Irene Viola Franzluebbers, 89, of Dodge, Nebraska, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, in Omaha at The Josie Harper Hospice House.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, July 20, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Olean, with Fr. Walter Jong-A-Kiem as celebrant. Burial will be at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Cemetery with lunch following at St. Wenceslaus Church Hall. Visitation will be held from 5:00-7:00 pm on Sunday, July 19 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church at Olean, with a rosary beginning at 7:00 pm. Memorials may be directed to St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church or the Dodge Volunteer Fire Department. Arrangements by Stokely Funeral Home of Dodge.
Irene Franzluebbers was born on May 1, 1937, in Dodge, Nebraska to Joseph and Clara (Kucera) Steffensmeier. She attended elementary school at District 29 Rural Clarkson and graduated from Clarkson High School.
On April 14, 1959, Irene married Charles B. Franzluebbers, at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church in Clarkson, Nebraska. Together they made their home in Dodge, where they built a life centered on faith, family, and community. Irene worked at the bank in Clarkson and devoted herself to raising their six sons.
A member of St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church, Irene was active in the parish and belonged to the St. Wenceslaus Christian Mothers, the Altar Society, and Mondays with Mary Rosary Group. She was also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Post 122. Her Catholic faith was the foundation of her life and was evident in her kindness, generosity, and devotion to others. She had a remarkable gift for making people feel welcome. Whether family, friends, neighbors, or someone in need, her home and heart were always open.
Irene found joy in life’s simple pleasures. She possessed a green thumb and took pride in tending to her flowers and garden, while the kitchen served as the heart of her home. Known for her exceptional baking, she seldom let anyone leave her home without a homemade sweet treat and no family gathering was complete without her horn rolls and kolaches. She spent many years in the bowling league and enjoyed watching the birds, following Huskers sports and St. Louis Cardinals baseball, measuring rainfall and forecasting weather with her boys, and proudly supporting her grandchildren and great-grandchildren in their endeavors.
Above all, Irene loved her family. She was a devoted wife, a proud mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother whose greatest joy came from spending time with those she loved. Her strength, faith, and caring nature will be remembered by all who knew her.
She is survived by her six sons: Thomas (Judy) Franzluebbers of La Vista and their children, Sara (Austin) Stanley, great-grandchildren William and Charlotte, of Lincoln and Mitchell
Franzluebbers of La Vista; Alan (Kathrin) Franzluebbers of Watkinsville, Georgia, and their children, Berta, Anton, and Sofia; Kevin (Lynn) Franzluebbers of Omaha, and daughter Aubrey; Michael (Susan) Franzluebbers of Papillion; Ronald (Barbara) Franzluebbers of Wethersfield, Connecticut, and their children, Ben, Rachel, and Leah; and Jared (Regina) Franzluebbers of La Vista, and their children, Theodore and Clara.
She is also survived by her brother, Alvin (Anita) Steffensmeier of Clarkson; sisters-in-law Rose Franzluebbers of West Point and Cecilia Franzluebbers of Beemer; and brother-in-law Tony (Connie) Franzluebbers of Dodge.
Irene was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Charles Franzluebbers, and her parents, Joseph and Clara Steffensmeier.
Irene’s legacy of faith, hospitality, and unconditional love lives on through her family and all those whose lives she touched. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered.
The family extends their sincere gratitude to all who cared for Irene with such compassion and kindness, especially the Dodge Volunteer Fire Department, the doctors, nurses, and staff at CUMC-Bergan Mercy Hospital, Live On Nebraska, and the caring staff at The Josie Harper Hospice House for their exceptional care.