| Connie Kay Kuszak |

A celebration of life services was held on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at the United Methodist Church in Loup City, with Reverend Josiah Mono officiating.

Three poems were read, including “A Note From Heaven,” “Letter From Heaven,” and “Safely Home.”

Bill Howard, Jeremy Howard, Nathan Pickering, Wesley Pickering, Rowdy LeFever, Adam Thomas, Justin Powers, and Pat Powers were honorary pallbearers.

Memorials are suggested to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Sherman County Senior Center.

Higgins Funeral Home in Loup City is in charge of arrangements. Condolences for Connie’s family can be left at higginsfuneralhomelc. com Connie Kay Howard was born September 19, 1953 in a midwife’s home at Broken Bow, to William S. and Nancy B. (Hastings) Howard. She lived her early years on the family farm in Anselmo. After her mother’s passing when she was nine, she moved with her father and siblings to Peoria, Illinois.

In 1970, Connie married and moved to Panama City, Florida, with her new husband, where she gave birth to her daughter, Nancy. A few years later, she and Nancy moved back to Nebraska to be closer to family.

In 1978, Connie moved to Loup City and started working for CNCS, where she worked for thirty-two years. She started in weatherization and worked her way up to Commodities Food Director. After CNCS she worked at Rose Lane Nursing Home until her retirement.

Connie married Randy Kuszak in 1979 and remained happily married for fifteen years, but friends for the rest of her life. In 1988, they assumed care of their niece Valorie and always considered her their second daughter.

Connie was selected as Outstanding Young Woman in 1983 for her volunteerism both in her community and statewide. She was an EMT for twenty-five years and was certified in CPR and geriatric care. Some of her additional volunteer work included the Loup Valley Domestic Task Force, Foster Care Review Board, and Every Woman Matters Board. She was also a volunteer CPR instructor for the American Heart Association and worked with the CLIC-IT program to ensure that car seats were safely installed.

Connie was very artistic and loved woodworking, painting, and writing poetry. She also had a passion for NASCAR and loved to collect memorabilia— especially for Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhart Jr.

Connie is survived by daughters, Nancy Irene (Durbala) LeFever (Brian LeFever) and Valorie Hope (Howard) Jakubowski (Anthony Jakubowski); grandchildren, Nathan Pickering (April Pickering), Wesley Pickering (Megan Pickering), Rowdy LeFever, AJ Jakubowski, and Iris Jakubowski; sisters, Terry (Howard) Sharp and Brenda (Howard) Thomas; brother, Mike Howard; and nephews, Bill, Jeremy, Pat, Justin and Adam.

Connie was preceded in death by her parents, William Stanford Howard and Nancy Belle (Hastings) Howard and nephew, Steven Robert Howard.

Connie loved to take in young people who needed an adult to love and guide them. She will be forever in the hearts of many whose lives she touched with her kind heart, sassy attitude and sharp wit.

The Sherman County Times | September 10, 2025