister Linda (Steven) Shanahan; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews all special to Lila Jean. She is preceded in death by her parents and her husband.

A service will be held at 2:00 pm on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at Lincoln Memorial Park & Funeral Home, 6800 South 14th Street with burial and a reception to follow. Memorials may be designated to the Cheyenne County Historical Association, P.O. Box 596, Sidney, NE, 69162 or https://www.fortsidney.org/.