Glennis Elizabeth Nicolai, age 90 of Lincoln, passed away peacefully October 21, 2019.  Glennis was surrounded and comforted by her family and friends in Lincoln at the time of her passing.   Glennis DeVasure was born in Franklin County, Kansas on January 2, 1929, along with her twin brother Glenn.  She also had an older brother Lowell.  She was the daughter of Homer and Harriet (Whitehead) DeVasure.  She was raised on a farm in Tekamah, Nebraska during the Great Depression.  She graduated from Dana College in Business.  Glennis spent her first year of teaching in Gothenburg, Nebraska  where she taught business classes, typing I and II, shorthand, and bookkeeping.  Glennis met Art Nicolai in Gothenberg, and Art and Glennis were married  in the Methodist church in Tekamah, Nebraska July 20, 1951. Art preceded her in death on June 9, 2015.  Glennis has two children, Nancy and Jim.  Once they were both in school, the family moved to Lincoln, and Glennis began working, a pioneer choice for women at that time.  She worked for Nebraska State Education Association from July 19, 1965 , until she retired as Assistant Treasurer on October 31, 1994.

Glennis obtained the travel bug from Art and she loved to travel.  In addition to frequent adventures overseas, Glennis loved being a mom, gardening, ushering at the Lied Center, knitting, Husker football, hats and ballroom dancing.  Following Art’s passing she would meet for lunch with her friends from the Church and from Nebraska Wesleyan University.  Glennis’s memberships include Daughters of the American Revolution, Christ United Methodist Church, Eastern Star, American Legion Post 3, Woman’s Wesleyan Educational Council, and American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. 

 Glennis was preceded in death by her parents and brothers, Lowell and Glenn and a sister Dorothy.  Survived by daughter, Nancy, Ph.D. a 1980 graduate of the Biology Department of Nebraska Wesleyan University and Jim, of Cove, Texas is a 1981 graduate from the Chemistry Department  of Nebraska Wesleyan University and the Chemical Engineering Department of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.  She is survived by grandsons, Jeremy and Nathan Nicolai, of Cove, Texas.  She is also survived by sister-in-law Betty Nicolai, Horsham, Pennsylvania, nieces: Ann (Rod)Buland of Livonia, Michigan, Jane (Keith)Siebrandt, of Omaha, Nebraska, John DeVasure of Omaha,  Jane (Drew) Endy of Jamison, Pennsylvania and Mary (Carey) Wein of Maple Grove, Pennsylvania, and nephews Don (Paula) Nicolai of Califon, New Jersey, Bob (Maureen) Nicolai of Riegelsville, Pennsylvania.

There will be a viewing at Wyuka Funeral Home in Lincoln, Nebraska on Wednesday, October 23 from 2:00 to 8:00 PM with the family present from 6:00 to 7:00 P.M.  Graveside Service will be held at Thursday October 24th at 11:00 a.m. at the Wyuka Cemetery.  A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 24, 2019 at Christ United Methodist Church, Lincoln, Nebraska. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Food Bank of Lincoln BackPack Program.  Their Website is www.lincolnfoodbank.org or the Women’s Wesleyan Educational Council.

 Glennis was a private, sweet, soft-spoken and very strong woman, a wonderful wife and loving mother.  She will be greatly missed by family and friends.