Delores (Dee) Catherine Steinbrecher, 99, of Scottsbluff, passed away Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Heritage Estates in Gering. Cremation has taken place at her wishes. An open house visitation celebrating her life will be held at Heritage Estates in the Saddle Gap room from 4:30 – 6:30 on Tuesday, April 2nd. It is respectfully requested that in lieu of flowers, memorials in Delores’s honor be made to Salem Congregational Church or to the family to be designated at a later date. Online condolences may be made by viewing her memorial page at www.bridgmanfuneralhome.com. Bridgman Family Funeral Home in Scottsbluff is entrusted with arrangements.
Dee was born to Hans and Anna (Westphalen) Struve. Due to a family emergency prior to Dee’s birth, Anna traveled back to be with family in Manning, Iowa, where Dee decided she wanted to be born instead of on the family farm in rural Cheyenne County, Nebraska, near the town of Lorenzo, where all of her other siblings were born. She always liked being a little bit different, and breaking the mold.
Dee’s early years were spent growing up on the family farm. She and her siblings rode a horse, “Jack”, often three of them at a time, to a one room schoolhouse, for their early education. Dee talked of living through the depression and remembers the dust bowl era, having to stuff rags around their windows, climb into bed under the covers and stay there until the dirt clouds subsided, after they were gone, how everything was covered with dirt, and how terrible it was.
Dee’s dad Hans suffered from asthma, so the family moved to southern Oregon and northern CA area, where Dee graduated from high school, in Dunsmuir, CA. She worked for railroad in Oregon. World War II broke out and there were black outs all along the west coast after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. She lived through many historical times.
Dee moved back to Nebraska, and then got her beauticians license and owned her own small shop. She was also a waitress at Dude’s Steakhouse in Sidney, and there she met Howard Steinbrecher, who often did masonry work in Sidney, and eventually they married, and she moved to Scottsbluff, where she resided the rest of her life. She was employed by TCI Cable, and worked there for 22 years, retiring from there as the office manager.
Dee’s pride and joy were her grandkids, following them to every track meet, soccer and basketball game, never missing a school event or a 4-H pig or calf show. Lisa often “blamed” Dee for her kids turning out to be such good kids and eventually fine adults. As she always told Lisa “She gave her every grey hair she had”, and that she hoped she “had kids just like her”, but apparently that must have skipped a generation.
Dee loved the Denver Broncos & Shannon Sharp, Kansas City Chiefs (once they acquired Mahomes), was a 35+ year member of Salem Congregational Church, Reach Out Group Three, Study Circle Bible Study, enjoyed crocheting, crafts, gardening, walking, and especially playing cards.
Dee is survived by her daughters Lisa (Kevin) Keller of Mitchell, NE and Cheryle Hefner of Ford, KS and Daughter-in-law Carol Crain. Grandchildren Connie (Jeff) Dunham, Jeff Shaw, Kelly (Tracy) Shaw, Matt (Danielle) Crain, Stephanie (Derek) Smith, Krista Crain, Nathan Keller and Colton Keller, and eight great grandchildren. And her constant companion and beloved yorkie, Max.
She was preceded in death by two sons; Steve Crain and Greg Steinbrecher, daughter Debbie Crain, Son-in-law Wes Hefner, infant great granddaughter Caitlyn Shaw, her parents, 2 brothers and 3 sisters.
A family graveside inurnment will take place June 1st at the cemetery in Peetz, CO, where many family members are buried. It will be followed by a family dinner.