Eileen Dorothea (Rourke) Nemechek, 95, passed away Friday, March 12, 2022, at Wallace County Community Care Center in Sharon Springs, KS.
She was born June 24, 1926, in Brownell, Kansas, the daughter of John and Margaret (Halbleib) Rourke. She was the fourth of eight children.
Eileen attended Hiawatha Grade School and graduated from Ellis High School in 1944. She obtained a teaching certificate at Kansas Normal School in Hays and returned to teach at Hiawatha Grade School.
She married Stephen (Steve) Nemechek Jr. on May 22, 1945, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in McCracken, Kansas. The couple moved to Sherman County in 1946 and farmed southeast of Goodland, Kansas. Steve and Eileen were then blessed with five sons. Steve passed away August 3, 1978. On May 17, 1980, Eileen married Floyd Owens at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Goodland, Kansas. Floyd passed away March 4, 1999.
Eileen was a longtime member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church serving on the Lady’s Guild and Liturgy Committee, as well as Sacristan and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. Eileen was also actively involved in VFW Lady’s Auxiliary. Along with her deep faith and devotion to Christ, Eileen had a great love for her family, always lending a helping hand with joy. Some of Eileen’s many hobbies included gardening, canning and pickling, crocheting, bowling, wallpapering, and working with stained glass.
Eileen is survived by her sons, Tom (Sharon) Nemechek of Des Moines, IA; Greg (Judi) Nemechek of Goodland; Jerry (Penny) Nemechek of Goodland; and Terry (Stephanie) Nemechek of Goddard; and daughter-in-law Janice Nemechek of Goodland; 17 grandchildren, Curt (Julie) Nemechek of Garden City; Rhonda (Dean) McIntosh of Amarillo, TX; Janet (Dustin) Downie of Manhattan; Jodi (Shannon) Hensley of Des Moines, IA; Justin (Kathy) Nemechek of Bucyrus; Brandon (Lacy) Nemechek of Rosehill; Bryant (Melissa) Nemechek of Hershey, NE; BreAnna (Josh) Cech of Colby; Garrett Nemechek of Colby; Parker Nemechek of Manhattan; Jamie Nemechek of Salina; Matthew Nemechek of Goodland; Sarah Nemechek of Goodland; Taylor (Anna) Nemechek of Wichita; Logan Nemechek of Kansas City, MO; Nathan Nemechek of Goddard; 21 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great-grandchild.
Eileen is preceded in death by her parents John and Margaret Rourke; first husband, Steve Nemechek; second husband, Floyd Owens; son Ron Nemechek; siblings, John Rourke, Jr; Katherine Daigle; Lucille Nemechek; Helen Schaben; Sister Margaret Rourke; Bernard Rourke; and infant brother Joseph.
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