LILLY, Mary E.

Mary E. Lilly, 91, of Kearney, formerly of Grand Island, died Tuesday, January 25, 2005, at the Mt. Carmel Home in Kearney. Services will be at 10:30 A. M. Friday at the First Christian Church in Grand Island. The Rev. Erin Curtis will officiate. Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 P.M. Thursday at Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home. The family will greet friends from 4 to 6 P.M. Mrs. Lilly was born July 5, 1913, at Beatrice, NE to Hiram G. and Stella (Urban) Baker. Survivors of the immediate family are her son and daughter-in-law, Kent and Jo Ann Lilly of Kearney; and her daughter and son-in-law, Wanda and Bob Hoppens of Harvard. Additional survivors include eight grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren. Mary grew up and attended school in Beatrice and graduated from Beatrice High School. Following her education she worked in a local beauty salon and passed her state board exams to become a licensed cosmetologist. She married Lester Lilly on November 3, 1935, at Beatrice. They lived in Beatrice then Harvard and then in Grand Island where Mary worked as a medical receptionist for Dr. Clifford Stohs. Mary enjoyed sewing, gardening and spending time with her family. She was a member of the First Christian Church in Grand Island and of the Andrew Chapter 41 of Eastern Star. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lester; a son, Ronald; three brothers and three sisters.