Eileen Holliday was born on June 17, 1938, in Fairbury, the youngest of three children of Herman and Katherine (Herbst) Theye. She grew up in the Gladstone area and attended the Zion United Church of Christ in Gladstone as a child. Eileen attended District 28 School and graduated from Fairbury High School in 1956. She lived in Fairbury, Seward and Goehner throughout her life. She worked at Heritage Care Center in Fairbury, Sundermann Nursing Home in Seward and Blue Valley Region V Services in Fairbury. Eileen and Steven Holliday were united in marriage on Feb. 1, 1981, at the United Methodist Church in Fairbury and just recently celebrated their 40th anniversary.
Eileen was a loving mother who worked and raised her three children, Don, Bob and Deb, as well as her two step-children, Jeff and Kristin, and her grandson, Tyler. She was a devoted grandmother as well, as her youngest grandsons remember her as the best pancake maker ever, overnights together playing GameCube and the chocolate fudge ice cream bars she always had in the freezer. She was a lover of music, especially polka and country-western, she loved to bake and cook for her family and always had a garden to tend to.
Eileen was preceded in death by her parents, Herman and Katherine (Herbst) Theye; her parents-in-law, Myron and Marjorie Holliday; her brother and sister-in-law, Harold and Elsie Theye; her brother-in-law, Stephen Scheer; and her nephew, Martin Scheer.
Eileen is survived by her husband of 40 years, Steven Holliday of Fairbury; her children, Don Theye (Christine Lange) of Endicott, Bob Theye (Deb) of Geneva and Deb Anderson (Dan) of Omaha; step-children, Jeff Holliday (Michelle) of Fairbury and Kristin Burt (Mike) of Seward. Her grandchildren include Tyler Theye, Melanie Theye (Justin Sautter), Nick Theye, Darrin Anderson, William Anderson, Austin Holliday, Devin Holliday, Dalton Burt, Brycen Burt, Jailyn McNealy (Donovan) and Makenna Schmit (Mitchell). She also leaves behind her sister, Viola Scheer of Fairbury; brother-in-law, Paul Holliday and Karen of Johnson, Kansas; and 10 great-grandchildren.
No services are scheduled at this time. Viewing will be Wednesday, Feb. 10, from 2 to 8 p.m. at Gerdes-Meyer Funeral Home in Fairbury and Thursday, Feb. 11, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. with the family greeting friends Thursday evening from 6 to 8 p.m.. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Arthritis Foundation. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.gerdesmeyerfh.com.
