Barbara J. Greenway

Barbara J. Greenway, 86, of Palmer died Thursday, December 10, 2015 at the home of her daughter and son-in-law near Grand Island after a three-year battle with cancer.

Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Monday, December 21 at Greenway Funeral Home in Palmer.  Reverend Martin Leeper will officiate.  Inurnment will be in Rose Hill Cemetery in Palmer.

Visitation will be on Sunday, December 20 from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Memorials are suggested to the Palmer United Methodist Church or Rose Hill Cemetery.

Mrs. Greenway was born February 28, 1929 in York to Emanuel and Freida (Shipferling) Rhoades.

She was raised in York until the age of 4 when her father died and she was adopted by Walter and Mamie Lemmerman of Palmer.

She attended Palmer Schools where she graduated in 1948.

Barbara was united in marriage to C. W. “Bill” Greenway on October 9, 1949 at the United Methodist Church in Palmer.

The couple lived in Palmer and in 1955 they purchased Nicholas Funeral Home.  They owned and operated Greenway Funeral Home and Palmer Furniture for many years.  They sold the funeral home in 1988.  They continued to operate the furniture store until Bill’s death on May 3, 1990.

Barbara continued to live in Palmer until February 2013 when she moved to live with her daughter and son-in-law because of health issues.

Barbara was a great cook and loved to garden, raise flowers and take care of her lawn.  She continued to garden until her health forced her to stop.  She also bowled for many years.  She enjoyed the many fishing trips to Minnesota with family and friends.

Family times were important to her especially at Christmas when she loved to cook for her family.

She was a member of the Palmer United Methodist Church and the Burton Beyer American Legion Auxiliary Unit 120 of Palmer.

Survivors include a daughter and son-in-law, Cheryl and Doyle Henke of Grand Island; two sons and daughters-in-law, Bill and Darby Greenway of St. Paul and Tom and Shannon Greenway of Omaha; eight grandchildren and spouses, Todd and Cathy Brewer, Ryan and Dawn Brewer, Ethan Henke, Ashley Greenway, Alex and Liz Greenway, Austin and Tracy Greenway, Michaela and Matt Burke and Paul and Ashley Greenway; eight great-grandchildren, Spader Watts, Billy Brewer, Hunter Brewer, Gibson Greenway, Aiden Greenway, Mace and Molly Burke and Ava Greenway; and a sister-in-law, Carol Lemmerman of Palmer.  She was also awaiting the arrival of two additional great-grandchildren early next year.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Bill; three brothers and a sister-in-law, Robert Lemmerman, killed in World War II, Richard Lemmerman and William “Chuck” and Mary Lemmerman and three biological sisters and two biological brothers.