Delores ‘Dee’ Agnes (Gasseling) Cotant Farrar, age 84, from Hemingford, NE passed away on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at Garden County Health Services in Oshkosh, Nebraska. Services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Friday, November 15, 2024 at Chadron Bible Church in Chadron, NE with Pastor Justin Schefcik officiating. Burial will be in Mullen, NE at the Cedarview Cemetery on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at 11:00 A.M. with Pastor Corey Jenkins officiating. Services will be livestreamed on the Gehrig-Stitt Chapel Facebook page and recorded for later viewing on our website.
You may view Dee’s Book of Memories, leave condolences, photos and stories at www.gehrigstittchapel.com. Gehrig-Stitt Chapel & Cremation Service, LLC is in charge of Dee’s care and funeral arrangements.
Delores Agnes Gasseling was born March 26,1940 to Marcus and Agnes (Hovorka) Gasseling of Hemingford, Nebraska. She was joined by her younger brother, Adrian, on November 10, 1941. Dee started country school at District #20 and was the first graduate of the new School District #49. She graduated from the State High School in Curtis, NE, and later earned the title Aksarben Queen before moving to the Sandhills to teach in the Brownlee Community. The Sandhills is where she found her cowboy and married W. Harold Cotant on August 21, 1961. The couple married at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church in Hemingford, NE and returned to the Sandhills where they started married life, teaching, ranching and family. Their oldest son Steve and daughter Sarah arrived in the Sandhills before moving to the ranch at Hemingford.
Dee and Harold relocated to the homestead in Dawes County where they continued ranching and farming also growing their family by another son, Marc. Dee was a hardworking ranch wife in the hay field, working cattle, spending lots of time with her horses, gardening, milking cows, bottle-feeding calves and Blue Heeler puppies. There was a lot of joy in time shared with her friends, supporting her children’s 4-H Activities and high school projects.
Schooling continued to be important to her, so she returned to college at Chadron State and graduated in May of 1989 with her Bachelors of Science in Social Work. That opened an opportunity to work at the Pine Ridge Job Corp Facility South of Chadron and the at the Hemingford Care Facility as a social worker. When her husband Harold passed away in July of 1990 she remained on the ranch until meeting Wayne Farrar during a visit to Mullen.
They were married August 14, 1993, at the United Methodist Church in Curtis, NE where they made their home. Their next decision, after becoming empty nesters, was to return to the ranch near Hemingford. After relocating and finding new friends near Chadron they settled into a church family at the Berean Church. Dee was very active in the life of the church participating in small group studies, helping in the kitchen and enjoyed leading the card ministry. When Dee returned to the ranch her free time was spent with family. Her deep love for her grandchildren was shown in telling stories, rocking babies, baking goodies and seemed no end to the love for each grandchild near and far.
May of 2014, she lost Wayne but stayed on the ranch. More time was spent cherishing her grandchildren, tending her flower beds and playing with her favorite horse Job.
She was preceded in death by her parents Marcus and Agnes, father and mother-in-law, Harvey and Elva Cotant, her husband’s Harold Cotant and Wayne Farrar; brother Adrian Gasseling; brothers-in-law: Garry Cotant and Willis Cotant, and Dale Barr; sister-in-law: Shirley (Cotant) Shears; nephew Kenley and niece Tina.
Dee is survived by: son Steve (Laurie) of Henry, NE, daughter Sarah (Corey) Jenkins of Sidney, NE and son Marc (Kyla) of Hemingford, NE. Grandchildren: Jessica, Allison, Shirley, Tyrell, Landrie, Wyatt, Kinlee, Bryley, Lane and Jaylea; sisters-in-law: Marion Gasseling, Vonnie Barr, Mary Jane (Don) Younkin, Sharyl Cotant and Linda Cotant, along with brothers-in-law: Douglas Cotant, Dennis ‘Mick’ (Mica) Cotant and Vernon Shears. She is also survived by her stepchildren Roger (Jolene) Farrar, Harold Farrar, Sue (Ken) Knolles, Michelle Wilson and their families. Her smile will also be missed by cousins, nieces, nephews, dear friends and neighbors close to her.