Carol Beukenhorst

Former Doniphan, Nebraska resident Carol Beukenhorst passed away Friday, November 13, 2026. Her family had been with her in the closing hours of her life here on earth.

A Visitation will be at the Doniphan United Methodist Church at 1:00 PM on Tuesday, November 17, 2026, followed by a Funeral Service at 2:00 PM with Rev. Scott Evans and Derek Apfel officiating. A private family burial will be later. Memorials may be given to the Doniphan Methodist Church or the family for later designation.

Carol Jean Adams was born at Mary Lanning Hospital in Hasting, Nebraska on May 20, 1930, to George M. and Pansy Lora (Harritt) Adams. At the age of five the family moved to a farm in the Rosedale Community southwest of Doniphan. She attended Rosedale school district 34 until the High School closed when she was a 9th grader. Eighth grade County Rural School Graduation found her to be a Co-Valedictorian. She graduated from Hastings High School in 1947. That summer she attended Summer School at Kearney State College to earn a teaching certificate and taught three years at Rosedale and District 47 Hall County country schools.

June 11, 1950, was the wedding date when Carol married Gail Gordon Beukenhorst of Doniphan at the Rosedale Evangelical United Brethren Church. They lived their entire married life on the Beukenhorst Family Farm southeast of Doniphan until Gail’s death October 28, 2018. Carol moved to Riverside Lodge Retirement Community in January of 2021 and then to Tiffany Square Care after her health began failing in 2025.

Carol was very active in the Rosedale EUB (later United Methodist Church) beginning with playing piano for Sunday School and Church when she was 13 years old. She continued to play for church, weddings, funerals, and other community events until she moved to Riverside during Covid-19. Once Covid-19 cleared, she played for Chapel at Riverside until the fall of 2025. Gail and Carol were members of the Win One Sunday School class and Carol belonged to the women’s organization. Gail and Carol transferred to the Doniphan United Methodist church where they continued their activities.

Hall County Extension clubs found Carol as a member, first at Rosedale and later at Doniphan. She held all the local offices and was a District Director for one term at the State level. In total she was an Extension/Family and Community Education club member for 65 years.

Carol worked at Lewis Greenscape for 20 years tenderly transplanting vegetable and flower seedlings and getting ready for the spring planting season. And then several fall seasons found her working at the Pioneer plant sorting that year’s corn crop to get ready for the next spring planting season. All the plant work also led to becoming a member of the Happy Hoers Garden Club joining other ladies from Doniphan, Rosedale, Giltner, Trumbull and Grand Islandlearning about new varieties of mostly flowers but also vegetables and trees and bushes to “decorate” their yards and houses. Carol also served on the Hall County Health Board and the Hall County Extension Board. Her hobbies were doing hand embroidery pillowcase and quilt tops with family members receiving them as gifts, doing word search puzzles and, of course, her music.

Over the years Carol and Gail participated in various community organizations. They were Charter members of the Hall County Rural Urban Youth helping to get the group organized in the early 1950’s. There they learned to Square Dance leading to later membershipsin two Square Dance Clubs. Carol was active in 4-H as a youth and became a leader of the Doniphan Debs 4-H club when her children became old enough to belong. A local group of friends got together and started playing Pinochle regularly for many years watching other families grow and enjoying the times spent together.

Gail and Carol enjoyed traveling both locally, around the United States on Bus Tours or with friends taking car trips. The highlight trip was when they went to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland for their 50th Anniversary.

Family was the most important thing to Carol. There were always school, sports and community activities involving family members and Carol attended as many events as possible.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, husband Gail, granddaughter Shana Baker, son-in-law Bill Baker, grandson James Hilmer, brother Robert (Bob) and his wife Mary Adamsand their daughter Debra (Dick) Wolff as well as Gail’s parents Jake and Mary Beukenhorst.

Survivors include:

Cathryn and Ron McKown

Lora and Craig Clapper

Beverly and Rick Gilbert

Rachel and Jeff Rice

Robert and Stephany Gilbert

Dominic and Beretta

Tanya and Troy Orr

Lakeshia, Ricardo, Jorge, and Nayeli and their families

David and Janice Beukenhorst

Ken and Jenny Beukenhorst

Jacob, Gracelyn, and Josie

Laura McKinley

Katy McKinley

Carter and Emily McKinley

Linda Baker

Melinda (Mindy) and Mike Friesner

Caleb Friesner and Rachel Dawson

KoriAnn and Madelyn

Todd Dawson

Kelsey and Tanner Wolfe

Alexis (Lexi) and Nathan Hoff

A’lerika and Treyce Thompson

Everett

Alekzander Koneval

Janice and Gene Montgomery

Shelly and Scott Mertz

Henry and Warren

Allison and Steven Sojka

Avry and Augustine

Doug and Elizabeth Montgomery

Michael Montgomery and James Wilson

Lisa Beukenhorst

Christopher and Catlin Johnson

Dierks and Ember

Michael Johnson

Cheryl and Andy Vajgrt

Paige (Gittinger) and Travis Bartman

Odin

Nikole (Gittinger) and Greg Bader

Remi and Stevie

Matt Vajgrt

Abigail (Abby) Vajgrt

Larry and Tammy Beukenhorst

Ashley and Dan Hendry

Gabriella

Kaitlyn and Tate Gillen

Grayson and Cohen

Lindsey Beukenhorst

She is also survived by Bob and Mary’s children Jerry, Steve and Chellie, Harrell, and Colin and Monica Adams as well as many other relatives and a multitude of friends and neighbors.