Mary Aileen (Sapp) Brophy

Mary Aileen (Sapp) Brophy was born Feb. 15, 1937, in Cook to Walter R. Sapp Sr. and Letha Pearson Sapp. She moved from Tecumseh to Harvard at an early age. She attended Harvard High School for 11 years. She died Dec. 22, 2003, at her home in her sleep, beside her husband.

She married Francis Brophy and they lived in Hastings while he attended Hastings College, then he went to work in civil service. Then the Naval Ammunition Depot in Hastings closed, they moved to Silverdale, Wash., where he worked for the Navy and she worked as a waitress at Bangor NAD. After two years they moved to Fowler, Colo., where she became a foster mother and her husband worked at Pueblo Army Depot for the Army.

In 1968, they moved back to Harvard where both of them worked at the Grand Island Ordinance plant. At the end of the Vietnam War, she went to work for her sister in Ethertton's G.W. store in Harvard and stayed there for 10 years until the store burned down. In 1988, they moved to Lincoln and worked at the Veterans Hospital in the kitchen as her husband also worked there. She also took in foster children in Lincoln and they stayed with her until they became of age to be on their own.

In 1994, her husband retired from civil service to care for her as her health was deteriorating. She had both carotid arteries operated on and a year later had triple bypass surgery on her heart (heart problems run in her entire family). In 1994, they moved back to the family home in Harvard but continued many trips to Lincoln for various other medical problems, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. She always tried to stop and visit relatives and friends coming or going if she felt like it.

She moved to Cambridge about two years ago. They chose this location as Cambridge has a hospital and doctors. Some of her Lincoln doctors traveled to Cambridge and saved them trips to Lincoln. The second reason was her daughter Pam had started WeeKids Preschool and Daycare. She loved rocking the babies and talking to the older ones, she was "grandma" to many boys and girls. The children never knew of her aches and pains as she never complained. She just wanted to be kept busy, especially with the babies.

She is survived by her husband, Francis; one son, Robert and wife, Jackie of Adams, Tenn.; three daughters, Wanda Cannon of Harvard, Pamela and husband, William J. Kruger of Cambridge; and Susan and husband, Craig Steinkruger of Hastings. There are four grandchildren, Angela Hagedorn of Cambridge, Heather Lott of Fremont, Mitch Manger of Hasting, Joshua Hedlund of Hastings. There are four great-grandchildren, Spencer and Cameron Hagedorn of Cambridge and Megan and Jordan Lott of Fremont.

She was preceded in death by her mother and father; one sister, Betty Conde and one brother, Walter R. Sapp, Jr.

Rosary will be said at the Catholic church in Cambridge, 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 26, 2003.

Funeral services are at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Harvard on Saturday, 11 a.m., at Lockenour-Jones Mortuary in Cambridge.

Lockenour-Jones Mortuary in Cambridge is in charge of the arrangements.