Mary E. Cave

Mary Evelyn Cave, 96, of Chappell and Julesburg, passed away Thursday afternoon, September 17, 2020 at the Sedgwick County Memorial Nursing Home in Julesburg.

Memorial Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, September 30, 2020 at the Assembly of God Church in Chappell with Pastor Rich Graeff officiating.  Burial will follow in the Chappell City Cemetery.  A light lunch and fellowship will be held at the church following graveside services.

Memorials in Mary’s name can be made to the family for later designation.

Family and friends can leave online condolences at www.bondegardfunerals.com.

Holechek-Bondegard Funeral Home and Cremations in Chappell is serving the Cave family.

Mary Evelyn Cave was born July 11, 1924 to George H. And Mary Belle (Evison) Peterson at the farm five miles south of Lodgepole, Nebraska.  Mary’s family moved to Chappell when Mary was 2 1/2 years old.  She attended Chappell schools and graduated as valedictorian in 1942.

After attending the University of Nebraska- Lincoln for one year she married her high school sweetheart, Harold A. Cave on June 25, 1943.

In May of 1944, baby Kristin was born to the family.  Harold entered the service in November of that year.  In 1963, Monica joined the family at age 5.

Mary served as a Selective Service Clerk for Deuel County, when most of the returning soldiers can home from WWII and recorded their discharges.  After a stint with the Oswald Produce Company as bookkeeper, the family moved to Crook, Colorado where Harold purchased a farm and ranch north of Crook. 

In 1953, Mary began an illustrious career as a schoolteacher, spanning 30 years, teaching 4th and 5th grade students.  She did this while attending Northern Colorado University and other schools in the evenings and summer earning scholarships for most of the tuition.

As if one career wasn’t enough, Mary started a real estate brokerage office known as Cave Realty in Chappell and was licensed in Nebraska and Colorado.

In 2001, Harold suffered a fatal heart attack while sitting in his tractor.  This left Mary with 600 head of steers in the feed lot to care for.

In 2012, Mary moved to Julesburg and met her special friend, Don Stretesky.

She will be missed by her family and a host of former students from Chappell, Crook and Sidney.

She is survived by her daughter, Kristin Flowers of Lakewood, Colorado; 4 granddaughters, Heather (Jeffery) Waisner, Kirstin (David) Sayer, Melissa Misegadis (Joshua) Wickstom and Jessica (Joshua) Knobbe; 6 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Harold Cave, her parents, 1 daughter, Monica, 2 brothers, 2 sisters, and son-in-law, Melvin Flowers.