Lola Jean (Pedersen) Sperling

Lola Jean Sperling 92, of St. Paul, NE, died Thursday, December 29, 2022 at Brookfield Park in St. Paul.

DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS FOR FAMILY TRAVELING: Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, January 7, 2023 at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in St. Paul.  Pastor Steven Neal will be officiating.  Interment will be in the Elmwood Cemetery in St. Paul.

Visitation will be from 1:00 - 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, January 5, 2023 at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in St. Paul and one hour prior to services on Saturday, January 7, 2023 at the church. Memorials are suggested to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church or to the American Legion.

Lola was born on April 5, 1930 at Wolbach, NE the daughter of Emil and Elnor (Christensen) Pedersen and the third daughter of seven children.  Lola grew up on the family farm, attended school in Wolbach and was a 1948 graduate of Wolbach High School.

Lola was united in marriage to Melvin Sperling on October 22, 1951 in Jackson, Missouri. They began their married life at Ft. Knox, Kentucky where Melvin was stationed in the U.S. Army.  They returned to Nebraska, lived in Lincoln before returning to the Wolbach/ St. Paul area where they settled on their farm. In later years, the couple moved into St. Paul where Lola spent the remainder of her life.

Lola worked for E.C. Hanish and at Nesiba Café then later working with Melvin managing their crop insurance business. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church of Wolbach where she was involved with Ladies Aid. Currently she is a member of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in St. Paul.  She was a member of the Wolbach Extension Club and the American Legion Auxiliary Club of St. Paul.

Lola loved to bake especially angel food cake and apple pie.  Her hobbies were reading, gardening, and traveling. Her fondest memories were seeing the ocean with her grandsons, and going to England and Scotland with her family.

She loved spending time with her grandchildren and visiting over a cup of coffee with family and friends.  Lola will always be remembered for her warm smile and compassion for others.

Survivors include her four children and their spouses: daughters, Theda (Roy) Wilsey of Salem, S.D., Dorothy (Ron) Schultz of Wood River; sons, Dennis (Marjorie) Sperling of St. Paul, Melvin Sperling (special friend Connie) of Grand Island; 10 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; sister, Kathryn Dubas of Fullerton; brother, Clayton (Geraldine) Pedersen of St. Paul; sisters-in-law, Pat Moss of Wood River, NE, Kay (Milt) Stoppokette of Chapman, NE, Linda (Vern) Johnson of Chappell, NE; and brother-in-law; Robert Sperling of Grand Island, NE; numerous nieces and nephews.

Lola was preceded in death by her parents, Emil and Elenor; husband, Melvin; sisters, Shirley Lanka, Joan Christensen, Phyllis Gebhardt and Loraine Wozniak; and daughter-in-law, Kathy Sperling.