Sandra Kay O’Neal

Sandra Kay O’Neal was born on February 16, 1946 to Walter and Anna Mae (Jensen) Scheef.  She grew up on a farm southwest of Gretna with her two sisters.  She graduated from Gretna High School in 1964 and married her high school sweetheart Melvin (Duane) O’Neal on July 11th the same year.  Sandy and Duane made their home in Gretna and raised their family. Sandy always felt she had the perfect family because she had a boy and a girl.  Sandy worked several places including ESU 3, World Homes, Gretna Public Schools as a bus driver, while finally retiring from the Aksarben Aquarium.

As a couple, Sandy and Duane were always together.  They loved country dancing and made many good friends this way.  Sandy spent many hours in her sewing room creating everything from Halloween and Kiddie Parade costumes to wedding dresses.  She was famous for her pillowcases, quilts, and blankets.  The couple never missed their grandchildren’s events, often being the first ones to arrive and saving seats for the rest of the family. Sandy had a green thumb.  She loved being outside in the yard tending to thousands of perennials and flowers. She was best known for her colorful tulips each spring.

Sandy loved horses.  She was an avid collector of Breyer Horses and enjoyed the hunt at antique malls, garage sales, and flea markets. The life-sized fiberglass horses that adorned their yard were a favorite stop for neighbors and caught the eye of many passing by. Sandy played volleyball in high school and beyond.  She became one of the Lady Huskers Volleyball’s biggest fans.  If she couldn’t find the game on tv, she listened to it on the radio. One of her favorite life events was attending the NCAA Championships in 2015 when NU won it all.

Sandy loved to travel, Colorado being a favorite destination.  One of her most memorable experiences was traveling through Alaska with Duane.

Sandy was diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis.  She battled this disease with tremendous strength and grace.

Sandy is preceded in death by her parents Walt and Ann Scheef, husband Duane, and brother-in-law Robert Pike.  She is survived by her children, daughter Lori (Scott) Wagner, and son Lee (Lisa) O’Neal, grandchildren Amber (Greyson) Dworshak, Jake, Jordan, and Kolton O’Neal, Reid (Jamie) Wagner, Jack and Sydney Wagner, great-grandchildren Paxton and Leland Dworshak, sisters Janet Pike and Sally (Les) Hileman, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Visitation: Thursday Aug. 20, 2020 12:30 pm with Funeral Service at 2:00 pm at Roeder Mortuary.

Roeder Mortuary 11710 Standing Stone, Gretna, NE 68028 402-332-0090

Memorials to The Gretna Public Schools Foundation or The Gretna Fire Department.