Stanislawa "Stacia" Maria Krance

Stacia Maria Krance, 91, of Omaha died Saturday, May 28, 2016 at St. Joseph’s Villa in Omaha.

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in St. Paul.  Father Rayappa Konka will officiate.  Interment will be at 1:30 p.m. in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cemetery at Paplin.

Visitation will be on Friday, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. with a wake service at 6:00 p.m. at Jacobsen-Greenway Funeral Home in St. Paul.

Our mother Stacia Maria Krance was born in Chaudfountiane/ Leige Belgium in 1924 of Anton Topa from Bresslau, Germany and Agnes (Kleich) Topa in Krakow, Poland who were married just after WWI after their civilian service for the German Army building and repairing railroads (Anton) and farming (Agnes).

Their home was in Chaudfountaine, Belgium just east of Leige, on the west bank of the Vesda River in the Arden Mountains. Mom went to school at the Saint Franice through the 12 grade.

In September 1939 the Nazi's invaded Poland, in May of 1940 the Nazi's invaded Belgium and took over their house until the Nazi's moved on to the invasion of France. The Nazi's were victorious and began their occupation of France, Belgium, Holland, and Scandanavian countries. They endured this until October 1944 when American and British Armies liberated the area after D-Day on 6 June 1944 and swept east. The American and British Allies paused in Stacia's home town just 20 miles from the German border, to regroup for the major invasion on Germany itself. This is when our Mom met our father, Sylvester Joseph Krance Junior of similar heritage and began their courtship until our father "Jimmy Krance's" unit pushed into Germany and into Aachen and toward Koln.

Then the last Nazi offense on the western front began on 16 December 1944 (the Battle of the Bulge.) It was during that battle our father decided to marry Stacia if he survived.

They married in Chaufontaine on 5 April 1945, and then did not see each other again until March 1946.

Mom and other war brides were gathered by US Army from West Europe and brought to the USA. Mom traveled from New York City by train to Grand Island, Nebraska arriving at 3am in the morning alone but confident she hired a taxi to drive her to St. Paul, NE where she was finally reunited with Jimmy. They lived just 2 blocks from his parents Sylvester Sr. and Katie Krance.

James (Jim, Jimmy) was born July 1947. Dad worked for Howard County and the St Paul Legion Club. Mom worked at the Truck Stop in St. Paul, and took care of both of her Jimmy's.

Mom and Dad moved to Osceola, NE in 1948 where Mary was born in July.             They opened a restaurant with Dad's sister Blanche and Lee Raines, her husband.

In 1950 our Dad is called up back into the Army for the Korean War! When Bob was born Dad was able to be discharged immediately and he returned to Osceola.

He then worked at the Grand Island Ordinance Plant for the duration of the Korean War, while Mom took care of 3 growing children and their home.

They opened their cafe, the "Corn Palace." Dad also started a trucking company with a friend who sadly died ending that venture. Then Dad got a job as head meat cutter with the Safeway Grocery chain of stores in Omaha, NE and we all moved there in 1953. Mom continued to care for all of us while Dad advanced in his career with Safeway.

The years go by; all the time we come to visit Grandma Katie Krance 3 to 4 times a year in "Kranceland."

Stacia and Jimmy decide to send all 3 of their kids to Catholic private schools, but to help pay for that Stacia goes to work in the factory for Western Electric in 1960. Also in 1960 dad started a new career with the US Post Office and then the US Army Corp of Engineers in 1962, while Mom continued to take care of us all always with her highest standards.

Literally from the day we were born Mom and Dad were determined that "their kids" would go to college. So, from 1966 through 1975, Jim, Mary and Bob were off to college at the University of Nebraska, Oregon State University, and the University of Colorado. They all went on to have success in their careers and lives. None of this would have been possible without the love, hard work, and sacrifice for their mutual goal. Mom and Dad were inextricably linked.

College was the goal that Mom and Dad had for themselves and which they begun, each in their own separate homeland half way around the world.

God brought our Mom together with our Dad under the most horrific of circumstances, but for our family and especially for Mom, the sudden and tragic death of our father and her beloved husband at the age of 61, permanently altered Mom's life in the prime of both their lives.

She became a Grandmother in the 1980's, a role which she loved. Then in 2003 she became a Great-Grandmother a role which she greatly loved! Mom continued on with the rest of her life in her own personal solitude to complete her and her beloved husband's dream to make their family's world a better place. Our world is a better place because of our MOM.

"Ainsi soit-il," which is French for... "So Be It." Amen

Survivors include two sons and daughters-in-law, James & Lynda Krance of Omaha and Robert and Jean Krance of Colorado Springs; a daughter, Mary Krance of Boston; three grandchildren, Luke, Katie, and Christopher; and a great-grandson, Dylan.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, S.J. “Jimmy” Krance; a sister, Helen Topa; and brothers-in-laws and sisters-in-law, Leo Krance, Nellie (Krance) & Stanley Kosmicki Blanche (Krance) & Lee Raines, Lawrence & May Krance, Eddie & Georgia Krance and Adwin Krance.