LANKA, Nancy Diane

Nancy Diane Lanka, 59, of Grand Island, died Monday April 17, 2006, at St. Francis Medical Center. Services will be at 1:30 P.M. Thursday at Peace Lutheran Church. The Rev. William Voelker will officiate. Burial will be in the Grand Island City Cemetery. Visitation will be Wednesday from 4 to 8 P.M. at Livingston-Sondermann Funeral Home. Mrs. Lanka was born September 19, 1946, at Columbus, NE to Reinhard and Hulda (Wilke) Henke. Survivors include her husband, Gary Lanka of Grand Island; two sons and daughter-in-law, Kevin and Jami Lanka of Lincoln and Jason Lanka of Hastings; one brother and sister-in-law, Duane (Bud) and Jeanie Henke of Creston, NE; four sisters and brothers-in-law, Bonnie and Lloyd Abbott of Marquette, NE, Janet and Roger Whitefoot of Grand Island, Suzy and Greg Cochennet of Lincoln and Michelle and Steve Wetjen of Columbus; her mother, Hulda Henke-Miller of Marquette; and mother-in-law, Bessie Lanka of Grand Island. Additional survivors include two grandsons, Carter and Marshall Lanka. Nancy was preceded in death by her father, Reinhard Henke, her father-in-law, WIlliam Lanka, and a niece, Cami Whitefoot. Nancy grew up north of Columbus, attending Christ Lutheran Grade School and Creston High School , graduating in 1964. She studied to become an x-ray technologist at St. Francis in Grand Island. She married Gary Lanka on November 15, 1969, at Christ Lutheran Church near Columbus. Nancy worked as an x-ray technologist for Lutheran Hospital in Grand Island until it closed. She then worked for St. Francis Medical Center for approximately 10 years and then worked at the Grand Island Surgery Center until failing health forced her to retire. Nancy enjoyed spending time at the lake with her family,especially her grandchildren. She was an avid reader, and a passionate Husker fan.