Doris Jean Kohout age 90, was born on a farm five miles northeast of Wilber on June 11, 1930, to Edward and Blanche (Koci) Hronik and passed away Feb. 16, 2021, at the Wilber Care Center.
Her education started at five when she entered first grade at District 4. She only spoke Czech since that’s what her parents spoke at home, but quickly learned English with the help of her Czech teacher. She graduated with the Crete High School Class of 1947. Then she attended 12 weeks of summer school at Peru State College and received her teaching certificate and taught for three years. On Nov. 21, 1950, she married Adolph J. Kohout, Jr. at the Grace Methodist Church in Crete. They lived on the farm ¾ mile north of Saline Center Hall. They had two children, Marilyn and Marvin.
She returned back to teaching in 1957 and continued her education by taking night classes and attending summer school and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Doane College in the summer of 1971. She taught 12 years in rural school districts 9, 4, 94, 32 and 57 and in 1970, she taught at Dorchester Public Schools as a kindergarten teacher for two years and 21 years with first graders, retiring in 1993 after 35 years with young children. She enjoyed her retirement working on her family genealogy, sewing and quilting for her family, gardening, especially flowers that would bloom all summer, raising chickens, ducks, geese and even tried raising turkeys. Her pride and joy were her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a member of ZCBJ-WFLA Saline Center Lodge #389, receiving her 50-year membership pin in 1991, Saline County Educational Association, Dorchester Education Association, Eastern Nebraska Reading Council, Blue Valley Quilt Guild and was a 4-H leader for many years.
She is survived by her daughter, Marilyn (Owen) Jensen; son, Marvin (Lorraine) Kohout; four grandchildren, Renee (Luis) Jaime, Shaun Jensen, Jeremy (Lindsay) Kohout and Patrick Kohout; six great-grandchildren, Emalyn, Belanie and Mallory Jaime, Conner, Jonathan and Gracynn Kohout; brother, Franklin (Phyllis) Hronik; and sisters-in-law, MaryAnn Hronik and Mary Ann Pavlish. Preceded in death by her parents; husband, Adolph; sister, Betty Favre; and brother, Robert Hronik.
A visitation will be Wednesday, Feb. 24, from 1 to 7 p.m. at Kuncl Funeral Home in Wilber. Family will greet friends from 5 to 7 p.m. The funeral service will be the following Wednesday, March 3, at 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home. The service will be livestreamed and can be accessed via the Facebook icon at the bottom of the website homepage. Memorial contributions are suggested to the Doris Kohout Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Dorchester Public School. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.kunclfh.com.
