Gena R. Olinger

Gena R. Olinger, 81, of St. Paul died Sunday, December 13, 2015 at her home near St. Paul.

Memorial services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Thursday at Jacobsen-Greenway Funeral Home in St. Paul.  Reverend Randy Dilts will officiate.

A private family inurnment will be held at a later date.

No visitation is being planned.

Immediately following the service, a reception for friends and family will be held at the “The Sweet Shoppe” at 605 Howard Avenue, St Paul.

Memorials are suggested to the Howard County Medical Center.

Gena was born on January 10th, 1934 in Seward, NE, the eldest daughter of Leo (Bud) and Hazel (Tribbett) Trueblood.

She grew up in several different cities in Nebraska as a young child and finished her teen years and graduated from Grand Island High School in 1951.

She attended the University of Colorado, Boulder where she met and married Navy Ensign Richard Olinger on June 12th 1955.

They began a life in the Navy and journey of duty stations in Alaska, Hawaii and several other states before settling down in her home of St. Paul, Nebraska in 1983.

Along the way she had two children, Karen and Scott.

She volunteered her time in many ways with Navy Relief, POW-MIA Committee, Howard Co. Historical Society, Library Story Hour and many other endeavors.  Gena was a regular Bridge player in St Paul, member of Hill Trailers and American Legion Auxiliary.

Survivors include her husband of 60 years, Richard of St. Paul; a daughter, Karen Olinger Smith and her husband, Dave of Golden, CO; a son, Scott Olinger and his wife, Caroline of Batavia, IL; 5 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren; and a younger sister, Janet Worth of Grand Island.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Leo and Hazel Trueblood of Grand Island and brother Terry of Lincoln.