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Betty Darline Rejda, born on June 12, 1943, at Custer, South Dakota, the daughter of Erwin and Helen (Olsen) Curl. United in marriage to Donald Paul Rejda on May 27, 1962, at Broken Bow, Nebraska. Devoted wife, mother and grandmother passed away on Sunday, May 31, 2026, at CHI Good Samaritan Health Center in Kearney, Nebraska at the age of 82.

FAMILY REFLECTIONS

She didn’t have to tell us that she loved us. She lived it. She never let her hands go idle, in fact, I don’t ever remember her sitting down long enough to watch an entire TV show. She was way too busy taking care of all of us. She did it all. From raising us boys, to teaching children’s Sunday school at the Burwell Methodist church, to cooking for the hired hands, bringing us dinner in the hay fields, keeping a huge garden and canning the produce, working full time farming and holding down several jobs for extra money. From our earliest memories, she baked and decorated cakes for weddings and other special occasions for her customers all across Nebraska. She even taught a cake decorating class at the Burwell high school. I recall she worked several years as the office manager at the Sargent nursing home and after that she graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney with a Bachelors of Psychology in 2005 at the age of 62 then she went to work for the State correctional facility in Kearney, Nebraska, driving the 85 miles back to the ranch from that job. Even with this workload she spent years as a volunteer for the Loup County fair board and many other organizations.

Mom was the closest example of a Proverbs 31 woman of excellence. She always had our backs. Whether we were right or wrong, she always defended us. Much of her gray hair came from trying her best at keeping us boys out of trouble. No matter how bad we screwed up or how many bad decisions we made, she was always there to pick us up and help put us back together. She always made time for what was important to her, playing cards late at night with family, family vacations and always cooking the best kolaches. She was passionate about genealogy; being a member of the Daughters of the Mayflower Society and a direct descendant of John Billington. She found joy in ballroom dancing in the arms of Don.

She always believed in us, supported us, even invested in our crazy ideas. She gave us our work ethic and taught us how to live, laugh and love. She is already missed by all of us.

Those left to cherish her memory are her husband of 64 years, Don of Burwell; three sons, Troy (Tina) Rejda of Ozark, Missouri, Russell Rejda of Burwell and Dan (Kendra) Rejda of Wolcott, Colorado; grandchildren, Sierra (Alex) Howe, Noah Rejda and Courtney (Jared) Murray and seven great grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; stepfather, James Olsen; three brothers, Clayton, Loren and Jim Olsen and a half-sister, Stella Olsen.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at Calamus Trinity Methodist Church in Burwell, Nebraska. Pastor Stephen Williams and Troy Rejda will officiate. Interment will be in the Bohemian Brethren Cemetery in Valley County. Visitation will be held at the church on Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

Memorials are suggested to the Calamus Trinity Methodist Church.